New World Cruising Routes

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

I'd prefer to do it downhill...the only question is would I like to have a thousand miles of storms on the starboard quarter just to see those crazy little French Sub-Antarctic islands (some belong to Aus. too, I think)?

They are in some ways more distant than South Georgia, because that's within striking distance of all that Antarctic Peninsula tourism and "bucket listing".

The downhill ride is OZ to RSA and it is safe from piracy - Oz to Christmas, Maurice, Reunion and on to RSA.

Yes, I think the island goodies in the Southern Indian are partly away from tourism and yes there is some chance of gales, if not storms, in the good season. One can sail by the goodies and go right to OZ. Both RSA and OZ are interesting areas for cruising. So for those with more delicate boats or health, a direct sail is possible.

Beware it is like sailing the N Atlantic - the 'good' season is short and all recreational sailing has to be well timed.

b.

[IdoraKeeper]

Originally Posted by Palarran

Ok Boatman, lets give it a try. This is the first time it's been done on CF.
I put your route in. This is just a sample done in about 2 minutes.
When you arrive in St. Martin all hell breaks loose as you and Mark meet up. Then, you come and visit me. See you then.

You should be able to download the file and then run it. I went START button, RUN, then chose the file and it loaded. Let me know if it works.

I would like to point out that Boatman specifically said that he would pass on going to Australia and additionally Mark J dis-invited all of us. The route you have posted actually seems to have only one goal and that is to land Boatman on the great barrier reef... Talk about pirates!

Todd

[estarzinger]

One plan is to put a stainless steel red wine tank on board (perhaps 20 gallons??) and sail from red wine grape to grape (perhaps portugal to Chile to San Francisco to NZ to Aus to RSA). Or perhaps you could string together the surfing waves (and surf chicks), say Hawaii to Aus To Durban to Brazil to panama and Santa Monica and back to Hawaii. Or you could follow Magellan or Cook - neither used the Red sea! Or how about one of the historica 'small boats' trips like 1925 Islander HARRY PIDGEON or 1934 Igdrasil ROGER S. STROUT, or 1953 Omoo L. G. VAN DE WIELE, none by the Red Sea.

We have sailed round twice (w to e and e to w) and so far not used, needed or wanted the red sea. Lots and lots of other very nice places to visit and lots and lots of possible routes to get from point A to B without using the red sea

For crossing the America's 'barrier' you have four options: panama, great lakes with a short trucking from Seattle, Beagle, and NW passage - ALL are in fact pretty doable for almost any boat (a dead stock Bavaria 44 went thru the NWP a year ago). All can be done either direction, but panama is much better done e to w.

For crossing the Europe/Africa 'barrier' you also have 4 alternatives but only one is really attractive today. You have the red sea but pirates and internal conflicts, you could sail into Basra and truck to the med but trucking thru Iraq!?, you have the Northeast passage but that is much less open that the NWP and mostly requires icebreaker help, and you have Cape Hope. We have done Hope downwind both ways - in the summer at 41S you have a lovely following current and following winds going E and at 35 S you have a lovely following current and usually following winds (if you pick your weather correctly) going W.

Crossing the Pacific you can go W downwind in the tropics and E at about 40S or N except this is not so reliable and if you get an unfortunate weather pattern you can have weeks of close reaching (N or NE winds). E in the N pacific tends to be more reliable and easier than in the S.

In the Atlantic you have all sorts of options - someone mentioned the possible figure 8 using the South Atlantic - great route with excellent stops and lovely sailing.

[Khagan1227]

Originally Posted by Palarran

Ok Boatman, lets give it a try. This is the first time it's been done on CF.
I put your route in. This is just a sample done in about 2 minutes.
When you arrive in St. Martin all hell breaks loose as you and Mark meet up. Then, you come and visit me. See you then.

You should be able to download the file and then run it. I went START button, RUN, then chose the file and it loaded. Let me know if it works.

Pretty much what I was thinking too. I LIKE it!

Now if I can figure out how to USE google earth to do the same thing....

[Bash]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

In the Atlantic you have all sorts of options - someone mentioned the possible figure 8 using the South Atlantic - great route with excellent stops and lovely sailing.

Now that's something I'd find interesting. If anyone has plotted such a route, please post the general stops.

[estarzinger]

Originally Posted by Bash

Now that's something I'd find interesting. If anyone has plotted such a route, please post the general stops.

Its pretty traditional - lets start in Bermuda, Azores, Madeira, Canaries, Cape Verde, Brazil, Uruguay, Capetown, Some ways up the african coast, St Helena, Ascension, Ferdena de Neronia (sorry bad spelling on that), Antigua and Bermuda. BAsically you are doing a figure 8 around the Azores and the S Atlantic highs - downwind all the way!

The St Helena to Antigua part is IMHO the best ocean passage making in the world.

Thats the basic but there are lots of alternatives - You can go south to the Falklands and S Georgia. You can do more of Africa (some nice rivers that the French love) instead of St Helena (but its one of out all time favorite stops), You can go north to Newfoundland, Iceland, Faroes, Scotland.

[Pelagic]

Ok… I will try this Google thing to see if I can illustrate a mini circumnavigation.

This case a North Pacific voyage of 2-3 years.

Start

• San Fran….. to Hawaii….. good check of boat gear and ability to repair
• Hawaii to Marshalls and Micronesia….visit deserted atolls like Orluk
• Palau to Philippines. Via Hinahaun Pass which is good in almost any weather
• Explore Philippines and consider Borneo during the Typhoon season…not shown
• Subic to Japan in mid March…during typical lull in NE monsoon
• Cruise Japan during Cherry blossom season then depart June towards Kodiak Alaska
• Alaska/ BC inside passage… back to San Fran or down towards Panama.

Many many variations to this by splitting down to Malaysia/Thailand/ Indonesia/Oz.

Is there a way to show weather (prevailing wind) seasons and distances with Google?

[kenny chaos]

My computer has been reprogrammed and I can't do .kmz files.
Any help would be appreciated.

[Dame.n.Jess]

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

Some of the nastiest seas on film have been taken of the Sydney-Hobart, and I imagine that just continues as is until it scours Cook Strait.

I have been in a 66m steel trawler in cook straight heading directly into 70-90kn winds. 12m short steep seas for 36 hrs. I was not 100% sure I would get back to land but once that was all done we went into the relative calm of the southern ocean (Just past Auckland Island, New Zealand) for 4 weeks. Southern ocean was a breeze compared to Cook straight when its rough!

Damien

[GordMay]

Jessica's route:

[estarzinger]

we were planning to do the red sea and N Indian next trip but . . .

[Sabbatical II]

What makes you all think the new cruising routes will remain safe? If criminal gangs are involved and the world's navies are all jittery about blowing up pirate ships that look like fishing boats, just maybe the Somali pirates have a good business model here. After all those with the ability to oppose them don't really have the stomach to tackle the problem. While the free world lets it prosper, prosper it will and the territory that the Somali's are operating in will expand. Maybe small scale pirates in other areas will be emboldend by the sucess of the Somalis. Maybe when all the small yachts decide to go below South Africa the Somali pirates could set up a franchise on the west coast of Africa. Am I being rediculous? Of couurse I am. But I am trying to stress that if this is not brought under control it may have wider implications than just the Indian Ocean & Red Sea.

Greg

[estarzinger]

Originally Posted by Eleebana

But I am trying to stress that if this is not brought under control it may have wider implications than just the Indian Ocean & Red Sea.

I generally agree . . . its time to stop it before it gets any bigger . . . BUT . . . this pirate model depends on safe harbours where the pirates can park the captured boats and crew while negotiating the ransom, harbours where the local authorities actively permit the piracy and into which the world's militaries are reluctant to venture. Somalia has proven perfect but there are not many other places where the combination of western money and diplomatic pressure and military could not shut down pirates. So the pirates would probably have to run the captures vessels all the long way back to Somalia, which gives the navies plenty of time to intercept and deny safe harbour - and at least the US current policy seems to be to deny that safe harbour period, even at the cost of the hostages.

So, bottom line, fortunately, this model does not 'scale' very well very much bigger than it is. But it has already been allowed to become far too big.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Bash

Now that's something I'd find interesting. If anyone has plotted such a route, please post the general stops.

I might be the accidental inventor of figure 8 knot sailing ;-)

When I talk sailing, I do not really think stops. Hate stops and would pass by many if not for the size of the ship - we need to take on water, supplies, etc..

EXAMPLE:

Take off - Canary Islands, October sail to Brazil (e.g. Recife, Natal, Bahia, etc.).

November - cruise Brazil.

From Brazil - December / Jan - sail on to RSA (Cape Town, or any destinations immediately S of it, e.g. Simonstown).

February - cruise W seaboard of RSA and/or Namibia.

From RSA or Namibia - February - sail on to Helena / Ascension / Brasil (or not) and onwards to French Guyana and West Indies.

April, May - cruise Guyana / West Indies.

From West Indies - June - sail on to the Azores.

July - cruise the Azores.

August - sail on to the continent or and Madeira.

September - cruise the W seaboard of Portugal / Spain / Gibraltar.

October - sail on to Canary Islands, via Morocco (or not).

Cut and adjust as per your personal preferences.

In just one year you can visit a dozen countries and take in countless landscapes - from seals and penguins in RSA to the coconuts in the tropics. Some good sea miles and two Equator crossings plus 4 ocean crossings. Low budget (no Panama fees, cheap visas, easy and inexpensive provisioning everywhere except West Indies).

Just an example.

As mentioned in my OP I have not yet sailed the Brazil to RSA stretch but it looks (!) nothing more difficult than the West Indies to Azores stretch.

Cheers,
barnie

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

(...)

The St Helena to Antigua part is IMHO the best ocean passage making in the world.

(...)

I think all the way from RSA to West Indies is great sailing. Just keep off the continent and what you get is trade wind like sailing and the kitchen sink drama of the ITCZ.

Cheers,
b.