Anyone out there like blue water passages?

[EllesBelles]

A resounding yes!
Some of my favorite passages:

Surfing the North Atlantic on Passage from Bermuda to the Azores
Surfing the North Atlantic, May 2015 - Golden Glow

Atlantic East to West:
Sailing Back Across the Atlantic - Golden Glow

Charleston to Turqs & Caicos :
Charleston to Turks & Caicos - Golden Glow
Suns of the Sargasso Sea - Golden Glow

Turqs & Caicos to San Juan
Turks & Caicos to San Juan - Golden Glow

You get the idea...passages can be beautiful, peaceful, fun, adventure-filled, happy times.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by EllesBelles

Surfing the North Atlantic on Passage from Bermuda to the Azores
Surfing the North Atlantic, May 2015 - Golden Glow

OK now I want a catamaran lol.

[EllesBelles]

Originally Posted by Suijin

OK now I want a catamaran lol.

Cat or monohull was the big decision for us and being a blue water sailor, I'm so glad we went with a catamaran, and specifically the Antares because it has the most protected helm of any catamaran we've ever seen. So we can remain sheltered and dry at the helm no matter how wild the seas are.
Plus, it's so much less tiring and more enjoyable being level instead of always heeling.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

The condition of the boat you are on has a lot to do with whether or not it's enjoyable.
I've helped with a couple of West coast passages from Washington State to San Diego which were fun and also scary due to the owner's boat preparation or lack of same.

Agreed. Not just the condition of the boat but the attitude of the crew/skipper. I crossed the atlantic with a skipper who's wife waited till we had left the dock to call by sat phone to say she is leaving him. Good boat, fairly well prepared, miserable trip...the skipper was just a mess and did his best to make us miserable too.

[seasick]

I love every aspect of long passages except foul weather for days on end. Even bad weather isn't so bad if the winds are well abaft the beam. I used to be baffled by those that set out to circumnavigate nonstop but lately the prospect of letting the world carry on without me for awhile seems enticing. When the wind and seas are mellow, the decks dry, the position certain, the way ahead unobstructed, freighter lanes distant, butter and rum in grand supply, then all is right with the world.

[dick sargent]

I could care less about going ashore after long passages...it's the going not the destinations I enjoy. Only go ashore for provisioning. Becalmed once where the sea was like a reflecting pool for two weeks. Loved it.

[Don C L]

Anyone out there think this is kind of an odd question?

[Dougtiff]

Long passages are the best, my longest was a delivery from Singapore to Long beach, California, took right on 60 day's, great circle route, no outside communication from choice, remember turning on the radio when closing the coast and listening to all the madness on the planet, only the date and names had changed.

[Tessellate]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Anyone out there think this is kind of an odd question?

Not at all, I think this is a great question (albeit a bit leading - phrased as presuming more people dislike, than like, passages).

I don't mind the presumption though, because early on reading sailing books (Pardey's, Capn Fatty, the Voyager's Handbook, etc) they instilled in me the perception that all sailors love long ocean passages, and spend much of their time doing that. Books described mostly the exciting, fun aspects of passages. Even the difficult times or bad times were described in a "fun" way, which misled me to thinking even the extremely uncomfortable times are fun.

Later I learned these cruisers are certainly not average, in fact they are very far away from the median, and I heard from more people who see passages as something to get through rather than to enjoy. Interesting to hear all the perspectives in this thread.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Anyone out there think this is kind of an odd question?

Clearly you do. Why do you think it's an odd question?

[buzzstar]

I cherish the passages where I can lie hove to during the day, and sail at night. I am a solo sailor so being alone and isolated is not a problem. Just cannot do much of it now. Age related restrictions, mine and others

[bsurvey]

its the voyage

NOT the destination

you can only get into trouble in civilization

[boatman61]

Unlike MarkJ I relish the W-E passages.. the only E-W I have done was the S Pacific from Panama to Perth and the downwind trade wind cork screwing was monotonous and boring.. loved the landfalls tho'..
Now a W-E transatlantic is fun.. even when there's E'lies all the way, lots of nature and a variety of sailing..

[sapient sue]

I hate single overnighters - day 2 is settling - by day 3 it could be 33 or 333. Our longest passages have been 22/23 days crossing from Aus to Alaska so it basically was 3 x 3 week passages between stops in NZ, Raitera, and Hawaii and then returning from Mexico to Marquesas and the like.

The boat preparation is vital for peace of mind and reducing stress - I am not sure I would like to sail long passages on an unknown boat.

Deep ocean there is little to see with the lack of fish and birds but oh the joy when closing the coast and seeing wildlife again and smelling the land. The body restores itself from the madness of being ashore, traffic and people. The open ocean is a challenge and being self sufficient is a way of life that Mike and I have adopted and love.

Long passages are so much easier than coastal sailing and should be embraced by those too tentative to try.

Cheers Sue.

[accomplice]

One of my frequent crew for offshore passages, when asked if passaging was a vacation for him, responded that no, it was therapy.

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