Transpacific

[miffyanddougle]

If everyone is dismayed that there is another silly inexperienced person trying to achieve something way out of her limits, then I'm sorry, because this is probably what this is.

My friend and I are trying to travel the world without flying. Since Cruises and Freightships are so expensive we discovered that if we did the STCW '95 we would be able to work on yachts, it sounded like such a wonderful idea!

However, we had planned to go from Europe across Russia to Japan and down South to Australia/New Zealand, and thought we'd be able to find someone who'd take us with them across the Pacific Ocean. Until I read that it is very unlikely to cross from Australia to America and if you're doing it you're basically alone. But it did also say that you have a better chance of going from Japan to Canada/USA. So we scrapped our plans for Australia and thought we'd try from Japan instead.

Do you think that this would be reasonable? Will we be able to find someone who'd take us from Japan to North America? I hear that it also depends on the time of year. We'd be hoping to go around January - is this possible?

Or would we stand a much better chance of just changing all our plans and going in the other direction? Would finding travel from Europe to America and then America to Japan be a lot easier?

Sorry if this is a lot of questions, but I am desperate to find some help, and I think that this is the place that I can find it.

[MMNETSEA]

Where are you now ?

"Do you think that this would be reasonable? Will we be able to find someone who'd take us from Japan to North America? I hear that it also depends on the time of year. We'd be hoping to go around January - is this possible?"

In answer, yes it is possible - Only very few Typhoons around January - the water temp around Japan a bit cold. Okinawa in Southern Japan is one place where boats leave for North America :-



From there a passage to, say Midway Island is around 2900 nautical miles - the second leg to San Diego in Southern California is close to 3400nm - total without stopping 6,300nm - at an average speed of 5 knots = 53 days.

One can leave from Hokaido in Northern Japan - but in January at 44 degrees north - only for the very hardy and experienced.

Richard

P.S.

Here is a Web Site covering the facility for sail training in Okinawa it includes contact details,

where you might be able to get more info (in English) Click HERE

[miffyanddougle]

Thank you, currently I am in Scotland!

Wow, that does sound very challenging and a long time. Is it quicker travelling in the other direction? How long would it take to cross from Europe to North/South America say, and then North/South America to Asia/Australasia?

[MMNETSEA]

These questions are probably harder to answer. Maybe just as hard as : "How long is a piece of string?" Primarily, because at different times of the year sailboats can cross the oceans faster than at other times. Bigger boats are faster than smaller ones. Experienced crews can get the best out of a boat.

Where exactly is the destination and where are the stops on the way? - and - when? How much time is available?

[miffyanddougle]

Well, I basically have a year as I have to go to university next September.

Lets say we left the Mediterranean in September (and I'm guessing it's the most likely that we'll find someone going to the Carribean?) so that would be our first step.

Then we have plans to do community work in South America, as well as exploring parts of the USA and maybe Canada. Lets say that takes us about 5 months. Then (according to cruiser.co.za/crewfinder1.asp) we can leave the USA to go to the South Pacific in February. That would give us 5/6 months to get to China to go on the Trans Siberian in Russia to get back home through Europe...

Is this a little bit more helpful?

[JeanneP]

First, read a few topics on Cruiser Log. *Tips for Crew

Then,*Hitchhiking Across Oceans, where and when to find boats

That will answer almost all your questions.

I'll offer a few more hints.

It is a rare boat that will circumnavigate in a year, and then usually it's done without stopping for very long anywhere. *You will find that hitchhiking on a boat across the Pacific, for example, will mean jumping from boat to boat, since most of them want to spend a few weeks to a few months in each of the islands they stop at. *It's a rare cruising yacht that will cross the South Pacific ending in Australia the same year that they start out.

You will not find a responsible cruising yacht crossing the Atlantic from Europe to the Caribbean before the end of October or middle of November due to the risks and lack of insurance coverage since it's the hurricane season (hurricane season is from June 1 to December 1).

You will find almost no boats heading directly for SE Asia from the U.S. *A few will do it, but certainly not in the timetable you need. *Although some boats start leaving for the S. Pacific around February, the reality is that it will be significantly later for most boats, because cyclone season ends in the South Pacific in June, so most boats try to time their arrival in French Polynesia for *around late April or *May.

Sounds like a great idea, but accomplishing it in a year, with your lack of sailing or crewing experience, is probably not going to be successful.

Sorry to be the wet blanket. *I don't mean to discourage you completely, and hope that you succeed in your adventure.

Jeanne

[miffyanddougle]

Thanks Jeanne, I really appreciate your comments and had a feeling that this was what we were up against.

When you say that it is unlikely to find a yacht going from Europe to the Caribbean during the hurricane season from June to December, how come on the Hitchhiking the Ocean link, it says that the time of year is September to November then?

Also, can I quickly ask whether one will be more successful find a yacht to cross with at the harbour, on free forums and crew finding sites, or ones that you have to pay with such as crewseekers.net?