The Pacific Crossing Guide is intended to provide and overview of almost a years cruising between the Panama Canal and New Zealand or Australia. You have to fit the cruise into this time scale in order to avoid the various hurricane seasons in the South Pacific.The route outlined is the 'trade winds route' followed by the majority of cruising boats on a circumnavigation, and although there are always off the beaten track islands and countries to visit until you get to the Cook Islands, there are relatively few alternatives.The Panama Canal is the Gateway to the Pacific so is covered in detail but probably the official 'dope' sheet is worth skipping until you actually drop the hook in Colon.