Multiple Seasons in the South Pacific

[Livia]

Trying to brainstorm all of the options for spending multiple seasons in the S Pacific. My ideas thus far fall into a few categories.

Sail out of the hurricane zone by November toward the North: Hawaii, Samoa, Line Islands. Problems: needing to exit French Polynesia prior to the end of our 3 month visa (for at least 3 months before returning), and how far West can you go into the S Pacific before getting to Hawaii under sail (rather than motor) become problematic. Samoa doesn't sound terribly fun for 5 months.

Sail out of the hurricane zone by November toward the South/West: New Zealand, Australia. Problem: What is the return sail to the S Pacific like? Don't know enough about the routing either of dipping South or working the top of a low pressure system.

Leave the boat in the hurricane zone on the hard. Risk the boat, but not our bodies. Increased cost of dual locations.

Forget the idea and continue around and come back on the second pass "around".

Would love to hear other ideas from anyone or would love to hear first hand experiences (or links to accounts of first hand experiences) from boats that have done one of the above.

Caveat: We don't have the inclination or the tankage for engine-based passagemaking.

[NorthPacific]

Looking at the same in the summer of 2013. You have 6 degrees north and south of the equator or New zealand or OZ. We will decide what our preference is once we are in the zone. Cost is important and that may mean going north towards the equator rather than the more expensive English Speaking bits.

[delmarrey]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gl...acks-edit2.jpg

This link is a history of typhoons/cyclones between 1985 & 2005. This should give you an idea of the hiding holes in the off seasons, Although, just a couple weeks ago they did have a storm dip down into Mindanao causing mass flooding.

And here is a list of pilot charts for most areas. Atlas of Pilot Charts for the Major Oceans of the World

And a link to some good info. South Pacific Weather

Hopefully this should answer some of your questions.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by NorthPacific

Looking at the same in the summer of 2013. You have 6 degrees north and south of the equator or New zealand or OZ. We will decide what our preference is once we are in the zone. Cost is important and that may mean going north towards the equator rather than the more expensive English Speaking bits.

Which of the North bits are you thinking about?

Thanks delmarrey, I hadn't been on the Hacking Family site in a while.

[NorthPacific]

Which of the North bits are you thinking about?

Just started the reading. Like safe, cheap and interesting. Vanuatu, NEw Cal, even up into Papua. All the other options seem risky, or have expenses of having your boat on the hard, on in a hole on the hard. Have Friends in NZ and OZ. If we could find work and pay for our stay that would be fine, but moorage alone would be expensive, and then the normal western life style would be expensive. How about your guys thinking!