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Thread: Around the World from West coast?

  1. #171
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
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    Santa Rosa
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    644

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    So I don't plan to sail around the world, but I can still think about what boat I might select. I think Dazzler's suggestion deserves a close look; Tom designs good boats and Westerly built good ones. The Fairweather 39 down south, too. I would forget old cruiser/racers because, well, they're old. And used. And probably passed through owners who haven't kept them up, kept their equipment current, and frankly mistreated them. Too much work, too much that could go wrong. Too much like the current batch of singlehanded rounders whose old boats are failing them.

    If I were serious about a circumnavigation I'd have to decide between speed and comfort. Speed would mean looking at boats more race dedicated than cruise oriented. If I wanted to sail on the edge and had the bucks, I'd be looking at recent ocean racing veterans and be prepared for minimum comfort (no teak). If I just wanted to "sail around the world" in a reasonable amount of time I'd look at the two boats above for starters. And several others that have been suggested.

  2. #172
    Join Date
    May 2015
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    907

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    Speed vs comfort: speed. My SHTP and experiences with Clipper set the standard for comfort so there's no need to sweeten the deal there.

    About the Wylie 39 ... it's not the first to come on my radar, the 3rd in fact. I think each boat was built to different standards, based on my conversation with Tom Wylie. He thought the boat was not strong enough, nor had enough ballast. Would this Wylie 39 Marishanna be of a strong built, i.e. it was put together for offshoring, breaking waves, knock downs, capsizes, etc.?

  3. #173
    Join Date
    May 2015
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    I just played with OpenCPN again to figure out distance. It looks like rounding a buoy off Argentina's Bahia Bianca can give me 21,760 miles (which looks like what other westbound RTW use at the WSSRC). Then looking at Windy.tv and trying to line up a route with the trades I'm down for 26,000 miles. At the 5.4 kts average that's 200 days.

    Also I've been checking windy.tv here and there for the past months. Mostly I'll be sailing downwind in 10-15 kts. The key exception would be rounding the Horn. So then should I find a boat that performs well in the conditions I'll have 80% of the time, or one that will be comfortable for 5% of the time? Do we have a case of "The Oak and the reed"? I keep thinking about the cases of small boats rounding Cape Horn westbound.

  4. #174
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Capitola,CA
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    3,338

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    Good food for thought, PJ. Of course you'd be happiest with a boat that is the fastest and most fun 80% of the time (downwind in 10-15.)

    As you know, the best timing is to be doubling the tip of Africa and the Horn in the Austral summer.

    Getting downwind fast isn't all reduced displacement. You gotta have increased sail area to match and the means to reduce sail area quickly to preserve your light sails in typical tradewind squalls.

    Stan Honey and many others have had great success sailing a Cal-40 to Hawaii. At >16,000 pounds they are not sleds...but downwind they are super. Super Fun. Here's one surfing a wave at "92 knots." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzmbjwSO80o

    I'm not advocating a Cal-40 for your challenge ....

    But maybe time to reinvestigate something like a SC-40, Olson 40, E-37, j-120, Wilderness 40. With a "penalty" pole and spinnaker (>J), you'd have all the horsepower you could wish, and ability to average 180 mi/day downwind in the trades, even with the furniture.
    Last edited by sleddog; 01-08-2019 at 01:59 PM.

  5. #175
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Arnold, CA
    Posts
    586

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    92 knots!!
    That's funny!!

    Isn't a westward rounding going to be more work? Going into the prevailing wind and seas?
    Admittedly I am not well versed in the weather patterns, but most RTW races go eastward with the wind and swell.

  6. #176
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Capitola,CA
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    Round the World westward from San Francisco would take one across the Pacific in the tradewinds (downwind), through the Torres Straits over the top of Aussie, downwind in the SE trades towards Mauritius/Madagascar.

    Thence around Cape Agulhas at the tip of Africa northwest (downwind) curving clockwise over the top of the South Atlantic High towards South America. Thence down the coast of South America and around Cape Horn. (in the Southern summer)

    From Cape Horn closehauled northwest in favorable Humboldt current into the SE trades, joining the NE trades north of the Equator. Thence close reaching towards the Pacific High, which probably won't be there 'cause it's early spring. With a final board between Hawaii and the mainland towards home. 80% downwind? Could be.

    RTW, west to east from France, as is traditionally done, takes one into the westerlies of the Southern Ocean after Africa, downwind in the Roaring 40's across the Indian Ocean and South Pacific. The further south you go, the less miles and more danger. <40 footers discouraged...

    My 2 cents. Not sure what PJ is thinking.

    A fun exercise for learning world wind patterns is to enter the Virtual Vendee Globe. It's free, but a few extra Euros will get you additional downwind sails and an autopilot that sails to the apparent wind rather than compass. The Virtual Vendee Globe is populated by half a million fanatical Frenchmen, intent on beating the real, at sea, Vendee Globe competitors, winning big cash, and joining on the podium with the heavy hitters. Only takes about 3 months of getting up at night and adjusting your course to the lastest weather forecast/polars. Not recommended for relationships.
    Last edited by sleddog; 01-09-2019 at 07:45 AM.

  7. #177
    Join Date
    May 2015
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    907

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    Quote Originally Posted by sleddog View Post
    My 2 cents. Not sure what PJ is thinking.
    That is my thinking. Looking at windy.tv these trade winds seem pretty well established. Although I will say that most of circumnavigators reading shows that often the prevailing winds deep South are replaced by gales on the nose. There are also plenty of area of variable light air (North of AUS, South of Madagascar, West of South Africa, etc.). That's why I'm thinking a boat that still moves in 2-5 kts of downwind breeze is preferable.

    It is to me more important to move at 2 kts instead of 1 kt for 24 hours of 2-5 kts of breeze then to move at 11 instead of 9 in 15-25 kts of breeze. Add reasonable performance close hauled in 30 kts with cross-seas on the nose, a price below 50k, then I've got my boat. Magic!

    Quote Originally Posted by sleddog View Post
    Not recommended for relationships.
    Yeah ... now imagine 7 months away at sea ...

  8. #178
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Berkeley Marina
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    154

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    Quote Originally Posted by sleddog View Post
    ....something like a SC-40...
    https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/198...ruz-40-3467447

    Local, and 50k ballpark depending on your negotiating skills...but then: sail inventory updates, safety gear, electronics updates...
    Includes coffee maker, though.

  9. #179
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    3,485

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    Ooohh!
    “Buyer may rent Santa Cruz slip for up to one year.”

  10. #180
    Join Date
    May 2015
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    907

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lanikai View Post
    https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/198...ruz-40-3467447

    Local, and 50k ballpark depending on your negotiating skills...but then: sail inventory updates, safety gear, electronics updates...
    Includes coffee maker, though.
    It is already under offer :-) Not mine.
    Last edited by jamottep; 01-10-2019 at 10:12 AM.

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