What does it take to sail around the world?

[baten]

Hello everyone!

My name is Fredrik, I'm 20 years old and live in Sweden. I have a dream - to sail around the world within ten years. Now I'm looking in to what is separating me from doing this.

My current experience: I've been sailing a small boat of 5.5 meters, called C55, for a couple of years in the Balitc sea up to wind strengths to about 12 m/s. Before that I took a sailing class aboard a 24 ft boat called J24. Besides this I've done some calm in-shore sailing on a friends 32 ft boat.

Now to my questions:
How much more sailing experience would be necessary?
What kind of a boat would you advise?
How big a crew would I need?
How long would it take?

I would really appreciate your answers.

/Fredrik

[killarney_sailor]

Originally Posted by baten

Hello everyone!


Now to my questions:
How much more sailing experience would be necessary?
What kind of a boat would you advise?
How big a crew would I need?
How long would it take?

I would really appreciate your answers.

/Fredrik

I would suggest that you would need to have a lot more experience but developing the experience can happen a step at a time. Try to find crewing opportunities for longer trips to make sure that you enjoy it - long passages are different from shorter cruises and day sails.

Very hard to say what kind of boat you need without knowing more about you. For example, what sort of budget is there? How willing are you to put up with physical discomfort (a 15m boat is much more comfortable than an 8 m generally).

Crew size is somewhat dependent on the size of boat and your personality. Lots of people have sailed around the world by themselves on boats ranging from less than 7 m to very large craft. With two people you need to have a larger boat to carry more stuff and have more space. Last winter we saw two young Norwegian guys in the eastern Caribbean on a Vega 27 (not a large boat and they were both big guys) and they seemed to be having a great time.

As to time, it depends very much on your purpose in going - is to say that you have sailed around the world or to see something of the world. We are choosing the latter approach and have definite schedule in mind beyond a rough itinerary for the first year that will get us to New Zealand and out of the tropical cyclone belt for Nov/Apr 2011/2. Often times people start what they think will be a two- year circumnavigation and they are still doing it 10 year later because they find places they want to stay for a year or more. We met one couple who had recently completed their 18 year circumnavigation - they ended up in the Mediterranean for seven years for example.

What you want to do is feasible, keep doing your research and save your money.

[puddinlegs]

Time. How much time do you need to budget for a boat? Which leads to money... how will you fund your trip and boat? The trick is to have a vocation or access to funds that allows you to make sufficient money (this is relative.. for some it's a lot, for others, a little) while having time to do some sailing to build hours and experience both on the water, and learning how to maintain boats and their systems. Jump on local race crews, volunteer for deliveries, etc... while you begin looking for your boat all the while keeping your eyes peeled and asking a lot of questions about what kind of boat will fit your goal and budget. Read a lot as well. Be aware of the date of publication as a great deal, but not all, standard' wisdom has changed over the years. If you're English is good, Robert Perry's "Yacht Design According to Perry" is a very readable primer on yacht design. I'm sure Sweden has some excellent books, sailing web forums, and general info available as well.

Here are a couple of interesting English language cruising discussion boards for you as well:

SSCA Discussion Board • Index page

Sailing Anarchy Forums -> Cruising Anarchy

[wwilson]

Fredrik,

Here is a link that you might enjoy as a Swede. It won't answer your questions, but may whet your appetite.

s/v Yahgan's Web Site
English version

Be sure to click at:
12 filmer från Yaghans segling har visats i Dagens Industris TV kanal DI TV. Klicka här om du vill se filmerna. Filmerna har text på 50 valfria språk.
for some very nice You-Tube videos of the cruise.

[ffiill]

When I was sixteen back in 1968 my ambition was The Single Handed Transatlantic Yacht Race-never did it but could and should. At 57 years old I have the boat but not the time.
Alard Coles who wrote the book heavy weather sailing was sailing with fishermen when 18 just after world war one-at 22years old he experienced his first storm when crossing the north sea from the baltic in a 28 footer.
I have always mainly sailed single handed currently with a 34 footer .
Never forget that Nelson went to sea when he was about 10 as did Cook.
Recently sat next to a 20 something year old on a long haul flight to New Zealand-he didnt own his own boat but had worked his way up to Ocean Yachtmaster qualifications through crewing for others and is now skippering long haul deliveries and writing artices for the yachting press,. He was being paid to go to NZ to have a go on and write up about some America Cup Ocean Racers.

[msl]

This one might be going soon.
Dutch teenage sailor gets green light from mother - World news - Europe - msnbc.com

[seabreeze_97]

Check out atomvoyages.com
Tons of info pertaining to your questions.

[blt2ski]

Considering how many seem to be going around the globe right now, with out a lot of experience, I would say it takes some cash, or a backer, along with lots of desire, and the ability to go for it, and keep going when things are down and out. Otherwise, a lot can be learned as you go, but some sailing experience help, and it seems like you have that. So many times, it is more of a plan on how to deal with issues, ie storms. No way to learn how to deal with high winds etc, than to go out in them, and how many times to you get a chance to sail in BFS conditions!

So with that, go for it!

[Heinous]

Accidental double post

[Heinous]

How fast is 12 m/s..?

Haha, I can't wait to go and do it myself. I would definitely get more offshore experience, and practice with having to make repairs at sea. Go for it!