If there were ever a sticky plac

If there were ever a sticky place to tempt my wandering feet to settle down, itd be New Zealand. SPOILERS! Sailors have done it before and theyll damn well do it again!The biggest challenge is making sure you get enough sleep while maintaining good watchkeeping. Your email address will not be published. But before one gets into the minutia of details, they should first step back and consider the bigger picture of sailing across the Pacific. Gone are the whimsical days of letting the winds blow you where they may. Not only was the cruise down the Ecuadorian coast fascinating, the passage to the Galpagos from Salinas provided steadier winds than had we departed directly from the canal. If you are in the South Pacific between November and April, your chances of a cyclone are high. Increasingly, foreign marinas demand third-party liability insurance. Were a big site with a big team and this job isnt always easy. Typically trolling while underway is the method cruisers go for. Things go wrong on the road ALL THE TIME. Its hard to maintain a constant watch and get enough sleep. Prices represent the lowest available price for a given sailing date, departure port, and/or month. While much of the Pacific escaped a strong colonial presence, Fiji did not. Note that there was quite a bit of discussion on forum on this topic. Also, build in time to enjoy both the San Blas Islands, on the Atlantic side, and the Las Perlas Islands, on the Pacific side. Waves lap against the hull, and thats about the only sound you hear. On the third, my wife, Diana, put her sea boots down and demanded we stop. If departing directly from U.S. waters, be aware that U.S. Customs does not normally issue a zarpe, or outbound clearance papers, yet these are required for entry into nearly any other nation. Cyclone season in the North Pacific and the Caribbean is June through November. You could stop at any of the starting points above. Vessels head out to the east from as far south as Tauranga hoping to catch the northerly limits of the westerlies until they fetch the longitude of the Austral Islands, then turn north for Tahiti. Any destination north of 10 degrees south latitude will keep you out of harms way, albeit without the steady assist of those lovely trade winds. Is the vessel truly stem-to-stern, keel-to-masthead ready?

The principal difference between an adventurer and a suicide is that the adventurer leaves himself a margin of escape. Tom Robbins. For European and East Coast sailors, the Pacific launching point is obviously the Panama Canal. A successful Pacific passage will rely on meticulous planning, based on current information tempered with flexibility, because, by nature, cruising has it vagaries. Realistically, anyone who is prepared can take on sailing across the Pacific Ocean. This page has been accessed 85,222 times. Your trip can begin with a little visit to Panama, heading south to charge through the notorious ICTZ, and riding the south-easterly trades all the way to French Polynesia.

Generally, it is an area of enhanced convection resulting in a frustrating mix of cloud cover, line squalls and calms. It tends to shift to the northeast in El Nio years and southwest in the La Nia phase. You can set off from Mexico or Ecuador, for example. The main disadvantage of this route is that it will be predominantly upwind.

Lets face it, theres nothing quite like fresh ceviche! The South Pacific convergence zone drifts with some seasonal predictability (more to the north from December to May and the south from June to November), but is also influenced by larger weather anomalies. Most sailboats tend to be dry while underway, so there arent too many opportunities for drug bending entertainment.

Very few cruising guides discuss these routes, however World Cruising Routes (see References below), mentions 3 or 4 possible routes via the South Pacific Ocean in the section Routes from New Zealand. But we do it because we love it we love providing epic and free content. So when is it best to sail across the Pacific Ocean? If you leave Panama around March, you will arrive in the South Pacific right at the beginning of the best cruising season. With a little initiation into the trials and tribulations of boat life, a cornucopia of experience awaits the adventurer who sails across the Pacific. Even with a limited stay and restricted access, we were treated to one of Earths most unique and fascinating natural habitats. Youre completely unplugged so no damn Instagram! Generally speaking, this lends itself to an east to west crossing. Basically, this is several smaller passages up through the Coral Sea, through Southeast Asia and Japan, and then across the Northern Pacific. Keep in mind that it is an open roadstead vulnerable to dangerous swells. The list of interesting stops from here west includes Tonga, Wallis and Futuna, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Next is the paper chase. Cruising World may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. One can expect winds from nearly every direction, starting with southeast trades on departure and potentially deep lows with strong southwesterlies shifting to northwesterlies when approaching New Zealand. I once circumnavigated by passing north of Papua New Guinea, avoiding the Southern Hemisphere cyclone season, taking in Palau, the Philippines, and Borneo before dropping back into the Southern Hemisphere for the Indian Ocean passage to southern Africa. It is both Polynesian and Melanesian, and it is also home to a large Indian diaspora.

However, an early exit has many advantages. We dont ask for money, but if youd like to find out how you can help the site in more organic ways, click the button below. Suva aside, the rest of Fiji is as remote and gorgeous as youd expect the Pacific to be. Whats important is that you keep your mind occupied. There is an element of challenge, there are exotic beaches, and long stretches of contemplation.Theres also an element of faith in whatever you want to call it King Neptune, Church of the Open Sky, regular ol God. And now, as only a seasoned mariner can, you truly understand why they call it the Big Blue. What kind of person puts thousands of nautical miles between them and the nearest semblance of land? But if youve got a well-prepared boat and well-prepared crew it can be fast and exhilarating. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. The advantages are that the route is primarily downwind, relying on the westerlies that exist around those latitudes. Wherever your starting point is in the east, you will spend a month (give or take) without seeing land. Its advisable to head slightly east of south when heading out of the Gulf; the western promontory is aptly named Punta Mala (Bad Point) due to its penchant for confused currents and squally weather. So lets get into it lets get you ready to cross the Pacific Ocean by sailboat! En route to Niue lies one of two opportunities to experience the eeriness of anchoring in the middle of a featureless ocean (the other being the Minerva Reefs between Tonga and New Zealand). I personally found movies kind of annoying to sit through, but thats just me I know some sailors who smash through tv series like theres no tomorrow on passage! You also need to have sufficient supplies, spare parts, fuel and water to take on a passage of this length. Caribbean travel: Covid entry rules, island by island, CDC eliminates Covid-19 Program for Cruise Ships, CDCs new cruise guidelines: Vaccination and testing are recommended, not required, Carnival Corp.'s Arnold Donald: Ending the CDC cruise program is a milestone. A look at what went into Scenic Group's planning and execution of the sailings that include a visit to the Floriade flower show Summer reading assignment: Autobiographies by Chris Blackwell and J. Robert Harris reveal as much about the world as any travel Like the rest of Europe, Portugal is baking right now. Crossing the largest ocean on earth by sailboat is no easy feat, but it brings with it an elation and joy that is unique to offbeat travel. A veteran voyager shares route information and tips for sailing across the Pacific Ocean. The very size of the Pacific presents unique challenges, but so too do its strong currents, powerful storms, hazardous coral outcrops and remote low-lying islands. And more comfortable times too. I once sailed a direct course for the Marquesas Islands that passed over the northern edge of the Galpagos. The trade wind belt runs across the main body of the Pacific Ocean between about 25 degrees north and 25 south, and the prevailing winds will be either north easterly or south easterly, depending on which hemisphere you are travelling in. The pass is challenging, as is the anchoring.

Throughout the Cook Islands, a slow tempo to living is the norm. The cultures throughout Polynesia have long been an allure to sailors, and many are reluctant to leave at seasons end. Depending on the sailboat, the route that is taken, the wind, and the current it can take anywhere between 22 and 40 days.When I crossed from Panama to the Marquesas (sans Galapagos Islands) it took us 26 days. Beveridge Reef is a sunken atoll with not a skerrick of land awash at low tide, yet it offers anchorable depths within. There are dreamy island paradises scattered across the great blue spectacular and hefty continents on the other side. Even between fixing and tinkering things, there is a lot of time when you sail across the pacific. Your friend might be a perfectly competent sailor. Join the Tribe, Home Blog Sailing Across The Pacific: The ULTIMATE Sailboat Adventure! Sailing is the ultimate slow travel. A popular alternative is to pass south to a good cyclone hole on the Australian coast, such as Cairns or Port Douglas, and backtrack up to the Torres Strait at the beginning of the next safe season. After adding up the extras, are budget airlines the lowest-cost option. If you are leaving Australia and heading east across the Pacific then you may as well leave in the southern hemisphere winter when the prevailing winds up the Australian east coast will be southerly and the EAC (south running current) is at its weakest. Its not the most hardcore jump-in-the-deep-end training for your Pacific passage, but having a taste of the boat life is probably a good idea! Here's how to add a credit card surcharge, A Floriade river cruise grows in the Netherlands, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, Papeete, Society Islands, French Polynesia, Royal Caribbean Group scraps Covid testing requirement for short cruises, Busy cruise pier in Skagway closes due to rockslide risk, FAA proposes long-awaited rule requiring second cockpit door on new planes. Make very high-resolution photocopies of your passports and ships papers. Suva will probably surprise first-time visitors its fewer palm trees and coconuts and more traffic and nightclubs. Even with the best of modern navigational equipment and weather forecasting, they demand the mariners absolute vigilance regarding watchkeeping, entry and exit from atoll passes, and anchoring techniques. A Bonnier LLC Company. Far less dangerous than driving a car or riding a motorbike.

You can easily restock the cruising kitty for a season before continuing your sailing circumnavigation. As you straighten course toward your chosen port of entry in the Marquesas, you should begin experiencing your best noon-to-noon runs because you will still have a southerly component in the trades. It is something quite spectacular to crack a beer on the other side of the Pacific knowing that those nautical miles were earned. Food is fuel and a happy gut makes for a happy mind. Is it heresy to suggest that another option is to ship the vessel back home? Many countries will not issue visas to passports within six months of expiry. If all else fails, high protein and high sugar snacks like peanut butter make the night watches go quicker! If this section does not apply remove it. But, come May, the odds drop to almost zero. There are sweet Australian road trips, and working opportunities abound for the boat bum. People always ask me how bad the weather was at sea. There is the northern route, for those planning to cross through the Torres Strait or into the Northern Hemisphere for the coming cyclone season, and the southern route, for those dropping south of the danger into New Zealand. As an admittedly stubborn form of protest, I sailed right by them on two different occasions. Keep in mind that an east-to-west circumnavigation does not demand a route through the Torres. I reckon you could get lost in the Tuamotus for a lifetime as long as the freshwater doesnt run out. I was going to answer this glibly we sail across oceans because land life got boring haha.But I think for every sailor who leaves port there is a different reason as to why they are doing it. Remember, a days work at the dock is worth a weeks under way. It is essentially a conglomeration of several routes, each of which has many possibilities. What the Marquesas Islands might lack in terms of white-sand beaches and aqua lagoons is more than made up for with a geography so dramatic as to be somewhat foreboding towering rock spires, dense jungle and precipitous waterfalls. No one can take away the fact that you did it. However beautiful these islands are, though, the stereotypical shallow, blue waters teeming with coral reefs are not here. One can only hope to draw a thin line through this scattered nation. I think that sailing across an ocean is a sublime experience that is made easier and more pleasurable when shared. But every mammoth task is made up of smaller puzzle pieces that come together. If you can focus on the journey instead of the destination, it might also be the most memorable. What is this forgotten essential of the backpacker-life? Although Norfolk Island is not a fully protected anchorage, many vessels that find themselves west of the rhumb line with foul forecasts to the south will shelter here until conditions improve. Others soak up the rare opportunity to commune deeply with nature, and experience a rare solitude and reaffirming self-reliance, which I believe to be the core virtues of bluewater sailing. But those who dare will be treated to one of the wildest places left on this planet. However you made it, and whatever customs form you had to fill out to prove it, you arrived in Australia the famed Land Down Under.

All rights reserved. But scattered across this great blue spectacular, are various incarnations of paradise on Earth.Oh, the Pacific Islands! As you continue your westward sailing across the Pacific, you will probably make a stopover and stay in Fiji. Youre guaranteed to find something suitable and have a splashing good time in the best places in the world to sail. Extreme latitudes and rolling seas mean you need a well-stocked boat and hardy crew. As you approach the Marquesas and settle into the trade winds, you will need good downwind sails and systems for handling them. Crossing the Pacific Ocean can be dangerous, but you can mitigate those risks. Also, the point of cruising the Pacific is usually balmy weather. Plus, when do you get a month of uninterrupted learning in your adult life? Still, good fishing, chatty locals, and picturesque islands make it worth sailing through. Passages between the islands are mostly clear and well-charted, but potentially windy. Be prepared for what life throws at you. There is only one shoal area along the route, which is well-charted (8 degrees 5 minutes N and 139 degrees 35 minutes W), and the islands are high and easily sighted from afar. A storm holds a captivating spot in our psyche and for good reason. The British chose the rainiest place in the Pacific as the capital of their colony Suva. Crossing an ocean by sailboat is no small feat. There are countless incredible adventures to be had in Australia! All Rights Reserved. Whatever your plan from here, through a combination of wind and will, you have done it. The Pacific Ocean has been singing a siren song promising palm trees, balmy weather, and peaceful winds for centuries. Skills like salting fish and baking bread become more accessible when youve got nothing but time on your hands! Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. If I ever end up on the run, dont go looking for me (or my mermaid look-alike) in the Cook Islands!

That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). We welcome users' contributions to the Wiki. Were there storms? Vanlife has a reputation for making or breaking relationships. If you want MORE top-tier Broke Backpacker content like this, then sign up for our weekly newsletter below to get the latest and greatest!

There are some great books and resources made by far better fishermen than me on this matter. I had a captain who learned to make his own yoghurt. And then theres the Northern Route. You crossed the Pacific freaking Ocean fuck yeah! Can advisors add a surcharge to cover credit card fees? Regardless of ones plan for the western Pacific, this route passes by or through the Galpagos Islands, the Marquesas, Tuamotus and Society Islands (Tahiti). This is all good when you can leave the bar and have a break from them. Guess youll just have to click the button to find out. Thank you for your support . Add any navigation notes such approaches, dangers etc here. Packing cubes for the globetrotters and compression sacks for thereal adventurers these babies are a travellers best kept secret. This will enable you to get some good northing into your passage before bashing endlessly into the trade winds. It can be hard to sleep at the best of times on a boat, but it can be done.Might just be me, but the sea monsters are kinda scarier when you sail alone too. So do your stem to stern inspection, steel your nerves, and cast off to sail across the Pacific Ocean. I would recommend downloading podcasts, music, and books GALORE. From there, they follow the route as previously described.

The Milky Way is so clear, you feel like if you just reached your hand a little further you might just touch the stars. Once well clear of the Gulf of Panama, fashion a southwestward course with a pronounced southern belly toward the Galpagos group.

Crossing the Pacific Ocean in a Sailboat WHY? Crossing the street and driving a car is dangerous, but we all do it every day. I think I powered through close to forty books in the first Pacific passage I was on. There is no way for me to write a succinct list of all the tools you need to sail across the Pacific Ocean. But as you proceed west-southwest toward 6 degrees south latitude and 100 degrees west longitude, they should increase in both strength and consistency. Contributing editor, Alvah Simon, and his wife, Diana, are presently sailing New Zealand waters on their cutter Roger Henry, with occasional voyages to the South Pacific islands. List links external to the wiki such as in Wikipedia & Wikivoyage. The Marquesas are epic volcanic islands that tower over deep waters. Call me lazy, but this is a hard slog. The initial stage presents a challenge because the winds can be light and the currents contrary in the Gulf of Panama. Maybe this is part of a larger circumnavigation and youre fresh off a season in sailing the Caribbean or an Atlantic Ocean crossing. For many sailors veteran and greenhorn alike it is the ultimate, goldilocks cruising grounds. And then let the shenanigans begin. If the Pacific calls and promises fresh fish, palm trees, and island time youve got to answer! We love the knowledge that our content keeps you adventuring. Its worth remembering that your boat is probably stronger than you. I like to remember that a day spent preparing in the dock is worth a week at sea. Its a comfort knowing theres someone else out there also afraid of the sea monsters! The worlds best scuba diving, spearfishing, and lazy hammock days are your juicy reward for crossing the worlds greatest ocean! Sailing Totem: Downsizing Your Life To Live On a Boat, Engine Maintenance: Top Ways to Keep Your Exhaust Systems Water Out of the Engine, Sailing Totem: Favorite Instant-Pot Recipes for Cruising, How To Get the Most Out of Your Spinnaker, Connecting to the Natural World Through Rare Shells, The VOYAGE 590: Best Charter Boat of the Year, Cyclone Area: south of 10 S; west of 140 W, Distance: Panama to Australia 8,000 nautical miles, Cultural Areas: Polynesia, Micronesia, Melanesia, Australia/New Zealand, Atlas of Pilot Charts South Pacific, DMA/NOAA, Southbound Evening Net: 6516 kHz at 0100 UTC, Namba/Sheila Net: 8101 kHz at UTC plus 11 hours, Gulf Harbor Radio: 8116 kHz at 0715 local New Zealand time, (There is a host of smaller and temporary VHF and SSB nets throughout the Pacific. The other disadvantage is that it is a long way from landfall, any assistance, and involves long passages at sea, perhaps upwards of 40 or 50 days. The kiwis are pretty comfortable with their status as a Pacific Island. Yachts are no longer required to rush to Tahiti to extend their initial 30-day visa.

Its a whole different kettle of fish down under, mate. Some will stop in and travel the Galapagos, others will charge on through. It is often the preferred way of sailing for old salts. This is how I remember sailing across the Pacific Ocean. Find the pack that suits YOU. Once sailors finish the Pacific crossing, having a spear gun or some fishing poles opens up a world of island adventures! The CDC dropped its Covid cruise rules. Because of course, they did. There are three possible options for this route, which are: Each of these routes has their advantages and (many) disadvantages, as discussed below. It is a series of islets whose inhabitants can all be traced back to one man William Marsters. Counterintuitive to the landlubber but axiomatic to any old salt is that the rhumb line is often not the quickest route to a desired destination. The three main options for sailing from west to east are: Ok, I lied I would love to do the Roaring Forties passage! But managing dynamics in close confines, far away from any time out spaces, is key.

Theres also a pristine and sparsely populated coastline good for nothing but surfing and sailing! Sailing Across The Pacific: The ULTIMATE Sailboat Adventure! All is good when you do small passages with them. Palmerston Atoll is only able to be reached by boat. It is indeed an adventure of epic proportions. To cross the Pacific Ocean by sailboat represents an accomplishment that no one can take from you. Bureaucrats love the pomp and splendor of shiny paper, and your precious original boat documents can stay safely on the vessel. (2022). The best time to attempt the Roaring Forties route is at the end of the southern hemisphere summer -- in March or April. On another Pacific passage, I chose to head south for Bahia de Caraquez in Ecuador. Depending on the time of year, cold weather gear will need to be taken, possibly including survival suits. If you plan to rent cars for touring, it is best to obtain an international drivers license before departure. There is some cheeky hunting and epic hiking here, as well as cheap baguettes. Maybe you bypassed New Zealand and came straight across the Pacific to Australia. The town is a port of entry, with three marinas. And there is no better way to travel the Pacific than by sailboat. Ferdinand Magellan may have been a bit optimistic when he named a body of water that encompasses nearly one-third of Earth Mar Pacifico (peaceful ocean), for, like all oceans, it depends. And thats where I come in! But some, such as Australia, will hit you with a hefty fine for showing up without one. The definitions and delineations of a sea versus an ocean are complex, contested and best left to the learned geographers to debate. With this in mind, the best time to sail across the Pacific Ocean becomes clearer. Fiji is a bit of a crossroads within the Pacific. Try your hand at skippering a sailboat bareboat (without captain or crew) so you can stress-test yourself as a sailor. It is universally accepted that there is no good weather window for doing the Direct Route. Essentially, being prepared is about organisation and organisation is about lists. They should be through the Torres by late August or early September in order to cross the entire Indian Ocean into South Africa before the cyclone season begins sometime in late November. Your first port of call after the big crossing is likely going to be the Marquesas. They dont ask about keeping healthy while travelling, breakdowns at sea, or navigation nearly as often. You cant expect to know this series of islands intimately in just one visit. If youre not up to skippering your own boat, then kick back on one of the many catered charter boats on offer! Click the button below to get a quote on your insurance or read our in-depth review of World Nomads coverage. Familiarize yourself with the basic elements that will shape your course and schedule the direction and timing of the prevailing winds, significant currents, cyclone seasons, the positioning of the intertropical convergence zone and the South Pacific convergence zone. The southern contingent usually drifts south toward Nukualofa, the capital, until it likes the long-range forecast for the passage to New Zealand. document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_4" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Each boat will have different capabilities when it comes to storage and fridge capacity, so fresh food may last better on some boats than others. I paid for this foolishness by spinning in lazy circles for five excruciatingly long days. West Coast sailors may depart from as far north as the Strait of Juan de Fuca, near Seattle, or dally south to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, while awaiting the passage season. You can release your wild side but youve insured its dumb ass! We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Sailing Routes Across the Pacific(and how long they take), Oh, the Places Youll Go (during your Pacific passage), When to Jump the Pacific Puddle (so you dont die), What You Will Need to Cross the Pacific Ocean by Sailboat, Final Thoughts on Sailing Across the Pacific.

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If there were ever a sticky plac