Pacific Crossing

[Miss B Haven]

What is the best latitude to sail from Galapagos to French Polynesia for currents and speed

[BillsWife1]

I imagine your route will depend on weather and time of the year. One of my favorite references for voyage planning is Jimmy Cornell's "World Cruising Routes". We also use Predict Wind.

Safe Travels

[Paul L]

Usually a little south of rhumb line is more wind, a little north is more positive current. Suggest you sign up for the free weekly Metbob Weathergram. Here's his note for this week

From Galapagos area to Marquesas, departure can be any time this week. Best path for wind and current is to motor/sail to 4 South 95W, then sail to 6S 127W and then go direct

[boatman61]

I went WSW till around 005South then headed direct.. good winds all the way to Nuku Hiva.

[cyan]

It's quite interesting to me that the ITCZ is typically WELL north of the equator, except for a few weeks around January. This means a Galapagos-FP passage will probably miss the heart of the doldrums and spontaneous boat-washes of the ITCZ.

[overthehorizon]

When we sailed that route years ago, we just blindly sailed the rhumb line and covered the distance to the Marquesas in 25 days. But now, crossing the Indian Ocean, we splurged and got Predictwind Offshore, coupled with the satellite "Iridium Go!". With the Predict wind, we get up to date ocean current information. That ocean current information was extremely helpful recently working our way from Sri Lanka, across the equator, to Chagos then on to Rodrigues. Check around and see if any in your crossing group has the Predictwind, ocean current application.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by overthehorizon

When we sailed that route years ago, we just blindly sailed the rhumb line and covered the distance to the Marquesas in 25 days. But now, crossing the Indian Ocean, we splurged and got Predictwind Offshore, coupled with the satellite "Iridium Go!". With the Predict wind, we get up to date ocean current information. That ocean current information was extremely helpful recently working our way from Sri Lanka, across the equator, to Chagos then on to Rodrigues. Check around and see if any in your crossing group has the Predictwind, ocean current application.

The ocean current prediction model (RTOFS) is updated once a day. You can get it from most any GRIB provider, like SailDocs.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Paul L

The ocean current prediction model (RTOFS) is updated once a day. You can get it from most any GRIB provider, like SailDocs.

CAn you please tell me how to get this from saildocs via sailmail?

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by carstenb

CAn you please tell me how to get this from saildocs via sailmail?

Its in the bottom left dropdown menu on the grib page......

Looks very basic but hover over a location and you get to see speed, direction, and sea temp...

It was a new one for me as well....