Beware "experts" like us

Imagine two couples, both having left Canada at approximately the same time to go cruising, both approaching 1000 days off the dock. Both boats have reached the tropics, one couple left from the left coast and one from the right coast.

Besides the effects of their different personalities and boats, how different will their experiences be based on cruising in different oceans - the Atlantic vs. the Pacific?

Those nearly 1000 day Canadian cruisers are Mike and Rebecca from Zero to Cruising (in the Atlantic) and us (in the Pacific). Mike is writing on the same topic today, go check it out.

Through conversations with Mike I have been reminded that cruising region is huge in forming opinions on more general aspects of cruising.

Whether it is the availability of gas vs. propane, the usefulness of wind generators, the need to hip or hoist your dinghy, the availability of WiFi...so much of cruising is affected by where you are and where you have been.

We had such a great time at the Seattle boat show and we felt we had some real world recent information to share about French Polynesia. Even so, we tried to limit the reach of what we said. After all, we spent our first year cruising locally in Canada rather than tropical, were in French Polynesia under six months, and have visited only 2 countries in the S Pacific so far.  

As we approach 1000 days of cruising, we still have only experienced a small segment of what cruising can be.

When you listen to people yammer on about stuff it is always important to consider their experience, their situation, finances, boat type, hobbies, and personality and ask yourself how that fits with your dreams, strengths, and situation.

If you haven't already, I am suggesting that you add 'cruising region' to your BS filter as well.

We expect things to change when we travel further West. Some of the ways we are currently cruising will have to change to match. Even what we see as ideal, is only ideal for us...for now.