I don’t know if it’s something to do with its geographical position but the Pacific Northwest is a rather distinct region, replete with cultural characteristics that distinguish it from adjoining territories. On the American side, Washington state is a pocket tucked away in the north-western corner of the country. It’s isolated, and in a country where ‘centrist’ seems to be a dirty word, this state is recognized as being among the more socially liberal of the 50.
To the north and across the water, the province of British Columbia is also defined by its location; the western frontier of Canada, among the largest national landmasses on earth, is something of a microclimate. While the vast majority of the country is gripped by extreme winters, British Columbia enjoys temperate seasons, making it something of a paradise when all around are seeing snow.
My assumption ahead of touring these two regions was that their physical characteristics would define those of their respective markets. And, to paraphrase Oscar Wilde, while assuming that anything can ‘make an ass out of u and me’, upon reflection I think I was right. These two, albeit different, territories have, perhaps subconsciously, evolved superyacht markets whose composition is defined by the geo-cultural landscape.
My visit was set for mid-February – not perhaps the most obvious time to visit any superyacht destination – but this was a window of opportunity before the Mediterranean season began to ramp up. While I wasn’t expecting sunshine and-T-shirt weather, I also wasn’t prepared for the worst snowstorms in living memory to hit the region. But as if to demonstrate the normally clement nature of their climates, both bases for my week-long journey – Seattle, Washington and Victoria BC – were as ill equipped to handle major snow as we are in the UK, which illustrates the usually fair weather both cruising grounds enjoy.
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