"Curious about circumnavigating/no experience"

[carstenb]

Danish saying:

Of every 100 people who say they want cross an ocean,

one does

of every 100 people who cross an ocean

one circumnavigates


we're 5 years into our "circumnavigation" and to be completely honest, I doubt we will circumnavigate. We've sailed over 30,000nm and currently are laid up near Seattle, waiting for covid to pass so we can sail up to Alaska. What then? To make it all the way round we would need to cross the pacific, but we Have spent almsot 2 years in Polynesia (loved it!!). Do we need to see all that water over the pacific, south around Hope, over to Barazil and then back?

Age is catching up with us, both of us have had to return to Denmark for treatment of serious health issues. While we still enjoy sailing and still enjoy passages (yes we are strange) we are coming to the realization that perhaps our long distance sailing days are behind us.

But if we do sell our boat (she is a member of the family) then we will buy a traawler and sail the rivers and canals of Europe for the next few years.............

[NedX]

Originally Posted by jmc42

I have sympathy for people who come on here regularly and announce their circumnavigation goals with no experience. Sure, it seems silly after seeing these posts several times a week and knowing many will never log back in for post number 2, let alone actually circumnavigate.

BUT, I think its good to dream. Who cares whether the dream is circumnavigation and the actual sailing is much less. I know plenty of people who dream of playing in the finals of their favorite sport or achieving a national championship in some activity.

I think sailing around the world sounds amazing but starting with baby steps or small goals is better for most people. I'm a noob and a wannabe but dreaming of warm breezes in far off places has helped me make some sailing plans and goals. I took a dinghy class this year. I bought an 18 foot keel boat I can sail in my landlocked area in the middle of the US. I stepped foot on a monohull sailboat for the first time. I sailed on a cruising catamaran for the first time. I have sailed a couple of charters. I got my 101,103,104 ASA certifications.

I am still a baby sailor but I'm excited to sail more. Am I likely to do a circumnavigation? No. Can I still dream of it? You bet. There is nothing wrong with the wannabees and dreamers. They are good for sailing.

Few who try will succeed, but to those who chase their dreams, wherever they end up, I salute you.

You're not a wannabe with that 104. You're a go-ahead-and-do

[DocBrauer]

Actually crossing the Indian Ocean and Atlantic two years ago the majority of the sailboats were crewed by husbands and wife’s, and a few singlehanded sailors.

[Benz]

While it would be a nice thing to have done, circumnavigating for its own sake has never been a huge goal. I like me an occasional ocean passage or two, but what I like better is gunkholing along from point A to point B while seeing as many nooks and crannies as possible in between. I've never cruised a coast that I didn't want to go back and explore more of--there was that deep bay I missed, that one island anchorage, that jungle-topped volcano I'd wanted to hike up. And yet, when I'm cruising I always have the goal of The Next Place wrestling with the Place I'm At.
Before I went to sea at 18 I'd read tons of sailing books, some of circumnavigators, others of just cruising (some less true than others, like Tristan Jones' works), but I got the idea that circumnavigating was not the only nor ultimate goal of cruising--there's a lot of world to see without going all the way 'round, and it seemed like a quick RTW for it's own sake saw very little of it at all.

[boatman61]

To me circumnavigation has become a 'Bucket List' project for 90% who do it.. just something for the resume'.. buy a boat, join the ARC, do the trip in 18mths/2yrs sell the boat and never do it again.. the maritime version of Everest.
'Seeing/Experiencing' the world just does not factor into it..
Have met many who do the Atlantic circuit the same way for the same reason.. take a gap year and buy a boat then sail to the Caribe in November, sail back across in Spring/early Summer then sell the boat and return to Switzerland or wherever never to sail again.. or, get so scared on the outbound they reach the Caribe put the boat up for sale and jump on a jet.
Personally I have crossed the Atlantic many times and the S Pacific once but circumnavigation holds little appeal as large parts of the world hold little interest for me.. or I would have jumped on a plane to Thailand or Vietnam or Japan..
Respect to folk like Dale and DoubleU who've done it but for me it is not a big must do before I die thing..
If I could have my time again I would do it when I left the RN in the early 70's.. then it was worth doing.

[patrickbarbary]

Curious about doing some brain surgery/no experience needed...

[captmikem]

Back in 1970, National Geographic did an article on Robin Lee Graham. A 16 year old who set off to sail around the world alone on a 24 ft sloop. He later wrote a book about the trip called "Dove". Gregory Peck made a not very good movie about it as well.

He did this without a sat phone, GPS, AIS, etc.

Reading the article and the book gave me the overwhelming desire to sail around the world.

Which I did, twice.

M

[Scorpius]

I really don't understand the attraction of the ARC. I sail to explore - and "going 'round" in two years is the antithesis of that.

[captmikem]

Originally Posted by Scorpius

I really don't understand the attraction of the ARC. I sail to explore - and "going 'round" in two years is the antithesis of that.

I agree, but for many of the people I met in the Canaries who were about to sail the ARC, it was the illusion of security of having other boats around. funny, but true.

I was laying in Bora Bora when the W Arc came in.. it was crazy... sort of frenetic. But at least they were getting out and sailing. Could be otherwise their boats would be sitting in a marina while they watch adventure stories on TV or Utube.

M

[Jubilee39]

Just finished circumnavigating arriving in Grenada in time for Christmas. This was a dream after reading Slocum as a small boy. Left the US in 1990, stayed in the Caribbean for over 10 years then finally set off. No need for speed except on passage. I avoided Australia because of bureaucracy, had a cat on board besides. Went through Palau instead which lead to SE Asia. Up through the Red Sea and into the Med. Only reason to finish at this time was because Europe was a major PITA. Very happy to be back in the Caribbean, best sailing in the world.

[inchcailloch]

The best experience for doing a circumnavigation is to do a circumnavigation! I'd never pass my RYA Yachtmaster but then. It many Yachtmasters do a circumnavigation.....I'm not decrying it, RYA qualifications are the best and most recognised in the world. I'm simply recognising my ability does not attain those standards. But from Scotland have crossed single hands the Atlantis 3 times, Pacific one and Tasman sea (most challenging IMHO)3 times. Insuspect Indian ocean will be challeging and clearly SE South Africa.......but thats to come.

You get to know your yacht till it's an extension of your body. The "only" difference between 20 miles off land and 2000 miles is isolation and self dependency (put simply). You go 1 mile... why not another then another then another..........suddenly you are 1/2 way around the world, Break it up into legs and sounds far more realistic. Most I met had none or very little training (ie self taught or learned in local club or with friends.)............they started local and just kept going. Jimmy Cornell's book on live aboard statistics is an interesting read.

Sitting very impatiently in the UK waiting to continue, maybe the biggest problem you will face in the journey will be COVID. Probably more likely to catch and die of covid than drown on your circumnavigation (not stating it as a scientific fact). But for now no-one can circumnavigate except in their dreams.........but that's where is all starts! And don't start reading books by Magellan, Joshua Slocum, Robin Knox Johnson etc. If you are weak willed like me you'll get drawn into it, end up going .......and not regret one minute.

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by jmc42

I have sympathy for people who come on here regularly and announce their circumnavigation goals with no experience. Sure, it seems silly after seeing these posts several times a week and knowing many will never log back in for post number 2, let alone actually circumnavigate.

BUT, I think its good to dream. Who cares whether the dream is circumnavigation and the actual sailing is much less. I know plenty of people who dream of playing in the finals of their favorite sport or achieving a national championship in some activity.

I think sailing around the world sounds amazing but starting with baby steps or small goals is better for most people. I'm a noob and a wannabe but dreaming of warm breezes in far off places has helped me make some sailing plans and goals. I took a dinghy class this year. I bought an 18 foot keel boat I can sail in my landlocked area in the middle of the US. I stepped foot on a monohull sailboat for the first time. I sailed on a cruising catamaran for the first time. I have sailed a couple of charters. I got my 101,103,104 ASA certifications.

I am still a baby sailor but I'm excited to sail more. Am I likely to do a circumnavigation? No. Can I still dream of it? You bet. There is nothing wrong with the wannabees and dreamers. They are good for sailing.

Few who try will succeed, but to those who chase their dreams, wherever they end up, I salute you.

I suspect that a lot of people with the initial circumnavigation goal find that they prefer hanging out someplace along the way - be it the Caribbean or South Pacific and just don't feel the need to go further. The Indian Ocean would be the biggest hurdle for me as I like people and Tiki Bars. I could well end up being one of those who never makes it past OZ. Having spent too much of my youth in the American Outback, I just don't care for desolation that much.

[Dsanduril]

For me, the passages are at least 50% of the attraction. Yes, I enjoy the places I stop, and look forward to them, and to interacting with new cultures and seeing new sights. But being on the open ocean, with no one else around, and becoming completely in tune with the world around you for weeks at a time is mind bending. I suspect it takes a slightly warped mentality, but I wear that hat proudly.

[patrickbarbary]

Mike, I bet you knew of the Moitessier and the likes in the 70s...

[captmikem]

Patrick,
Yes, amazing... The Long Way... what a great story

Funny, when I visited places I had read about... Like the Yasawas Robin Graham had written about, or the "Mariners Cave" in Tonga, Miles Smeeton wrote about his daughter.. Clio I think her name was.. and John Guzzwell exploring it.. What a kick to anchor there and swim into it...


M