Which route for one-year-sabbatical?

[lak1981]

I plan a sailing sabbatical which, unfortunately, will last only one year. The departure and arrival will be in Europe, or maybe in Agadir (Maroc) and take place between July and August.

What do You think is possible and reasonalbe to do in one year (single and double-handed)? Is it worth to leave the Atlantic during such a short period? What are must-see places in the Atlantic?

Thanks in advance for your advice

Michal

[Arthur Garfield]

Hi,

What are you saying?Do you have one year free to cruise or just 2 months?

Do the entire med(north and south coasts This is solid year.


All the Best

[Dockhead]

If you feel like a whole lot of miles at sea, you could do an Atlantic circuit -- cruise Atlantic coasts of Europe in the autumn, arriving in Canaries by late November. Across to the Caribbean in December. Few months cruising the Caribbean, then back to Europe via Bermuda and Azores in June-July.

Or just do Atlantic coasts of Europe for a year; North Sea and other Northern parts in summer and fall; Southern parts in the winter and spring. That includes North Sea: Scotland, Germany, Holland, Belgium, UK East Coast -- alone worth a year or two of exploration. English Channel: UK South Coast (fabulous!), Normandy (fabulous!), North Brittany (fabulous!) -- also easily enough to see just in the English Channel for a whole year. Then further South you have Biscay, Galitia, Portugal, on to Morocco if you like.

There is so much to see! A year seems like a lot of time, but it's really not!

[lak1981]

Gentleman, thanks for Your instant answers. I'll try to avoid the med for this trip. The dream would be to combine the Carribean with some northern spheres. Have You any idea if Greenland and the Barents Sea are manageable?

[atoll]

Originally Posted by lak1981

Gentleman, thanks for Your instant answers. I'll try to avoid the med for this trip. The dream would be to combine the Carribean with some northern spheres. Have You any idea if Greenland and the Barents Sea are manageable?

if you have to ask the question I would really not recommend going to northern lattitudes!

what type of yacht do you have?

[lak1981]

Originally Posted by atoll

if you have to ask the question I would really not recommend going to northern lattitudes!

what type of yacht do you have?

what's wrong about the north?
now sailing on a Elan 31, but going to get my own boat during the next year and prepare gently the sabbatical. thinking about a shallow draft. probably a frech aluminium

[atoll]

Originally Posted by lak1981

what's wrong about the north?
now sailing on a Elan 31, but going to get my own boat during the next year and prepare gently the sabbatical. thinking about a shallow draft. probably a frech aluminium

go for it

we like people that have boats

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by lak1981

what's wrong about the north?
now sailing on a Elan 31, but going to get my own boat during the next year and prepare gently the sabbatical. thinking about a shallow draft. probably a frech aluminium

Atoll is thinking about the fact that the distances up there are huge and the weather can be incredibly tough (when it's not a dead calm). It's not for casual cruising -- it requires a lot of preparation, and very good to have a pretty tough boat and crew. This is very hard, adventure sailing, not casual cruising.

In any case, the seasonal window is very short -- June and July are just about the only reasonable months for Iceland and Greenland.

If you think you are tough (and skillful) enough, you could go up to Iceland from Scotland, maybe via Shetlands and Faroes. I dreamed about a trip like this a few years ago. Just get back further South in time, and keep heading South. Western Scotland is fabulously interesting, from there make your way down the West Coast of England through the Irish Sea and then cross over to N Brittany, and keep going South.

When you hatch these cruising pipe dreams, mind the mileage involved and pay attention to how many miles you have to make over what period of time. It can be miserable cruising when you have too far to go in too little time, and the weather doesn't always cooperate. If you're short handed and intend to do it mostly day sailing, then you have to be particulalry realistic about the mileage -- make sure you leave time for exploring the places you go to; sailing 100 miles, spending a short night in exhausted sleep, and then getting up before dawn to sail another 100 miles the next day and so on can be not that much fun, and plus you won't see anything. Don't ask me how I know

[carstenb]

you can spend an entire summer season in the Baltic and not even have sratched the surface

ask dockhead, he was here last summer and saw only a tiny portion (and he was here for 4 months)

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by carstenb

you can spend an entire summer season in the Baltic and not even have sratched the surface

ask dockhead, he was here last summer and saw only a tiny portion (and he was here for 4 months)

That is correct. I would have recommended spending the year in the Baltic, except the season doesn't last all year. The Baltic is the best and most interesting cruising I have ever done by far, and I have sailed in a lot of different parts of the world. But you've only got about 4 months of half-decent weather, unless your boat is an ice-breaker .

And I'm going back next year

[barnakiel]

As said above, in a year one can zip a fine lazy loop from Europe to / Africa / S America /West Indies and back via Bahamas / Bermuda / Azores. And/or/if.

An alternative would be to go to the Pacific and sell the boat off there.

An alternative would be to sail to South Africa and back (possibly via Brasil).

Another alternative would be to go rtw.

Plenty depends on what you interests are and on how much sailing you want to have. Then also on the boat you will have, etc.

b.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

As said above, in a year one can zip a fine lazy loop from Europe to / Africa / S America /West Indies and back via Bahamas / Bermuda / Azores. And/or/if.

An alternative would be to go to the Pacific and sell the boat off there.

An alternative would be to sail to South Africa and back (possibly via Brasil).

Another alternative would be to go rtw.

Plenty depends on what you interests are and on how much sailing you want to have. Then also on the boat you will have, etc.

b.

Boy, you got that right Barnakiel! Although rtw in one year means there are many places worth seeing that you miss. Maybe we need to know more about what the OP's thoughts on the goals for the trip are. Some people love the sailing, others like exploring exotic destinations. And still others, both!

Now, anyone else want to hear what the OP's good lady wants for this same time period? If this is a joint venture, perhaps her views ought to be included.


Stay tuned.

[lak1981]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Boy, you got that right Barnakiel! Although rtw in one year means there are many places worth seeing that you miss. Maybe we need to know more about what the OP's thoughts on the goals for the trip are. Some people love the sailing, others like exploring exotic destinations. And still others, both!

Now, anyone else want to hear what the OP's good lady wants for this same time period? If this is a joint venture, perhaps her views ought to be included.


Stay tuned.

Thanks for all your contribution; this is a great forum with nice people who what to share their passion & knowledge.
As to my girlfriend, she'll be with me on some stages, like the transat. But there also will be single handed periodes. Some land exploring certainly will be done, but sailing should be in the center of this sabbatical. As mentionned before, the aim is to combine the transat with visits of remote and not very populated destinations. We were thinking about the north (or Patagonia in the south) but Atoll doesn't recommend the nothern lattitudes. Anyway, now I have some new data to think about. THX

[tominny]

This book is a good start to shape your plans:

http://cornellsailing.com/publicatio...uising-routes/




Sent from my iPhone using Crui

[Pete7]

I think two crossings of the Atlantic in a year would be quite challenging and waste a lot of time that could be spent seeing stuff rather than blue water, unless you like long distance cruising. An Atlantic circuit is 10,000 miles give or take a bit.

How about the North Atlantic Islands from Canaries to Azores north to Ireland for the summer over the top of Scotland and down the North Sea. That should put you in France for the late Autumn and near safe harbours as the nights draw in for a dash down to warmer climates of the Algarve for the winter.

Pete