Thoughts on The Ideal Coconut Run

[sneuman]

I realize there are innumerable possibilities, but as a hypothetical, if you were going to be spit out the Pacific side of the Canal circa April 1 and planned to be in the Gulf of Thailand by November-December and ...

you wanted the most interesting trip (i.e., as "undeveloped" as is practical while still having victualing options as well as options to put in for repairs if necessary), least expensive, etc.

How would you go?

[daddle]

For "undeveloped" remain north of the equator in the western pacific. The islands of Micronesia, Philippines and Malaysa are a great way to get to Thailand. Nothing wrong with the southern milk-run, but it's become just so common.

[S/V Alchemy]

That would be my inclination, as well. I blame the musical "South Pacific" and the more recent versions of "Mutiny on the Bounty". Micronesia seems quite a bit more isolated and "untouched", insofar as that can be true in 2012.

[Jimbo485]

Micronesia is a personal favourite, but how about Rapa Nui, Pitcairn, Mangareva etc? All in the Southern Hemisphere and relatively untouched.

Note that Galapagos to Rapa Nui is 2000 miles with the wind on the beam while Galapagos to Marquesas is 3000 miles with the wind on the quarter. So you save 1000 miles by heading SW, you get away from all those other cruiser crowds cluterring up the bays, the monos won´t roll their guts out on a downwind run and - best of all! - you can test your anchoring skills in a challenging location.

[Helbent]

I misread this as "coconut rum."

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by Helbent

I misread this as "coconut rum."

No you didn't lmao ......

[matauwhi]

G'day, mate. You do realize, as "the crow flies", this is roughly a 10,500 nm voyage. It really doesn't matter what path you take, on your suggested timeframe, for you're going to be sailing most of the time, unless you are substantially going to increase your waterline length. Most cruisers will take roughly a year and a half to accomplish this voyage (not saying it can't be done in 8 or so months, but...). Might want to consider changing one of your parameters. Cheers.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by matauwhi

G'day, mate. You do realize, as "the crow flies", this is roughly a 10,500 nm voyage. It really doesn't matter what path you take, on your suggested timeframe, for you're going to be sailing most of the time, unless you are substantially going to increase your waterline length. Most cruisers will take roughly a year and a half to accomplish this voyage (not saying it can't be done in 8 or so months, but...). Might want to consider changing one of your parameters. Cheers.

Thats me well screwed then.....
I've a 13,000 mile delivery with a 3 month time frame...

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by matauwhi

G'day, mate. You do realize, as "the crow flies", this is roughly a 10,500 nm voyage. It really doesn't matter what path you take, on your suggested timeframe, for you're going to be sailing most of the time, unless you are substantially going to increase your waterline length. Most cruisers will take roughly a year and a half to accomplish this voyage (not saying it can't be done in 8 or so months, but...). Might want to consider changing one of your parameters. Cheers.

Originally Posted by boatman61

Thats me well screwed then.....
I've a 13,000 mile delivery with a 3 month time frame...

And there you have the difference between "Cruisers" and "Delivery Skippers"

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by matauwhi

G'day, mate. You do realize, as "the crow flies", this is roughly a 10,500 nm voyage. It really doesn't matter what path you take, on your suggested timeframe, for you're going to be sailing most of the time, unless you are substantially going to increase your waterline length. Most cruisers will take roughly a year and a half to accomplish this voyage (not saying it can't be done in 8 or so months, but...). Might want to consider changing one of your parameters. Cheers.

Well, assuming Marquesas is first stop, that's about a month's sail, another 15 days to Kirabati, say another month to Truk, another 20 through the Philippines (Visayas) and 20-30 to Gulf of Thailand. That would be an unpleasant marathon for sure, and no accounting for weather windows, but we're talking about three months total sailing (assuming 100 mile days), not 9. Or am I missing something obvious?

In any case, like I said, it's all hypothetical.

[matauwhi]

G'day mate. Since the bulk of the voyage you outlined between the Marquesas and the Philippines lies 5 degrees either side of the equator, your 100 hour mile average day may be a bit optimistic based on the wind conditions normally there. Just saying, hypothetically that is. Cheers.

[maxingout]

It took me nine months to sail from Florida to New Zealand. I regret that I went as fast as I did. There were so many places that I wanted to stay for a longer time.

My ideal coconut run would be to sail as far as French Polynesia taking my time to enjoy paradise. Then I would haul out at the Raitea Carenage for hurricane season. Once hurricane season is over, I would spend some more time in Polynesia and move west at a leisurely pace. If I make another circumnavigation, that is what I would like to do.

[Sailor g]

Originally Posted by Helbent

I misread this as "coconut rum."

Me too. We must be wild ones HB! That would be a silly thread though -we all know the answer is-ANY & ALL! LOL

[atoll]

i,ve done it both ways,ie via vanuatu to micronesia in november then the philipines,and via torres straits to indonesia in october,any earlier on the micronesia route you have typhoons,and any later on the torres str route you have cyclones,so weather timing is critical.

friends who went via rapa nui had to tie to a tree during one of the many fronts that went thru with 80 knot winds!

for the rum,fill the boat up in panama @$3 a bottle!

[savoir]

There's a big cyclone off NW Australia right now. Passing through Torres Strait after November isn't cool.