Those that have gone around the world.

[BobFord]

Talking as a Pom - Most enjoyed Bahamas , Chagos Archipelago and Vanuatu but this is judged from many criteria- local safety ,beauty and features,local authorities, supplies- however, i've settled on Queensland Coral Coast as the best ' all round ' , cruising ground for a Blue Nomad !

[Jim Cate]

We are not circumnavigators, but we've been cruising a long time and have covered a lot of miles.

One of the reasons that we never finished a RTW was that we kept meeting folks who had done so, and they were returning to the South Pacific (where we were at t he time) because they had found it to be their favorite area... and we were having a really good time ourselves. So here we are in Australia twenty-eight years later, still stuck in the South Pacific Eddy.

To tell the truth, when we are asked by locals what our favorite cruising grounds might be we always say "right here"! And for the moment we are telling the truth... we've had a good time in almost every place we have cruised.

And because we've been doing this so long, well, we've gotten older. And with the added years, what we enjoy most has changed, so yesterday's favorite might not seem so great to us now (and of course, ALL those places have changed significantly over the years).

Maybe this is one of the marks of a successful cruiser: you can have a good time, no matter where you are!

Jim

PS To add to the list of bucket list cruising grounds, consider Tasmania. We keep going back, and if they outlawed winter there we might never leave!

[davegeorge44]

Yes to all those places mentioned in previous posts. I would just add the Louisiade archipelago in Papua New Guinea; and no one has mentioned Australia's Kimberly coast. Of all the places we've been that's one of the most special to us. Of course 10m tides and crocodiles can make it a bit daunting, but those are details. The scenery is spectacular and essentially there's almost no one there. One of the last unspoiled places.
Dave

[northcave]

Norway. Every day you can anchor in a beautiful anchorage alone. Hue fish literally jump into your pan. Pontoons which are either free or very cheap are everywhere. Walks and scenery stunning. I could do 10 year cursing there and still only scratch the surface.

[TheThunderbird]

Why don't you like it??

Try it again with Charlize Theron and/or Brad Pitt.

[TheThunderbird]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

We are not circumnavigators, but we've been cruising a long time and have covered a lot of miles.

One of the reasons that we never finished a RTW was that we kept meeting folks who had done so, and they were returning to the South Pacific (where we were at t he time) because they had found it to be their favorite area... and we were having a really good time ourselves. So here we are in Australia twenty-eight years later, still stuck in the South Pacific Eddy.

To tell the truth, when we are asked by locals what our favorite cruising grounds might be we always say "right here"! And for the moment we are telling the truth... we've had a good time in almost every place we have cruised.

And because we've been doing this so long, well, we've gotten older. And with the added years, what we enjoy most has changed, so yesterday's favorite might not seem so great to us now (and of course, ALL those places have changed significantly over the years).

Maybe this is one of the marks of a successful cruiser: you can have a good time, no matter where you are!

Jim

PS To add to the list of bucket list cruising grounds, consider Tasmania. We keep going back, and if they outlawed winter there we might never leave!

this is it!

There is only One Sea.

[Dr. Sea]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

We are not circumnavigators, but we've been cruising a long time and have covered a lot of miles.

One of the reasons that we never finished a RTW was that we kept meeting folks who had done so, and they were returning to the South Pacific (where we were at t he time) because they had found it to be their favorite area... and we were having a really good time ourselves. So here we are in Australia twenty-eight years later, still stuck in the South Pacific Eddy.

To tell the truth, when we are asked by locals what our favorite cruising grounds might be we always say "right here"! And for the moment we are telling the truth... we've had a good time in almost every place we have cruised.

And because we've been doing this so long, well, we've gotten older. And with the added years, what we enjoy most has changed, so yesterday's favorite might not seem so great to us now (and of course, ALL those places have changed significantly over the years).

Maybe this is one of the marks of a successful cruiser: you can have a good time, no matter where you are!

Jim

PS To add to the list of bucket list cruising grounds, consider Tasmania. We keep going back, and if they outlawed winter there we might never leave!

Great answer, Jim. Very thoughtful and it fits me.

[Lionshooter]

1100 islands on the Dalmatian Coast, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro.

[Franziska]

I agree with lionshooter, wonderful coastline, at least until the local rip-off in Croatia took over.

Be prepared for overpriced everything, from cruising permits to pushy waiters outside restaurants to people trying to charge you even when you drop your own anchor.

They are working hard on killing what used to be an almost perfect cruising area.

[Agnew]

I'm solo sailing a 40' cat from England to Oz and my absolute favorite place so far has been the Cape Verde Islands, but currently I'm in Ghana and would NOT recommend it to anyone. Next stop, St Helena Island, a place I've been looking forward to visiting since purchasing my Solaris Sunstream. After getting back to my home port, Port Kembla, I'll be off to the Philippines and cruise their many Islands and them do the full circumnavigation of the app. 10,000 mile Australian coastline. I'm planning to fully enjoy my retirement as long as I can

[Franziska]

Go for it Agnew!!!

[Ocean Sky]

Originally Posted by Agnew

I'm solo sailing a 40' cat from England to Oz and my absolute favorite place so far has been the Cape Verde Islands, but currently I'm in Ghana and would NOT recommend it to anyone. Next stop, St Helena Island, a place I've been looking forward to visiting since purchasing my Solaris Sunstream. After getting back to my home port, Port Kembla, I'll be off to the Philippines and cruise their many Islands and them do the full circumnavigation of the app. 10,000 mile Australian coastline. I'm planning to fully enjoy my retirement as long as I can

Good to hear you are well on your way.How is your Solaris performing so far ? How long to St Helena from there?Quite an adventure!

[Agnew]

Monami is preforming extremely well except for not being sailable (by me anyway) at more than 30 degrees into the wind. Presently I'm anchored off Bom Bom resort in Principe Island off SW Africa after my Mainsail and it's spare were blown out off Accra Ghana. Three weeks later using the Genoa & jib I wound up eastward 260nm, not my originally planed SW 1260nm. I'm in a Beautiful place but getting my sails repaired is a serious problem at the moment but its pretty well the same distance to St Helena and a much better angle for the prevailing winds when I get going again.

[Ocean Sky]

If you are not in a hurry then i guess just try enjoy the time there,bit frustrating i can imagine.

Good to hear the Solaris is holding up well out there.any pics?

[Agnew]

windows is playing up too much to post pics at the moment, sorry but later at St Helena when I get this laptop sorted out. At the moment everything is about getting the sails repaired at a reasonable price?
It seems HP DV6's do NOT like salt air, 3rd keyboard and windows error codes are driving me crazy,,, beep, beep, beep add nausea at startup and my big camera with a few gig of pics was stolen at Takaradi, only my little underwater camera that I keep in my pocket left and the pics already transferred onto a HDD of England, France, Spain, Portugal and the Rudder damage in the Atlantic Monami is a bit of a mess after a small frieghter rubbed up against her side one dark and stormy night,,, the helmsman was busy playing video games they told me and didn't notice me even with all the deck spotlights ablaze while I was in the galley cooking. Solo sailing does present a few problems when larger vessels can come over the horion and clip you in under 13 minutes,,, beware of THAT,,, a few feet to port and I would have been fish food. I was very lucky and don't leave the helm for more that 10 minutes at sea now!