THE "MILK" RUN & ITS VARIANTS....

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merenpleine

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THE \"MILK\" RUN & ITS VARIANTS....

Hello all Cruisers..As one who is planning to leave this sceptered Isle A question of routes..For example leaving Plymouth Or Falmouth for the Azores...Time of year? Direct or Indirect? Then on down to ? (Best) jump of point My destination (First) Tobago...thank you.....
 
Re: THE \"MILK\" RUN & ITS VARIANTS....

Go early and don't miss out Iberia. The Rias, Portugal and Seville are brill. Probably the most senic island on the whole circuit is Madiera.

New boat sureveyed yesterday! Nine months without a boat - positively unnatural.
 
Re: THE \"MILK\" RUN & ITS VARIANTS....

[ QUOTE ]
Popular choice is West Country then Portugal, then Canary Islands and then the onwards to the rum and white sand.

[/ QUOTE ]
...reason being that this way you should have favourable winds along most of the route.

Speaking of timing, common wisdom has it that you should start early, crossing to Spain/Portugal not later than end of August, but then you should not leave the Canaries (or Cape Verdes) before end november at the very earliest to avoid reaching the Caribbean before the end of the hurricane season (one or two months later would give you better-established trade winds for the crossing).

This means that you have plenty of slack in the timing of the trip between northern Spain and the Canaries, which you can take at a very leisurely pace, and luckily there is no shortage of places deserving a stopover!
 
Re: THE \"MILK\" RUN & ITS VARIANTS....

Basically it is Biscay in the Summer and the Atlantic in mid winter. Get below Gib before the end of summer. Porto Santo is a must. I also advise Cape Verde to encourage a more southerly route. This year was a little hellish for the northerners. Look at the reports of the rowers that went direct. The yacht I was in contact with made a perfect crossing over Christmas. Do not be impatient to leave in November the weather this year was not good until 21 December. You are sailing through the hurricane breeding area so wait for the sea temperature to drop. But definitely be there before the so called Christmas winds (they can be late as well). It is the best Ocean in the World, bumpy but safest. Completely mess it up and you still get there. Our year, one of the mid Atlantic abandoned boats made it on its own to Panama.
 
Re: THE \"MILK\" RUN & ITS VARIANTS....

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH>>>>thats it then I'm Scared shitless but I will have a go...Like you michael my boat just through survey OK (ish) but work being done as we speak: The Boat Arthur Robb LION CLASS 35' Sloop...Able to fly trades Rig see earlier thread...No wind -vane ...Yet? still looking...OH YES >>>WATER ? How Much>>>I'm Bit low on tankage......Jeffrey....
 
Re: THE \"MILK\" RUN & ITS VARIANTS....

[ QUOTE ]
.....OH YES >>>WATER ? How Much>>>I'm Bit low on tankage......Jeffrey....

[/ QUOTE ]
The very minimum would be in the range of 2liters/person/day, where the number of days should be based on a worst-case scenario like a partially disabled boat (touch wood...).

Water should never be all in a single tank, if that is the case, think to complement the tank with additional tanks, canisters, bottled water, etc.

A watermaker would be a questionable and expensive addition, but a rainwater-catcher would be advisable as a backup.
 
Re: THE \"MILK\" RUN & ITS VARIANTS....

Nice boat: Is it the Yawl or fractional rig? Ours is a 35' ketch. I did not mean to scare you. I would gladly do the Atlantic again and again.

Neil
 
Re: THE \"MILK\" RUN & ITS VARIANTS....

We tried to go Falmouth - Azores and ran into a big Azores high, after meeting a yot 800 miles out from Azores who had motored all of the way we changed course for Spain, etc.

Regarding time of year, personally, I'd wait until mid-June-ish before setting out across Biscay then hop S down Spanish/Portugese coast, then W to Madeira, Canaries, Cap Verdes then SW to Brazil. Cap Verdes to Brazil can be done at any time of year, esp Sept and Oct when a direct route to Carib is dodgy with hurricane risk, then N up from Brazil to Carib in time for Xmas. That's the route we did and I'd recommend it to anybody else.
 
Re: THE \"MILK\" RUN & ITS VARIANTS....

[ QUOTE ]
Nice boat: Is it the Yawl or fractional rig? Ours is a 35' ketch. I did not mean to scare you. I would gladly do the Atlantic again and again.

Neil

[/ QUOTE ] Its the fractional rig Sloop...A Yawl I wish, hear they are good at controlling "the Roll" But I am happy so far although my last and still present boat is a ketch but a fifer type a big sea boat but twin engined and not really a sailer as such more a big coastal moter boat with the option of a mizzen and main and a very high cut working jib .I will miss the beam and my own aft cabin though, the Sloop not so beamie at 2.9m I have alittle work to do hardest bit seems to finding an Aries or monitor self steering not many about 2nd hand in good condition also as you will know the stern is narrow and a counter on the Arthur Robb.not alot to hang a wind-vane on may have to fit a hefty Pushpit and place it on that although that is not ideal....have to see I do have two tiller pilots...But heavy on the power side...
 
Re: THE \"MILK\" RUN & ITS VARIANTS....

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
.....OH YES >>>WATER ? How Much>>>I'm Bit low on tankage......Jeffrey....

[/ QUOTE ]
The very minimum would be in the range of 2liters/person/day, where the number of days should be based on a worst-case scenario like a partially disabled boat (touch wood...).

Water should never be all in a single tank, if that is the case, think to complement the tank with additional tanks, canisters, bottled water, etc.

A watermaker would be a questionable and expensive addition, but a rainwater-catcher would be advisable as a backup.

[/ QUOTE ] Whats the verdict on "Blue Bag tanks heard they are subject to condensation???
 
Re: THE \"MILK\" RUN & ITS VARIANTS....

The water solution I've used a few times is tanks, generally not for consumption apart from emergencies, cooking veg in. All drinking water or for making food sauces etc is from bottled water. you can stow a lot of water bottles, and in the unlikely event of leaving boat for life raft you can hopefully take lots of water with you.

On the time to leave both Atlantic crossings I've done East to West were done in January from Canaries direct to Carib, at that time of year there is a much smaller chance of anything nasty around the Canaries and the trades mean you don't have periods of light winds or need to head south to the Cape Verdes.

I'd spend a month at least in Galicia on the way down, then a month or two from Madiera (porto Santo) to your jumping off island, probably La Gomera, and leave mid January. In sailing terms it's ideal, It's just that many people seem to want to be in Carib for Christmas? There are loads of very well travelled yachts leaving at this time.

Be carefull on the arrival at the Spanish North coast, I feel this is one of the most risky areas of the trip, from bad weather/pots/large commercial ships/swell.

But have a good trip you'll love it.
 
Re: THE \"MILK\" RUN & ITS VARIANTS....

It is good advice - La Gomera for Christmas and New Year was fantastic when we were there - free street parties and all sorts!

Have fun
 
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