Worst ten passages ?

[Roberto]

In your opinion, what are the worst ten sailing passages in the world ? Surely it depends on the season, but just for the sake of discussion what stretches of water are supposedly worse at the wrong time ?


I'd think about (in no particular order)

1. Drake passage (or whatever else) in extreme South America
2. Gulf of Lyon
3. Aruba - Cartagena (colombian atlantic coast)
4. Bass strait
5. Tehuantepec gulf (pacific mexico/guatemala)
6. Biscay
7. the Indian coast of South Africa, (durban pt elizabeth or whatever) home of the agulhas current and monster waves
8. Golfo de Penas in Chile
...

what else ? (I saw a list once, but cannot remember exactly which passages were included)

 

[Pincoya]

I wish you hadn't put Tehauntepec in there, we will be doing that later this year!

Paul

 

[AndrewB]

I wish you hadn't put Tehauntepec in there, we will be doing that later this year!

Tehuantapec is definitely one. I've met several people who have taken a dusting there.

Now that the Red Sea route is closed, the passage round-the-world cruisers most fear (among those I've talked to) is crossing the Mozambique Straight, from Réunion to Richard's Bay or Durban. True the south of SA is worse, but it can be done coast-hopping during weather windows.

My own least favourite is, oddly, south west of Portugal on passage to Madeira. Supposed to be harmless enough, but each time I've run into serious heavy weather, culminating in a hurricane last time!

 

[goboatingnow]

My own least favourite is, oddly, south west of Portugal on passage to Madeira. Supposed to be harmless enough, but each time I've run into serious heavy weather, culminating in a hurricane last time!

ditto for me, and Gulf of Lyon ( horrible) and Biscay, ( double plus horrible), mind you all where at near winter times, doing deliveries

 

[Salty John]

Gulf Stream crossing from USA to Bahamas in a strong northerly.
Mona Passage in strong southeasterly trades.
North coast of Hispaniola in prevailing conditions if headed east.
Anywhere around Cape Town in a blow.
Cape Hatteras in even a moderate blow.

I suppose any passage has problems if you qualify the conditions. A matter of setting off with the right weather window and having a bit of luck. Never seemed to work for me!

 

[Roberto]

Mona Passage in strong southeasterly trades.

thanks SJ,
where is Mona passage located ?

r



found it :smile:

 

[KellysEye]

I'd add - any upwind, upcurrent passage over 500 miles. Been there done that more than once (which shows how dumb I am), its a total nightmare.

By the way

>Aruba Cartgena is Colombian atlantic coast

Just for the record it's Caribbean coast

 

[GeorgeP]

Argh - Bay of Lyon - I'm doing that in 10 days time. It looks horrible at the moment, and the winter wind roses don't look good. Picking up a new boat from Toulon. Then heading east.

 

[Liz_I]

Argh - Bay of Lyon - I'm doing that in 10 days time. It looks horrible at the moment, and the winter wind roses don't look good. Picking up a new boat from Toulon. Then heading east.

Errr are you sailing another boat to Toulon to pick up your new boat? If not Toulon is a way away from Lion & your are heading East - even better

 

[rickf]

Mona passage

The Mona is between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico.
Other than large swells, We had an OK time across.

Worst for us
Byscaye, from Ireland to La Caruna
Off Cape Fear, NC
one of our crossings over the gulf steam to the Bahamas
to wind, Venezuela to St Lucia.

Rickf

 

[SeamanStaines]

Falmouth to Swansea in November has its moments :-(

 

[tri39]

I agree Seaman. The English channel in a severe gale is not for the fainthearted!!
I made the mistake of running through the overfalls off St catherine point under a storm jib in '77 , and was inconvenienced by large breaking waves!!!

 

[Ariadne]

Rounding the Bishops and Clerks from Aberystwyth to Milford in a SW 8 wasn't a happy passage.

Not intentional mind, I just cocked up the forecast. But a 19 hour passage (4 of them going backwards!) and a blown out main tells its own storey. Although I did learn a bit from it, if it happened again I'd run for Cork and not fight it!!!!!

 

[Pincoya]

I made the mistake of running through the overfalls off St catherine point under a storm jib in '77 , and was inconvenienced by large breaking waves!!!

Come to think of it, my wife and I took our first ever trip on a yacht (Comp Crew course) in Sept/Oct many years ago. It blew like stink (force 7) and the bozo attempting to prep for his Coastal Skipper took us through the Needles and across the overfalls towards Weymouth far too early. Lynne was sick as a dog and I didn't have a clue what I was doing (I still don't) and to say I was apprehensive is putting it mildly. Perhaps Tehauntepec isn't going to be that bad after all.

Paul

 

[Firestone]

1.Anywhere in the North sea area.
2.The Irish sea
3.The Atlantic
4.The China sea
5.The Philipean sea
6.Drake passage
7.Bering sea
8.Gulf of Aden
10.Anywhere off the coastal area of Somalia