How to do a 18 month circumnavigation from San Francisco?

[YoloSF]

Buy boat: Check
Find crew: Check
Save money for trip: Check
Decide on route:

I never thought that planning a route for an 18 month circumnavigation would be so difficult. There are so many factors to consider! Home port is San Francisco and the departure date can be either February 1st, 2015 , May 1st, 2015 , August 1, 2015 or November 1, 2015 (I work in sales and that's when quarters end so I want to earn a full quarters comission before I go)

Keeping in mind hurricane/storm seasons and that sailing through the Mediterranean is a must (please don't lecture me on piracy, I'm going through the Suez canal and assume all the risks-Please stay on topic about the route), how would you plan your circumnavigation? What would be your departure date and main stops in what months along the way?

I can stretch it up to 24 months, but I'm really trying to keep it as close to 18 months as possible.

[SVTatia]

No offence, but you are starting it on the wrong path.
You would be foolish to attempt a circumnavigation on a schedule, specially such a short one. Mother nature is the master, not you...

[Horror Hotel]

Why 18 months? Way to short, why the rush? So you basically don't want to see anything and are just gonna cracking it out as some sort of personal goal? I know it doesn't seem as romantic to just cruise Mexico and South America for a while but the 18 month circ makes little sense.

[YoloSF]

Originally Posted by SVTatia

No offence, but you are starting it on the wrong path.
You would be foolish to attempt a circumnavigation on a schedule, specially such a short one. Mother nature is the master, not you...

Thanks, but your response is off topic.

[YoloSF]

Originally Posted by Horror Hotel

Why 18 months? Way to short, why the rush? So you basically don't want to see anything and are just gonna cracking it out as some sort of personal goal? I know it doesn't seem as romantic to just cruise Mexico and South America for a while but the 18 month circ makes little sense.

Thanks for taking the time to respond with your personal opinion. But again, this doesn't answer my question. I'm not looking for advice on what to do, I already have that decided. I'm looking for route planning advice.

I'm looking at a circumnavigation for the adventure, not as a lifestyle.

[Horror Hotel]

Why not stretch to 3 years, that's almost a regular time frame and you could actually get a taco and beer in several countries.

[YoloSF]

Originally Posted by Horror Hotel

Why not stretch to 3 years, that's almost a regular time frame and you could actually get a taco and beer in several countries.

1. Because I'm impatient (at least I admit it...)
2. The ocean is broken The ocean is broken | Newcastle Herald and it's only getting worse
3. I have other personal goals to accomplish
4. I'm afraid I'll get too involved in my career if I stick around
5. I want to do this while I'm young, I'll have time to do it again later
6. I need a break
7. Now or never
8. Because I can. What if God forbid, I have health problems in the future, I break a leg, get cancer, whatever it is
9. I don't want to be a couch sailor
10. It's a personal goal to do this before I turn 30

Basically, the time is now and I can only afford (financially, emotionally, and mentally) 18-24 months.

[Orchidius]

People are posting their "opinions" because for a number of reasons:

1. Your timeframe is a very tough one, and considering the goals most of the cruisers have in mind for their trips there are far better alternatives to consider. Clearly you have considered them but have a different set of goals. No way anybody could have made that up from your post.

2. If you had done any research on the matter at all you would have known that doing a circumnavigation in that timeframe is a true race of sorts and that MANY variables are in play. You haven't given us anything to go on. How many crew on board? What type of boat? How hard do you want to push her? What's your experience level? How scared are you of nasty weather? How prepared are you for it? What places do you really want to see and what places wouldn't you mind skipping? You're pretty much saying "I want to cycle around the world, what route do I take", only that would be simpler since you wouldn't have to worry about ocean currents and weather patterns so much...

To conclude, I just want to say that you can have all the adventure and sense of accomplishment you want without circumnavigating. The risk is when starting the trip on that timeframe, there will be a point of no return, and if anything unforseen happens beyond that point you will have no choice but to lengthen the trip or to abandon the whole plan/boat alltogether. A piece of broken gear you have to order in and because of that delay end up in the wrong part of the ocean in the wrong time of year and you're done.

[YoloSF]

Originally Posted by Orchidius

People are posting their "opinions" because for a number of reasons:

1. Your timeframe is a very tough one, and considering the goals most of the cruisers have in mind for their trips there are far better alternatives to consider. Clearly you have considered them but have a different set of goals. No way anybody could have made that up from your post.

2. If you had done any research on the matter at all you would have known that doing a circumnavigation in that timeframe is a true race of sorts and that MANY variables are in play. You haven't given us anything to go on. How many crew on board? What type of boat? How hard do you want to push her? What's your experience level? How scared are you of nasty weather? How prepared are you for it? What places do you really want to see and what places wouldn't you mind skipping? You're pretty much saying "I want to cycle around the world, what route do I take", only that would be simpler since you wouldn't have to worry about ocean currents and weather patterns so much...

To conclude, I just want to say that you can have all the adventure and sense of accomplishment you want without circumnavigating. The risk is when starting the trip on that timeframe, there will be a point of no return, and if anything unforseen happens beyond that point you will have no choice but to lengthen the trip or to abandon the whole plan/boat alltogether. A piece of broken gear you have to order in and because of that delay end up in the wrong part of the ocean in the wrong time of year and you're done.

Another off topic response.
Anyways... could someone please help me with my question?

I'll try re-phrasing the question:
Given the dates I have provided, assuming you have to go through the Suez Canal, and avoiding stormy seasons, what would your itinerary be for an 18-24 month circumnavigation starting and ending in San Francisco, CA?

This forum has become useless, it's full of old and bored guys who want to give their opinions and quite frankly, nobody's care about their opinions, or their fears, or their beliefs. I came here hopiung to find some experienced sailors or sailors who know other sailors that have accomplished something similar to what I"m trying to accomplish and can give me some route proposals to help me plan my trip.

Happy couch sailing

[Orchidius]

That's not very nice of you... Let me rephrase my own post for you:

THERE IS NO WAY ANYBODY CAN GIVE YOU ANY ROUTING HELP THAT WOULD GET YOU ANYWHERE WITHOUT ANY INFORMATION OTHER THEN THE FACT YOU WANT TO DO IT VERYVERY QUICKLY.


In my boat, with my rig, I know what route I would take. The Beneteau lying next to me in the marina would not at all be a happy camper with that route, and the racing cat on the other side of the pontoon will be in for some serious hurt.

That is not an opinion, but a fact. There is more to timing when routing or sailing in general. If you can't get your head around that, I wish you luck, because you'll need it. You might only live once, but sailing around the world without proper prep and knowledge in that timeframe, it won't be long.

[SVTatia]

What leads you to believe we are old armchair sailors?
In your case and with this attitude, I suggest you go to:

Amazon.com: World Cruising Routes: 1000 Routes from the South Seas to the Arctic: Companion to World Cruising Handbook eBook: Jimmy Cornell: Kindle Store

and

Sailing a Serious Ocean: Sailboats, Storms, Stories and Lessons Learned from 30 Years at Sea: John Kretschmer: 9780071704403: Amazon.com: Books

[skipmac]

OK, you have your own agenda and whether or not it makes any sense at all to anyone else or if it is even logical or achievable is your business. After all, some sailors take off on a non-stop circumnavigation so why can't you go off on an 18 month circumnavigation?

But a little friendly advise that might help you get a better response on the forum. First, it's a free forum and all members are allowed to express their opinion. As much as you might like to, you can't control what people are going to say here. If you want to order someone to adhere strictly to your specific questions then hire a paid a consultant. And being rude and shouting is not going to win you any friends and get you any better response.

[YoloSF]

Originally Posted by skipmac

OK, you have your own agenda and whether or not it makes any sense at all to anyone else or if it is even logical or achievable is your business. After all, some sailors take off on a non-stop circumnavigation so why can't you go off on an 18 month circumnavigation?

But a little friendly advise that might help you get a better response on the forum. First, it's a free forum and all members are allowed to express their opinion. As much as you might like to, you can't control what people are going to say here. If you want to order someone to adhere strictly to your specific questions then hire a paid a consultant. And being rude and shouting is not going to win you any friends and get you any better response.

I got frustrated at all the lectures I was getting. I wish that enthusiasm to lecture me would have been focused on helping instead. But you're right, I wasn't as polite as I could have been.

[Horror Hotel]

Seems like a reoccurring theme that you start a thread and get all pissy about the answers and advice you get. Let me break it to you, "off topic" does not exist. It's a public forum and this thread goes how we make it go, it has little if anything to do with you. You could never sign on again and we might chat about it for 900 more posts. That's cruisers forum, take if or leave it . And we are by no means couch sailing, I'm on board doing a painfully slow 3.8 kts and have been on the water since October 10th. Boat travel is slow, for most it's about the destination not the trip. I do 7 months every winter and know first hand that a 18 month circ is not realistic for a safe or fun trip. A race maybe, but you would have to be a very skilled pro to do it. And from the questions you've asked in the past , you are not that guy. Maybe buy a boat in St. Augustine and in November you could follow Stanly Paris out for his circ effort, just keep him in sight and there's your route.

[Cap Erict3]

Originally Posted by YoloSF

Thanks for taking the time to respond with your personal opinion. But again, this doesn't answer my question. I'm not looking for advice on what to do, I already have that decided. I'm looking for route planning advice.

I'm looking at a circumnavigation for the adventure, not as a lifestyle.

Sorry but I don't have route information to offer. My offer is that of a suggestion that you continue to bump your topic and wait for on topic replies. This forum has a wealth of knowledge ( as you likely know) and sound advice will likely come soon.

Good luck on your journey.