Pacific crossing decisions

[B00B00]

TXG, our plan and timing is similar to yours but we are just looking at doing the 3800nm passage in one hit. Decided the Galapagos is sadly not worth it for us.
Has anyone ever tried just rocking up there? Whats the worst they can do, tell you to leave or could there be fines involved?

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by B00B00

TXG, our plan and timing is similar to yours but we are just looking at doing the 3800nm passage in one hit. Decided the Galapagos is sadly not worth it for us.
Has anyone ever tried just rocking up there? Whats the worst they can do, tell you to leave or could there be fines involved?

If you stop in the Galapagos without pre planning you will still require an.agent to check in. You will be restricted to one port. It will cost you almost as much as a 3 port normal entry.

[rkwright]

I have crossed the South Pacific twice and, without any doubt, the crossing from the Galapagos to the Marquesas, although long, was a brilliant leg. The Galapagos was not interesting to me -- the people and bureaucracy horrible -- but you can't have everything. We stayed like two days and headed on.

My other crossing was from Chile, and it was interesting but many times more difficult than the easy running with the trades that we had to the Marquesas, a great place with great people.

Suggestion: get away from the Americas as quickly as you can and get to Polynesia.

Note: we were in a 42 ft. catamaran so running was easy. In a keelboat you will roll a lot. I remember us passing a keelboat and the crew had on harnesses and were clipped in while we had our coffee mugs sitting on the deck as we went by, and as we waved we told ourselves, poor b . . . . , tipping from gunnel to gunnel, looks ever so uncomfortable, especially for more than two weeks.

It took us 17 days from the Galapagos to the Marquesas, the longest passage I have made, but one of the best, too -- and I had a real sense of achievement and a deeper love of passagemaking as a result.

Don't over-analyse things: everyone suggests it, so just go ahead and do the long passage. It is not that big a deal. You will be proud of yourself afterward.

[savoir]

Originally Posted by cyan

There is a point here.
To have a fellow creature visit offshore can bring a smile from within.
Does anyone else feel a bit of connection at that point?
(ok call me a hippie)

How many times have you allowed boobies to **** all over your deck ?

[donradcliffe]

The first boobie that landed on the bow pulpit was fun. The 12th that slammed into the pack was not as much fun. I went up with a stick to shoo them away, and they hopped onto the stick! After they really messed up the foredeck, I found that a bucket of water thrown their way did the trick.

The passage from the Galapagos to the Marquesas is easy, no matter what boat you are on. Winds on or aft the beam, never wore a safety harness the whole 19 days. The first trip we went down to Easter Island, Pitcairn, and the Gambiers before reaching back up to the Marquesas. The weather was quite a bit sportier further south, but the trip was worth it.

[cyan]

Originally Posted by savoir

How many times have you allowed boobies to **** all over your deck ?

None. But. When the pretty boobies left, I had to scrub my dirty stern.

[robert sailor]

With your limited water supply and no watermaker I probably would not be taking on crew. Never made that trip from Panama but we did it from Mexico. We were doing a non formal race with several other boats and we all agreed to zero motoring for the passage. We arrived ahead after 19 days..nice sail. Rolly anchorages in the Marquesas, make sure you have a stern anchor.

[Taichungman]

Originally Posted by Suijin

The Galapagos are absolutely amazing and unlike anything else, anywhere else, that you'll ever experience. They are magical.

Look at it this way, you couldn't hop on a jet and travel and stay there for that $2,000, so the cost is not completely ridiculous. They work extremely hard to keep the environment as unpolluted and undamaged as possible, and it's pretty amazing when you get there to find 97% of the land area uninhabited and virtually untouched.

Totally agree Suijin.....But we all cruise/sail for different reasons. I (as crew) visited the Galapagos in 2014 for two weeks; It was on my bucket list and well worth the money. The $2000. I saw quoted above is about what we paid for three islands and three crew + captain. We did have an agent hired before we arrived and things went well. We stopped/took sails down about 40 miles off shore and we three crew and the captain spent two hours scrubbing the bottom and had no problem with inspection when we arrived and they did inspect.
I would strongly suggest the OP bite the bullet, spend the money and not miss the opportunity; how many times in a lifetime do you get?
I applaud the Ecuadorian gov. for keeping their island and waters safe.

[kiwin]

I have been across four times. Once from PV and three times from Panama. I have stopped in Galapagos twice. Once to see it and once for fear failure, a seized rudder bearing. The only thing to buy in Galapagos is diesel. The food & water are no good. You are not allowed to see any of the interesting stuff and it is very expensive. More importantly any time spent here is not spent in much better parts of the South Pacific. In practice getting from the America's to NZ in one season is reasonably hurried. My best advice is to maximise your time in the marquesas, tuamotu, and vava'u, Tonga

[Taichungman]

Originally Posted by kiwin

I have been across four times. Once from PV and three times from Panama. I have stopped in Galapagos twice. Once to see it and once for fear failure, a seized rudder bearing. The only thing to buy in Galapagos is diesel. The food & water are no good. You are not allowed to see any of the interesting stuff and it is very expensive. More importantly any time spent here is not spent in much better parts of the South Pacific. In practice getting from the America's to NZ in one season is reasonably hurried. My best advice is to maximise your time in the marquesas, tuamotu, and vava'u, Tonga

Kiwin, you are the exception rather than the rule, if there is a rule. Anyway, most of us don't get to cross the Pacific but once. You are right about it being expensive and the water and food is just so-so. But, I beg to differ from your other observations. You are allowed to see just about anything you want as long as you pay for that experience. And there are interesting things to see there that you can not see in any other place in the Pacific. I saw the Galapagos tortoise and even got to feed one, with permission of course. I saw many of the Galapagos Iguanas sleeping on the volcanic rocks and some of those tiny penguins came jumping and playing around the boat one day. I never seen any of that in Texas or NZ, come to think of it. One interesting thing I saw was a horse race right down the middle of the dirt street in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz. I have seen that in Texas though.

There are many things to buy there also other that diesel. I bought some beautiful colorful dresses made in Equador for my two daughters. I got a haircut while I was there; I admit it was so-so but he didn't have much to work with. I could go on and on, but I won't.

[kiwin]

Actually....penguins around the boat... absolutely in NZ..

[kiwin]

In general though its difficult to buy anything useful. Certainly no chandlery for the boat. The anchorages are not great, everything is expensive. My best advice is to proceed directly to the bay of virgins, especially from mexico from where the galapagos is a long detour

[Taichungman]

Originally Posted by kiwin

Actually....penguins around the boat... absolutely in NZ..

But actually, I don't think any of those tiny Galapagos penguins have ever been to NZ. NZ has there own itsy bitsy tiny penguins.

[Taichungman]

Originally Posted by kiwin

In general though its difficult to buy anything useful. Certainly no chandlery for the boat. The anchorages are not great, everything is expensive. My best advice is to proceed directly to the bay of virgins, especially from mexico from where the galapagos is a long detour

You are 75% correct.