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Old 28-12-2015, 03:38   #1
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Australia to Central/South America, advice for a novice.

Hi, this is my first post on this forum and any info/advice would be greatly appreciated

I have conjured the dream of traveling to central/south America by boat from Australia (my home country) working for my passage (happy to contribute for food). My sailing experience is limited to sailing on my cousins cat a dozen times as a child and windsurfing, so forgive my lack of knowledge.

From what i understand, it is much more difficult to sail towards the Americas than it is to return (because of the trade winds?) so my questions are: How long might the journey take? from where and what time of year might boats be departing? and what would be the best way to contact said boats? Also, would it be easy to survive onboard as a vegetarian?

Again any info would be greatly appreciated.

a bit about me: My name is Patrick, recently finished university in Melbourne with majors in International studies and Spanish. The sea is the next frontier i would like to explore. although my sailing experience is limited, I'm very enthusiastic to learn and happy to do anything. I'm a climber so good with ropes and knots, competent in Spanish, clean, courteous, respectful. Can teach Spanish or guitar.

Cheers!
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Old 28-12-2015, 04:15   #2
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Re: Australia to Central/South America, advice for a novice.

Hi Mate. I hope you like cold weather. If you want to go west to east, you will have to duck under NZ and and use the winds at the bottom of the planet rather than using the yummy warm s/e trades that happen further north. Plan a couple of months without stopping (subject to vessel design of course). Good luck finding a boat going that way.

On many boats, vego's are like leppers. The crew may not want to make special meals, especially in crappy weather. Yes, you would survive, though it may reduce your chances of a ride unless you are prepared to cook meat when its your turn to cook and perhaps eat canned or dried meat products. That said, if you were on a boat full of hippies, no problem

I doubt there will be many boats going that way. But keep an eye on the crew wanted posts here and on crewfinder.

Your other option would be to fly to south america, spend time there, then try and get a ride back to aus from the Panama Canal. Lots of boats going east to west.
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Old 28-12-2015, 07:11   #3
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Re: Australia to Central/South America, advice for a novice.

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Patrick.
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Old 28-12-2015, 13:16   #4
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Re: Australia to Central/South America, advice for a novice.

patrickm,

You do not have to go via the southern route, one can do the equatorial route, as well. Another CF member, El Piinguino, will be leaving NZ for Chile in a few days. You might send him a PM. With the destination of Chile, he will be using the southern route.

Welcome aboard CF, mate.

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Old 28-12-2015, 13:23   #5
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Re: Australia to Central/South America, advice for a novice.

Or go via South Africa. Then South America.

But not on an African boat because they all eat meat.

And their sense of humour is crap and they can't play cricket.
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Old 28-12-2015, 16:35   #6
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Re: Australia to Central/South America, advice for a novice.

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Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate View Post
patrickm,

You do not have to go via the southern route, one can do the equatorial route, as well. Another CF member, El Piinguino, will be leaving NZ for Chile in a few days. You might send him a PM. With the destination of Chile, he will be using the southern route.

Welcome aboard CF, mate.

Ann
I havent heard of the Equatorial route. Would that be problematic considering the doldrums are 5 degrees nth and sth of the red line?
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Old 28-12-2015, 17:40   #7
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Re: Australia to Central/South America, advice for a novice.

Patrick. FWIW... To turn this dream into reality, first thing, try to forget that meat once had feelings. That might triple your chances, at least.
Getting a ride with Pinguino sounds perfect. If it happens then youll arrive with a whole new sense of humour.
And Anns idea of flying there, yes, expensive flight &accom, sounds like a more realistic poss.
And finally,,, l e a r n t o e a t m e a t ! ! ! This could be the deal breaker. Many boats have freezers Mate but i suspect that few have gardens with many weeks supply of fruit, nuts & vegies.
Youve probably never heard of Ann Gash. A Sydney vegetarian nursing sister who turned left out of Sydney heads and eventually arrived in Europe. Ann boat was a 25ft plywood clinker built Folkboat. No previous experience other than sailing with her brother, Sandy Cockburn, mostly around Lake Macquarie. As i recall she had vietually no coastal exp even.
An ex British naval officer...name escapes atm, often sailed from the Pacific Islands to Balmain in Sydney, engineless i recall?? a very small boat, a Herreshoff 28 ?
AH, MIKE BAILES... met him on the water in Sydney. Super bloke.
A mate of mine was Sandy Cockburns good mate.....Ann Gash was abt 60 when she went to sea for the first time. Got to the UK (final leg was ship cargo).
I think Ann later sailed solo to the US and back...an old lady, stroppy but b......er, gutsy and determined.
Ann used a ghost writer to help with her book...named " A STAR TO STEER HER BY"...long out of print.
Reading Anns book just might whet you appetite further
Tell me you want me to look for, buy & send the book to you...say the word and ill find the thing somewhere. (for the cogniscenti)..Boat Books dont have it!
There is another book, same title, but Anns is the ducks guts.
Up to you.........meat sustains life andJerky lasts forever. personally i rather die than eat jerky again.
I really see this happening.

Only YOU can make this happen
Good luck Patrick.
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Old 29-12-2015, 08:42   #8
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Re: Australia to Central/South America, advice for a novice.

Found Ann Gash's book on Amazon. Believe it or not for $233.40.
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Old 29-12-2015, 09:39   #9
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Re: Australia to Central/South America, advice for a novice.

Uum...ill look locally also. Thanks Mate.
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Old 29-12-2015, 14:17   #10
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Re: Australia to Central/South America, advice for a novice.

Good luck. Problem with a veggie diet is lack of calories in a compact form. Equator sailing is problematic given contrary winds, storms, and severe heat, not to mention the likelihood of being trapped in shifting doldrums. Someone else said correctly you should head south till about the roaring 40s or even the furious 50s. Of course you will freeze to death but its then a straight and fast shot to SA.
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Old 29-12-2015, 18:28   #11
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Re: Australia to Central/South America, advice for a novice.

Quote:
Originally Posted by YARGO View Post
Found Ann Gash's book on Amazon. Believe it or not for $233.40.
$233.40? WTF? Does she expect the buyer to buy her next boat also?
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Old 29-12-2015, 18:53   #12
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Re: Australia to Central/South America, advice for a novice.

Thanks people.
With one phone call to Narrabeen NSW i found Anns book. In a glass case, in very good condition, personally singed as well. The bookshop lady was reluctant to tell me the price but eventually she spluttered out.... $125:00 AUD. US ÷72cents ATM. Iwas stoked for a few reasons...I never have previously and never will buy over the internet...retail shops or nothin'. What if one day there WERE NO shops...just heaps of young nerds driving keyboards da da da ad nauseum.
AND i was afraid that sed but the Amazon book adding 50%..and all of a sudden im bloody poor.
At $125 i dont desperately NEED Patrick to ask for his book to be sent to him.
Im picking it up in a few day hopefully and by then, Patricks needs notwithstanding, ill have a mini glass case made for it.
Thats the latest. Nobody tell Patrick ok?
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Old 31-12-2015, 09:53   #13
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Re: Australia to Central/South America, advice for a novice.

If you go with Pinguino, tell us how it goes. Actually, if you go with anyone tell us how it goes. If I were a betting man, I would say your odds of finding a veggo boat going that way to be slim to none. But strange things happen all the time. Good luck.
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Old 31-12-2015, 10:55   #14
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Re: Australia to Central/South America, advice for a novice.

And good .uck with the conversion to cannibulism.
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Old 31-12-2015, 14:52   #15
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Re: Australia to Central/South America, advice for a novice.

Quote:
Originally Posted by patrickm View Post
Hi, this is my first post on this forum and any info/advice would be greatly appreciated

I have conjured the dream of traveling to central/south America by boat from Australia (my home country) working for my passage (happy to contribute for food). My sailing experience is limited to sailing on my cousins cat a dozen times as a child and windsurfing, so forgive my lack of knowledge.

From what i understand, it is much more difficult to sail towards the Americas than it is to return (because of the trade winds?) so my questions are: How long might the journey take? from where and what time of year might boats be departing? and what would be the best way to contact said boats? Also, would it be easy to survive onboard as a vegetarian?

Again any info would be greatly appreciated.

a bit about me: My name is Patrick, recently finished university in Melbourne with majors in International studies and Spanish. The sea is the next frontier i would like to explore. although my sailing experience is limited, I'm very enthusiastic to learn and happy to do anything. I'm a climber so good with ropes and knots, competent in Spanish, clean, courteous, respectful. Can teach Spanish or guitar.

Cheers!
Here's a couple of things to consider that haven't been mentioned yet. It is about 9, 700 miles from Auckland to Santiago, Chile. at an average daily run of 160 n. mi. per day, that would be a bit over 60 days at sea. There is nowhere to get off after you have left, no matter how difficult the sailing or how great the sea sickness. And, of course, it could take longer.

Try to look at it from an experienced skipper's point of view: would you take someone with no experience on a trip like that? especially one with out of the ordinary requirements as to diet? someone you don't even know if they get seasick? FYI, there is no way whatsoever to have fresh vegs and fruits for the duration of that long a voyage. As a crew person, you'd have to provide all the freeze-dried dietary requirements for yourself, so you'd better start checking that out. If you're okay with canned, well and good, but the nutritional value (according to some) is less. Would you take supplementary vitamins? It's a good idea.

What I'm getting at is that yes, it is a cool dream. But what do you really have to offer to the potential skipper?

By the way, I have been seasick for 19 days straight. Able to stand watch, but feeling awful. With forethought, I should have carried effective anti-emetic meds for the whole anticipated length of the journey. You would be well advised to do what I did not!

We await the OP's return...

Ann
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