the people out cruising are certainly a different breed as a whole. Most wouldn't know which end of a sextant to look through and HO 249 might be some kind of a new car. I'm not saying that's all that bad but with learning navigation, both off shore and coast piloting, seemed to bring with it a greater general knowledge of the sport that I don't see now. Basic boat repairs and general maintenance are two of the pursuits that seem to be missing with many crews. If you can pay for the half-million dollar boat then get on it and go seems to be the norm. I went into West Marine in San Diego a few years ago while the Baja haha party was in full swing so I wondered on over when I saw a friend. He was telling a girl how to anchor. It seemed that they were pretty good at racing but had never anchored the boat. They were about to embark on a 750 mile first leg of a year of cruising in the Sea of Cortez and never anchored the boat. I'm not saying that's the new normal but it made be sit up and take notice seeing as how I was going to be in some of the same anchorages. It's pretty much understood that in most cases that if you can get yourself down to the South Pacific you have developed the skill set to some degree but...