Alternative Options

[MMNETSEA]

If one is returning to Florida on the East Coast of North America from either North West Australia or South East Asia with Christmas Island as the common starting point of 10° 24' S x 105° 44' East

Then the passage via the NW Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden would be 8,946 nm (@100/day = 90 days)

If returning to Florida taking the alternative passage avoiding Cape Horn or the Panama Canal via the Cape of Good Hope is a little shorter at 8,522 nm (@100/day = 85days)

[JeanneP]

That assumes that the cruisers going up the Red Sea are primarily from North America and that they are only interested in getting “home� without visiting Europe and the Med.

From what I know of cruisers from North America, the Med is often the place that they stay the longest. It is probably the primary reason that so many of them risk running through pirate alley rather than go around Africa. And what about the European cruisers?

A friend of mine is a delivery skipper who has made many a trip from Capetown up the western coast of Africa on into the Med. The French cruisers seem to know this coast better than anyone. I’d like to know more about it. Are there places to stop, what’s the weather like, what are the best seasons for traveling it?

[MMNETSEA]

With respect there is no assumption that:

a. the cruisers are primarily from North America and

b. they are only interested in getting “home� without visiting Europe and the Med.

The post is merely to present an alternative passage for those who may be interested.

BTW. The accepted sailboat passage from the Cape of Good Hope to the Mediterranean, is to head NW across the Atlantic almost to Brazil before heading for the Azores or Europe.

[Nausikaa]

I agree with MMNETSEA.

After leaving the Cape, call in Namibia if you have the time and are willing to deviate or head directly to St. Helena. A good place to visit but no harbour I am sorry to say.

After St. Helena, run accross the narrow part of the Atlantic heading roughly for the Amazon. When the water turns brown you will be about 200 NM off the Amazon delta and it is then time to head northwards. Make landfall on the Azores visiting Horta and, of course, Bar Sport then onwards to Europe.

Aye // Stephen

[Lighthouse]

Originally Posted by MMNETSEA

BTW. The accepted sailboat passage from the Cape of Good Hope to the Mediterranean, is to head NW across the Atlantic almost to Brazil before heading for the Azores or Europe.

This is correct.

[JeanneP]

Originally Posted by MMNETSEA

BTW. The accepted sailboat passage from the Cape of Good Hope to the Mediterranean, is to head NW across the Atlantic almost to Brazil before heading for the Azores or Europe.

Hmm, decent recovery. How much longer from Christmas Island to the Med would it be around the Cape and across the Atlantic and then back across the Atlantic than direct and up the Red Sea?

[Frank]

Considering that if you try to go the Red Sea route the odds are that you will spend several years eating rice and fish in Somalia and never see you boat again I would think the Cape route would be a whole lot faster. I can't understand why anyone would now even remotely consider sailing into the NW Indian Ocean. http://www.icc-ccs.org/home/piracy-r...iracy-map-2010

The question should be 'Which Cape?'

[MMNETSEA]

Originally Posted by JeanneP

Hmm, decent recovery. How much longer from Christmas Island to the Med would it be around the Cape and across the Atlantic and then back across the Atlantic than direct and up the Red Sea?

Sorry, do not understand the the above question/s

[Frank]

Originally Posted by JeanneP

Hmm, decent recovery. How much longer from Christmas Island to the Med would it be around the Cape and across the Atlantic and then back across the Atlantic than direct and up the Red Sea?

Hello Jeanne,

Probably about the same time.... the Atlantic is pretty skinny around the Equator...

Up until you are crossing the doldrums it would be the same in both cases... then you are in almost the same longitude as the Azores and not that far west of the longitude of Gibraltar.

A shorter trip in miles than going to the US.... but probably slower... although having just consulted my copy of Hiscock's 'Voyaging under Sail' it would seem that 2 weeks Azores to Gib is quite achievable.