I don't know any or all of these "cruisers" had much offshore experience, but I doubt it. Taking someone (probably a few reluctant spouses) on their first trip offshore that consists of weeks of beating to wx is a terrible way to show a newbie the beauty of the cruising lifestyle. I can't imagine that any reluctant cruiser types will enjoy that experience. And maybe some of you salts out there think spending weeks bashing into waves is fun, but I don't particularly enjoy it either.

I'm with Brian. Particularly if you are leaving from the NE US (or from anywhere, IMO) its a far better trip to cross the Altantic to Europe, spend the summer there, and ride the trades back to the Indies in December. I'm sure the thought of a couple weeks on the ocean is terrifying to some, but I'd much rather do that with generally favorable winds than bash 1500 miles into the wind.