: Equally as strange is that you cant convince the map to leave any other port
: but Seattle.

I'm quite sure that Google maps gets paid off by the people who make money
out of what route you take. Try getting a route across France and Google
will relentlessly direct you onto the péage (toll motorways) even when it
is ridiculously out of your way (like 40 miles longer on a 100 mile journey,
and using more fuel as the road speeds are so much higher, not to mention the
cost of using the roads and the time spent queuing up to pay...)

Andy