The first postmortem post, this post, focuses on equipment and will interest mainly sailors.
I prepared carefully over several years for this cruise, and the careful preparation paid off. The boat and the equipment generally performed well and as I expected.
For more specifics than I provide here about the equipment on my boat,
see my Pacific Seacraft 34 web site.
The Pacific Seacraft 34 design proved seaworthy and versatile. Although most cruisers today choose bigger cruising boats, she served me well.
On my Pacific Seacraft 34 web site you can see videos of the boat sailing in different conditions and configurations.
Mainsail and Jib: I found the heavily-made 110 jib quite versatile. In strong conditions her foam luff helped her perform well when reefed way down. The heavily-made mainsail, with a hollow leach and without roach, I found similarly versatile. In heavy weather reefed down the mainsail was very solid and the boat hove to well on the main alone. In light air I coaxed more performance from the main by easing the outhaul and the luff tension, giving the sail more draft.
Staysail: In strong conditions I found running with the staysail alone provided the most stable ride, and when sailing to weather in strong conditions the staysail with a reefed main could punch through rough seas and keep the boat moving.
Fuel: I rejected stowing multiple five gallon diesel containers on the side deck, as almost all cruisers do who sail to Mexico. My experience vindicated my choice. I did carry one five gallon container under the helmsman's seat, but I never needed even that. Sailing from Ensenada down the Baja, then north into the Sea of Cortez to La Paz, I used only half of my 30 gallon fuel tank, and I could have used less. So you can cruise to Mexico without carrying lots of extra fuel, if you prefer.
Anchoring: The 20 kg Rocna anchor with 5/16 high test chain never dragged - ever, in all of my cruising in Mexico and the Pacific NW. Although I sometimes sail onto the anchor, I always start the engine to back down and test the anchor. In windy conditions I use a riding sail, and I never saw another cruiser in Mexico using a riding sail. I find that the riding sail quiets the boat greatly in windy conditions at anchor.
Electronics: The satellite messenger (an inReach Explorer) that I added to my nav station gave me, for a modest cost, texting, weather forecasting, and
on-line tracking capabilities. AIS (a receiver in the VHF radio and a separate transceiver) worked great and insured I always knew about the big ships. I used my HF ham radio (now an old technology) to download weather information (forecasts and grib files). I often listened to the HF nets, especially the Sonrisa Net, and a number of times I asked the Sonrisa weather expert, Geary, specific weather questions about where I was cruising and he replied personally to those questions.
No Refrigeration: Almost all cruisers would think me crazy for removing the refrigeration on my boat. Amazingly, I always had ice, so the happy hour margaritas never lacked ice. Even in the Sea of Cortez, in warm weather, the block ice plus crushed ice always lasted for the several weeks between ports. And without refrigeration, it was easy to meet the electrical needs.
Solar Panels: Two flexible 50W solar panels almost always satisfied my electrical needs, even when I sailed on and off the anchor and used the autopilot.
Self-Steering: On longer passages the Monitor wind vane handled the steering well. When conditions were rough the Monitor was especially important, because in rougher conditions the vane has the necessary power and uses no electricity. When sailing for shorter periods in lighter conditions, and when motoring, the below deck hydraulic autopilot performed well.
Because I keep my boat fairly simple and well-maintained, I had no noteworthy equipment failures. Mainly I just did maintenance and fixed minor problems.