Wifey B: It's hilarious the tones different forums take and long range cruising is an area in which it's most notable. Sometimes CF seems to encourage newbies to circumnavigate in 8' styrofoam sailboats while a part of TF is telling people to be scared to go outside their shadow.
We need to be careful to describe conditions so others can decide on their own. Some here won't go out in 3'. That's fine for them, but then don't throw that to others who may be more comfortable. The reality is it's seldom the boat in the discussions we're having, it's the Captain, the operator, the Helmsman, the Skipper, the whatever we want to call them.
Often warnings given by people who have never been to the areas. Yes, in Cabo San Lucas you'll see some megayachts and some very nice SF boats. I just pulled up a bunch of fishing charters from there though, like the ones we used when we were there. 40' Sea Ray, 22' CC, 26', 27', 25', 28', 28', 30', 31', 31', 32', 33', 33', 34', 34', 35', 36', 38', 43', 45', 45', 50', 50', 70', 70', 90'. Not until the 45' were they what I'd label SF's, but they call them that there.
The issues are range and comfort. Range is calculable. Comfort can only be determined by yourself. I see the Bahamas as a beautiful lake suburb of Fort Lauderdale. [emoji38] Yes, there are days the road across might be a bit rough and might want to wait, but virtually no boat not fit. The 150' megayacht guests downsize to CC' and Tenders to explore. Eastern Caribbean is mainly the matter of getting there and travel to and from countries. That's like La Paz, virtually any boat fine once there, so it's range and coastal cruising to get there. I probably wouldn't go from San Diego to La Paz this week with 8' seas on Thursday, but I just might as the wind waves are only 1' at 3 seconds and the swells are 7' at 15 seconds which is really nothing difficult for most boats to handle, but most boaters would prefer to wait rather than spend several days in it. East Coast boaters see the numbers and are shocked at the West Coast swells. My first time out on the West Coast was from Westport, WA and I heard 10' and was worried, but I walked out to the overlook and saw all the fishing charters and no issues except the inlet and out we went and had a very nice run. It was 10' at 15 seconds. No comparison to the Chesapeake and their occasional 5' at 4 seconds.
I'd love the trip down in Kevin's Bayliner. I would be cautious and keep weather awareness. But then I'd do that off the coasts of WA and OR as well.
People boat in small boats everywhere. I've still never encountered conditions on the ocean like we did on holidays on Lake Norman in NC. Wakes from all directions. Don't even think you know how to hit them as another one coming from there and one from there and the wind and waves. #^&#!#@!&
If you don't like to go out in anything more than 2', that's fine. Just don't try to transfer that to others. On the other hand, if you're an experienced rough water boater, then don't try to talk others into conditions that might be more than they'd enjoy. Part of my training was rough water. Very rough in the Gulf of Mexico. Now, I'll never intentionally go out in similar conditions for pleasure, but I learned to handle it and learned it wasn't a problem for the boat, just the Captain had to know how. In one way it was like an amusement ride, but I did keep in mind the danger and risk and the fact I was safe because of the experience of those training me.
On direct topic, La Paz is beautiful. Nearly any boat here would be fine there. Then on some days, no boat here would want to go out. Getting there is simply weather windows and range.