Miles per day for passage planning (raggy question)?

[npf1]

Seen lots of comments on the forum about fast boats/slow boats etc and it seems to me that there is a huge variation in the impression that people have on what’s fast/slow. So, it’d be good to hear how many miles per day you’ve averaged when on passage? Yes, I know it’s a bit of a “piece of string” question, but give it shot. Perhaps, mention length of boat and conditions (eg tradewind route).

For me, seem to usually get between 130-160 nm. But not yet managed a full 24 hrs in ideal conditions (lwl = 45’).

Thanks in advance

 

[andy_wilson]

6 knots avg. boat speed

gear down at night a bit possibly

120 miles / day, any extra is a bonus.

 

[snowleopard]

You'll hear people bragging about their boat's performance - "we went through the needles at 10 knots" etc, then they multiply that by 24 and wonder why they don't make 240 miles a day!

A lot depends on the speed below which you turn on the motor, for example when we're concerned with getting from A to B, we'll motor if the speed drops below 7 knots but if we're just cruising it might be 3 knots.

Generally I use 7 knots as a conservative planning average or 8 for a tradewind passage, i.e. 170 - 190 mpd.

 

[BurnitBlue]

I sail with no engine so I reckon on 80 nm per 24 hour period and if I do better I'm chuffed. An IF is a very good sailing boat and I rarely feel the need for an engine. Its better to wait becalmed for the wind than to wait in a pricey marina for spare parts.

 

[Sea Devil]

In my Moody 36 - heavily laden for liveaboard on trade winds routes I would plan at 5knots and normally make closer to 6.
Michael

 

[Helina]

I'm planning Atlantic crossing at the end of April/beginning of May - in my Outremer 40' catamaran- and I'm planning with average statistic winds average speed from 8 to 12 kn. Hope nearer 12

 

[Twister_Ken]

Associated question. How much extra over rhumb line do you allow for beating?

 

[totopalm]

You Raggies want to give up trying to go fast, if i wuz a
raggy type person, after reading that one or two of the
yachts were covering over 550miles in 24hours, I'd buy
a mobo!! OH!! wicked. Cheers TONY

 

[npf1]

Helina - I've got some passage planning software that's pretty good for ocean stuff. If you want to I can run a couple of scenrios for you - but would need a few details first.

 

[Twister_Ken]

"You Raggies want to give up trying to go fast, if i wuz a
raggy type person, after reading that one or two of the
yachts were covering over 550miles in 24hours, I'd buy
a mobo!! OH!! wicked. Cheers TONY"

Costs me £8 quid a time to fill her up. Wicked! Cheers, TK

 

[npf1]

ah ... a 24 hr downwind passage, getting tossed around like a tennis ball, with an engine droning away, having to shout to communicate whilst taking in the wonderful aroma of diesel fumes. Fun????? mmm ... let me think on that for a nanosecond .

 

[tome]

We reckon on 6 knots for passage planning though often nearer 7 and sometimes above so say 140 miles noon-noon

When the speed drops below 6 knots, SWMBO and I wil often grab a notepad and work through a bit of planning - say details of our new house or how her business should move forward. Quality time which we rarely enjoy ashore

'Fraid it costs us 50 quid to fill up. Well wicked!

 

[totopalm]

Hello Ken the last i filled up it costs £580
think i'd better buy a yacht

 

[Helina]

would really appreciate . What information you need ?

 

[Frontier]

Think I'l stick with the £580 for fuel, I find the canopy enough trouble, let alone having to deal with yards of sails. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[npf1]

Helina - planned departure, stopovers & destination. Any sea areas to avoid. Any polars or anything to give a rough indication of the performance in various winds at different points of sail.

 

[Helina]

Nigel, planned departure 23 - 25.4. From Bridgeport. CT. US.

Stopover at Azores 2-3 days.
Landfall at Falmouth or Plymouth.
Haven't got any polars, sorry. Reaching wind 20 kn , speed 17 kn and tight upwind wind 20 kn speed 11 kn. Is this of any help ?
I have never sailed my boat but I'm quite familiar with multihulls , done some racing as well .
Does your softa have weather statistics aswell ? Interesting...

 

[fireball]

We filled up 3 times last yr ... around 15-20 quid each time .... Oh .. the last fill was just before Christmas!

 

[Blueboatman]

Pick a number any number...
100 miles a day =easy math and averages well over a season with good wind/unfavourable headers/sea state/current,etc. Any faster and you're gonna spend the time saved in the pub celebrating?
45'waterline? Thats a big boat.

 

[npf1]

Helina - not too familiar with multihuls but the speed you mention seem very high. So I ran it using the profile of Whitbread 60 and May's routing chart. Came out with a passge to Azores that drops down to 40N and pretty much stays there until the Azores, then basically the rhumb line to Falmouth. Av boat speed 10.5knots, ave wind 15.4 knots @ 255 degrees, ave current 0.6 @ 102 degree, dist travlled 3300 nm. Passage time 13 days. Seems a tad unrealistic IMHO.

Have you contacted any other owners of the same boat to see what av speed they use for passge planning?

Pic here http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f224/npf11/VPP1jpg.jpg

Might be worth you playing with some software like this. Gives a reasonable guide. But hard to get anything more than that, even with a good feeling for what the boat can do.