How long does a trip around the world take?

[lephil]

How long would it take to go from the Caribbean and back, going via the med and the suez canal, and through the panama canal. What would be the best direction? The best time to leave? and what and where would the most probable layovers be?

Hope you guys can help out!

Philip

[Gallivanters]

Phil,

I'm certainly no expert, but...

An excellent book on the subjest is WORLD CRUISING ROUTES by Jimmy Cornell and a quick downwind circumnavigation can be done in about 18 months if you are really hell-bent on doing so.

It'll be over before you know it, so be sure to take lots of pictures.

I've been trying to "connect the dots" since cutting my lines in Hawaii 12 years ago!

Been sailing west (mostly) and have only made it as far as the Caribbean.

Too many plesant distractions in places like Australia, Palau, the Philippines, Borneo, Malaysia, Thailand, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Malta, Spain and the Caribbean keep hanging me up and slow forward progress.

Yet, somehow, I've logged 25,000 nautical miles & smiles along the way... while loving life to it's fullest and have been rewarded with a lovely wife, a bigger boat and a fine son while enjoying life "Out Here". The ultimate souveneirs of a great cruisnig adventure!

Why the rush?

Kirk

[Nausikaa]

I agree with Kirk. For small vessels, Jimmy Cornell's book is the definitive work in this regard . You can also look at the British Admiralty publication, 'Ocean Passages of the World'. This was printed for larger vessels but is a good source of information regarding weather, wind and ocean currents.

In the States, NIMA also publish pilot charts. Many of these are downloadable free of charge.

The route you plan is workable, although my choice would be to go west about. Heading eastwards you will be bucking the winds and currents in the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans unless you head to higher latitudes, which will probably also mean worse weather. The Indian Ocean should not be a problem at any time of year as you will be on a reach from the Gulf of Aden irrespective of the monsoon (i.e. NE or SW).

Again, to back up Kirk, why the rush? If time is a limiting factor, my choice would be to not try to go so far but to explore an more restricted area in more detail.

Aye,

Stephen

Yacht NAUSIKAA

Have a look at the "Books" page on this site at http://www.cruiser.co.za/books.asp

The shopping is done through Amazon.com (the prices are great and we get a very small commission which helps towards our hosting costs) - on the "Books" page I have narrowed the mind-boggling search down to books on the topic of sailing/cruising/boating to assist you.

Read up as much as you can.

Good luck.

[Jack Tyler]

This is indeed a Q similar to 'How long is a piece of string...?'

The Blue Water Rally, held every 2nd year, finds a group doing a

Circle in 16 months, from Gibraltar to Gibraltar. Cornell's "Routes" book offers a series of Circle schedules, the shortest being 18 months and dependent on leaving from certain regions. One couple we know took 12 years. A fellow we met in Malta this year has taken 8 years so far, San Francisco CA USA to Malta, west about.

Jack