New World Cruising Routes

[Pelagic]

Accepting that the Indian Ocean and approaches to the Suez have become an unacceptable cruising area for the foreseeable future ……. what are the new logical sailing routes to explore the Pacific (Including Asia) and the Atlantic (Including the Med) in safety and sailing comfort?

From your home port what would be your new world cruising itinerary giving seasonal weather dates and distances to major junction points?

The goal here is to fine tune our ideas and experience towards a collective agreement that by-passes severely troubled areas and harmonizes weather patterns by basically doing combined circumnavigations of the Pacific and Atlantic basins rather than the world in a pattern that is doable at a cruisers pace, interesting and makes weather sense.

[S/V Alchemy]

We will leave in Toronto for a westabout circ in 2013, first doing 3/4 of the way 'round the Atlantic back to Panama via Trinidad, and will likely be in the Torres Strait in 2017 or 2018.

We will decide then on the basis of fresh information, but Galle-Mauritius via Chagos sounds plausible as a way to get to Cape of Good Hope and then up the South Atlantic.

That may either cut out the Med entirely, or we would do the Med when we got to the Portugal/Spain part of the North Atlantic circle route.

I would not object to travelling in convoy or "buddy boating" if the situation merited it, or if I thought it would improve my chances of safe passage. The Indian Ocean is in some practical ways more remote than any other ocean, and even if pirates weren't in the northwestern portion to the degree they currently are, convoy makes sense in that part of the world.

[Palarran]

I'm thinking Dockwise stock is a good investment right now (I'm serious). If enough business is done, the cost will go down.

[atoll]

have been looking at these options out of falmouth uk for our adventure sailing cruising school on board salamandra a 63 ft expedition yacht.

winter sailing
a) dept sept falmouth-madiera-agadir-gran canaria-senagal- gambia- guinee bissau-cape verdes-azores- falmouth in april

b)dept sept falmouth-madiera-agadir-gran canaria-senagal- gambia- guinee bissau-punta del este-ushaia-falklands-rio-salvadore-recife-fernando de n-azores-falmouth in april may.

c)falmouth-carib-falmouth,but x5 is getting boring and expensive

summer sailing
d) dep may,falmouth-ireland -iceland-greenland-norway-sweden-denmark-holland-se uk-falmouth. ret oct

wives refuse to put kids in boarding school so longer cruises are out of the question,so i am stuck to 6 month jollies.......

boat does aprox 170-200 m/pd

[TOM]

We are leaving for Chagos shortly from Phuket. It is worth noteing that there has been a Pirate attack just 330nm north west of Chagos and also just 152 nm off the west coast of the Maldives .

Cornells route to Chagos from Phuket is west to Sri Lanka then south to Chagos,Others say go to at least 76 east before turning south for Chagos .Both these routes fall into the U.K.M.T.O. Voulentary reporting area which extends to 78 E AND 10 S. The U.K.M.T.O. states that although attacks have not occured beyond 70 E there is a strong possibility they may.

There are many posts on this forum which advocate the sothern route as the safe alternative I do not believe it to be so to the extent many think.
Imagine for a minute that attacks do start to happen up to 78 E where does that put us ? It makes it almost impossible to reach South Africa as you would have to sail thru large areas of little wind .

Am i been paranoid ,love to hear what others think.
www.byamee.com

[sww914]

Thanks for starting this thread, my old plan was just like most. India, up the Red Sea, Med myself broke, etc. Now I see South Africa and then Brazil maybe? But I still want to get to the Med but I won't afford $30K to ship the boat. So what's next after Africa?

[atoll]

Originally Posted by sww914

Thanks for starting this thread, my old plan was just like most. India, up the Red Sea, Med myself broke, etc. Now I see South Africa and then Brazil maybe? But I still want to get to the Med but I won't afford $30K to ship the boat. So what's next after Africa?

st helena-salvatore de bahia-recife-azores-gib- easy , though you may never want to leave BRAZIL!!!!!!!

[Pelagic]

In the past, cruisers pretty much stayed in the Trades, heading generally West around the world, following the milk run.

Now I think we are looking more at higher latitudes, finding the prevailing westerly’s for easting, when you want to return to a key junction point like Panama.

So that choice is either southern hemisphere via the great Capes or via Japan/Aleutians towards Canada/Alaska for the summer.

I have done the Japan >> Pacific North West trip a few times in June and always had good trips but had to adjust to weather in front of me.

What is the best time and route for easting from Panama back to Europe?

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

In the past, cruisers pretty much stayed in the Trades, heading generally West around the world, following the milk run.

Now I think we are looking more at higher latitudes, finding the prevailing westerly’s for easting, when you want to return to a key junction point like Panama.

So that choice is either southern hemisphere via the great Capes or via Japan/Aleutians towards Canada/Alaska for the summer.

I have done the Japan >> Pacific North West trip a few times in June and always had good trips but had to adjust to weather in front of me.

What is the best time and route for easting from Panama back to Europe?

ha ha thats a good one,i think getting easting from panama was why they invented steamships,dug the canal and stopped sailing round the horn......

but probably may and be prepared to motor sail very close to the wind untill you can fetch the jamaica channel and windward passage,with a good eye on ts forming in the atlantic then bermuda-azores.

[Pelagic]

That is the question Atoll, not a direct route east from Panama to Europe but a cruising plan that would take you to preferred latitude for Easting back during the right season?

[atoll]

that would be the classic tallship route,adjusted for cruisers so you end up in puerto mont,ushaia in nov dec,recife in april and in the azores in may june to arrive w europe early july,so probably want to head south from panama in september october.

this way you will be mostly have fav winds and avoid the worst of the depressions

[Pelagic]

What about a northerly route via the US?

[atoll]

nw passage or via gulf of mexico?

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

What about a northerly route via the US?

northerly route via miami from panama.to europe

possable stops honduras,cuba during the trade wind season this would involve basically motor sailing all the way to virginia from panama,before jumping off for bermuda-azores.

not to mention the visa issues for foreign vessels entering the us and crusing permits etc.

not really viable and very expensive,unless you are a us visa holder,b1/b2,which requires an interview in your country of origin these days,plus proof of employment/funds etc

[Boracay]

Tom
Would it be possible to go a few hundred nm to the SE of your recommended track?
I had a look at the March Indian Ocean Pilot Chart (check your email) and the time penalty may be worth taking.