East Coast to Azores to Med May/June

[12BCruzn]

So. . . with any luck we will have our vessel ready for cruising by mid May. From what I can gather from my reading, that is too late to head for the Caribbean and the S. Pacific if we want to do anything other than sail. So we were toying with the idea of doing the Atlantic Circle first. Starting in FL, up the East Coast to New England then head for the Azores in Mid June try for the Med by Mid to late July. With any luck we would cruise southern Spain, France, Italy, possibly Greece (probably too far) before heading out for the Canaries (perhaps join the ARC) in October and then the Caribbean in November.

Does this sound overly ambitious (i.e. will be doing nothing but sailing and no touring) to you old salts out there? I am asking because we have never done anything but coastal cruising but are looking forward to a 2 to 3 year circumnavigation. Starting out with the Atlantic Circle and the Med would, I think, give us favorable winds and obviate passage through the Red Sea (and pirates of course)...plus I've already spent 4 months in Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea.



Thanks for any guidance and ridicule

Pat

[Seagull111]

I'm no old salt but it all sounds doable but quite ambitious. Fair winds.

[jstevens]

"From what I can gather from my reading, that is too late to head for the Caribbean and the S. Pacific if we want to do anything other than sail"
Don't understand that sentence, but as far as doing the Atlantic Circle from the East Coast to the Caribbean dozens of folks do it every year. Also if you're not interested in touring why go from Florida to NE? Just head for Bermuda or the Azores from Florida. The schedule for the Med is probably unrealistic. Sounds a lot like that 60's movie, If it's Tuesday this must be Belgium" - or something like that. However if you ambition is to stop in as many countries as possible in a year you can probably do it. The question is why?

John

[12BCruzn]

We are interested in touring. We will have a 9 year old whose home schooling we hope to enrich greatly by seeing other countries.

What I was trying to say in too few words: Regarding leaving for the S Pacific in May, because of the looming hurricane season, we wouldn't have time to dawdle in the Bahamas or Caribbean and we would not have time to get from FL to the Caribbean and then to the canal and then across the S. Pacific before cyclone season begins. To quote Jimmy Cornell in World Cruising Routes: "the Canal should be transited in February or early March. This avoids arriving in the Marquesas before the end of the cyclone season (December to end of March)." He then goes on to say: "The Society Islands should be left no later than June" (Heck, we wouldn't get there until July).

What I was also trying to say is that we want to have a look around at the countries we visit but if our sailing route is too ambitious we will see very little.

The purpose of going up the EC to NE is to give us some "practice" miles with short passages, and to shorten the passage to the Azores. It would also be great to spend a few days in DC and NYC. I am hoping to move her up the coast prior to May if she is ready sooner.

I'm still doing the math to see how far we can get with various routes. . .I was just posting to get advice from those who may have done this route, at that time of year.

As a more leisurely alternative, I suppose we could just go over to the Bahamas until mid June, then tour the East Coast the rest of the summer, then go to the Caribbean in the late fall, and proceed from there. Sounds delightful.

Of course, this could all change. "Man plans, God laughs"

Cheers,
Pat

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by 12BCruzn

So. . . with any luck we will have our vessel ready for cruising by mid May. From what I can gather from my reading, that is too late to head for the Caribbean and the S. Pacific if we want to do anything other than sail. So we were toying with the idea of doing the Atlantic Circle first. Starting in FL, up the East Coast to New England then head for the Azores in Mid June try for the Med by Mid to late July. With any luck we would cruise southern Spain, France, Italy, possibly Greece (probably too far) before heading out for the Canaries (perhaps join the ARC) in October and then the Caribbean in November.

Does this sound overly ambitious (i.e. will be doing nothing but sailing and no touring) to you old salts out there? I am asking because we have never done anything but coastal cruising but are looking forward to a 2 to 3 year circumnavigation. Starting out with the Atlantic Circle and the Med would, I think, give us favorable winds and obviate passage through the Red Sea (and pirates of course)...plus I've already spent 4 months in Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea.



Thanks for any guidance and ridicule

Pat

Way to fast run around the med. why not overwinter do a second season and then ARC back.

Dave

[barnaclejim]

We have been in the Med from the east coast of the US for 5 years now and still want more time there. The sailing isnt always great but the anchorages and history and the water is magic. It was our plan to refit the boat, a 1983 52' staysail schooner, and cross the pond, but it all took longer so we followed the coast up to Maine for the summer and down to the Bahamas for the winter before crossing in early june via the Azores. Well worth it to know your boat and what equipt. and spares you need. Circumnavigation is ambitious and long passages, even for a seasoned sailor can be tough on a family and regular sleep. I would also add that travel at somwhere around 5 miles an hour lends itself to stopping to smell the barnacles and many dingy rides ashore to trade with the natives. Best of luck and fair winds Jim

[marlinmike]

I think this is great information, two thumbs up to barnaclejim!

Originally Posted by barnaclejim

We have been in the Med from the east coast of the US for 5 years now and still want more time there. The sailing isnt always great but the anchorages and history and the water is magic. It was our plan to refit the boat, a 1983 52' staysail schooner, and cross the pond, but it all took longer so we followed the coast up to Maine for the summer and down to the Bahamas for the winter before crossing in early june via the Azores. Well worth it to know your boat and what equipt. and spares you need. Circumnavigation is ambitious and long passages, even for a seasoned sailor can be tough on a family and regular sleep. I would also add that travel at somwhere around 5 miles an hour lends itself to stopping to smell the barnacles and many dingy rides ashore to trade with the natives. Best of luck and fair winds Jim

[Jeannius]

OK... Here's an alternative for you Pat. Forget about the Med for now, head to the Caribbean as early as possible in May getting to the Leewards and Windwards before the season gets started. Once you are that far down, you can run south to Grenada or Trinidad within a couple of days if anything nasty comes along.

Once down there, you can join up with the big cruising community in Grenada and plan your transit of the canal and towards the Marquesas amongst like-minded people. You are sure to be able to hook up with people with the same plans.

[12BCruzn]

Thanks Mike. That sounds a bit ambitious as well. That's an awful lot of sailing/motoring into the wind is it not?

But with the right crew. . . *hint*. . .

Pat

[chubby]

Originally Posted by 12BCruzn

....

As a more leisurely alternative, I suppose we could just go over to the Bahamas until mid June, then tour the East Coast the rest of the summer, then go to the Caribbean in the late fall, and proceed from there. Sounds delightful.

....

^^ i like this idea better..