Coconut Milk Run Conclusion

[lbiminiblue]

I was taking a look at the Coconut Milk Run - the paths taken, most common stops, and more details about it. It's something I aspire to do eventually, but couldn't find anything about how people wrap up the journey.



Depending on timing of arrival in relation to cyclone season, is there a route people take back to South/North America? I couldn't find much about a "reverse milk run" and figured getting the boat back to the USA would be an extremely important detail in that plan.



Thanks

[fxykty]

The most beautiful and easy parts of a coconut milk run circumnavigation are the Caribbean and the South Pacific. Once you’ve cruised those parts it gets more difficult. After two to five years getting as far as NZ or AUS or Malaysia many decide they’ve had enough.

The Indian Ocean is big, relatively empty, and difficult. After that the choice is whether to head around the bottom of South Africa or through the Suez. The former is hard and long sailing, but enables you to directly cross the Atlantic to the Caribbean. The latter has security issues, but is a relatively short and direct link back to Europe.

So, many sell their boats at the western end of the South Pacific, especially Europeans, if they’re not keen on a circumnavigation. North Americans can return to the West Coast relatively easily via several reverse routes across the Pacific, but still have some hard slogging to get back to the East Coast.

Heck, there’s often boats for sale in Tahiti because of that long passage from Panama or the West Coast. It’s double the time of the trip across the Atlantic.

Perhaps that’s why - a coconut milk run often ends with a whimper.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by lbiminiblue

I was taking a look at the Coconut Milk Run - the paths taken, most common stops, and more details about it. It's something I aspire to do eventually, but couldn't find anything about how people wrap up the journey.

Many of the people who join events like the Pacific Puddle Jump [notice that the name minimizes the journey] plan to continue with a circumnavigation, and those can take as many years as they like, so the end comes when they decide to move ashore. Some people turn it into a circumnav of the Pacific, and return to North America via Japan and Alaska.

Depending on timing of arrival in relation to cyclone season, is there a route people take back to South/North America? I couldn't find much about a "reverse milk run" and figured getting the boat back to the USA would be an extremely important detail in that plan.

It's easier to get back to North America from NZ than Australia, but if your boat is good in light airs, the equatorial route with some current assist works. The further east you work your way, the better the sailing angle to HI, then up the chain, around the Pacific High and to the West Coast of the US or Canada. Getting to Panama to get back to the US east from Australia is a bear, on the wind the whole way. You can ride the tops of the westerlies, then head up to Panama, but it is a long, empty route. You would want to carry spare fuel, or commit to some very light air sailing, and still have the need to conserve fuel. Include the fuel for the genset. Some of us don't work without morning caffeine.

You would leave Australia prior to cyclone season, ideally, so that you could transit HI before the northern hemisphere hurricane season starts, aiming at a HI arrival in April, or May, then on to the west coast before June. The larger your boat, the more difficult to fine marina slips, in the Pacific.



Thanks

Hope this helps. Do remember that there are late and early cyclones, the seasons are not cut and dried. f(We were struck by a cyclone on May 15, one year, well after they say southern hemisphere season is over. One day, they may say the dates are different..... It does seem the weather patterns really are changing.)

One other thing. If you like being off the beaten track, don't go with the mobs. Pick your own time and meet more like minded cruisers. (For example, the 2nd time we left Mexico for the Marquesas, we left almost a whole month earlier than anyone else had planned. It worked out well and gave us more time in the cyclone areas before heading south to get away from them.)

Ann

PS. Some people ship their boats back, usually either to Canada or Mexico. That depends on $$, on how well one's watch schedules work for one, and the suitability of the vessel and crew for going to windward.