Atlantic then Pacific - When to Go ?

[ABAYLEY]

I want to go from UK to Caribbean and then through Panama Canal across Pacific to Oz. Can you help me with timings please?

I gather best time to do westbound transatlantic is Nov/Dec but how much later could I do it safely? Would Feb/March be ok?

Is the best time to go from Panama Canal across Pacific to Oz after April?

Thanks!

[svpresent]

When you're in for serious cruising like that you could invest say 40 GBP in Jimmy Cornell's "World Cruising Routes", which gives you good info on best routes and best times to go from A to B.

November is still hurricane season in the Atlantic. We were thinking season's over and then hurricane Tomas startled us a few weeks ago.... Went by just a few miles north of us and took 14 lives in St. Lucia.

Leaving Panama for Galapagos is usually done in mid to end Februari. That way you have plenty of time to get to Oz without worrying about Taifoons. The last part from f.i. Tonga to NZ or Oz is usually starting around now.

There is a nice dedicated newsgroup: pacificpuddlejump : Pacific PuddleJump

Lots of good info (a.o. MaxSea track files) and helpful people (a lot of them are also on the list here).

I guess we won't see you over there cause we're planning to go through Panama in januari/februari 2012.

Have fun,
Len.

[MarkJ]

We transited Panama Canal mid june and arrived in Sydney beginning of October.
Next time I would leave panama much earlier to get more time in the Pacific. But we were on the roller coaster.
As far as I see you can leave Europe as late as April and rocket straight through if its a delivery.
Or not leave Panama till September is you are going non stop.

[Zanshin]

There is no book as thrilling and exciting to read for those planning a circumnavigation as Jimmy Cornell's "World Crusing Routes"

[ABAYLEY]

Thank you - I have ordered this book and it's on it's way - just wondered if anyone had any firm views re whether Jan/Feb is ok for transatlantic westbound...
Thanks for your help.

[Zanshin]

I have the book back at the hotel and not here, but Feb/Mar is good for going through the Panama Canal and the pilot charts for the Atlantic look OK for westbound, assuming you take the classic approach of heading south from the UK along the European/North African coast until the butter melts then heading across the pond via the Canaries.

You can download the US pilot charts at http://pollux.nss.nima.mil/pubs/pubs_j_apc_list.html and interpret them to see general weather patterns for each month and make your own plans.