Philippines to Ireland - East or West?

[Laidback]

Originally Posted by Geminidawn

Many thanks for that very clear and precise answer. I was thinking the more the merrier with 2 people on a 4hr watch and 1 in reserve I was looking at taking at least 12 so when it came to overnight sailing there would be more people to rotate .

I guess the difference between 12 and 16 crew over time would come to very little. If you are able to select people who have a good mix of skills and who are "team" people without grand 'egos' and who are willing to learn and enjoy the experience, that will pay off. You may need 4 or 5 who can be assigned specific roles, eg navigation, maintenance, the galley, photography, log and diary.
In addition assign everyone else some meaningful task.
Over a period of several months, the odds are that some friction may develop between individuals, this has to be managed so that it does not infect a group, early signs should by dealt with by the skipper calling in the individuals for counseling. This process is one that is discussed with every member of the crew BEFORE they come on board, in order that there are no surprises down the line.

[Geminidawn]

Originally Posted by Laidback

Over a period of several months, the odds are that some friction may develop between individuals, this has to be managed so that it does not infect a group, early signs should by dealt with by the skipper calling in the individuals for counseling. This process is one that is discussed with every member of the crew BEFORE they come on board, in order that there are no surprises down the line.

Haha yeah....it's beginning to sound like a good script for a reality TV show.
When the project first started I had more than enough eager volunteers looking forward it, but as time goes on and the launch date looms I find that a lot of that was just hot air.
Even if I do leave with 16 I can well imagine that I'll not arrive with the same number I left with, some may well jump ship after the first storm or bout of sea sickness (or get voted off).
You're right about a mix of skills and experience, the last thing I wanted was a ship full of Captains so I was hoping to pair up those that know what they're doing with those that are eager to learn.

[goboatingnow]

Because you will be more than 6 persons on board there may be regulations, (especially those in EU) pertaining to the boat, it safety equipment, the Skippers qualifications etc - you need to check latest.

no there isnt, not as long as all the people aboard are "crew" and the boat isnt enaged in any thing commercial

[Laidback]

"Because you will be more than 6 persons on board there may be regulations, (especially those in EU) pertaining to the boat, it safety equipment, the Skippers qualifications etc - you need to check latest."
The above suggestion was made because Ireland's own rules regarding
privately owned pleasure craft are now influenced by those rules made by the European Union - these are changed frequently and therefore the owner/skipper needs to be aware of possible pitfalls before he arrives at his destination. See:-
Safety On The Water: About us

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Geminidawn

Many thanks for that very clear and precise answer. I was thinking the more the merrier with 2 people on a 4hr watch and 1 in reserve I was looking at taking at least 12 so when it came to overnight sailing there would be more people to rotate and the crew wouldn't be so shattered.
But you are right the more people the more responsibility and as jpemb7 said the more weight, so I may have to rethink that one.

Regarding Watch Keeping(8 to 12 crew) may I suggest you employ the RN method and divide your crew along lines of strength of experience, fitness etc into Port and Starboard watches.... for normal sailing conditions 2 or 3 people on watch is ample for routine sail changes, adjustments etc;... so Port Watch Alpha would have 3 on watch with the others, PW Bravo on standby... sleeping, sunbathing or maintenance... all Starboard Watch relaxing.. after 4 hrs switch to Starboard Watch Alpha and so on.... At Action Stations six crew should be more than adequate to deal with the majority of things that may arise giving you a 4 on 4off rotation of 6 for the limited time period of the emergency/storm.... this routine has been used for centuries and provides 12hrs between watches for all the crew under normal conditions... except the Skipper who due to his Privileged Position is on call 24/7....
As to qualifications... If you have your RYA Coastal Skipper or Internationally recognised equivalent, Insurance papers, meet Local safety requirements, liferafts/jackets etc and requisite 'Visas' and Passports to present on entry you should have no worries....

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Geminidawn

I'm looking to sail a Pahi 63ft Cat from Manila to Connemara there is a couple of options open to me:

A. Philippines - Singapore - (Pirates) - Phuket - Nicobar Is. - Sri Lanka -Maldives - Yemen - (Pirates) - Suez - Crete - Sicily - Sardinia - Palma - Gibraltar - Lisbon - Brest - Ireland.

With the Trades, lots of land fall, Shortest timewise
Pirates, Red Sea and Suez Officials

B. Philippines - Taiwan - Okinawa - Japan - Hawaii - California - Mexico - Panama - Puerto Rico - Bahamas - Bermuda - Azores - Ireland.

Against the trades, big ocean passages nowhere to run for shelter or repairs if needed.

C. Philippines - Papua New Guinea - Solomon Is. - Fiji - Westren Samoa - Cook Is - French Polynesia - Pitcairn Is - Rapa Nui (Easter Is.) - Galapagos Is. - Panama - Puerto Rico - Bahamas - Bermuda - Azores - Ireland.

The Pahi's ancestral home and a voyage of discovery
Substantially longer journey all together against the trades and a couple of open sea and ocean runs.

Which in your opinion is te best route or is there another I haven't thought of?

The boat will be a fresh build with little or no shakedown period.

I presume you mean the winter NE Trades across the Indian Ocean as a summer crossing would test your boat to the extreme..
Phillipines-Jakarta-Sri Lanka-Maldives-Mauritius-Cape Town-Rio...
Rio-Caribbean-Azores-Europe.... never understand why people go to Europe from the Caribbean via Bermuda... your just spending more time in the Hurricane Highway... the main reason folks leg it from the Caribbean... the Azores is only 1000+ miles extra on the direct route and that should only make it a 10-12 day crossing on your boat... once you've crossed the "Stream" the winds are predominantly southerly.... furthermore running west through the Med would be a hard slog most of the way... apart from the worsening pirate threat in a 1500 mile radius of Somalia.... Karachi to Dubai etc is a hostile coast with only one place to dive in... also there's the risk of being boarded by the Iranians..
Personally I'd rather spend extra days at sea than experience the dubious hospitality of the Yemen/Red Sea region.... also its gonna cost you big time to pay the value of your boat up front as 'Bond' to go through the Suez Canal... unless they've changed the rules....

[Geminidawn]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I presume you mean the winter NE Trades across the Indian Ocean as a summer crossing would test your boat to the extreme..

Thanks for the info. When you say summer do you mean their summer or ours? We'll be watching every weather window and sailing in what ever season is best suited. The long haul accross the Indian Ocean dose bother me though, a newly built Wharram Islander 65 lost its aft mast there recently due to stiff standing rigging and disembarking on such a journey with little or no shakedown period is asking for trouble.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Geminidawn

Thanks for the info. When you say summer do you mean their summer or ours? We'll be watching every weather window and sailing in what ever season is best suited. The long haul accross the Indian Ocean dose bother me though, a newly built Wharram Islander 65 lost its aft mast there recently due to stiff standing rigging and disembarking on such a journey with little or no shakedown period is asking for trouble.

Ocean crossing Indian Ocean Northern Hemisphere winter period for NE trades.... if you check the Pilot charts you can tie it all in to suit you all the way round, its the way the old time sailors crossed...
As to your boat, having owned and sailed two Tiki's, a 21 and 26, I'm familiar with the 'Flexi principle'... one thing I've never understood about many sailors is this seeming obsession with 'Bar Taut' rigging.
It maybe OK for Round the Bouys stuff where your close to rescue services but I fail to see the sense of trying to drive your mast through the hull of your boat or, in your case, shatter the mast beam when on Ocean Passages...
Many folks have and continue to criticise the 'Sloppy Rigging' on my boats but I've never had a failure of rig on any of my 14 boats since 85... whereas I've met up with folks in the Azores after a crossing who used tension gauges etc and had rigging failures or suffered structural damage through over tension... one friend had to dig out the mast seating on his UFO and repack it coz the forces had shattered it.
If your boat is going to have any serious probs' I would think they would have shown themselves before your first 'big crossing'... the Bay of Bengal, Nicobar-Sri lanka's only 700 miles and most faults should have been discovered/resolved by then.. Just don't make the mistake of 'pressing' the boat to save a day or two...
Furthermore I always reef down for the periods of darkness as majority of storms I've experienced seem to hit late evening for some reason... night is a more dangerous and scarey time on deck and this reduces the need to expose ones self to risk and gives more time to respond to changing conditions..
Question... does she have the 'Bow Daggerboards' as on the earlier designs..?

[Geminidawn]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Question... does she have the 'Bow Daggerboards' as on the earlier designs..?

No that is one of the changes Hanneke made when I bought the plans.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Geminidawn

No that is one of the changes Hanneke made when I bought the plans.

Nice one.. they were a bad idea and dangerously weakened the hull

[Laidback]

Not sure why one would want to add nearly 1,500 nm by going round the top of Sumatra from the north west corner of Borneo - when the passage requires leaving N.W Borneo heading south through the Sunda Strait - then leaving South East Asia from Cocos Keeling . No reason to enter the Northern Indian Ocean.