Challenge: Getting a Yacht to Cape Town from Panama Going East

[biltong]

BUying a yacht in Panama and then delivering it eastwards to Cape Town South Africa, who knows?? anyone done it?

[estarzinger]

Originally Posted by biltong

BUying a yacht in Panama and then delivering it eastwards to Cape Town South Africa, who knows?? anyone done it?

Tough upwind and up current from Panama to Brazil, pretty nice sailing from Brazil to Cape town.

The normal way to do this is to sail just before or after hurricane season when the trades are lighter, and only at night when the diurnal effect is lightest, along the S American coast. Anchoring each day (or at least during the afternoon when the winds are strongest). You need to be careful with this approach because some of that coast has developed a reputation for thugs.

The nice way to do this trip would be Panama to the Azores to Cape Verde's to BA to Cape town. That would be great sailing and great stops, but probably take longer than allowed for 'a delivery'.

[biltong]

Thanks for that info. It appears to be as I thought it might. The yacht in question is in Bocas, Panama and though this would be a great area to sail and sail from, I need to have the yacht in South Africa for a couple of years due to commitments.

[Pete7]

Stick it on a ship even if it is only to Brazil or even Europe.

Pete

[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

Tough upwind and up current from Panama to Brazil, pretty nice sailing from Brazil to Cape town.

The normal way to do this is to sail just before or after hurricane season when the trades are lighter, and only at night when the diurnal effect is lightest, along the S American coast. Anchoring each day (or at least during the afternoon when the winds are strongest). You need to be careful with this approach because some of that coast has developed a reputation for thugs.

The nice way to do this trip would be Panama to the Azores to Cape Verde's to BA to Cape town. That would be great sailing and great stops, but probably take longer than allowed for 'a delivery'.

What months is the huricane season, and what does BA stand for?

[dana-tenacity]

What sort of boat is it?

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond

What months is the huricane season, and what does BA stand for?

Hurricane season in the northern hemisphere is considered by most insurance carriers to be June 1 - December 1, but the summer months (June 21 - September 21) are the heart or the season, and late summer is the worst.

BA = Buenos Aires, Argentina.

TaoJones

[BrendanChandler]

Originally Posted by biltong

BUying a yacht in Panama and then delivering it eastwards to Cape Town South Africa, who knows?? anyone done it?

I suggest sailing from Panama via perhaps Puerto Rico, Azores, Canaries, Cape Verde to S.A.
I suggest that trip needs to start in late March, early April.
Difficult bit is getting to the Eastern Caribbean.

If you are interested in discussing further, see my website as I have not yet committed to an Atlantic crossing in the short weather window between end of winter gales and hurricane season in North Atlantic.

Brendan Chandler

[biltong]

This still seems to be a challange of difficulty, however, the yacht in question, a Cheoy Lee Offshore 41, has in the meantime been sold to a lucky couple in the USA

[BrendanChandler]

If you hear that the new owners want help to take her home, please pass on my details.
I also do "shorter" deliveries.

Regards

Brendan

[AquaBoi]

Originally Posted by biltong

This still seems to be a challange of difficulty, however, the yacht in question, a Cheoy Lee Offshore 41, has in the meantime been sold to a lucky couple in the USA

How much did it sell for?

[biltong]

I didn't ask, but I thought that the asking price was pretty reasonable to start with.

[holmek]

This is a great trip. Go, Panama, Puerto Rico, USVI, Antigua. Then non-stop NE first, skirt just south of the Azores high making as much easting as possible, south to just west of Cape Verdes, across doldrums as far east as possible, down Brazilian coast about 200 miles off to 30S, 30W then as low as you need to to find some westerlies, and to Cape Town. I did this trip from St Maarten to Cape town single handed in 82 days from Nov to Feb. I have written a little book on the trip if anyone is interested.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by holmek

This is a great trip. Go, Panama, Puerto Rico, USVI, Antigua. Then non-stop NE first, skirt just south of the Azores high making as much easting as possible, south to just west of Cape Verdes, across doldrums as far east as possible, down Brazilian coast about 200 miles off to 30S, 30W then as low as you need to to find some westerlies, and to Cape Town. I did this trip from St Maarten to Cape town single handed in 82 days from Nov to Feb. I have written a little book on the trip if anyone is interested.

Yes, from St Maarten but your proposed first leg from Panama to PR is the problem. In the winter there is no way you can lay that course... you would be very lucky if you make Jamaica but current, waves and wind will probably not even let you make that. If you choose the south you meet the effects of the Colombia low with the 15-20' seas on the nose... we saw 100' boats coming back with their tails between the legs when meeting those. This leg is in the top 5 of worst passages of the world.
In the summer it's much easier but then you get the hurricanes forcing you to stay south.

If this isn't the start of your cruising life but you just want the boat in SA I would put it on a transport. Both Spliethof and Dockwise operate in Colon and you can also make arrangements with regular freighters (but need to pull the mast in that case).

cheers,
Nick.

[biltong]

Thanks guys but as mentioned earlier, the said yacht has been sold, and I am lucky to have bought a yacht locally, a Amel Sharki. Maybe, though, the information given might be interesting to other parties tempting the same.