6 Year Plan - RTW

[Cornish Folly]

Yes, we've always said that we can't make any fixed plans for past our arrival in Australia, and I think you may be right that perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself. I think I will get myself a nice book to read on my next holiday and use that as my starter for ten .......

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Cornish Folly

So my never ending question .... which smaller boat would be suitable and what do you think the costs would be?

I have a topic on this here that you may find interesting. Our boat is a small boat and that is basically the plan that I embarked on when I started sailing again about 18 months ago.

I have learned and relearned a ton about boats and I know to a penny what the costs are. Note that I am in Singapore so labor and parts prices in Oz might be a little different but actually not much. I have bought a lot of the materials from teh USA.

I am happy to answer any costs questions.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...oat-14840.html

[David_Old_Jersey]

Just to clarify - nothing against thinking / dreaming / planning ahead, just suggesting not spending ahead

[Cornish Folly]

Dreams still going on

Dan - I will look at that when I'm not at work, but looking breifly looks like jsut what I'm after.

Thanks

[Cornish Folly]

So Dave - the Sea Dog is the land Rover of the boat world is it? Perhaps I shouldn't be looking any further.

Did many of the 140 make it down under?

He he

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Cornish Folly

So Dave - the Sea Dog is the land Rover of the boat world is it? Perhaps I shouldn't be looking any further.

That's also polite for saying........kinda slow

Could do a lot worse........

Did many of the 140 make it down under?

He he

A couple have, doing the RTW thing - but as far as I know all of them came back home...1 in South Africa, a couple in the States - a few scattered around the Med (including a v cheap doer upper for sale in Greece) - but mostly seem to be home waters.


The Drive to Oz?, a couple of times I did think / talk about driving down to Bangkok - mostly whilst drinking I will admit - but a few Googles over the years did not leave me very clear on a simple route of no dirt roads and the fewer countries the better - even if this involves a longer route - this seemed to be a Northern route through 1 or 2 Stans and into China.......I figured on solid roads so yer can just put yer foot down (ie no digging yerself outta the dirt!), put some decent music on and make sure plenty of Ciggies onboard.....I fancied doing it in a Mini

But then again I have loads of ideas that never seem to progress.....

[jheldatksuedu]

I think you will love being on the boat, I have done a lot of both, living out of a tent and car or motorcycle traveling all over the US, Canada and Alaska. Basically you'll find with the boat you spend much of your time on land exploring the harbor towns of the world. You'll need good bicycles, I've made my own folders by cutting the frame in half and then used tubes donated from other bikes to slide over the cut and put them rigidly back together. I'm working on version 4 now, a rear suspension bike that has a sprung swing arm, remove the spring apparatus and replace with a rigid removable link. That will allow the frame to fold up as small as a wheel, no sense trying to get any smaller than that. Of course I've got quick release wheels and handlebars. The next mod will be a little 50cc motor for those 50 mile journeys inland. I also built a folding high speed bike wheel trailer that can carry three 5 gal fuel cans. I anchor out almost exclusively, kayak in with a good quality inflatable kayak, ride the bike around town. After a week or so, it's time to move up the coast 30 miles to the next town and repeat ad infinitum, you'll love it. Every once in a while you might have to sail for 2 weeks to get to another continent, but most of the time you're exploring new countryside, not sailing. So taking a walk is not a big deal. Once somebody stole my kayak and I had to swim out to the boat, I was glad they left my cheap life jacket. The water in Northern Michigan is never warm, and it was a late night after dancing at the local pub, lucky I don't drink too much. I got the kayak back a year or so later, it showed up on eBay. I now have had a second one stolen, hope it also shows up on eBay. Have fun.

[Cornish Folly]

Slow suits me

As for the drive - well China and Burma are the problem these days. China costs big bucks as you must take a compulsory guide with you. And Burma is a no go (and this was before the recent sad tragedy). If you can't get past those you are shipping from either Bangladesh or somewhere crazy like Vladivostock.

We are basically going Europe - Russia - Stans - Iran - Pakistan - China - SE Asia - Ship from Singapore.

It was whilst figuring out how to continue our trip to some of the more remote places that I came upon sailing as an option. I don't want to take it lightly at all, as I haven't the driving part. Ideally I'd like to keep going interchanging the boat and landie as we go .... think that might jsut be crazy though. But without the dreams the realities never arrive!

As for lots of drink talk, that was me, before my wife called my bluff! Now we are seeing who flinches first. Ha only joking, but it means we are now starting to live our dreams. The planning is one of the greatest parts, but can't wait until we start the journey for real.

Thanks for all the help out there.

[maxingout]

Your trip around the world by Land Rover and under sail is doable. I know that to be true, because I have been doing the same thing for the past eleven years.

We did our circumnavigation in a catamaran over an eleven year period, and we have two Land Rover Defenders in position - one in New Zealand and one in Australia - ready for the driving trip around the world. You can check out pictures of our two Defenders at the following link:

DREAM MACHINES

One Defender is a 1995 130 tdi crew cab, and the other is a 1995 Defender 110 300 tdi wagon. They are fully kitted out and ready for the driving trip around the world as soon as I get my Freedom chips in hand.

When we were sailing up the Red Sea and visiting Egypt, I met an OZZIE couple in their 70's who had just completed a six month driving trip from Capetown to Cairo without a problem. When we were sailing in Turkey, we met another OZZIE who just drove a volkswagen combie from Capetown to Cairo. He also did not have any problems with the trip. He needed a police escort in northern Kenya, but otherwise had an unremarkable trip.

Although sailing and land cruising are different in many ways, they are similiar in that they require a spirit of adventure, a willingness to take calculated risks, and they offer a life in a parallel universe where you live mostly on your own terms.

So, I say go for it. Life is short and death is long. You should be living your dreams.

[Cornish Folly]

Wow Dave! Great to see your site and ideas! Really makes me thinbk its all doable.

How come the two landies? Obviosuly I'd like two .....Are there many of you? How big cat?

Lots of questions and probalby more to come Thanks for posting

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by maxingout

Capetown to Cairo without a problem. When we were sailing in Turkey, we met another OZZIE who just drove a volkswagen combie from Capetown to Cairo. He also did not have any problems with the trip. He needed a police escort in northern Kenya, but otherwise had an unremarkable trip.

.

I think there is so much 'talk' out there about all the bad things that can happen it poisons the great ideas we have.

If I hear one more person telling me about pirates.....

Those Landrovers look great! Excellent vehicles

[maxingout]

[quote=Cornish Folly

How come the two landies? Obviosuly I'd like two .....Are there many of you? How big cat?



I have had five Defenders over the years. I had three of them when I worked in Saudi Arabia for expeditionary travel in the desert / Empty Quarter. One of the Arabian Defenders was kitted out for a round the world trip, but at the time I left Arabia, Africa was a mess and it wasn't feasible to do the run from Capetown to Cairo. So I went sailing instead in our Privilege 39 catamaran.

When I got to New Zealand on my catamaran, I purchased the Burgundy Defender 110 for travel in New Zealand, and I got a Carnet de Passage to take it to Australia and points onward around the world. There was a dock strike that prevented shipping the truck to Australia, and so I put the Land Rover in storage in New Zealand for future epeditionary travel.

A couple of years later we arrived in Australia on our catamaran, I wanted a Defender to drive in the outback. So I picked up the Defender 130 and kitted it out for expeditionary travel.

I kept both of them because they are both 1995 Defenders with 300 tdi engines and they use identical spare parts, so one set of spares covers both vehicles. The Defender in New Zealand has a complete set of spares.

Defenders fit nicely in shipping containers and they can be deployed anywhere in the world in a container. When it arrives at the destination, you drive it out of the container ready to go.

I plan to take one or both of them to Capetown depending on my financial resources and depending on who will be going on the trip. If it's just me and my wife, then I might use just one vehicle. But I might also take two trucks to enable self rescue in the event of mechanical problems. It's sort of like having two hulls on a catamaran. Two Defenders making an unstoppable land cruise around the world.

It's too early to say what we will do. When I finish my job, it will be decision time.

Good luck on your adventures

[Hope Light]

I agree with Boracay. The market on the east coast of the US for used cruising yachts is astounding. And the prices are very low. Amazing in fact. So pick up and outfit a yacht on the US east coast and get over to the Bahamas which can't be taken lightly but are a whole lot easier than heading offshore right off the bat. From there, go where you will but US east coast, Bahamas, Caribbean are a nice natural progression.