My wife and I have just made the decision to tie up our loose ends,
purchase a boat in about 1 year and head south to Mexico in 4 years
(From the Los Angeles area). We have both sailed since childhood but
would appreciate any feedback and advice from anyone who has done a
similar thing. Stopping points, best times to head south (December -
March we're guessing), sailing routes from southen Mexico thru the
canal, into the Gulf of Mexico and onto the Bahamas, etc. Our
ultimate goal is to sail around to the Bahamas and hang our there for
a while. . .maybe heading deeper south after that.

We are planning on having a cruising kitty of around $20,000 and then
do odd jobs as needed. What are some things we should consider before
setting sail?

Mike and Tricia Kennedy