Prime Resource for Cruiser News

Since many long-term cruisers now have their own blogs — which tend to detail every tiny moment of every single day of their travels — sailors new to the cruising life may find themselves smothered under an avalanche of information, in contrast to a couple of decades ago when topical cruising info was relatively hard to find.

But there’s a better way to become informed than reading blogs until your eyes bug out. If you’re looking for answers to specific cruising questions, we’d highly recommend you check out the West Coast cruising ‘groups’ accessed via Yahoo.com. The ones we access often, and occasionally participate in, are called "Southbound Group," "Cruisers_Network_Online," and "PacificPuddleJump" (an information-only forum, not affiliated with Latitude 38‘s www.pacificpuddlejump.com rally site.) Like all Yahoo groups, these are non-commercial and strictly dedicated to information sharing.

As group moderator Chuck Houlihan of the San Diego-based Allied 39
Jacaranda explains, "The Southbound Group (covering Mexico to Peru)
is used by cruisers on the West Coast of the Americas to share relevant information on areas of interest between San Diego, California and South America, including the Galapagos. There are currently 1,100 members onboard.

"The purpose of the list is to disseminate information that other Southbounders may find useful. If you are ‘ahead of the pack’ or off the beaten track, sending information specific to where you went, where you anchored, what was ashore, corrections to the information provided in the cruising guides, changes in policy, prices, facility availability, marina closures, hazards to navigation, etc., is very appropriate. Factual information on inland trips, where you stayed, how much, what was good or bad, where the best surf or fishing spots are, etc., is also appropriate."

Both the PacificPuddleJump and Cruisers_Network_Online (which includes lots of Caribbean info) groups function similarly, and have vast collections of downloadable cruising info, plus databases of present and past members. But one of the most useful functions of all such forums is that members can pose an open question to the group via email — e.g. who’s a recommended yacht agent in the Galapagos, or what are the requirements for bringing a dog into New Zealand — and they’ll receive up-to-date answers within hours, which are viewable by the entire membership.

You have to apply for membership to each of these groups, as commercial marketers are prohibited. But the process is quick and easy. So even if you’re only an armchair voyager, you may want to check out these highly informative resources.