Gold Coast of Australia to Tahiti

[mareksol]

Hello, We're planning on sailing from the Gold Coast of Australia back to Tahiti sometime in May of 2023. Our boat is a Catana 521 and she's undergoing a refit currently to prepare for the trip. Looking for suggestions on routing and timing. Thanks in advance.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by mareksol

Hello, We're planning on sailing from the Gold Coast of Australia back to Tahiti sometime in May of 2023. Our boat is a Catana 521 and she's undergoing a refit currently to prepare for the trip. Looking for suggestions on routing and timing. Thanks in advance.

May is getting late for departing from Australia, but you have to balance that against the chance of a late season cyclone (Queen’s Birthday storm happened in June!).

From the Gold Coast your best route is to route north of NZ, then head SE to between 36* and 40* S (until you see steady W winds, sometimes they’re further north and sometimes further south), then head E for the Australs. After that your choice whether to head for the Gambiers and the Marquesas, or directly up to Tahiti.

Alternatively, if you feel you can trust a 10 day weather forecast to get you around the top of NZ safely, leave at least a month or even two earlier - it will be warmer during the passage (east of NZ) and you’ll have less chance of winter gales.

Assuming you arrive in French Polynesia in late May or early June, what are your plans for the next cyclone season? It seems a shame that after a relatively long and hard passage that you rush all the way back W to NZ or AUS.

[mareksol]

Thank you. Everything I've read is to not depart until later in April to avoid cyclone risk. Once in Tahiti, we plan to stay there for a year or longer.

Any thoughts on taking a northern route towards Fiji/Tonga?

thanks

[JPA Cate]

With SE-E being the predominant wind direction, that (going via Tonga and Fiji) would be very much on the nose.

I don't know how highly you rate your vessel for long upwind runs, it could turn out to be a more fatiguing trip than you would prefer.

Ann

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by mareksol

Thank you. Everything I've read is to not depart until later in April to avoid cyclone risk. Once in Tahiti, we plan to stay there for a year or longer.



Any thoughts on taking a northern route towards Fiji/Tonga?



thanks

Do you mean on your return W from French Polynesia. If so, then Northern Cooks to Samoa, Tonga and Fiji is a recognised route.

But if you mean to head NE from AUS to Fiji, then E via Tonga and on to Isles Sous le Vent then Ann nailed it: difficult, long, slow upwind passages against the full strength of winter trade winds. It’s one thing to check in at Suva and sail upwind a couple of days to the Lau Group, but to do that for a month? Ugh, even in a cat that sails to windward well.

[RaymondR]

Get a set of pilot charts, lots of information on wind strengths and directions in them. The ones from the US Hydrographic Office are the more convenient. Boat Books may have them.

[VikiMoore]

We are running a rally from NZ to French Polynesia with Island Cruising NZ, and have got about 6 boats so far heading that way. We are doing a zoom call with the people in French Polynesia for the boats heading that way and you'd be welcome to join us online tonight if you are interested in joining the rally?

A few key things to note:
* Our rally also departs early May
* It is aprox 2000NM from NZ to FP so a two week trip
* You can only stay for 90 days in French Polynesia unless you get a long stay visa before you depart or if you've got an EU passport.
* The rally is flexible so you can choose your dates & destinations, we can provide all the back up support, help getting ready and connect you with everyone heading your way.

More info pm for details.

[mareksol]

Thanks RaymondR and VikiMoore. Great information.

I was able to download some of the pilot charts and it looks like a southerly route make more sense.

VikiMoore, I wasn't able to make the zoom call, but I appreciate the offer. I'll spend some more time looking at the website. Looks like a great option for me.

thanks

[CaptainGenie]

Did that route in 2019 and went east via New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Niue and onto Tahiti. I'd never chose the high latitude route, it's cold and the westerlies are not always found but mainly, it's cold. Leaving from the Gold Coast is not ideal but that's what we did, just need to pick windows carefully to find a break in the Tradewinds.

[donradcliffe]

Its a real test of boat and crew. I know of 3 boats that tried to go east in the South Pacific. One was in Penrhyn with broken rigging. Another one was in the Gambiers with torn sails and a broken dodger--he went the southern route and limped into Pitcairn after 95 days of storms. The third was a 65 ft steel ketch that only got a few days east of NZ and turned back after one of crew broke their leg.

[CaptainGenie]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Its a real test of boat and crew. I know of 3 boats that tried to go east in the South Pacific. One was in Penrhyn with broken rigging. Another one was in the Gambiers with torn sails and a broken dodger--he went the southern route and limped into Pitcairn after 95 days of storms. The third was a 65 ft steel ketch that only got a few days east of NZ and turned back after one of crew broke their leg.

Agree, the route through the tropics is much more achievable. You still need a boat that sails well to windward for the inevitable return of the SE winds but otherwise perfectly doable. I don't understand why anyone would recommend the southern route to anyone cruising, it's more extreme sport by that point!

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by CaptainGenie

Agree, the route through the tropics is much more achievable. You still need a boat that sails well to windward for the inevitable return of the SE winds but otherwise perfectly doable. I don't understand why anyone would recommend the southern route to anyone cruising, it's more extreme sport by that point!

Check out https://youtu.be/WQQ9du2s3e8 for Sail Surf Roam when they sailed from NZ to Tahiti a few years ago. Perfectly decent conditions - it doesn’t require getting into the high 40s searching for big westerlies.