There are a few helpful resources to keep in mind when planning your future sailing adventure. Its important to consider all the different factors when making up your mind about where you want to sail like your budget, your long term schedule, and of course, the capabilities of your vessel and the experience of your crew. Find a secure marina (there are lots of excellent options) and trade your boat for a camper van or RV for an antipodal road trip through NZ and Oz. With an eye on the weather there are plenty of protected anchorages throughout the Pacific, and there are all-weather ports in most island groups. South Africa is famous for challenging sailing conditions. You may want to be prepared to keep your boat in Alaska for the winter in order to avoid crossing the North Pacific Ocean in the stormy winter season. Clearly, the chance of encountering a cyclone in French Polynesia is much lower, but the risk is still very real. Further south, you have a greater chance of light winds and more time getting across the ITCZ. For the purpose of this guide, we will discuss crossing the Atlantic from the most popular port of departure in mainland Europe Gibraltar. The ITCZ is an area of variable winds in between the NE trade winds in the Northern Hemisphere and the SE trade winds in the Southern Hemisphere. The ideal time of year to cruise the Med is in the summer, when the water is warm and the sun is shining. 
For this reason, the storms often become much more severe than in the rest of the world, and the waves are known to regularly reach unfathomable heights. If youre attempting to cross the Pacific, youll need to plan your journey in detail before your departure. When you enter the Pacific from the Panama Canal you can feel this is a different ocean.
The next legs of this voyage require more careful planning with the weather. Youre in the Galapagos among the sea lions, enjoying the sun, while your friends are in the midst of a European winter. 
Fortunately, the region between Panama and the Marquesas is not affected by tropical storms. Organize the insurance for your boat. Its also a beautiful cruising ground of its own well worth the extra miles for the adventurous sailor. In the spring, you will make a very similar passage as those who left directly from California, but it will be a significantly shorter trip. Its also a good idea to read up on other sailors experiences of the route youre planning to take. One of the most popular routes for sailing westwards across the Pacific Is the Milk Run. I sailed this area in 2011, and it remains one of my favorite all time places to cruise in the world. Leaving Florida in January, you would transit the Panama Canal in February and cross to the South Pacific in March, arriving in Tahiti by April. Im still delivering yachts all over the world, but I have never taken my eyes off the prize a sailing voyage around the world. Of course, most sailors who go through the expense and effort of preparing for a circumnavigation want to have some time to enjoy the stops along the way. malo saint transat transoceanic qubec sailing race collins christopher quebec france four canada years For those who love to sail, circumnavigating is the ultimate challenge, and a voyage like this would certainly be worth it even confined to a strict schedule. The official cyclone season in the South Pacific is November to April. When this occurs over the shallow continental shelf, the result is massive breaking seas. Brochure cruising in the turquoise, sheltered water of a typical French Polynesia atoll. It also makes for a very challenging first few days out of Panama. You dont want to venture above 35 degrees north either because of the variable winds in the horse latitudes (The horse latitudes are between 30 and 35 degrees south. Snorkelling is the highlight here and the lagoons are home to the prettiest and most diverse coral I have ever seen. You must make one very long crossing, the 3,000 miles from the Galapagos Islands to the Marquesas, but this is usually fast sailing with a favourable current bringing the passage time down to one similar to a transatlantic crossing. For people who plan to depart from Northern Europe, its a good idea to make sure to give yourself plenty of time to get to Southern Spain or Portugal before the weather gets ugly in October or November. This could get you back to Florida in under a year. Once you have made your way through the NW Passage, winter will already be well on its way. Ocean-going rowboats choose a similar route to cross the Atlantic because of the favorable winds and currents. Whilst this is one of the most popular launching points, its not without its difficulties. We begin our new 12-part multimedia series on Bluewater Sailing Techniques in stunning Fiji, Cape Horn sailors and ditch diggers sacrificed all to make the path between the Atlantic and Pacific easier for the. Because it is impossible to sail straight into the wind, and to avoid the light airs of the South Atlantic High, the typical route around South Africa first passes south along the coast of Brazil. Make sure you complete any jobs or essential maintenance you have been putting off. Always keep an eye on the horizon and be ready to reef the sails quickly if necessary. If you arrive in Gibraltar by May or June, you have the whole summer to cruise the Med. Of course, to sail this part of the world you will need to be prepared to spend a lot of time waiting for the weather and ice. Then the seas can get quite dangerous. You want to be well past the Horn by the end of March when the weather turns even more dangerous. This will give you a better sailing angle later on in the passage. Cruisers who sail directly from the US West Coast have various weather patterns to keep in mind. Plan on leaving for Hawaii by early July. If you need to apply for any visas in advance, its much better to find out now than risk being turned away at the port. The Netherlands Any attempt to cross the Pacific needs stringent planning and preparations, but in the end, its totally worth it. You really cant beat real world experience for a Pacific passage. ImproveSailing is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Personally, I would choose to wait in Ensenada, which is home to Marina Coral, one of my all time favorite marinas in the world. This is when the rough winter weather starts to die down, but before the risk of hurricanes begins in June. It is tempting to rush off to the Society Islands (which include Tahiti, Moorea, Raiatea and Bora Bora) and tackle the inevitable jobs list, but most people regret it. If you have a multi-national crew, youll also need to check the individual visa requirements for every nationality at every stopping point. routing ocean A three year round-the-world sail gives you the opportunity to relax and get some serious adventuring in while still keeping to a semi-rigid schedule. But sailing across the Pacific is not without its challenges. Its about 3,300 NM from California directly to the Marquesas Islands (the first stop in the South Pacific for most cruisers), which should take most boats about three to four weeks. For many of the sailors departing Europe for the Caribbean, the passage from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean is their first long-distance offshore passage. South of 40 degrees, the prevailing winds are behind you again, but you will likely encounter a gale every 3 to 5 days. But zoom in on the chartplotter and the islands and island groups are plentiful. You should have a pleasant sail through the SE trades up the coast of South America, and then cross the ITCZ for the second time. It is estimated that 10,000 sailors died trying to round the Horn in the age of sail. After youve passed Tahiti, part of the Windwards group of the Society Islands, your journey opens up before you. Read on for more details on what you should factor into your timings and some essential preparations to take care of before you leave. So get a solid weather report in Kiribati, and once the coast is clear you can head north toward Hawaii. transoceanic silversea cruises The longest passage you should have to make on this route is under one week, so this route is a good choice if long offshore passages arent your thing. You may choose to make a detour to the Cape Verde Islands 800 NM south of the Canaries.
The most straightforward way across the Indian Ocean is by way of Cocos Keeling, Mauritius and Reunion Islands. towt transoceanic sme If you are looking to sail to the ends of the earth but you want an entirely different experience than the Southern Ocean, a transit of the NW passage may be just the adventure for you.
With favorable winds, the journey can take approximately 5 - 10 weeks. You will likely sail short passages from port to port along the South African coast until you get to Cape Town. Squalls (a kind of localized storm with strong wind and rain) can strike with little notice. 
maersk transpacific 
After the one week passage to Cabo San Lucas, you have the choice of either heading north into the Sea of Cortez or sailing directly over to Puerto Vallarta and cruising the Mexican Riviera until its time to make the crossing to French Polynesia in March or April. Bermuda is less than a weeks sail from most ports on the East Coast, and makes an excellent port of call on the way across the Atlantic. Fortunately for the cruising sailor, the worst of the weather can be avoided by careful weather routing. Make sure to take a look, it will help you to get a good overview easily. You will want to keep well to windward of the Mosquito Coast (a dangerous lee shore), but San Andreas Island and Providencia Island both make for good stops on your way to the Bay Islands of Honduras. vancouver passenger freighter china seattle freighters east sailing cruises asia 
If you watch the weather this shouldnt be a problem, just make sure that you dont cross on a day when the wind is blowing against the current. The best way to manage this passage is to motor-sail directly south along the coast of Colombia and Ecuador until you are past the Equator. Then turn west, and you will be sailing across the prevailing winds and currents the rest of the way to the Galapagos Islands. In 1969, the first nonstop sailing circumnavigation was completed in Falmouth by Sir Robin Knox Johnston, and to this day most round the world sailing races depart from either Britain or France.
