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Manwell · 22-03-2023, 04:36

At this stage, this trip isn't confirmed if or when it will happen, but the likelihood is that it will launch about the end of May from Langkawi and arrive in Darwin as soon as we can get there. I'm posting this for the owner of the boat, and we may need an experienced sailor who knows the area and how to navigate their way around the potential problems we're likely to face en route and at the destination. All enquiries welcome.

RoscoMac · 05-04-2023, 04:29

Hello, I would be keen to tag along for the experience. I don’t have much sailing experience but I have always owned boats. I’m 46 now , I did own a furry penguin kids yacht as a boy and a windsurfer, so I get the gist but have a lot to learn. I plan on buying a decent liveaboard cruiser in the near future and I would like to get a bit of experience on proper cruisers not just club race boats.
I think this experience will help determine what I am going to be looking for in my own yacht. So what I lack in experience I think I will make up in my willingness to learn. If of course you are willing to teach a little. I’m very capable at sea and boat handy and would be an asset to your crew. I can cook clean and handle a swell. And naturally pay any expenses. My 23 year old son may also be interested in the journey as well.
Regards Ross
If you prefer to just call my number is 0403739018 that’s in Australia ��

HVYJimmy · 10-04-2023, 14:06

If you go in Mid August i would be Available .
Cheer's

HVYJimmy

Manwell · 13-04-2023, 02:12

UPDATE. The trip is confirmed and we should depart about the end of May from Langkawi and arrive in Darwin in a couple of weeks max. I've got enough crew now, but we could still use an experienced skipper who knows the area and how to navigate their way around the potential problems we're likely to face en route and at the destination. All enquiries welcome.

mercater · 15-04-2023, 06:38

Hello my names Philip. Re your crew request. Me and my wife have recently helped deliver a yacht from Darwin to port Hedland. I my self have crewed deliveries from Phuket to Langkawi several times. Also myself from Darwin to west Timor. I could help but it would have to be me and my wife. Regards Philip

Manwell · 15-04-2023, 14:32

Thanks Philip but we've got enough crew already. Cheers

tanngrisnir · 16-04-2023, 02:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manwell

UPDATE. The trip is confirmed and we should depart about the end of May from Langkawi and arrive in Darwin in a couple of weeks max. I've got enough crew now, but we could still use an experienced skipper who knows the area and how to navigate their way around the potential problems we're likely to face en route and at the destination. All enquiries welcome.

I'm thinking you should run your numbers carefully, a couple of weeks is very tight.

Let's see... 2400-2800nm at 6kts is at least 400hrs non-stop, so min 17 days.

In May/June you will not be sailing much of the way or at all, so your going to need a lot of fuel.

6kts cruise speed @ 2.5 litres/hour is 1000 litres, need to stop for fuel or carry a lot of jerry cans.

Anyway, have a great trip, keep us informed of your progress, should be fun, I'll keep an eye out for you on the way past.

My prediction is you are going to find either 0 wind or up to 15kts or so on the nose the whole way. I would be going in Nov-Feb to take advantage of favorable wind direction.

Manwell · 16-04-2023, 13:45

Thanks for that info!

I haven't sailed before, so that's why we're after a skipper for the cruise.

I was previously relying on the owner's estimates, but he keeps changing them. Where is long term weather info available, such as prevailing winds at that time of year?

Also, where are you headed to be sailing past?

tanngrisnir · 17-04-2023, 00:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manwell

Thanks for that info!

I haven't sailed before, so that's why we're after a skipper for the cruise.

I was previously relying on the owner's estimates, but he keeps changing them. Where is long term weather info available, such as prevailing winds at that time of year?

Also, where are you headed to be sailing past?

I think there is an Indonesian pilot guide, probably has some info.

Ha ha, You will be sailing past me. I'm in Pulau Penang, so about 10 hours south of your start point. Probably easiest to keep me to Port.

Big picture, two primary weather systems, NE monsoon Nov/Dec-March and SW monsoon May/June-Sep/Oct. Your guess is as good as mine as to when each will start and finish in any particular year. Once the monsoon has developed the wind patterns are pretty consistent, you still have to look out for the stray typhoon changing things up but they tend to be pretty obvious.

In between ( the inter-monsoonal periods ) you see the previous monsoon winds taper away, it's not always calm but there is no real pattern, local effects dominate with random Sumatras occurring and blowing through in a short period of time. When the new monsoon begins to develop the wind pattern starts to establish, light at first then with building strength and a change in direction.

For example we are currently in the 1st inter-monsoon period, the winds are light and a bit chaotic, over the next 2 months the SE monsoon will begin to develop BUT, initially it will be coming more from the south, especially in the Indian Ocean, then as it develops it will veer to come from the south west.

I'm mostly focusing on the Malaysia/South China Sea area, when you get down into Indonesia the winds tend to go around the big land masses, blowing to the South East during the NE Monsoon and the other way during the SW monsoon, crazy eh?

Have a look at the quick sketch, Blue for NE Monsoon and red for SW monsoon, take note that the SW has more direction shift in the north as it develops. Blue is when I would do your trip, Red is what will start to develop when you plan to go in 6 weeks time. It's not crazy bad, just be prepared for the weather to be mostly against you. Right now, no real pattern, see the current forecast from Sing met and Windy.
left of the Philippines, to hard to draw!

Resources you may find helpful:
A competent weather router ( IDK, they may not add much value in this part of the world )
https://www.weather.gov.sg/weather-marine-surface-wind
Singapore marine weather flowlines. Only forecast 24,48&72 hours out but that's about as good as it gets.
https://earth.nullschool.net/#curren....79,-0.95,1741
I like this a lot, good to compare the actual to the model. Kind of nice visualisation of the same weather info the forecasters get. The nice thing about it is you can look at the model on any date in the last 10 years.
Look at how the wind changes over the weeks in previous years will give you a feel for how it might change this year.
https://www.deepzoom.com/trip/teh8bmdk
Phuket to Darwin. You can play with this to see what the weather was like in the past. Be aware that it just uses a fixed vessel speed, it does not slow or speed up depending on wind direction or your boats polars.
https://www.windy.com/distance/boat/....781,126.826,4
Windy route planning can do the same but does not have historical data as far as I know.

Manwell · 17-04-2023, 02:32

Thanks again Tann! There's a lot to digest in that, so I'll pore over it when I have time to do it justice.

For a while there I thought we'd be fools to depart around that time, but as I said, I don't know much about sailing, and the owner does. He just said you'd tack and this thing will make headway even with the wind mostly on the nose, which is a little different to the sort of ships I'm used to. The air variety is more my line.

Thanks for all your trouble, and I hope to meet you at Penang on the way through.

Cheers,

Peter

tanngrisnir · 26-05-2023, 00:46

Hi Peter,
been watching the weather and about 10 days ago we got a definite change, the SW monsoon has started with the expected winds.
You can pretty reliably expect these same conditions for the next few months now.