Around Australia in 6 months?

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Wraith_Mac

Matt,
There is another side to Alan Lucas' writing that may help you balance your Dad's opinion somewhat. Or maybe not! LOL
Multihulturism
Cheers,
Mac

He has gone up in my estimation.

Very uncomfortable reading for a monohull sailor there. I was squirming a bit.

Couldn't help noticing that the most recent round Oz record I could find was held by a multihull too...

Matt

[barnakiel]

You said 6700 miles?

You want 70 days ...

How you lay the sailing out and mix it with the land adventure is all up to you, as long as you avoid bad summer wx in the NT and then bad winter wx in the South. If you opt for a shor span overall, you are doing the top 'late' in their good season and the bottom 'early' in their terms.

So to say, it seems doable the way you want it.

Oh man, I envy!
b.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

You said 6700 miles?

You want 70 days ...

How you lay the sailing out and mix it with the land adventure is all up to you, as long as you avoid bad summer wx in the NT and then bad winter wx in the South. If you opt for a shor span overall, you are doing the top 'late' in their good season and the bottom 'early' in their terms.

So to say, it seems doable the way you want it.

Oh man, I envy!
b.

Yes, well don't envy me too much please, this is still firmly in the tyre-kicking stage. And there seem to be many hurdles to cross yet, not least of which is the boat and crew are not even REMOTELY ready for such a journey.

Still, when you say 70 days, it almost feels possible. But, as Jim mentioned, hardly fun doing it that way.

Here's to hoping, and planning. I planned the crap out of the delivery trip, and as a result I picked nearly 10% of the issues we eventually experienced, so I reckon I am doing well so far.

Matt

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by GILow

Here's to hoping, and planning.

;-)

You know, when things seem to get out of hand or we may feel like things are not happening I will say: 'just keep on grinding'. At least, at the end of the day, you can say 'I gave it my best shot, I did'.

A day at a time, a project a day, and one day you are out there, doing it.

You will love this trip. It is the real thing. The frontier.

All the best,
b.

[Jimbo485]

Come on! Sure, you could go around in 6 months, IF you are experienced, handy, with a good, strong, simple boat, do not want to smell the roses along the way, very masochistic and a little crazy.

We did 8000 miles in 6 months last year but that was just a nice, trade wind, milk run across the Pacific. No way would I plan to CRUISE around OZ in under a year. Delivery? Race? Maybe...but I doubt it.

You do winter in the north to avoid the cyclones and do summer in the south. Hey, just follow the whales, they know what they are doing and have the seasons worked out.

[chala]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

I think its anti-clockwise.
If you do it in one block it would be easier to get the seasons to work for you, depending on where you are leaving from.
If its Adelaide you have a problem. The southern ocean needs to be done in summer.
Leaving from Brisbane in August you have 3 months to get south of Broome, but you'd really want to be further south. Then do Bussleton to Eden in decmber and the last bit January.

But leaving from Adeliade.... you bump into the Cyclone seson

Maybe you should reposition to Brisbane but wait.

“Western Australian Cruising” by the “Fremantle Sailing Club” indicate June/July as a good time to depart Darwin and for the east-bond crossing of the Bight, October to November or late February to March. If you and your crew enjoy sailing why not sailing to yours heart content. Not to many people are willing or have the time to sail for six month. Better than reading about it, go for it.

[NoTies]

This old dude did it in a Riv 56 and it still took him 380 days.
Riviera

[GILow]

Originally Posted by NoTies

This old dude did it in a Riv 56 and it still took him 380 days.
Riviera

All I could think of when I read that article was "how much fuel did he waste?".

[GILow]

Originally Posted by chala

Maybe you should reposition to Brisbane but wait.

“Western Australian Cruising” by the “Fremantle Sailing Club” indicate June/July as a good time to depart Darwin and for the east-bond crossing of the Bight, October to November or late February to March. If you and your crew enjoy sailing why not sailing to yours heart content. Not to many people are willing or have the time to sail for six month. Better than reading about it, go for it.

Thanks Chala, good reference there.

Matt

[Lagoon4us]

The first yacht my wife and i built a 'Joe Adam's 35 foot sloop in round bilge steel named DEJA VU but renamed SCAFFIE by David, was, after ten years bought by David Beard, David set the record for circumnavigating Australia SOLO he left on 28th July 1990 and arrived back on 5th October 1990.

He won the Sir Alec Rose Medal for circumnavigations, The Sid Yaffe Trophy from the Ocean Cruising Club, the Princes Trophy from RQYS and an entry in the Guiness book of records.

He took 68 days and 8 and a half hours, so methinks you can fit some sight seeing in the time youv'e allowed.

Cheers Frank

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Lagoon4us

He took 68 days and 8 and a half hours, so methinks you can fit some sight seeing in the time youv'e allowed.

Cheers Frank

Yes, but somehow putting the concept of guinness book of records in there makes it feel less attainable.

[GILow]

Thank you all for your ideas and insight. From this I am taking away the thought that it would be technically possible given planning a break for the weather if/when required, but also that it would be no fun to do it this way.

We think from this that it should be possible to find the time to do the journey but that because of the commitments at home we will have to break the trip up into smaller chunks. With a bit of thought that should also solve the seasonal weather challenges as well. We are putting this firmly in the "less than five years from now" bracket and will continue with our Tassie plans next summer to see if we and the boat are ready for the journey.

Once again thank you, the comments and ideas have all been very helpful, even if they appear to contradict other opinions each remark brings valuable insight to the challenge. There is much homework to be done for us now.

Matt