We’ve made this Pacific passage three times, and we reckon it’s easier sailing than on an average ARC. Navigators travelled to small inhabited islands using wayfinding techniques and knowledge passed by oral tradition from master to apprentice, often in the form of song. ImproveSailing is compensated for referring traffic and business to this companies. Onwards from here you are never far from the next anchorage. But the Pacific is much wider [maximum 12,300 miles] than the Mississippi is long [2320 miles]. Southern Atlantic Passage Sailing Route I have just landed a job on a 45ft sailing boat that is going to cross the south pacific in feb or march from south america to brisbane,Australia. Having made it through the Panama Canal, we were ready to cross the Pacific. The Netherlands 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. Whilst this is one of the most popular launching points, it’s not without its difficulties. Traditional Polynesian navigation was used for thousands of years to make long voyages across thousands of kilometres of the open Pacific Ocean. They sail down from Tonga or Fiji or wherever they've got to, and then they sail back up after cyclone season to resume their cruise across the Pacific. Caffeine consumption is at an all-time high. During the last Transpac race, the fastest monohull made the crossing in 5 days and 2 hours. You might choose to go on the northern route, crossing through the Torres Strait, or the southern route. Some cruisers do this for … Thankfully the winds are usually fairly regular and with a good current you can cut down the time it takes to complete this leg. The passage to the Galapagos should pose no major problems but you will probably have to sail through The Doldrums and you will cross the equator. How long does it take to sail across Pacific? The Pacific Ocean is not 'long'; it is wide. The 6m tidal range can also come as a bit of a shock. 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. The Canal is working at full capacity and so the peak transit time for yachts is in February and March when waiting time on the Caribbean side can be two weeks or longer unless speeded up by using a local agent. On arrival you need to get the tide times right to navigate a narrow pass, but the reward is a calm, clean and incredibly blue lagoon. Don’t expect to find supermarkets at your stopping points! It’s possible to make it to Australia and onwards if that’s your plan, but many cruisers fall in love with the region and cruise there for many years. I'm a freelance writer from the UK. Check and then check again. We take a screen capture every day at 5:30pm, because that marks another 24hrs logged for our sail across the Pacific. Since then I've enjoyed sailing very much - and I've never been afraid of the water again. It’s worth taking the time to explore the region and you’ll find you can spend months, even years, cruising there. How long does it take to sail across the Pacific? For US-based West Coast sailors, the Strait of Juan de Fuca is a common choice for starting the journey across the Pacific. However if you’re lured there by civilisation, Papeete is a city replete with a Carrefour supermarket, chandleries and most other things you could need. If that is you, then it’s worth slowing down and enjoying more of what Tonga, Fiji and Vanuatu have to offer. http://findingparadise.caEXCLUSIVE BEHIND THE SCENES: https://www.patreon.com/nahoa/postsFacts...Boats encountered: 1 Freighter. What Route Can I Take to Sail Across the Pacific? You’re likely to spend around four months without seeing a shop bigger than your average newsagents, except in Tahiti which is madly expensive. This allows you to cross the Indian Ocean and get into the safety of South African waters before the cyclone season starts in late November. Your personal sailing skills and speed. This will give you the chance to catch the southeast trade winds. Approaches to the islands and stopping places on your journey also need to be planned, especially as you’re likely to be fatigued when it comes to navigating the real thing. After the first couple of photos you post posing next to giant tortoises, swimming with hammerhead sharks your popularity will wane. Photos: Tor Johnson / Dan Bower / Olivier Parent / Alamy. This step means you’ll be more familiar with the challenges you’re likely to face once you’re out in the open ocean. You can book your vacation for either spring or fall. People. I thought that a yacht would be the way. With favorable winds, the journey can take Due to the expensive regulations and restrictions placed on yachts visiting the Galapagos Islands, we chose to sail direct from Panama to the Marquesas Islands. We've made a super convenient map that gives a complete overview of the cyclone seasons across the world. Despite the official window starting in February, you could also leave in late January, depending on what the cyclone forecasts are saying. For instance, when you’re sailing from the Galapagos to the Marquesas Islands, the fastest route involves setting a course south-southwest down to 3 to 4 degrees south latitude. Some countries, including Australia and New Zealand, have really strict customs regulations so if you aim to be over-cautious, you’ll avoid any problems. 26 days and 3,300 nautical miles at sea! But zoom in on the chartplotter and the islands and island groups are plentiful. By far the most commonly traveled route is the first leg of the so-called Pacific Milk Run to the Marquesas. The official cyclone season in the South Pacific is November to April. Now is the time to choose how long you wish to stay in the Pacific as that will dictate how much time you have on the way in order to make sure you’re in the right place for cyclone season. Please try again. This ocean leg is the Pacific Ocean proper, with approximately 3,000 miles of what should be tradewind sailing at its best, a mile-melting broad reach and an equatorial current beneath you. Leaving from Seattle, it’s a 90-mile sail down the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the entrance of the Pacific Ocean. Enough people have made the journey so you can find a lot of information written on the subject. Or, escape the cold with a winter cruise. Generally, the trade winds become more predictable and more consistent as you get later into the year. When the safe season begins again, you can then make the journey back up to the Torres Strait with less time pressure. It’s nuts I tell you, nuts! You might be forced to have your hull cleaned too. Your subscription could not be saved. 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. How long does it take to sail across the Pacific? The hardest part about this leg is deciding where to go – there are 80 atolls to choose from. From here you depart on the main passage to the Marquesas Islands and ahead the expanse of French Polynesia opens up. This would be our second ocean crossing in 6 months, and at over 4,000 miles, it would be twice the distance of the Atlantic crossing. Immense and diverse, the expanse of the Pacific offers some of the finest tradewinds cruising you’ll ever experience and a wealth of friendly cultures. A cruising sailor’s blog, newsfeed or Instagram account from the Pacific is an onslaught of images and videos of every flavour of paradise from the green, dramatic and rugged landscape of the Marquesas with its huge waterfalls, the coral atolls and blue lagoons of the Tuamotus, to Tahiti and Bora Bora, the volcanic eruptions and cauldrons of lava in Vanuatu, the breaching whales of the Coral Sea… Enough already, as they say! A veteran voyager shares route information and tips for sailing across the Pacific Ocean. Once you’ve had your fill of green and lush beauty (yes, it rains) and have filled the boat with Pomello grapefruit, mangoes, coconuts and pineapples, it’s time to push off to the Tuamotus. If you time it right and miss the cyclone season, sailing across the Pacific can amount to some incredible cruising experiences. People. And that’s just the start of a voyage of a lifetime across the world’s largest ocean. When is the Best Time to Sail Across the Pacific? Copyright © 2021 ImproveSailing.com Latest. Its favourable effects can be felt under your keel as you head towards the Galapagos, and make for a bracing first swim. For the majority of European sailors and those based on the East Coast of the US, the most obvious starting point for a Pacific passage is the Panama Canal. You will need to be on guard when navigating this region, even with navigational equipment, so it’s worth knowing roughly what you’re up against. 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…. About us In 2016, Lily Barlow completed a ten thousand nautical mile journey across the pacific in her sailboat. Brochure cruising in the turquoise, sheltered water of a typical French Polynesia atoll. A first-hand account of sailing the pacific ocean with two friends, on a small boat called Finding Avalon. This site is owned and operated by Truly Content. Bear in mind, however, that any fresh food you have with you when you reach the Galapagos Islands will be removed to protect the delicate ecosystem. 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When you enter the Pacific from the Panama Canal you can feel this is a different ocean. On the other hand, leaving from the Panama Canal gives you the perfect opportunity to visit the San Blas Islands and the Las Perlas Islands. It depends on how lucky you’re feeling! 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. The slowest boat, a 48' sailing cruising took nearly 16 days. Twenty-two days later I got off the ship in Singapore after a winter crossing of the Pacific. The time it takes to sail across the Pacific does not cover the full extent of the experience. Arriving in the Marquesas is a pleasurable culture shock and is as dramatic socially as it is scenically. We’re on the home stretch, the final days before we take off on the biggest sailing adventure of our lives. The quickest route across the Pacific is the one that makes the most of the favorable winds throughout the journey. Where we sail; The figures here are averaged out over the last 3 years, in which time we have been continually sailing from England, down the coast of Spain and Portugal, The Caribbean, The Panama Canal, 2 seasons in the South Pacific Islands, New Zealand and now Australia. There are tricky coral passes to negotiate, and it helps to speak French, but time spent preparing and planning can help make it plain sailing and, in my experience, the cruise of a lifetime. Below are the estimated lengths of popular Transpacific cargo ship routes. At the Port of Long Beach, California, I boarded a freighter named the Punjab Senator. When sailing across the Pacific, the two main points of departure are: Below we'll go over both these journeys in more detail, and what to expect for both. Seas are gentle with long, lazy swells and, apart from the very rare trough reaching up from lows in the south, it is settled tradewind sailing. Sailing Report. Your cruising time will be extended significantly if you have to wait and make repairs at one of your stops, so it’s worth spending the time on it before you leave to save you any problems in the middle of your trip. Most crossings of the Pacific Ocean take between 15 and 30 days. For the Pacific ocean, the cyclone season will dictate when you can attempt your crossing. Las Perlas is made up of over 220 islands and islets so there’s plenty to enjoy before you start the long journey westwards. After living in Frankfurt, Dubai and Sibiu, I'm now living in Budapest, Hungary, but I always make it back to Cornwall for sailing in the summer. Away from the small towns it is a great place to cruise to quiet bays with beautiful beaches, trade odds and ends with the locals for the most delicious fruit and explore the interior with its wonderful waterfalls and archaeological remains. The Milk Run takes you through the Galapagos Islands, the Marquesas Islands, the Tuamotu Islands and the Society Islands or French Polynesia. If you continue west-southwest toward 6 degrees south latitude and 100 degrees west latitude, you should find that the trade winds become stronger and more stable. Any drugs you’ll be taking with you should all have prescriptions from a qualified doctor. The route you choose will determine how long the journey takes and the time of year will also have a big part to play, not to mention any decision to stay a while and explore the islands along the way. Just tell us the best email address to send your tips to: Improve Sailing One of the most popular routes for sailing westwards across the Pacific Is the Milk Run. If your launching point is Panama, you have a window from February through to June. It’s also how we were communicating with Kent to help us troubleshoot our issues. Make sure to go over our extensive checklist of 41 Cruising Essentials, to ensure you don't forget the most important gear and tools. On the other hand, leaving earlier in the season gives you plenty of time to complete your journey without the pressure of the cyclone season bearing down on you. That being said, there is (unsurprisingly) more than one way to sail across the Pacific. Another option is to sail to the Australian coast and wait out the cyclone season in a safe place, maybe Port Douglas or Cairns. Privacy Policy, Improve Sailing helps you to make your sailing dream actionable, by writing in-depth articles on real questions. Upgrading a Sailboat Head. Read on for more details on what you should factor into your timings and some essential preparations to take care of before you leave. In the February 2021 issue of Yachting World, Kevin Escoffier recounts the story of his recent sinking in the Vendee Globe, and Joshua Shankle tells the story of his mid-Pacific. Best Time to Sail to Hawaii. Your questions would take too long to answer in detail and it is hard to know where to start with basic tips. CURIOUS HOW WE DID IT? The duration of the crossing naturally depends on the starting point and the destination. Young and Restless: Cruising Millennial Style. The Society Islands have an interior like the Marquesas and lagoons like the Tuamotus, but neither are quite as good. The route you take is yours to decide. Going from the Galapagos to the Marquesas is by far the longest stretch of the journey, taking you across about 3,000 nautical miles of open water. In this regard, how long does it take to get to Hawaii by boat? Since ships in the 1700s relied on sails to propel them, the length of the voyage greatly depended on the wind. If you’re planning to sail through the Torres Strait and into the Indian Ocean, you should aim to be through the Torres by late August to early September at the latest. The chances of a big storm at that time of the year is much lower than the middle of the season. It is 8,000 nautical miles from Panama to Australia (you can cross the Atlantic in 2,200 miles) and, because of the scale of the charts and the size of the islands, it appears to have little land. Any attempt to cross the Pacific needs stringent planning and preparations, but in the end, it’s totally worth it. Take provisions with you on board as you’ll have very limited access to shops once your journey is underway. It can be a welcome stop to reprovision and attend to any outstanding jobs on the list. I get no wages but am supplied with board and food,but get an amazing sailing experience for free,which I think is great. Rather than focusing too much on the length of the journey, consider it a chance to settle into your adventure and appreciate the solitude of the sail. The distance from Panama to Australia is 8000 nautical miles but the time it takes to sail this distance depends on the winds, the size of the vessel and stopping times. Sep 30, 2018 - Route planning, expected weather patterns, tips and resources for planning a sail across the Pacific Ocean. How Long Did It Take to Get Across the Atlantic in the 1700s? If you need to apply for any visas in advance, it’s much better to find out now than risk being turned away at the port. Sailing Totem: Watch Keeping on … Are You Ready to Sail Across the Pacific? Polynesian navigation of the Pacific Ocean and its settlement began thousands of years ago. Crossing the world’s largest ocean can be a life-changing challenge. As with any sailing voyage, the speed of your journey will depend on the winds. Hi, I'm Shawn, and when I was 2 years old, I was sailing (with my parents) on the English Channel during a proper storm (and by proper I mean something along the lines of force 10). Six months after it came to an end, she looked back and reflected on the lessons she learnt sailing the Pacific. Dan Bower explains how to prepare and where to sail, Sailing across the Pacific is the adventure of a lifetime, but proper preparation is vital. The national park in the Galapagos is sensitive to foreign species and so you can expect to have all your fresh food removed when you arrive. You’ll also need a passport that’s in date and you’ll potentially need visas for every stopping point. Contact us You can lose a lot of friends when you’re sailing across the Pacific. Hi! 8918 KM Leeuwarden Start with your boat and do a thorough, honest evaluation - is your vessel ready for the journey? But how long does it take to sail all the way across? https://www.yachtingworld.com/cruising/how-to-sail-across-the-pacific-119196 This means that simply sailing directly from point A to point B will not necessarily get you there quickest. There has been less swell, more regular winds and no squalls, and after you arrive in the Marquesas you’re rarely more than four days from your next destination. June 21, 2017. sailwiththeflo. We’ve done three tours of the South Pacific and would happily go back – in fact we might return in 2020. Sea Distance Calculator, Transit Time, Port to port distances, Setup Vessel Speed in Nautical Miles, Custom Map Points, Date of Departure and Arrival. I’m not sure why I chose this as my first real sailing adventure – it’s probably due to a combination of stupidity … To take an example, the Tuamotus - once known as the ‘dangerous archipelago’ - involves navigating badly charted reefs, unpredictable currents and low-lying islands to come into the majority of ports. If you want to learn how to make your sailing dream reality within a year, leave your email and I'll send you free updates. How To. The trip from the Americas across the Pacific is notable because it has nowhere to stop once you get into the trip towards the Marquesas. Whether you’re hoping for a honeymoon getaway or planning some quality family time, there are several of Hawaiian cruises that can fit your schedule. The scenery and culture varies between each country but everywhere there is a welcoming and genuine hospitality – and the sailing is excellent. Organize the insurance for your boat. When examining planning charts and contemplating sailing the Pacific Ocean, it looks huge. Make sure you complete any jobs or essential maintenance you have been putting off. By November, most cruising boats have gone down to New Zealand for cyclone season. Alternatively, you could sail down to Mexico and Cabo San Lucas if you’d prefer to start further south. In the Maldives, … You’re in the Galapagos among the sea lions, enjoying the sun, while your friends are in the midst of a European winter. The route through the canal is complex and you run the risk of being delayed during peak periods. A sailboat doesn't have to be expensive if you know what you're doing. The inhabitants of the Pacific islands had been voyaging across vast expanses of ocean water sailing in double canoes or outriggers using nothing more than their knowledge of the stars and observations of sea and wind patterns to guide them. The Marquesas and Tuamotus are, in my opinion, the best bits of French Polynesia. 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