Quote:
Originally Posted by Omatako
Zephyr,
Also, if the boat you're buying isn't seaworthy enough for you to have only superficial preperations to do, then you should probably be wary of the boat altogether.
While I'm here, I'll just touch on your geography. You say you'll sail to Tahiti then on to Raratonga. That's a short little hop, 4 days tops. But US to Taihiti is a huge distance, (great circle about 3500 miles). Then you talk of Norfolk Island and Fraser Island. Unless there are two of each, Norfolk Island is west of New Zealand and Fraser Island is up against the east coast of Australia. They don't really fit into a logical route.
And then your timing. From the US to Australia is at least three months and that will be a seriously rushed trip. Our trip was considered fast-track by every sailor we met and we took just less than 10 weeks to NZ. Aus is at least another three weeks if you're stopping in NZ. And that's without the luxury of long stops. Our longest stop was 5 days in Bora Bora. If you're leaving in October or even worse November, your taking a considerable risk with the weather IMHO. By November, all the boats in the South Pacific have either left or are located equatorially to be safe from tropical storms.
Sorry, not trying to be critical, just puzzled.
FWIW
Andre
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Andre,
Yes, I have met a few of the doubters here too.
I agree with you re: the boat preparation.
Regarding the route, yeah! huge distance (Arch de Colon to Nuku-Hiva), don't care to do it solo, also more fun when with pleasant gentle company.
The Raratonga to Frazer is a huge great circle route. If I'm in the pacific in December (Tahiti) and plan to keep going the only real way is to head south and then cut across above Norfolk and then up to Fraser. At this time the westerlies will start to kick in, hence the route, doing this avoids the cyclonce season found to the north, However the weather patterns might be showing a good blow down there if there is cyclone activity, which leaves a nice option of stopping in NZ. The earlier long passage will confirm if this is going to work for me.
Another very real (more realistic) option is to leave the boat in Tahiti (etc) and come back in Feb - March or hang out there for a while during the Dec to Feb cyclone season then proceed as normal up high through the Societies and Samoa, earlier if it's a quiet cyclone season.
Was just reading the classifieds in the At's and Lat's. Joe posted an interesting ad under Crew Wanted. "Female Saling Partner and Soulmate Wanted. Duration of voyage as long as it's fun. Requirements: love of sea and life, good food and music. No pricesses need apply"
Oh! and the pic on page 64 is pretty nice too. Sorry guys scanner innoperable.
At this point things are starting to get busy here at home so might have to delay going over to US till late 07 / early 08 which will work out better weather wise, but baby it's going to be cold up there.
We shall see.
Zephyr
Maritime Instructor
John USYacht 27 "Cora Lee"
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