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Old 03-02-2019, 21:55   #1
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Major decision

Hi everyone...have been a sailing lurker here for a long time.
I am an Aussie currently living in South Africa. It’s time to come home but have to sell my house first. Once done I will buy a catamaran in Durban (difficult to get my money out of this country - hence this plan).
I recognise the wind movements in the Indian ocean but don’t want to travel into Northern Africa for piracy reasons nor into the deeper south - southern ocean.
It seems reasonable to sailfrom Madagascar to Darwin ( Home is Brisbane) direct ...certainly a long sail but that doesn’t phase me. What does concern me is what nasty weather I am likely to experience .... has anyone ever undertaken a direct route? I expect about 80-90 days at sea...
Really would appreciate your comments, advice, information about this plan.
Cheers and thank you in advance
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Old 04-02-2019, 03:10   #2
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Re: Major decision

Quite difficult to sail directly from Madagascar to Darwin. I'd be heading to Thailand and then working my way down the Indonesia archipelago in the right season. Getting to Asia isn't difficult, getting to Oz is. Even getting from Asia to Oz isn't that easy nor getting from Darwin to Brisbane, it can be done and is done, but lots of motoring.

Personally I'd head west, cross the Atlantic and Pacific, much easier run.
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Old 04-02-2019, 10:10   #3
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Re: Major decision

I’m just about to do the same but back from the UK. Keep us posted with your travels!
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Old 04-02-2019, 12:14   #4
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Re: Major decision

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Personally I'd head west, cross the Atlantic and Pacific, much easier run.
Me too!
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Old 04-02-2019, 12:22   #5
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Re: Major decision

pretty easy run along the top of the westerlies. as long as the boat is ok and you have the sail range the only issue is getting a bit cold.
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Old 04-02-2019, 12:38   #6
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Re: Major decision

Hi, bushytales,

The question is, would you trust a brand new, untried catamaran, for the Southern Ocean Route? The sailors from the Longue Route and the GGR have taken that route, and you'd be peeling off to Eden and the short run up to Brissie, so not having too fierce wx to deal with.

Please do not take my question as a slam to cats, it is just any, brand new boat usually suffers from teething problems, so to speak, and way more convenient to deal with where there are meaningful yacht services.

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Old 04-02-2019, 13:26   #7
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Re: Major decision

"The question is, would you trust a brand new, untried"
+1!
Any boat, even a brand new one built by a top builder and outfitted by a top yard, needs at least a 48 hour shakedown, and that's just to find the obvious problems. Before a major crossing like that, you might plan to spend a week in open but accessible waters, where you can get back to safe harbor if something is problematic. And then, expect it may take two weeks to fix.

Pilot charts, wind charts, masses of data that are available online from the ocean weather buoys, all can give you some idea of the conditions on the route you are interested in. There are weather routing services who are also more familiar with how the currents usually (ha) are shifting, as well as wind patterns, and it might pay to ask them where you can get some historical data.

And then of course there is Jimmy Cornell's "World Cruising Routes" which discusses the best and worst times and ways to get from here to there, globally.
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Old 04-02-2019, 14:01   #8
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pirate Re: Major decision

I would consider the zone from 35 and 40 South should be doable.. just N of the extreme ice zone and in the East bound currents with moderate winds.. have looked at this route a couple of times for one reason or another.. from Cape Town to Perth is roughly 5,000nm so theoretically it could be done in as little as 5 weeks..
November, December and January looked to be the best months with the greater % of winds from the N round to the SW with occasional S and some occasional Easterly headwinds.. after January the winds are more often against you for longer periods.
But then I am slightly nutz..
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Old 05-02-2019, 06:35   #9
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Re: Major decision

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Originally Posted by JPA Cate View Post
Hi, bushytales,

The question is, would you trust a brand new, untried catamaran, for the Southern Ocean Route? The sailors from the Longue Route and the GGR have taken that route, and you'd be peeling off to Eden and the short run up to Brissie, so not having too fierce wx to deal with.

Please do not take my question as a slam to cats, it is just any, brand new boat usually suffers from teething problems, so to speak, and way more convenient to deal with where there are meaningful yacht services.

Ann
^^^^^ It's not about cats, it's about new vessels.
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Old 05-02-2019, 19:23   #10
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Re: Major decision

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November, December and January looked to be the best months with the greater % of winds from the N round to the SW with occasional S and some occasional Easterly headwinds.. after January the winds are more often against you for longer periods.
I'm curious where you research this stuff, is there a wind almanac? EG:Monthly averages for an area. Maybe it would be a wind atlas.

This may sound like a stupid question, because there's probably an obvious answer that ocean crossing sailors rely on. But I'm not that experienced, as my sailing has been in a specific coastal area that I knew really well before I ever bought a boat.
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Old 05-02-2019, 22:19   #11
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Re: Major decision

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I'm curious where you research this stuff, is there a wind almanac? EG:Monthly averages for an area. Maybe it would be a wind atlas.

This may sound like a stupid question, because there's probably an obvious answer that ocean crossing sailors rely on. But I'm not that experienced, as my sailing has been in a specific coastal area that I knew really well before I ever bought a boat.
If you are not that experienced and will be on an unfamiliar boat heading east across the bottom is not for you.
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Old 05-02-2019, 22:21   #12
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Re: Major decision

Purchase Jimmy Cornells world cruising routes. It will give you an idea of the ways to go.
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Old 05-02-2019, 23:17   #13
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Re: Major decision

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I'm curious where you research this stuff, is there a wind almanac? EG:Monthly averages for an area. Maybe it would be a wind atlas.
Routeing Charts here... https://www.admiralty.co.uk/charts/p...outeing-charts. Contain EXPECTED wind, current and meteorological conditions for each month of the year based on historical reports going back hundreds of years. Invaluable.
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