Passing the Pirates .

[pritch]

Hi ,
I'm planing my route around the world and after Australia I'm struggling getting home . Wouldn't it be simple just to go through the canal and enjoy the med but because of piracy its a no no . I'm thinking of staying very south and coming in to round the cape but to be honest its just not exciting me . Even thought about turning around and going back the way I came but then I can't say ' I've sailed around the world ' can I
Anyone sailed the long way around?

 

[penfold]

Anyone sailed the long way around?

Some chap called Knox-Johnson did; no idea what became of him.

 

[JomsViking]

Only one cape..

http://www.noonsite.com/Members/webmaster/R2001-12-31-1/view

Edit: Not Sir Robin, the rest of us

 

[pritch]

http://www.noonsite.com/Members/webmaster/R2001-12-31-1/view

Edit: Not Sir Robin, the rest of us

Good link, thanks.

 

[lenseman]

Hi ,
I'm planing my route around the world and after Australia I'm struggling getting home . Wouldn't it be simple just to go through the canal and enjoy the med but because of piracy its a no no . I'm thinking of staying very south and coming in to round the cape but to be honest its just not exciting me . Even thought about turning around and going back the way I came but then I can't say ' I've sailed around the world ' can I
Anyone sailed the long way around?

The most recent RTW cruising yacht that has sailed east to west and sailed round the Cape and also subscribes here is the Scottish yacht called "Do It".

They are currently in Brazil and their blog is a very good read and can be found here:

www.doitcruise.info
.
.

 

[ribrage]

Hi ,
I'm planing my route around the world and after Australia I'm struggling getting home . Wouldn't it be simple just to go through the canal and enjoy the med but because of piracy its a no no . I'm thinking of staying very south and coming in to round the cape but to be honest its just not exciting me . Even thought about turning around and going back the way I came but then I can't say ' I've sailed around the world ' can I
Anyone sailed the long way around?

On the bright side , those pesky Somalis bought me a house and gave me a cruising fund that will last a number of years , in every cloud there is a silver lining and besides .... why would you want to come home ? ?

 

[tcm]

Hi ,
I'm planning my route around the world and after Australia I'm struggling getting home . Wouldn't it be simple just to go through the canal and enjoy the med but because of piracy its a no no . I'm thinking of staying very south and coming in to round the cape but to be honest its just not exciting me . Even thought about turning around and going back the way I came but then I can't say ' I've sailed around the world ' can I
Anyone sailed the long way around?

Much quicker trip to go via cape town. World arc goes this way. I'm going this way. "it's not exciting you" i think must be code for "you read the pilot books and it sounds hellish with possible 50foot seas" cos it most definitely will not be unexciting, with whizzy agulhas current even on calmer days.

Others to whom i speak who went via red sea say they would NOT go that way again. Not further via cape town - it just looks that way on mercator projection. Check the distances overall - gibraltar is 35 north ish, south africa is 35S so no big detour.

Also stop that planning idea and just get on the boat and go willyer? What's the "planning" entail? Just buy a load of food and more food. Then a load of spares and more spares. Then a load of fuel and jerrycans. Then go.

 

[BeBe]

Hi ,
I'm planing my route around the world and after Australia I'm struggling getting home . Wouldn't it be simple just to go through the canal and enjoy the med but because of piracy its a no no . I'm thinking of staying very south and coming in to round the cape but to be honest its just not exciting me . Even thought about turning around and going back the way I came but then I can't say ' I've sailed around the world ' can I
Anyone sailed the long way around?

Piracy is a problem with the SA route as well. Some places like the Maldives keep piracy arrests secret. When we were in the Maldives in 2011 I confirmed that they had 39 Somali pirates in prison. Madagascar has problems, etc, etc.

If you can feel OK with sailing the same or more miles, but without sailing a circle, consider this:
Cross the Atlantic
Cruise the Caribbean
Pass through the Panama Canal
Cross to Galapagos
Cross to French Polynesia (be sure to cruise the Tuamotus)
Cross to Tonga
Cross to New Zealand
Cross to Tahiti
Cross to Hawaii
Cross to west coast of US
South to Panama and pass back through to Caribbean
Cruise western Caribbean
Cross to Cuba
Cross to Bermuda
Azores
UK

If you do this, I believe you will generally see the best part of a circumnavigation and avoid most of the not-so-good parts. We were disappointed in Australia. Really disliked Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives and India.

Just a suggestion.

Bill

 

[Tradewinds]

If you do this, I believe you will generally see the best part of a circumnavigation and avoid most of the not-so-good parts. We were disappointed in Australia. Really disliked Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives and India.

Blimey, I must be easy to please then

 

[BeBe]

More information

If someone wants the details as to why we liked/disliked certain countries during our circumnavigation, you are welcome to check our blog for the areas we have visited on our circumnavigation at www.svbebe.com.

If someone is planning to go to these areas and has a specific question that our blog does not answer, please send me a private email.

If someone is interested in detail circumnavigation information and actual tracks from numerous sources, you may want to join Circumnavigation group at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/circumnavigation/ This Group has a Files section of the website that contains track files and other specific files that you may choose to download. The Message section is NOT moderated and has some serious questions between circumnavigators...not any useless comments for enjoyment there. Disclaimer: I founded Circumnavigation Group, but recently transferred ownership to Noonsite.com

Bill

 

[wallabycreek]

I have sailed twice around the world. Without any doubt at all the most interesting places on earth are in the Red Sea.
If you need a hand I can help you. There is a book at Amazon which describes it all called " Around The World Sailing Guide"
It takes a bit of planning and a bit of guts to do it.

 

[pritch]

Piracy is a problem with the SA route as well. Some places like the Maldives keep piracy arrests secret. When we were in the Maldives in 2011 I confirmed that they had 39 Somali pirates in prison. Madagascar has problems, etc, etc.

If you can feel OK with sailing the same or more miles, but without sailing a circle, consider this:
Cross the Atlantic
Cruise the Caribbean
Pass through the Panama Canal
Cross to Galapagos
Cross to French Polynesia (be sure to cruise the Tuamotus)
Cross to Tonga
Cross to New Zealand
Cross to Tahiti
Cross to Hawaii
Cross to west coast of US
South to Panama and pass back through to Caribbean
Cruise western Caribbean
Cross to Cuba
Cross to Bermuda
Azores
UK

If you do this, I believe you will generally see the best part of a circumnavigation and avoid most of the not-so-good parts. We were disappointed in Australia. Really disliked Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives and India.

Just a suggestion.

Bill

Sounds like a good route to me. I know the sail from Australia to the Cape would be very tense for me and that's not the type of sailing I'm looking for.

 

[Tricia]

Sounds like a good route to me. I know the sail from Australia to the Cape would be very tense for me and that's not the type of sailing I'm looking for.

Came down the Red Sea in 2008, loved it. If they ever sort out the piracy problems I would gladly go again. Also went to India, loved it except for Mumbai. I would never take a boat there again.

Have now been in Malaysia and Thailand for 2 years and love Malaysia. Easy going officials, lovely people, good cruising especially round Langkawi (the Melacca Strait was a nightmare going south and a surprising pleasure going north).

On the Pardey's cruising tips site there is some good information about sailing round the Cape, this is the link: http://www.landlpardey.com/category/cruising_tips/page/2

 

[dratsea]

Fancy Japan (overwinter), Aleutians, Alaska and back though Panama. Only got to Panama so probably not World's best tour guide but looking for company.

Regards,

J