Sailing New England to Australia in February

[Evenstar]

[QUOTE=Wrong;1751508]

Originally Posted by Evenstar

What influenced your decision to skip the Cooks, Tonga and Fiiji en route to New Zealand? Especially so near to the beginning of the storm season in the area? How many other cruisers you know of have sailed a direct route from Tahiti to New Zealand?

Six month visa in French Polynesia and we wanted to spend all of it there. We're headed back to Fiji etc. this coming season.

A few people do it that way, not many as the winds are easier and the trips shorter coming down from Fiji. Its not an uncommon or particularly popular route, however.

As far as the timing, we were smack in the middle of the optimal time to make that trip. At least as indicated in Jimmy Cornell's World Cruising Routes, you might have different information than me but the storm season there doesn't really pick up until December.

[soverel]

Originally Posted by Exile

Given the forecast warnings, this is the quote from Jason (from the article linked a few posts back) that I find the most bizarre:

“When we left Rhode Island, we had a Coast Guard boat board us and go over everything,” he responded. “They were happy and thought we would easily outrun the storm. But with so many things going wrong, this wasn’t possible.”

It is odd. He also said coast guard said the boat was seaworthy. I imagine he was boarded in an attempt to stop voyage as manifestly unsafe and got the routine safety inspection. If they had what was required no way to stop them legally.




Sent from my HUAWEI-M931 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Wrong]

[QUOTE=Evenstar;1751617]

Originally Posted by Wrong

Six month visa in French Polynesia and we wanted to spend all of it there. We're headed back to Fiji etc. this coming season.

A few people do it that way, not many as the winds are easier and the trips shorter coming down from Fiji. Its not an uncommon or particularly popular route, however.

As far as the timing, we were smack in the middle of the optimal time to make that trip. At least as indicated in Jimmy Cornell's World Cruising Routes, you might have different information than me but the storm season there doesn't really pick up until December.

I posed the question only in respect to the fact this thread is related to timing one's departure in order to ensure favourable conditions enroute. November I believe is considered the official beginning of the cyclone season for the area. However, I believe Jimmy Cornel recommends an arrival in Australia and N.Z. not later than mid-October because unsettled weather can be expected to arrive around then. This was borne out in my experience when ferocious thunderstorms and wind occurred not long after my arrival in Scarborough in October, 2000. It is one of the rare occasions I've stayed in a marina because of a lack of local knowledge concerning where to anchor safely.

I've skipped sailing to N.Z. twice in favour of taking a safer route to Australia... Some therefore may believe I'm an overly cautious sailor. Something the subjects of this thread somehow lack - prudence and cautious consideration of potential consequences arising from their decisions.

[Exile]

Originally Posted by soverel

It is odd. He also said coast guard said the boat was seaworthy. I imagine he was boarded in an attempt to stop voyage as manifestly unsafe and got the routine safety inspection. If they had what was required no way to stop them legally.

Sent from my HUAWEI-M931 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

I agree that the USCG probably can't legally stop someone from proceeding. But given the severity of the storm bearing down, it's hard to imagine them stating or even suggesting to the crew that "they could easily outrun the storm." Seems like if they did suggest that, they would have to know an awful lot more about the condition of the boat and its equipment, along with the capability of its crew, than what could be gleaned from a routine safety check.

[Jon Eisberg]

Originally Posted by Exile

Given the forecast warnings, this is the quote from Jason (from the article linked a few posts back) that I find the most bizarre:

“When we left Rhode Island, we had a Coast Guard boat board us and go over everything,” he responded. “They were happy and thought we would easily outrun the storm. But with so many things going wrong, this wasn’t possible.”

Yeah, I'm still trying to assess whether it was most likely the failed alternator on the Yanmar, or the non-charging wind generator, that ultimately proved to be the final straw in their failed attempt to beat RAMBLER's Newport-Bermuda record of 39 hours, 40 minutes...

[Coastal]

Perhaps the gentlemen told the CG that they were extremely experienced & professional Marine Rescue.

Rescued: Port Macquarie father, son plucked from stricken yacht in US | Photos, video | Port Macquarie News

[Exile]

Originally Posted by Jon Eisberg

Yeah, I'm still trying to assess whether it was most likely the failed alternator on the Yanmar, or the non-charging wind generator, that ultimately proved to be the final straw in their failed attempt to beat RAMBLER's Newport-Bermuda record of 39 hours, 40 minutes...

I hear ya. I've been trying to be nice given what they went through, but Jason's after-the-fact comments seem to lay blame on everything except his own decision-making.

[Exile]

Regarding scuttling/not scuttling the boat. This came up in the Rebel Heart case and I'm sure many others, but here we have an inexpensive boat left adrift in busy shipping lanes. I've read that scuttling is considered more seamanlike so as to avoid a potential hazard to navigation, and that's what RH opted to do. I imagine the CG lacks the legal authority to mandate this, but RH reported that they encouraged him to do so even though the abandoned boat was out in the middle of the Pacific.

And then there are potential insurance ramifications, assuming one has hull coverage that is. A larger potential factor with a more valuable boat, obviously.

Anybody have any insight or experience with this?

[Evenstar]

[QUOTE=Wrong;1751638]

Originally Posted by Evenstar

I posed the question only in respect to the fact this thread is related to timing one's departure in order to ensure favourable conditions enroute. November I believe is considered the official beginning of the cyclone season for the area. However, I believe Jimmy Cornel recommends an arrival in Australia and N.Z. not later than mid-October because unsettled weather can be expected to arrive around then. This was borne out in my experience when ferocious thunderstorms and wind occurred not long after my arrival in Scarborough in October, 2000. It is one of the rare occasions I've stayed in a marina because of a lack of local knowledge concerning where to anchor safely.

I've skipped sailing to N.Z. twice in favour of taking a safer route to Australia... Some therefore may believe I'm an overly cautious sailor. Something the subjects of this thread somehow lack - prudence and cautious consideration of potential consequences arising from their decisions.

Nope, page 397 route PS34 - check it. Best time is listed as "Mid October to Mid November". We left at the end of October, and held off leaving a few days because there was too little wind forecast.

We didn't hit any bad weather, we just sailed most of the trip upwind whish wasn't fast.

[boatman61]

Doubt he's read anything anywhere to inspire a 'Sackcloth and Ashes' approach.. gonna get canned whatever..

[soverel]

Originally Posted by Exile

I agree that the USCG probably can't legally stop someone from proceeding. But given the severity of the storm bearing down, it's hard to imagine them stating or even suggesting to the crew that "they could easily outrun the storm." Seems like if they did suggest that, they would have to know an awful lot more about the condition of the boat and its equipment, along with the capability of its crew, than what could be gleaned from a routine safety check.

They can be legally stopped, and made to abandon trip if the uscg determines the vessel is unsafe. I didnt mean to imply otherwise.

I think the coast guard tried to stop it but could not find anything wrong with vessel, that would stand up legally.

Sent from my HUAWEI-M931 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[soverel]

A few years ago here in Fla with an approaching tropical storm, the coast guard came thru the mooring field with loudspeakers telling us that all s&r operations requests would not be responded to during the storm.

I found that odd. Have any others heard of this?

Sent from my HUAWEI-M931 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Exile]

Originally Posted by soverel

They can be legally stopped, and made to abandon trip if the uscg determines the vessel is unsafe. I didnt mean to imply otherwise.

I think the coast guard tried to stop it but could not find anything wrong with vessel, that would stand up legally.

Sent from my HUAWEI-M931 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

That makes sense, although I didn't realize the CG could do anything beyond citing you for not having required safety equipment onboard. Don't doubt it, just didn't know. But I'm still having a hard time believing they would encourage proceeding with the planned trip to Bermuda under the circumstances. Maybe a bit of embellishment on Jason's part?

[Wrong]

[QUOTE=Evenstar;1751696]

Originally Posted by Wrong

Nope, page 397 route PS34 - check it. Best time is listed as "Mid October to Mid November". We left at the end of October, and held off leaving a few days because there was too little wind forecast.

We didn't hit any bad weather, we just sailed most of the trip upwind whish wasn't fast.

I don't have Cornel's book at hand so am working from memory. As is frequently the case, the best times for passagemaking can vary for routes that appear relative close to one another. So, the best time to New Zealand from Tahiti can be "mid October to November" while the "arrive by" date for a passage to Australia is mid-October. Of this I am sure. Meanwhile, sailing from Tonga or Fiiji to New Zealand may be different still. What does Cornel say about this? The Queen's birthday storm in1994 underscores the fact that regardless of recommendations, unseasonable storms do occur... More likely on some passages than others.

Bottom line is, as this thread so amply illustrates, "when to go" is a fundamental part of planning.

[KnuckleDragger]

Find it hard to fathom that they were able to secure hull insurance on that boat. Isn't a survey always a requirement for insurance?