The distance from Panama to Australia is 8000 nautical miles but the time it takes to sail this distance depends on the winds, the size of the vessel and stopping times. Its favourable effects can be felt under your keel as you head towards the Galapagos, and make for a bracing first swim. ecoclipper The Pacific Ocean is by far and away the most diverse for cruising. If a world cruise through the tropics sounds a little too tame, then a circumnavigation by way of the Southern Ocean (called the south by Southern Ocean veterans) might be for you. This route offers sailors the unique opportunity to visit more than two dozen countries on their own boat without making a single long distance ocean crossing. Now is the time to choose how long you wish to stay in the Pacific as that will dictate how much time you have on the way in order to make sure youre in the right place for cyclone season. The scenery and culture varies between each country but everywhere there is a welcoming and genuine hospitality and the sailing is excellent. The ice limit in the Pacific is a little further south than the Indian or Atlantic Oceans, so once you pass New Zealand its usually safe to sail a little farther south. The most recent frontier to open up to cruising sailors is the Arctic.

It requires hard work, perseverance, the ability to adapt, and the willingness to take on a certain amount of (calculated) risk to run a remote business at sea. Dan Bower explains how to prepare and where to sail, Sailing across the Pacific is the adventure of a lifetime, but proper preparation is vital. Take provisions with you on board as youll have very limited access to shops once your journey is underway. You may want to be prepared to keep your boat in Alaska for the winter in order to avoid crossing the North Pacific Ocean in the stormy winter season. Every year there is a great migration of ocean-going sailboats crossing the Atlantic from Europe to the Americas. This would give you plenty of time to arrive in New Zealand (or Australia, if you prefer) with three options for the cyclone season: After crossing the vastest ocean on the planet and sailing nonstop for a full year, cyclone season presents the perfect opportunity to rest, catch up on work, and prepare your vessel for the next leg of the adventure: the Indian Ocean. So get a solid weather report in Kiribati, and once the coast is clear you can head north toward Hawaii. Your storm sails will definitely get plenty of use over the next twelve thousand miles! Personally, I find offshore passages like this to be one of the most enjoyable aspects of the cruising life. On this schedule, you will plan to arrive in Durban, South Africa in October or November. The position of the high will determine how far north you need to sail before turning east. Rather than focusing too much on the length of the journey, consider it a chance to settle into your adventure and appreciate the solitude of the sail. The average cruising vessel should be able to make this crossing in under three weeks. Most of the time, this is an easy downwind sail which will provide you an opportunity to see how your vessel and crew handle offshore sailing before the much longer passage ahead.

If you are more adventurous, you can sail a more northerly route with a detour to the Chagos Islands and Madagascar. When sailing from the West Coast to the South Pacific, you need to keep in mind two different hurricane seasons. With proper planning and a solid understanding of offshore sailing routes I know that I can sail anywhere in the world. In between 1969 and 2010, there were thirteen cyclones recorded in or near French Polynesia. Once south of Point Conception, the weather becomes much nicer, even during the winter. I can remember quite clearly when I first decided that I wanted to sail around the world on offshore sailing routes. After you round Cape York, you are in the Torres Strait, a region known for wildly fluctuating tides and currents. From the Azores its 900 miles to Gibraltar, an excellent first stop in mainland Europe and the gateway to the Mediterranean. transpacific transatlantic

Arriving in the Marquesas is a pleasurable culture shock and is as dramatic socially as it is scenically. Brochure cruising in the turquoise, sheltered water of a typical French Polynesia atoll. Most sailors stop in the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao) and Cartagena, Colombia before landing in Panama to explore the San Blas Islands and Bocas del Toro.

You definitely dont want to end up too far north and risk landfall on the coast of Chile, which is one of the most inhospitable lee shores in the world.

I climbed into the cabin with my little brother and decided that a boat wasnt a bad place to call home. By sailing directly north from Hawaii, you may even be able to avoid the Pacific High altogether and finish your circuit with a coastal cruise down the beautiful Inside Passage. This passage is famous for consistent trade winds, and the prevailing weather will push you all the way to the Caribbean. But how long does it take to sail all the way across? On this itinerary, you would leave Florida in November and transit the Panama Canal in January. The good news is the further south you sail, the more favorable the sailing conditions will get. Fortunately for the cruising sailor, the worst of the weather can be avoided by careful weather routing. Due to the risk of piracy off Somalia and the political situation in the Middle East, less than ten percent of circumnavigators currently choose this route. After the first couple of photos you post posing next to giant tortoises, swimming with hammerhead sharks your popularity will wane. Weve made this Pacific passage three times, and we reckon its easier sailing than on an average ARC. The best way to manage this passage is to motor-sail directly south along the coast of Colombia and Ecuador until you are past the Equator. My personal goal remains a circumnavigation of the world, which I plan to take on in several stages. At this time the greatest challenge for cruisers wanting to explore this area is obtaining a permit to cruise Russia. You will need to be on guard when navigating this region, even with navigational equipment, so its worth knowing roughly what youre up against. In order to take advantage of this brief window, you will need to be positioned at the entrance to the NW Passage by late July.

Then the seas can get quite dangerous. Cape Horn marks the pinnacle of any Southern Ocean circumnavigation, and fortunately, its usually much easier sailing from here on out. With the polar ice melting faster every year, the NW passage through Northern Canada is becoming more accessible to sailors and commercial vessels every year. Its worth taking the time to explore the region and youll find you can spend months, even years, cruising there. In the spring, you will make a very similar passage as those who left directly from California, but it will be a significantly shorter trip. Your options are to cruise Southern California, put up your boat in a marina and explore inland for a few months, or cross the border and wait in Ensenada, Mexico. link to Overcome the Challenges of Setting Sail. Start with your boat and do a thorough, honest evaluation - is your vessel ready for the journey? From Trinidad, the wind is behind you all the way to Panama. Some refuse to insure boats that stay, and others impose heavy fees on clients who do so. We will begin with a one-year sailing circumnavigation of the North Atlantic from the East Coast of the USA. The quickest route across the Pacific is the one that makes the most of the favorable winds throughout the journey. Those departing from the Pacific Northwest will want to sail down the coast of Washington, Oregon and Northern California between May and October. If you time it right and miss the cyclone season, sailing across the Pacific can amount to some incredible cruising experiences. This is actually a good thing, because you will really want to make sure everything onboard is shipshape before reaching South Africa. Organize the insurance for your boat.

This will give you the chance to catch the southeast trade winds. The route you choose will determine how long the journey takes and the time of year will also have a big part to play, not to mention any decision to stay a while and explore the islands along the way.

panam clipper

You really cant beat real world experience for a Pacific passage. In April, get back on your boat and sail across the Tasman Sea, or up the Great Barrier Reef if you are already in Australia. This voyage is definitely only recommended for highly experienced sailors on seaworthy and proven vessels. pacific ocean currents central sailing south cruising north fukushima oceans passages major guide silence deadly tides east west wiki cruiserswiki This route through the Caribbean is known as the Thorny Path because its upwind all the way to the Leeward Islands. On the other hand, leaving from the Panama Canal gives you the perfect opportunity to visit the San Blas Islands and the Las Perlas Islands. If you arrive in the Marquesas in April, you should have three months to cruise French Polynesia before its time to turn north toward Hawaii. I have made the passage down the coast in the winter, and I wouldnt recommend it for anyone but highly experienced sailors on bulletproof boats. ImproveSailing is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The Netherlands With a little luck, and the help of an iron genny, (sailor-speak for engine) you will be back in the trades in 3 to 5 days. The 6m tidal range can also come as a bit of a shock.

As you prepare to sail across the oceans there is no better way to keep up on the latest boating information than on this site. By the time you arrive in Antigua, the wind should be on the beam and its just a one day beam reach between islands all the way down to Trinidad. Sailors who leave from Panama will want to plan to be through the Panama Canal by December or January. Check the position of the intertropical convergence zone and the South Pacific conversion zone too, as well as whether you will be sailing in an El Nio or La Nia year. The distance from the Galapagos to the Marquesas is about 3,400 NM. Rest and reprovision in Bermuda for a few days (or a few weeks), and when the weather report looks good you can depart for the Azores. Whilst this is one of the most popular launching points, its not without its difficulties. Stopping here can add a few hundred miles to your crossing, but some sailors decide to stop here in order to take advantage of stronger trade winds further south. If you are planning to cross from the Med to the Caribbean, its best to plan to get to the Strait of Gibraltar by early fall. It was my slowest speed record of all time, but when I feel bad about my progress, I have to remind myself that year was the worst El Nino in recorded history, and I was aboard a 27 foot boat with no engine.

It depends on how lucky youre feeling!

If you make it to Southern California by the end of September, you have two months to relax before the season begins to sail down the coast of Baja California. Im still delivering yachts all over the world, but I have never taken my eyes off the prize a sailing voyage around the world. If you do end up buying something from Amazon or other companies linked to on this site, we may earn a very small commission. Contact us If you are departing from the Pacific Northwest, you will want to sail down the Pacific Coast to California before the end of September for the most favorable weather.

Here we will discuss the sailing route for a cruising sailboat which aims to circumnavigate the world by way of the Five Great Capes in one season. But fear not the passage from the Canaries to the Caribbean is downhill all the way! Once you have made your way through the NW Passage, winter will already be well on its way. South Africa is famous for challenging sailing conditions. The advantage to this option is the ability to circumnavigate the world even if you only have one year available, and to get to sample a wide variety of countries around the world in a short period of time. This book covers all the routes we discussed in this guide and its considered the ultimate bible for offshore sailors. If youre attempting to cross the Pacific, youll need to plan your journey in detail before your departure.

For this reason, I like to make a stop at Christmas Island, Kiribati on the voyage between Tahiti and Hawaii. Some people take decades to sail around the world and dont regret it one bit. You are in one of the few places left in the world where you dont need to check for emails or phone calls every twenty minutes. Then you are in the perfect position to safely complete your transatlantic sail to the Caribbean (described in the previous section, Trans-Atlantic Sailing Routes). Please try again. We begin our new 12-part multimedia series on Bluewater Sailing Techniques in stunning Fiji, Cape Horn sailors and ditch diggers sacrificed all to make the path between the Atlantic and Pacific easier for the. The worst is caused when the west flowing Aghulas current collides with an opposing wind blowing up from the Southern Ocean. If you arrive in Gibraltar by May or June, you have the whole summer to cruise the Med.

Another interesting challenge for boating adventurers that is becoming more free of ice every year is the Northern Sea Route, or the NE Passage, over the top of Russia. For this reason, the storms often become much more severe than in the rest of the world, and the waves are known to regularly reach unfathomable heights.

Once the trade winds set in and the crew have adjusted to life at sea, its time to enjoy one of the most beautiful places in the world the open ocean. ecoclipper Some countries, including Australia and New Zealand, have really strict customs regulations so if you aim to be over-cautious, youll avoid any problems.

You want to be well past the Horn by the end of March when the weather turns even more dangerous. liners ocean transpacific around Squalls (a kind of localized storm with strong wind and rain) can strike with little notice. Regardless of your destination on the West Coast, when you cross from Hawaii to the mainland you will need to sail around the Pacific High. When the safe season begins again, you can then make the journey back up to the Torres Strait with less time pressure. We will discuss this route in further detail in the next section. This option is much too fast for most sailors, but it is certainly possible to circumnavigate in one year if you have a fast boat and a very determined crew. transoceanic silversea

The most straightforward way across the Indian Ocean is by way of Cocos Keeling, Mauritius and Reunion Islands. If youre planning to sail through the Torres Strait and into the Indian Ocean, you should aim to be through the Torres by late August to early September at the latest. The key is to overcome them and enjoy Find everything you need for the ultimate sailing lifestyle. If you are lucky enough to get permission, this sail should be every bit as beautiful and challenging as the NW Passage in Canada. Here you can rest, reprovision and make your final preparations for the crossing to the Caribbean. The best sailing conditions are usually encountered if you depart from Cabo San Lucas or Puerto Vallarta. Even during the winter, you will want to watch the weather carefully and consider the use of a professional weather router to help make your crossing as safe and enjoyable as possible.. Keep in mind, even in the right season the sailing can sometimes get exciting. ovation alaska hawaiki transpacific sail backed survey cable ship sets

When you make up your mind to sail into the sunset, the endless possibilities of potential sailing routes can seem overwhelming. Depending on the position of the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) you may be able to sail down the rhumb line or, if not, head a bit further south for more stable conditions. Because it is impossible to sail straight into the wind, and to avoid the light airs of the South Atlantic High, the typical route around South Africa first passes south along the coast of Brazil. If you are planning to sail to French Polynesia, you can choose one of three options: 1. When you enter the Pacific from the Panama Canal you can feel this is a different ocean. Once you have decided upon a route, the best way to prepare is read everything you can find about it and sail your boat as much as possible. For US-based West Coast sailors, the Strait of Juan de Fuca is a common choice for starting the journey across the Pacific. Bermuda is less than a weeks sail from most ports on the East Coast, and makes an excellent port of call on the way across the Atlantic. Later that day, I had already begun to draw a design for a boat of my own and I had traced my future sailing route around the world with a green crayon in my fathers atlas. For those who love to sail, circumnavigating is the ultimate challenge, and a voyage like this would certainly be worth it even confined to a strict schedule. If you are feeling adventurous, a detour to Alaska can make an excellent grand finale to your one year sailing sabbatical.

vancouver passenger freighter china seattle freighters east sailing cruises asia Alternatively, you could sail down to Mexico and Cabo San Lucas if youd prefer to start further south. Cruising Mexico through the winter and making the puddle jump in the spring. The sail up the Atlantic is similar to the passage on the way south, but in reverse. longest transoceanic route Privacy Policy, Improve Sailing helps you to make your sailing dream actionable, by writing in-depth articles on practical questions.

There are a few helpful resources to keep in mind when planning your future sailing adventure. The summer is short in the far north, and the ice free season is usually limited to just part of August and September. Your cruising time will be extended significantly if you have to wait and make repairs at one of your stops, so its worth spending the time on it before you leave to save you any problems in the middle of your trip.

port maersk shanghai transit between tp2 transpacific eastbound Planning for a return passage to Europe from the Caribbean is a little more complex. To round Cape Horn, you will have to pass 56 degrees south. If you are looking to sail to the ends of the earth but you want an entirely different experience than the Southern Ocean, a transit of the NW passage may be just the adventure for you. Do you want to earn money to write on our website? Leaving from Seattle, its a 90-mile sail down the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the entrance of the Pacific Ocean. Are You Ready to Sail Across the Pacific? This time of year, its only north of the Equator where there is risk of encountering a hurricane. Enough people have made the journey so you can find a lot of information written on the subject. ImproveSailing is compensated for referring traffic and business to this companies. Make sure to subscribe to the SailAndProp.com newsletter for more tips to help you plan your sailing routes across the oceans. Most cruisers choose to spend at least six months cruising through French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia before finishing in New Zealand, Australia, or hauling out their boat and flying home for the cyclone season. Your subscription could not be saved.

Its possible to make it to Australia and onwards if thats your plan, but many cruisers fall in love with the region and cruise there for many years. Dont expect to find supermarkets at your stopping points!