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Michael D · 11-06-2010, 07:51

From those who have some experience in these waters please comment and advise.

Route is San Diego to Easter Island to Juan Fernandez Islands to Valparaiso area and north to Galapagos before turning west as an alternative to the previous voyage which included the de riguer winter in Mexico and French Polynesia. I intend to skip both of them this time.

One of my friends ran from Neah Bay WA fairly much down the 125 deg line to attain Easter Island some years ago. In discussing this on noonsite the plan evolved to go SE from S. California to roughly the area of the Galapagos which in the trades should net a lot of broad reaching...we hope.

Then cut across the equator where indicated to the southern trades having gained as much easting as possible. Then southwesterly trying to gain a favorable position for the final leg to La Isla Pascual. Followed by South and East to Robinson Crusoe's house and back up on the north flowing current to Galapagos.

The rest is fairly straight foreward.

Please comment on or advise and refine with emphasis on weather I'm not happy yet with my understanding of this year's Nina/Nino and how that will affect the voyage plan.

TIA...

Michael D
SV Se Langt
Port Townsend WA USA

MarkJ · 12-06-2010, 05:18

I always wonder about a lot of wiggling around the world. The shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line. You need to give me a pretty good reason to start playing around with that.

Also winds may not be as important as current.

When we were going to Galapagos from panama we found the currents more adversely affected us than the wind. The wind, by the way is not trades! They didnt come in well untill we were west of Galapagos.

You don't mention what months you are looking at.

Generally I would just go 270 deg for 3,600 miles and any easting you can make do so. I don't see how an extra 800 miles is going to help you.

The only other consideration would be that we would never ever miss another chance to go visit the Galapagos!

Michael D · 12-06-2010, 05:52

Months are: depart roughly from San Diego at end of eastern Pacific hurricane season spend the southern hemisphere summer on the aforementioned circuit and return north by May to continue west before the next storm season.

Wiggling...good word that! Reason for doing that is I've already done the standard route to NZ and have no desire to visit Mexico nor French Polynesia again. What I do want is to visit some new places ergo group one is Easter, Juan Fernandez, a bit of the coast of Chile and Galapagos.

And time is not an issue...I have no job waiting in two years that must be attended. That is all in the past. So if it takes extra time to visit some particular spot...no problem and that includes staying away from or near storm seasons.

Jimmy Cornell on noonsite gave me two route choices. The second was south using motoring down to vic. Valparaiso then sail out to Juan Fernandez, Easter and onwards from there.

They posted that discussion in detail.

Also because this route and those islands are rarely visited especially by those on a timetable time limited circumnavigation little is written about it.

Something new to put on the websites or in the magazines.

Happily I've already done Alaska which is another out of the way spot for most.

Thanks for the reminder on the trades vic. Central America. Actually I knew better and didn't mention it. Getting away from Panama is sometimes problematic. On SV Alvei we spent a week ending up in the same spot. Which is why the turning point is vic. Galapagos and no further east.

I will use the iron jib when and if needed..especially crossing the equatorial doldrums. I'm no purist that's for sure. My Norske ancestors used oars when sails didn't serve the purpose...sort of oak jibs.

The extra miles you mentioned were considered and I decided they were not excessive..about a week. Especially when the favorable winds meant faster and more comfortable runs on the two major legs. My boat runs faster than the 1.34 rule of thumb about 1.42 as it happens so I included it's capabilities in the mix...along with currents, probable weather etc.

So for those reasons.....etc. etc. and because it's a new anddifferent way of spending the normal lay over in Margaritaville again (I've got 6 years living in Central America behind me) ......

That's the more detailed background on choosing the dogleg route vs. straight south or going coastal.

Now I'm looking for more refined information such as you provided and thanks for that!

Cheers

Michael D

MarkJ · 12-06-2010, 06:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Generally I would just go 270 deg

170 would be much better!!!!!!!!!!!!! No wonder I get lost all the time.

Michael D · 12-06-2010, 06:47

I referred to a friend of mine who basically went due south on the 125 deg. line. That's the old sailing ship wind route you'll still find in the Admiralty sailing routes volume. His experience and description of the Juan Fernandez Islands was the spark that fired my interest. He also mentioned the next time he'ld take a different route.

His reasoning was the favorable winds crossing the northern trade belt was more than X'd out by the unfavorable winds in the southern trades. It occured to me than the dog leg...lining up to get the best point of sail might be the answer with an expected increase in average daily run more than making up for the extra miles.

Sometimes the straightest line from A to B is the shortest. But other times A to B to C is indicated either in terms of speed, comfort, or both.

So when you did that area was it Nino, Nina, what months and how did it all work?

M.