10 Questions For Moonshadow

George Backhus and Merima Dzaferi cruise aboard Moonshadow, a Deerfoot 2-62, 62 feet hailing from Reno, Nevada, USA. George began cruising in 1994 and Merima in 2005. Since 1994, Moonshadow has traveled through the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, Hawaii, South Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, SE Asia, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, & Mediterranean Sea. Readers can find more information and contact details on their website.

Is there a place you visited where you wish you could have stayed longer?
Just about every place we've been!  We have enjoyed almost every place we've visited but the two places we most long to return to are Malaysia and Mexico.

Tell me your favorite thing about your boat
She meets our criteria of the "ultimate cruising yacht."  She is safe, comfortable, fast, and easy for the two of us to sail and maintain.  While every yacht is a compromise to some degree, we feel Moonshadow is less so than any yacht we  have seen in the same price range.

When you are offshore, what keeps you awake at night (that is, what worries you most)?
In normal conditions we worry about a collision with another object such as a container, unlit boat, reef or fishing net.  In heavy air, we worry about gear failure.

What is your favorite piece of boating related new technology?
Mobile broadband which allows us to access weather and other information and stay in touch when we're coastal cruising.  In most cases we can use Skype with our mobile.

What was the most affordable area you have cruised and the most expensive? What was affordable or expensive about each area?
The most affordable was SE Asia and the most expensive is the Med. Everything (marinas, food, diesel) was very affordable in SE Asia.  In the Med, marinas are very expensive.

What is your biggest lesson learned?
Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Where was your favorite place to visit and why?
Undoubtedly our favorite place to visit was Penang, Malaysia.  The marina wasn't too flash, but the town was fun, interesting and a delightful place to hang out.  If you go, don't miss the Friday & Saturday night buffet at the Eastern and Oriental Hotel.

What piece of gear seems to break the most often?
The autopilot.

What is something that you looked forward to about cruising when you were dreaming, that is as good or even better than imagined?
Seeing faraway places and experiencing different cultures.

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it?
 
What are the five biggest mistakes made by novice cruisers?

The biggest problem for many of us when we start out cruising is that we are “unconsciously incompetent.” That is, we don’t know what we don’t know. We then must learn by making mistakes, watching other’s mistakes, or reading about other’s mistakes. This can end up costing a lot of money…or worse.

1. Buying the Wrong Yacht - The first and usually biggest mistake people make is buying the wrong yacht for the type of cruising they want to do. Many people step onto a yacht at a boat show or on the broker’s docks, pop down the companionway and fall in love with the interior of their cruising home while it is sitting placidly in flat water. Dreams of distant ports of call and the romance of sailing in tropical South Sea waters overtake all common sense, and all one wants to do is sign on the dotted line and sail away. Issues like sea berths, ventilation, galley layout, systems accessibility, storage, sail handling systems, safety and sea kindliness are farther from their minds than a South Pacific atoll.

Many production yachts available today are, at best, a very average compromise between racing and cruising. Once one buys the yacht and moves aboard, they soon discover that they just don’t have the storage space, if not proper layout, for long-term living and passaging. I can’t tell you how many people I have known who have purchased a yacht, then spent years of their time and loads of boat bucks (1 boat buck=$1,000) trying to make the boat work better for them. In the end, they may have spent more than if they had purchased the right boat in the first place.

I think the most practical solution is to do your homework before you even look at a yacht. I suggest one read as many books as possible on cruising and yacht design and then talk to as many cruisers as possible about what they like and dislike about their yachts. Armed with this information you should have a pretty good idea of what works and what doesn’t, and then be able to choose the sort of cruising yacht that best suits your budget and requirements.

I spent nearly a year in research before I purchased Moonshadow. I found both Jimmy Cornell’s World Cruising Survey and Steve and Linda Dashew’s Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia immensely helpful. I also found numerous excellent articles in Cruising World, Sail, Ocean Navigator, Practical Sailor and Latitude 38 magazines.

From this, I developed a “must have” list of criteria for any yacht I would consider. In my particular case, they were:
1. Safety-minimum Category I offshore standard with watertight crash bulkheads fore and aft.
2. Minimum of 50′ for comfortable offshore passaging and long–term live aboard and gear storage.
3. Speed–must be capable of averaging 200 miles per day on passage–at least 50′ of waterline.
4. Short handed capability–must be able to single/double hand as well as mostly maintain myself. And NO TEAK DECKS!

For budgetary reasons, I went to the second-hand market to see what was available that met my criteria. At the time, there were three Deerfoots, and one Amel available. I chose the Deerfoot and, after nearly ten years and 55,000+ nautical miles of sailing, still think I made the right decision for my own requirements.

2. Not Being Thoroughly Familiar with Your Yacht Before Going Cruising - I was as guilty as anyone of this one. I purchased Moonshadow in Ft. Lauderdale in July of 1994 and immediately put her into a yard there to do some refitting. She needed a new engine, as well as maintenance and repair to many of her systems, as she had been lying unused for nearly two years. By the time I finished all the work that I needed to do, I had only had the chance to do five relatively easy day sails before departing Florida to sail to San Francisco. Wow, what a learning curve! Shortly after departing Dry Tortugas for Isla Mujeres, Mexico, we encountered a gale in the Gulf Stream. This was not the place to learn about reefing and heavy weather sailing on an unfamiliar yacht.

I have seen this many times with new cruisers. They are so busy getting the yacht prepared to go cruising, that they have not had time to go out and do any sailing. Some literally finish the last project the day that they leave. When they start cruising, they might encounter a less than favorable experience due to lack of knowledge of the yacht’s handling characteristics, not to mention gear failures due to lack of any proper shakedown.

I would suggest some local cruising before heading out on the “big cruise.” Sail the yacht in as many conditions as possible so you can become familiar with reefing, heaving to, sail handling in adverse conditions, night sailing, docking, anchoring, life under way, etc. Spend enough time on the hook to become familiar with all the systems you will need when you are not plugged into a marina, i.e. battery charging, refrigeration, water maker, windlass, dinghy and outboard, etc. You will also need to be familiar with all your electronics and communication gear before you head offshore. Reading the manual while attempting to program the weather fax when you are bashing into a gale just doesn’t cut it.

3. Making Changes to the Yacht without Cruising Experience - Making changes to your yacht before cruising it would be like altering your clothes without having ever put them on. Get out, sail the yacht, live on board for at least a few months to a year, and then start to formulate a list of what works and what needs improvement.


My good friend Jeff Erdmann, owner of Bollman Yachts in Ft. Lauderdale and the person who sold Moonshadow to me, gave me this bit of advice. He suggested that I make only the repairs necessary to sail her to San Francisco. Once I had gotten there, I would be in a much better position to figure out what I would alter or improve. I can tell you that after three months and nearly 6000 ocean miles, my mindset changed dramatically from when I was in Ft. Lauderdale. He saved me lots of money, because a lot of things that didn’t quite seem right in the marina made a whole lot more sense when I put to sea and did some cruising. I also discovered a few things that I had not even considered until I spent some time at sea and on the hook.

4. Some Cruisers Haven’t Taken the Time to Learn Basic Maintenance- If you don’t maintain a yacht, it will wear out faster or break, usually when you least expect it, and probably when you are at the furthest point from where you can get it fixed. I think Murphy loves messing about on yachts! I like to joke that cruising is just “extensive repair and maintenance in beautiful and exotic places.” That said, if you spend just a few hours a week on maintenance, you are less likely to have to spend days or weeks stuck in some third-world hellhole while you await parts or make major repairs.

I have always been pretty handy, and owned another yacht for 13 years before I purchased MOONSHADOW, so I was pretty familiar with the drill. On the other hand, a full-fledged cruising yacht has many systems on board that aren’t found on a day/weekend sailor. It is important to become familiar with all the systems on your yacht. If you don’t know how they work or how to maintain them, get an expert in to do the work and at the same time show you how. You can also get lots of good information about systems from books like Nigel Calder’s Boatowner’s Mechanical and Electrical Manual.

I also suggest you keep all the manuals for all your on board equipment handy. Mine are organized in three binders that I keep handy at the nav station. It’s also important to have a scheduled maintenance checklist for your yacht’s systems. I use the Cap’n Administration program to keep track of everything.Proper maintenance and a bit of D.I.Y. (do it yourself) repair capabilities, along with a reasonable inventory of spares can mean the difference between pleasurable cruising and costly, inconvenient and possibly dangerous breakdowns.

5. Waiting till the Last Minute to Organize One’s Affairs before Going Cruising - Many people seem to wait till the very last minute to get their personal and/or business affairs in order before sailing off in to the sunset. I’ve seen people trying to rent or sell their home, flog off the car and sort out other affairs with just a week to go before they depart. This invariably adds to the stress level already imposed by a significant lifestyle change, and can also lead to errors in judgment in the handling of one’s affairs, if not the yacht.

If you have your affairs sorted out a few months before your planned departure date, your mind will be free to focus on getting yourself and your yacht ready for the upcoming cruise, as well as to enjoy some quality time with the friends and loved ones who will remain behind.

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10 Questions For Nine Of Cups

David & Marcie Lynn have been cruising since 2000 aboard Nine of Cups, a  Liberty 458 cutter - 45'/14M  hailing from Denver, CO, USA. Since 2000 they have cruised the East coast US and maritime Canada, Bahamas, Caribbean, 2 Panama Canal transits, circumnavigation of South America including Patagonian canals, Tierra del Fuego, Cape Horn, etc., Cape Town, South Africa and two trans-Atlantic crossings, South Atlantic islands of Tristan de Cunha, St. Helena and Ascension, trans-Pacific from Puerto Montt, Chile to Opua, NZ with ports of call at Juan Fernandez Island, Easter Island, Pitcairn Island,  French Polynesia, Cook Islands including Suwarrow Atoll, Niue and Tonga. You can find out more on their website, blog, or through email (nineofcups1@yahoo.com).

Over the time that you have been cruising, has the world of cruising changed?
Not considerably. For instance, internet and ATMs were available back in 2000 which are two big pluses for cruisers, but sometimes access in remote places was very limited. Access has improved over the past few years. We've still found places without ATMs (e.g. the Gambiers, Tristan, Pitcairn), but wifi seems available about everywhere now, even on the boat.

What is your favorite piece of boating related new technology?
Chartplotter...It's not all that new as far as technologygoes, just new to us as of 2 years ago and we love it.

Is there anywhere you sailed to that was a disappointment?
No.  Some places are not as fun as others or as interesting, but each place has its own charm and allure if you take the time and effort to find it.

When have you felt most in danger and what was the source?
We feel uncomfortable during storms sometimes. We hit a rock coming out of an anchorage in Tierra del Fuego, far from any other boat or port and felt some concern. Though we've had our share of mishaps and bad weather, we rarely feel we're in extreme danger. We work at staying calm and coming up with solutions and ways of handling  the situation.

What type of watch schedule do you normally use while offshore?
3 hours on/3 hours off from 9pm-9am, then a loose schedule during daylight hours with someone always in the cockpit.

With the benefit of hindsight, what are the boat selection criteria you would use to purchase a boat for long term cruising?
We've lived aboard for 11 years  and not regretted buying “Nine of Cups” after 60,000 miles of sailing. Heavy displacement (she's 20+ tons); modified full keel; 45' is roomy enough for two people and can still be handled by two people without extra crew; lots of lockers and stowage space; easy access to engine;

What do you miss about living on land?
Proximity to relatives and old friends; a garden; space for more “stuff”

Have you found "trade goods" to be useful on your cruise? If so, what kinds?
Depending upon where you sail, different items are of interest to the locals. In the San Blas Islands of Panama, for instance, reading glasses and sewing needles were of particular interest. In the Cook Islands, “Crocs” were a hot item, along with fishing hooks and gear. Cigarettes, wine, liquor (small bottles of rum purchased in Central/South America) are always welcome trade and gift items with fishermen. Children's clothes are always welcome. Typically, we received fresh veggies, fish and local crafts.
 
Was there anywhere you visited that you thought was overrated (not as good as you had heard)?
Again, a place is what you make it. Things change; places change; people change. I think we don't go to a place with high expectations. We make our cruising itinerary choices carefully based on what we're interested in doing and seeing and we do quite a bit of research in advance using lots of different sources. We particularly like the SSCA Bulletin for real cruiser stories versus sailing magazines which tend to glorify  experiences.

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it?

Why do you cruise?


Because we can. Because we love to travel and experience new countries and cultures. We'd never have the same experiences if we just flew to a place and stayed the usual couple of weeks.  Because we think cruising affords us the opportunity to experience one of the last freedoms available to people. Because we like being off the beaten track. Because we like being more conscious of nature and our natural surroundings; Because we like being as self-sufficient as possible. A perfect day for us  is catching a fish for dinner (sushi...so no propane-use/cooking required); enough wind on a broad reach to sail in the right direction; enough wind and solar so we don't have to start the engine to recharge the batteries.

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10 Questions For Raptor Dance

Bill Finkelstein & Mary Mack have been cruising since 2004 on Raptor Dance, a Valiant 50 cutter hailing from Tiburon, CA, USA. During those years they have done laps between Zihuatanejo Mexico and the West end of Vancouver Island including the inner waters to 51N. More information and contact information can be found on their website and blog. Bill & Mary are married and as two retired type A personalities, didn't know if they could stand each other 24/7.  After 6 years of cruising they still love it.

They say: “We've written a lot about cruising and what we recommend.  You can find many of our articles on our website. We've written on a wide range of topics from getting ready to cruise, to how to optimize your Winlink/Sailmail operation, we also collaborated on a free cruisers guide to the Barra de Navidad/Tenacatita area.  We invite you to check out the resources available and drop us an email (see "Contact Us" on our website) if you have any questions! Fair winds!”

What is your most common sail combination on passage?
Mainsail (vertical stabilizer) and Engine!  Seriously along the Pacific Coast, you will do a lot more motoring than you think - especially if you want to get to the next anchorage before sundown.  When we do have wind, it's our 115 Jib and main.  If the sail angle is conducive, we LOVE to fly our Asymmetric Spinnaker.  When the wind really starts blowing (25+) We reef down and use our Staysail.  Our preferred heavy weather configuration is a double reefed main and Staysail.

What piece of gear seems to break the most often?
Anything we don't have a spare for!  And if you have a spare and it still breaks, it means your spare is the wrong size!  When you are cruising stuff is constantly breaking, so get used to always fixing something.

Actually the one item that broke most often was our hot water heater.  Surprisingly, most of the marine hot water heaters sold today have aluminum tanks.  If you are a live aboard cruiser who always keeps their hot water hot, the aluminum hot water tank doesn't last that long (a year or two at most).  We went through 4 hot water heaters in 7 years until we switch to a water heater with a true stainless tank (Isotherm).  Earlier we were bamboozled into buying a Stainless Steel hot water heater that we thought had a Stainless Tank - it didn't, just a Stainless cover!  It only lasted 2 years.

What do you enjoy about cruising that you didn't expect to enjoy?
The most enjoyable part of cruising for us is meeting all the fellow cruisers and socializing.  You get to meet people from all walks of live with a wide range of experiences and interesting stories.  That's the best part for us.

Also, meeting the local people and culture of the areas where you are cruising we found extremely rewarding.  Often we would be the only boat in an anchorage during Christmas or a local fiesta and celebrated with the local families.  Great fun and a very enlightening experience.

Yes, being in a tranquil anchorage is great - but once you get over your post work/retirement burnout it's great to have interesting folks to talk to.

What is your favorite piece of boating related new technology?
Automatic Ship ID (AIS) - we have just the receiver, but it's a great comfort on those night passages in areas with lots of commercial traffic.  Not new technology, but we consider a Marine SSB Radio to be a necessity and not an option.

In your own experience and your experience meeting cruising couples, can you convince a reluctant partner to go cruising and if so, how?
In short, NO.  If you're partner has no interest and isn't "hookable" on the experience, forget it.  Try by taking them sailing or for short cruises and make it enjoyable for them, not a pain.  Get them involved in doing something, not just being a passenger.  Make sure you have sea-sickness medication on board!

What is the most difficult aspect of the cruising lifestyle?
Boat maintenance.  Even with a very well maintained vessel, stuff is still going to break and if you're in a remote area, you better have a spare or a good way to jury rig and have the skills to fix it yourself.  We do, but it is the major source of cruising stress for us.

With the benefit of hindsight, what are the boat selection criteria you would use to purchase a boat for long term cruising?
We're happy with our choice of a Valiant.  They are proven Blue Water Cruising Sailboats.  Even though some of the major brands produce more boats in a month than Valiant has in 30 years, more Valiants have circumnavigated than any other recreational vessel.   Our Valiant can take a heck of a lot more than we can!

Was there anywhere you visited that you thought was overrated (not as good as you had heard)?
Cabo and Zihuatanejo.  We much prefer: La Paz, Nuevo Vallarta and Barra de Navidad.  Cabo is like Vegas - not a real experience and Zihuatanejo harbor is very "nutrient rich"!

While cruising, what do you do about health & boat insurance, medical issues, banking and mail delivery?
Medical: We have good (but pricey) health insurance back in the US and Medivac insurance from Divers Alert Network if we need it.  But generally the quality of health care in Mexico where we spent the bulk of our time is outstanding and the prices low enough to just pay cash and not worry about insurance.  We've had friends with major health problems taken care of in Mexican hospitals with first rate care for a tiny fraction of what the cost would be in the US.

Boat Insurance:  We have full coverage through IMIS (Jackline).  Cruising Couple worldwide is available and we had it for a number of years, but the last few we've saved money with one of their coastal policies.

Banking:  Not a problem.  As a retired Banking executive, I know that your best and lowest cost option is to just take money out of a local bank ATM using your US (or Canadian) Bank ATM Card.  You get the best rates and lowest fees that way.  That's all you need.  Credit Cards overseas are socked with generally a 3% Foreign Exchange fee and many overseas merchants charge up to 10% more if you use a charge card.  Also, with Internet Banking, you can pay bills and manage your finances back in the US safely and securely (I know, I invented Internet Banking!).  We've paid most of our bills remotely using either direct deposit or Internet Banking.

Mail: We use and are very happy with St. Brendan's Island.   They will scan the envelop of the mail you receive and have it available for your review on the internet.  You can then have them scan the contents of the envelope, forward it, hold it, or shred it.  You can also have them pay bills for you - unfortunately, they pay the bills with YOUR money ;-)

On request St. Brendan's will ship your mail to you in a big package on demand and as often as you wish.  They have a lot of experience so they know what works best for each country.  Note that we found this to be prohibitively expensive in some countries, like Mexico: our last 5 pound package of mail and magazines cost $150 via DHL.  So what we've done the last few years is find a fellow cruiser or relative coming back down and asked them to bring our mail in their luggage.

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it?

What do you wish you knew before you started that you know now?

Before we set out, we had the usual romantic notions of what cruising would be like. The reality was quite different. We found that we much prefer the social aspects and visiting local cultures. The passage making and sitting in remote anchorages quickly lost it's charm for us. So this caused a reassessment of our long term plans and a change in strategy. So be open to changes! You should be cruising for enjoyment! We found we were leaving the notion of achieving goals behind. In our opinion, goals belong in the workplace, not the cruising life.

Slow down and take your time. Our biggest mistake was only allowing a single season in Mexico before continuing on. A year later we came back and spent another 4 years in Mexico. The only schedule you should pay attention to is the weather.

People meet their basic needs around the world - you don't need to stock up with 6 months of food, 2 year supply of tissue, etc. Local provisions are fine. If you have particular gourmet likes, treat yourself and bring your favorite wine or chocolate along - but remember the local cuisine and drink is usually fantastic! Overseas the food tastes better than in the US as it's not the factory farm trash available in US markets. For example, chickens overseas actually taste like chicken, not Styrofoam!

Bring spare boat parts, they're hard to get or pricey to get in many countries.

Relax and have a great time! Leave your type "A" behavior at the workplace!

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10 Questions for Velella

Wendy Hinman and Garth Wilcox have been cruising aboard Velella, a 31 foot Tom Wylie design made with cold molded wood, hailing from Seattle, Washington, USA. They cruised together from 2000-2007. Their cruise included Mexico, Marquesas, Tuamotus, Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Rarotonga, Nuie, Tonga, New Zealand, Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Solomons, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Pohnpei, Saipan, Hong Kong, Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, and Canada. They bought a boat that fit their budget better than it fit Garth's large frame and left with a loose plan of voyaging for as long as they were enjoying ourselves – not imagining that they would be gone for seven years.  They managed to stay sane and married after 34,000 miles.  Wendy is writing a book about some of their (mis)adventures along the way. Prior to their cruise, Garth circumnavigated via the Suez and Panama Canals from 1973-1978 on a 40 foot double Ender Pinky named Vela in the days of celestial navigation when hardly anyone thought of doing such a crazy thing as sailing around the world. They have tips for prospective cruisers on their blog which focus on sailing a small and simple boat.  They can also be reached by email (wendyhinman@gmail.com).

Is there a place you visited where you wish you could have stayed longer? 
We fell in love with most every place we visited. We would love to have stayed longer nearly everywhere except the Philippines and the Solomon Islands, mostly because we felt like walking wallets and that got old quickly.    That said, the diving there was fantastic.

How often have you faced bad weather in your cruising? How bad?  
On the whole, we experienced more light winds than heavy winds, and had to beat more often than we might have liked.  We are really glad our boat sails well in light winds because we HATE to motor.  It's hot, noisy, smelly, expensive and it's bad for the environment.   Plus we're on a sailboat for God's sake!  The wind comes up eventually.  The point of our lifestyle was to slow down, right?  But seriously in seven years we faced some of everything, including typhoons and gales/storms.   Fortunately we gradually worked our way up to higher winds rather than getting our asses kicked from the start.  We never had to deploy a drogue, a sea anchor or the storm trisail, though we carried them.  We'd had good practice racing boats for years and that was helpful experience.  The toughest part of bad weather is when it comes up unexpectedly, especially when things aren't stowed or you're asleep.  On many occasions while anchored, the wind shifted radically, putting us uncomfortably close to a lee shore when our engine was acting up. We got good at sailing in and out of anchorages.  I think the most useful preparation for cruising we did was to live and cruise our boat locally before we left.  That gave us a good feel for what worked and what didn't before we left behind the convenience of local resources, a car and a paycheck.  Once we knew how our boat handled, bad weather didn't seem nearly as intimidating.

What do you dislike about cruising that surprised you? 
I learned that Mother Nature was my new boss and that her favorite time of day for shenanigans is 3am.  There's something tremendously unpleasant about reanchoring the "house" at 3am.   I didn't mind doing laundry by hand, except for sheets; one sheet took up the entire bucket and that's more hand-wringing than I'm capable of.  Another thing I found annoying is the perpetually wet butt I had after any dinghy ride, at least until Garth built a two part nesting/sailing dinghy.   Take some diaper rash cream!  Shorter passages are sometimes just as hard or harder than longer ones because it takes the first few days to get into the rhythm and after that it gets easier.

What is your favorite piece of boating related new technology?  
LED tricolors and anchor lights take almost no electricity.  The anchor lights are solar sensitive so automatically come on when it gets dark.  Makes it easy to find home on a dark night.  And they fit into regular aqua-signal lenses.  Call us luddites, but we love our two part nesting/sailing dinghy.  There's nothing like a peaceful row back to the boat under the stars.

In your experience, how much does cruising cost?  
Cruising costs depend on where you are and how extravagant you want to live.  Ask a Hollywood celebrity how much it costs to live and then a welfare mother and you'll get radically different answers. We tried to live on the amount our house rent brought in, which was $1000 per month, or about $33/day.  That's not much for groceries, charts, communications costs, boat maintenance, government check in fees, etc. and we weren't always successful.  Occasionally we splurged for special tours and dinners out. When we hung out with other boats living on the cheap or stayed in remote anchorages where there was nothing to spend money on, it was much easier to stay within our budget.  And after we'd spent time in places where we'd done lots of boat maintenance/upgrades or where "yachtie inflation" has distorted the cost of things, sometimes we didn't have much choice.  But we learned you can be miserable with everything or happy with nothing. 

Share a piece of cruising etiquette.  
When you tie up your dinghy at the dinghy dock, leave a long painter so other dinghies can get in close to the dock to drop off passengers.  You can loop a bowline through under other people's lines onto a cleat so that others (who may not be able to tie a knot) won't have to untie you to leave.  Don't fill your dive tanks at 7am!

Of the changes, choices and compromises you had to make along the way, which were you happiest and most satisfied about, which do you wish you had chosen otherwise and why?  
We didn't try to replicate the complex luxuries of our life ashore and that left us more open to the adventure that we set out to have.  We kept our expectations small and our program simple so we could afford to just go and not worry about leaving and losing the boat.  On the other hand, we wish we'd selected a boat on which Garth could stand up properly, so we might never have had to come back!

Finish this sentence. "Generally when I am provisioning..." 
Generally when I am provisioning I immediately decant everything I can into Snapware airtight containers and remove all cardboard from the boat to avoid critters and other uninvited guests aboard.  If I can ditch the cardboard before getting back to the boat, all the better.

What is your biggest lesson learned?  
To live in the moment and appreciate the wonder of the world and the incredibly lucky situation we're in.  Living simply helps us appreciate the small, most important things in life that all the clutter in our lives can make us forget.  And to keep in mind that the hardest times make some of the best stories.  Oh, and boats don't like to keep schedules.

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it? 

How do you think cruising has changed over the years?

In many ways people are trying to recreate their lives onshore and that introduces the same pressures to cruising life that we're looking to escape.  They find they must turn into expert mechanics or carry a lot of money to keep up with all the complex systems aboard that often keep them from enjoying life's simple pleasures and the places where they are.

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10 Questions for Saga

Nancy Birnbaum, former editor of the Seven Seas Cruising Association’s Commodores’ Bulletin and Jann Hedrick cruised for five years from 1999 to 2004 aboard Saga, a 1965 Alberg 35 hailing from Point Richmond, California. She left from San Francisco Bay and ended up in Fort Lauderdale, covering West Coast of the U.S. from Northern California south to Panama, Las Perlas Islands, San Blas Islands, Providencia, Columbia, Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, Honduras, Belize, Mexico and Florida Keys. Nancy is a licensed Captain, freelance editor and writer for sailing/cruising magazines and is Online Editor for Blue Water Sailing Magazine. She publishes her weekly e-newsletter, The Cruising Compass, keeping cruisers and sailors up-to-date on all the latest news and events and has recently begun writing boat reviews for MadMariner.com. They are building their cruising kitty and looking for their next boat. You can read about their travels on their website and catch up on Nancy's blog, and of course, the Cruising Compass. You can also reach Nancy by email (cruisingeditor@gmail.com)

What is something that you read or heard about cruising, that you didn't find to be true?
When we first sailed away from the U.S. and into Mexican waters, we heard many cruisers tell us to be wary of approaching pangas, coming up fast from behind us. The first time this happened, we were sailing offshore not far from Turtle Bay, about halfway down the Baja coast. We saw a fast panga headed straight for us. We were a little nervous, and our Spanish wasn't as good as it is now. But we sat in the cockpit and watched as the panga came up along side. The guys in the boat starting rattling off in Spanish so fast that all I could make out was "No Heladora" and "Tomar estas langosta, por favor!" I thought they wanted ice or water or something. But then they started throwing spiny lobster into our boat! It turned out that their refrigeration had broken and they didn't want to throw the lobster they had caught back! We were the only boat around, so they decided to bless us with fresh lobster! I had to yell, "No Mas!" because they kept on throwing us lobster. We didn't yet have our own refrigeration, so we kindly accepted only those we could eat over the next couple of days! This became sort of a theme on our cruise. We were often approached by fishermen who wanted to give us their catch! Sometimes they asked for cookies, tobacco or alcohol, but since we didn't smoke and only kept a few beers onboard, we usually resorted to giving them sweets or home-baked bread.

What else did you do besides sail?
We often got together with fellow cruisers in anchorages where we spent a few months, rented cars and explored our surroundings. We covered almost all of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. We spent almost a year in Panama and loved it! While anchored in The Costa del Sol of El Salvador, I traveled by bus with another cruising gal to Antigua, Guatemala for a week of Spanish Language Immersion. We lived with a local family, spent days with our private instructors, toured the Highlands and learned to converse in Spanish. After our classes were over, the guys rented a car, drove to meet us and together we toured far and wide for another week.

We also traded various skills to help other cruisers. We had a Sailrite sewing machine onboard and would often set it up in unusual places like a cow pasture behind a boatyard in La Paz or on the foredeck of an anchored yacht in San Blas, Mexico to do repairs on sails or canvas.

What is your biggest lesson learned?
Two Big Lessons:
1. Cruising is stressful; long passages, cramped quarters, lack of exercise, little or no showers (depending on how much water-making capacity you have). Add, equipment failures, mechanical breakdowns or accidents and it won’t be long before you can find yourselves snipping at each other about something ridiculous, like who forgot to put something back where we think it was supposed to go! Men especially have a hard time dealing with the loss of identity they had in their "working life." They tend to get more stressed out when they are new to cruising than women.
2. We take our relationship with us wherever we go. Whatever communication skills we have before we let go of the dock lines, we have onboard our floating home. No matter where we are in relationship, cruising and spending long periods of time together in a small (or not-so-small) boat, takes its toll on that relationship. You have to learn how to communicate if you're not used to doing it. A small boat is no place to bottle up your emotions. Explosions can be very dangerous!

Across a year, what do you spend the most money on while cruising?
A couple of times we had to return to the States for ill parents. That put a big dent in the kitty. Engine repairs to our old Westerbeke 40 were costly even though Jann did much of it himself. But, I'd have to say that we spent most of our money on enjoying ourselves; Eating, touring and otherwise experiencing the cultures, peoples and places we visited!

Finish this sentence. "Generally when I am provisioning..."
I try to find the best open-air market in the area, even if it means walking a couple of miles there and back!

Over the years, how much time do you think you spend at anchor, at marinas, sailing and motoring?
95% at anchor vs 5% in marinas, 40% motoring, 35% sailing and 25% Motor-sailing

Was there anywhere you visited that you thought was underrated (better than you had heard)?
Most of the out-of-the-way places we visited were underrated, probably because they were less traveled. We preferred off-the-beaten-path, natural areas rather than heavily populated, touristy ones. Those that come to mind are the San Blas Islands of Panama, Panamas' northern islands and the Sea of Cortez.

What is your favorite piece of boating related new technology?
The iPhone loaded with some of the great new apps for sailors like Charts&Tides with ActiveCaptain overlay.

Share a piece of cruising etiquette.
Leave a Clean Wake! That means both physically and mentally. Make sure those that sail in your wake are as welcomed as you were.

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it?


What was the strangest critter that boarded your vessel?

While anchored in the San Blas Islands, I was reading in the v-berth after dark with a light on and the hatch open. When suddenly I heard a very loud bang followed by a flopping sound right over my head! I quickly shut the hatch and ran up the companion way steps where Jann was sleeping. He jumped up, switched on the deck lights and we both ran forward to find that a Leopard Ray had flown up onto the bow. It literally had landed just inches from the open hatch over my head! We managed to flip it off and back into the water with our boat pole.

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10 Questions for Long Tall Sally

Greg Lynd and Penny Burgess cruise aboard Long Tall Sally, a Tayana 55 cutter hailing from Carson city, Nevada. They cruised in Mexico from 1999 to 2003, and then the South Pacific, North Pacific, Philippines, and SE Asia from 2006 to the present. They can be reached by email (svlongtallsally@gmail.com). Greg owned a yacht maintenance business and Penny was a physician (anesthesiologist) in their previous lives and they are both members in good standing of Pacific Mariners Yacht Club in Marina del Rey, California.

What is your favorite piece of boating related new technology?
We have recently been introduced to a new software called Bungee invented by Greg Heppenstall. One can overlay previously acquired images from Google Earth with the information from your GPS- enabling the cruiser to see and track the land masses and shoals in real time along his/her route.We found it a great help in our trip from Palawan in the Philippines to Malaysia.

What do you think is a common cruising myth?
I think lots of folks have the mistaken impression that all we cruisers do is swim and frolic in the sun all day- when actually a good definition of " cruising " means "fixing your boat in exotic places"

Do you have any specific advice for couples cruising?
We both agree that it is good policy to have lived together on the boat for a significant amount of time before embarking on an long voyage together. Don't expect to pack your things, jump aboard and take off before you get the feel of your partners' idiosynchrasies and expectations. Also, it's a good idea to have done some dry runs encompassing such things as anchoring drills (i.e does the captain yell?-or better yet-who is the captain??)

Where was your favorite place to visit and why?
I think we are both agreed that Vanuatu is one of the nicest places we've seen-it has lovely people, good anchorages and great French food!

Have you found "trade goods" to be useful on your cruise? If so, what kinds?
Yes, especially in the Soloman Islands. We traded loads of things-clothing,shoes, staples such as sugar, rice, and coffee, and those electronics that we could spare (the young people loved Walkmans and DVDs). The Soloman Islanders are the best carvers in the Pacific-they gain access to goods that are difficult to otherwise obtain and you will come away with some lovely souvenirs of your cruise.

How do you fund your cruise?
We are both retired-we had been living aboard Long Tall Sally since 1994 and making regular forays out to Catalina Island and other places along the west coast of California. We sold some real estate assets and put the money in a stock portfolio. Luckily, we bought Apple shares! So far we've managed to live on the proceeds and my social security (Greg is still too young!)

What is something that you read or heard about cruising, that you didn't find to be true?
Somewhere I had read that sailing caused one to use a great deal of isometric energy and that one always lost weight when on a long cruise-i.e. constantly using muscles to maintain balance on a moving platform-Don't believe it!!

What is something about the cruising culture you like and what is something you dislike?
I love the fact that one is constantly meeting new and interesting people-often of very disparate ages and interests. The cruising family is replete with individualists. Many of these people become lifelong friends and one keeps in touch no matter in what direction you each head off. But sometimes, you say "so long"or "Fair winds" to someone that you never lay eyes on again for whatever reason and that is sad!

How did you secure your valuables (in and on your vessel) while going ashore? And your dinghy?
Boats have many "hidey holes" and most sailors we know secure their valuables that way. It seems that the poorer the country, the fewer the break-ins. Sometime other cruisers will warn people that such and such an anchorage is not safe and we lock our boats-but for the most part we leave the boat unlocked- as a really determined thief can get into most any boat. The dinghy is a little different -we look at it as our"car" and as such a very valuable asset. We lock our motor to the dinghy and try to secure the dinghy when it is ashore. At night we hoist it out of the water to deter thieves.

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it?

Perhaps you might have asked "How long do you plan on being "out there"?

To that rhetorical question I would have to say-"Till it's no longer fun!"

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10 Questions for Cetus

Terry & Heidi Kotas hail from Gig Harbor, WA. From 1992-1994 they cruised from Gig Harbor to Hawaii and across the South Pacific aboard their first cruising boat Cassiopeia, a Golden Gate 30. From 1998-2003 they cruised the West coast of US and Mexico, Marquesas, Tuamotus, Tahiti and Hawaii aboard Cetus, a Fantasia 35. Beginning again in 2009 they have been cruising the San Juan Islands, West Coast of US, Mexican Baja and the Sea of Cortez with plans to sail to the Galapagos and beyond. Their earlier cruises included their daughter Carly and ship's cat Cali. More information can be found on their blog and they can be contacted by email (FollowCetus@gmail.com). Terry is currently finishing the sequel to his first novel, Adventures Aboard Rick’s Place, which is a humorous adventure novel based on their experiences building a boat in their back yard and then sailing it across the South Pacific.

What (if anything) do you wish someone had told you before you started cruising?
“This too shall pass.” All the things that are very scary for the novice cruiser are usually short lived. Storms pass, rocky anchorages smooth out, and dark gray clouds give way to sun. Now when we face adverse conditions, we know it is usually just a matter of hours before things start improving, where in the beginning we felt that it would never end

Are you attracted more to sailing itself or cruising-as-travel and has that changed over time?
Though we love nothing better than a good long beam reach, we have always been most interested in cruising as a way to travel so we could see the world from the comforts of our own home. From the beginning we chose a heavy, full keeled boat, as we were looking for comfort and safety over performance.

Share a piece of cruising etiquette
Always give plenty of room to others in an anchorage when you come in. Don’t try to squeeze in between other boats. Always think about the possible wind shifts and where that will place you – you don’t want to be sitting over someone’s anchor when they are ready to pull it up to leave.

What is your favorite piece of boating related new technology?
AIS. Large ship traffic at night was one of the most worrisome aspects especially of coastal cruising. You could see their lights and even pick them up on radar, but still be uncertain of exactly where they were heading – and they never seemed to answer a call on the VHF. Now, you not only can tell how far away they are, where they are headed, if you’re on a collision course, but also the name and MMSI number to easily contact the vessel.

Tell me your least favorite thing about your boat
Teak Decks. Though they look beautiful, they take a lot of time and effort to keep them in good repair and they get extremely hot in the sun.

What is difficult for the parents of cruising children and what is difficult for the children themselves?
For us as cruising parents, the most difficult thing was to balance where we might like to go with our daughter’s desires. Her choice would be to follow along with her friends on other “kid boats” and we might have other ideas.

For the children themselves I think the hardest thing is saying goodbye to new found friends when it is time to leave an area.

Where was your favorite place to visit and why?
We loved the Tuamotus. We visited several atolls and enjoyed them all. The snorkeling was outstanding with a wide variety of colorful corals and sealife, and the motus on the fringing reefs with their swaying palm trees, white sand beaches and turquoise water were everything you’d expect of a South Pacific Isle.

How did you secure your valuables (in and on your vessel) while going ashore? And your dinghy?
We keep excess cash and passports in a semi hidden small compartment and we will put a lock on the main hatch if we were going to be away from the boat for more than a couple hours. Depending on the area we’re in, or if we’re at a dock, we will disconnect the electronics in the cockpit (GPS and VHF remote) and store them below. If we’re just away for a short time, we simply turn on some music, so if someone approaches the boat they’ll think someone is on board.

As for the dinghy, we have a lock on the outboard and a cable with a lock that we can secure it if it’s at a dock – the cable also runs through the oars to keep them attached to the dinghy. We also have the dinghy set up with a harness that we can lift it to the side of the boat for safe keeping at night, but must admit we rarely use that.

Across a year, what do you spend the most money on while cruising?
Food and drink. You can cut back on everything else: staying at marinas, fuel, upkeep, entertainment, etc, but you always have to eat.

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it?

What is the key to making the cruising life enjoyable?

As Sheryl Crow sings, “It’s not having what you want, but wanting what you’ve got.”

We’ve been running into so many couples lately that having just set out on their “dream of a lifetime” cruise are finding themselves disgruntled and disappointed because it’s not what they thought it would be, so they are not enjoying it.

People often set out thinking it’s going to be a vacation – it’s not. It’s simply a different way of life and there is work involved. But for every hardship or inconvenience there are innumerable rewards such as watching dolphin play in your bow wake, swimming in crystal clear water, watching glorious sunrises and sunsets and much much more.

So we think the real key to happy cruising is your attitude – just enjoy what you have and where you are instead of thinking that the grass is greener somewhere else.

Be happy with your boat. Every boat is a compromise, and instead of wishing you had something else, make the best of what you have.

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10 Questions for Annie Laurie

John MacDougall is cruising aboard Annie Laurie his Catalina 470, a 47' sloop with a wing/fin keel and spade rudder. He began cruising as a kid in 1966 and has been cruising on and off since then. Over the last 10-15 years he has been doing more long-range and offshore cruising. His travels have included the Bahamas, Caribbean, North Atlantic and Mediterranean. More details about his various refit projects can be found on his friend's website. He can be contacted via ka4wja@mfi.net or via PM at SSCA's forum. When asked "Is there anything else readers should know?" he replied: "Although, I've made my living in electronics and communications for 25+ years, and have an above average compliment of modern / advanced electronics on-board, I do NOT believe they are "necessary" and I do NOT rely on them, rather just use them as added-information devices...."

How often have you faced bad weather in your cruising? How bad?
While good weather dominated most of my cruises and voyages, the bad weather always seems worse than I expected. The truth is that how often you face bad weather depends on "where" you're cruising and "how much you stay in one place, vs. being on the move often". But, in my experience, when offshore at sea or on the move from island to island, bad weather comes along only 3 - 4 days out of a month....NOT really as often as some think. (Actually, in my opinion, you should be just as prepared for "calms" and light air, as you are for bad weather and heavy air.)

Regarding how bad - I've sailed thru many Full Gales in the North Atlantic, usually lasting 1 - 3 days (with winds 35 - 45kts, and seas of 20' +), and even sailed for 3 days, thru a named Tropical Storm in the southern North Atlantic (with winds 40 - 50kts). And while at anchor I've survived 3 direct hits (including all 3 eyes passing over) of Cat 3 Hurricanes (110 - 120 kts). As well as many instances of generic "rough weather", with 20 - 30 kts winds and 12'+ seas, whether in the Med, the N. Atl. or the Caribbean, you can get bad weather anywhere.

Tell me your favorite thing about your boat.
Gosh, what a loaded, soft-ball, question since I like everything :) Like how she sails, how she steers, how well she handles heavy weather but can still perform like lightweight cruiser-racer, etc. etc.

But, if I had to pick my favorite things (which aren't on the proverbial list of "must haves" you see written about everywhere these days) it's a 2-way tie.
a) My cockpit.....I love it!!
It's specifically and strategically designed / constructed with two competing goals in mind....having plenty of room for relaxing/lounging/etc. and being a safe / secure place to sit, lay, steer, navigate, trim, adjust, etc. especially when in heavy weather!!!! It's a marvelous design, which I found only after actually seeing (and using) it. Photos and brochure descriptions didn't do it justice.

b) My Nav Station / Chart Table......mostly (> 95%) designed, laid-out, wired, and installed by me (with some constraints from some things). It allows for use of the entire chart table for charts!!! and allows all systems and electronics to be easily and conveniently used (and serviced) whether in heavy weather or sitting in a calm anchorage.

These two things make my boat a dream to cruise / voyage on, or even just to lounge about and have cold beverage!

Over the time that you have been cruising, has the world of cruising changed?
Most cruisers are wonderful people, and most local people that you meet along the way want to learn about us, just as much as we want to learn about them....
And, that has not changed!!!

But, yes there have been changes over the years. In addition to the inevitability of the world getting "smaller", and more and more people cruising contributing to a "blurring" of local culture in many places, I've found a few surprising trends:
a) Although they themselves may not realize that they're doing it, I find less and less cruisers are striving for independence and actually many cruisers who are relying on technology, as well as bringing on-board with them, much of the complexities of life "back-at-home" and "on-land".
b) A growing emphasis (especially in those long-term cruiser-saturated locales) on the "party-lifestyle", with cruisers seeming to bring the alcohol-laden materialistic attitudes with them to "paradise", and usually unintentionally suppressing, rather than embracing, the local culture in the process. Please don't interpret the above as me ranting about the present, nor raving about the good 'ole days. It's just my description of the changes that I see.

What is your favorite piece of boating related new technology?
a) GPS. Plain and simple, GPS in my opinion has had the single biggest positive impact on boating, sailing, cruising, and voyaging. Understand that this coming from a guy who learned celestial nav as a teenager, and continues to play with my sextant and tables, when on a long passage, etc. But, having a GPS fix 24/7, rain or shine, that you can plot every hour or so, has revolutionized life on board.

b) Although it isn't new technology, the improved cost effectiveness of solar energy, over the past 5 - 10 years, has also made a significant positive effect on cruising / voyaging.

Why did you decide to cruise?
Hmmm, didn't realize I had a choice..... :)
Part time cruising was just what we did when I was a young kid, and then more full-time later and even though I managed only part-time cruising for many years, that lust for adventure never goes away.

So, the short answer is:
The need to voyage to far off places, explore different cultures and share mine with them, and attempt to use mother nature as best as I can along the way, pretty much sums it up.

With the benefit of hindsight, what are the boat selection criteria you would use to purchase a boat for long term cruising?
In addition to the usual: modern offshore design and construction of hull, deck, keel, rudder, rig, hatches, etc., I'd add two things:

Space and Ventilation
a) Don't go too small, since you'll need space for things to make life easy and fun. While some may think of only storage space....I'd also remember the space needed for solar panels, water tanks (and/or watermaker), etc....as well as cockpit space and other living space. And, the usual storage space for spares, for food, and misc things (for other hobbies, such as SCUBA, photography, music, electronics, etc.)

b) Ventilation - especially if looking to voyage / cruise in the tropics, lots of strong, offshore designed and built, opening ports and hatches (and add lots of 12vdc fans as well).

Was there anywhere you visited that you thought was underrated (better than you had heard)?
Yes, both the Azores and Canary Islands. The people were happy and friendly, their cultures were interesting, and the scenery was fantastic. I'm looking forward to spending more time cruising around both, the next chance I get.

And, if you want a older reference, it would be the old Yugoslavia in the 1970's (still Tito's era). The old walled city of Dubrovnik, and the wonderful people there and in Mustar (?).....ah those were simply the nicest people I'd ever met (followed closely by the Bahamians, Spanish, Portuguese, and Turkish...all tied for 2nd place.)

What did you do to make your dream a reality?
Well, I never bought into the consumer-driven lifestyle, even when working full-time in my own business, I knew I had a reason for working and it wasn't to buy a fancy new car, but rather to enjoy my family, my friends, and my life voyaging and cruising. So, some landlubber, high-living, baby-boomers may think I sacrificed some things, but I don't think so at all.

I simply "kept my eyes-on-the-prize" and since I'm now only in my late 40's, I've still got places to go (and some to go to again) and people / cultures to enjoy!!!

My advice: Don't buy that new car, or that new Plasma screen TV, etc. Enjoy what you have, especially your friends and family, and don't spend every $ on useless crap that you don't "need", and you'll find your dream within reach in no time at all.

Describe a perfect cruising moment that will make cruisers-to-be drool with anticipation
I have two that come to mind immediately, one serious and heart-warming, and one funny.

a) Hanging onto the wheel with both hands, as the Lavante wind driven spray drenches my glasses, I'm smiling ear to ear. Yes, I'm tired, and we're close hauled, beating hard into steep 6' - 8' seas, with 20 - 25 knots of wind across the deck, but I'm smiling. I haven't slept more than 4 to 6 hours out of every 24 in weeks, and we've been hand steering for the final 300 miles, and I'm still smiling. There are more than a dozen freighters, container ships, and tankers, whizzing by at full cruising speed, in both directions, just a few hundred yards off my starboard side, but this doesn't phase me at all. After more than 4000 miles of sailing, the Rock of Gibraltar is just a few miles ahead and Jebel Meza, the pillar marking the entrance to the continent of Africa, is visible thru my salt stained lenses. And while I excuse most, including my crew of 2 (my sister Laurie and our friend Jordan, who are busy staring in awe through their camera lenses), from misunderstanding my smile, there are 2 people on the planet that do understand my smile, even though they are 4000 miles away, and won't see me for some time, those 2 understanding souls are my Mom and Dad.
b) Freaking out dozens of Europeans, when grilling some "Bubba Burgers" on my gas grill off the stern in Marina Horta (Faial, Azores), in celebration of a 3000+ passage from Florida. Some onlookers were certain we were on fire, and a few even ran down the quay shouting in multiple foreign tongues...but, alas we were just friendly outgoing Americans, "sharing some of our culture"!!!

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it?
This one here from the question bank: Can you think of a sailing tip specific to offshore passages?
Learn the old school way of doing things, and use it regularly......do NOT rely on high-tech and/or electronics (I'm not saying that you need to go back to the days of canvas and manila!!!! Just remember to not buy into the "hi-tech" ways too much)
To clarify:
a) Rig main boom preventers (on both sides), and USE them (boom vangs and boom brakes are NOT a substitute!!!)
b) I'm of the opinion that chartplotters have their usefulness (I have 2 on-board), but when sailing offshore, and/or on passages, it's a waste of energy, space, and $$$. Plot your course on paper charts and fix/plot your position on them (GPS and celestial / DR) regularly.
c) NEVER be afraid and always remember that while Mother Nature can usually be worked with and/or worked around she cannot be beaten, at least not very often :)

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10 Questions for Sword

B & L cruised aboard their 1978 Valiant Esprit 37 sloop, from 1998 to 2002 through the Pacific Northwest and South Seas. L is both a charter captain and a sailing instructor.

What is your most common sail combination on passage?
In the trades, poled out foresail and no main. Otherwise main and foresail. Before sunset always reefed the main. Once on the "Coconut Milk Run" it's all downwind sailing.

When you are offshore, what keeps you awake at night (that is, what worries you most)?

We worry that we will fall asleep on watch.

What do you miss about living on land?

Drive through Starbucks. It was like seeing a photo in National Geographic when we got back. What a country! When we got to New Zealand I remember how excited I was in the grocery store to see fresh vegetables.

What is your favorite piece of boating related new technology?

When we were out it was the plotter and watermaker. At the 2010 boat show saw the new radars with solid objects detected in clouds.

Describe a negative experience you have had with local people somewhere you have visited?

Tahiti - waiting in a long hot line for customs and seeing them leave for an early extended lunch.

What piece(s) of gear would you leave on the dock next time? Why?

We did not have email readily available at sea and our friends didn't expect to hear from us. Other cruisers were frantic when their email technology failed and it seemed to really take a lot of their time, money and effort in paradise to remedy while all we did was send real postcards.

What piece of gear seems to break the most often?

The refrigerator. Warm beer in paradise, oh well. Thank goodness for Costco canned chicken.

Tell me your favorite thing about your boat.
Good storm handling. She took care of us when we hove to. Second would be the bigger windows.

Do friends visit and how often?

I think it's great to have visitors and be a visitor. We heard of someone getting in an avoidable storm to get to a place to meet visitors. We didn't have many. Perhaps it's because we were inflexible in our rule: A TIME OR A PLACE BUT NOT BOTH. It's tough with vacation schedules and ticket expense. Once we got situated in a country then they bought their ticket. They brought engine parts, zip lock baggies, D batteries. We could have stocked up more batteries and rope as that is what the natives wanted to trade papaya and bananas for the most.

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it?

-- What were some of the best things about cruising?

Thanks for asking.  So many people only ask about the worst.  I realize future cruisers can learn from the answers but it is sad how the landlubber is so conditioned to ask for the negative, not the positive. (enough griping!)

It was wonderful out there!  We were delighted with our fellow cruisers.  Everyone was so helpful and sharing with everyone else: Borrow cars, mark charts with favorite spots, sing Christmas carols. 

Bora Bora was a good anchorage where we could see our anchor dug into white sand 30 feet below.  Dive off the boat and swim over to a coral reef and see so many beautiful fish.  Watch sea rays gracefully somersault by the boat.  Feel so protected inside the barrier reef and hear the roar of the surf on the otherside.  Dinghy in for a cocktail on the beach at Hotel Bora Bora.  Dinghy around the island stopping at world class resorts.  Listen to amazing singing in an historic thick-walled church.

There were many other stops that had several of the above attributes.  After a nice open ocean passage it was fun to look forward to the next island.

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