Around-the-World Sailing Guide

Around-the-World Sailing Guide.

Copyright 2016 Alan Phillips

Published by Alan Phillips at Smashwords

License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 2 THE OVERVIEW

CHAPTER 3 YEAR 1 From Canary Islands to New Zealand

CHAPTER 4 YEAR 2 New Zealand to Thailand

CHAPTER 5 YEAR 3 From Thailand to Canary Islands

CHAPTER 6 OTHER ROUTES

PART B

CHAPTER7. YOU AND THE CREW

1 THE PHILOSOPHY

2 MENTAL PREPARATION

3 THE REAL PROBLEMS

PIRATES AND AXE MURDERS

5. WHALE ATTACKS.

6 THE CREW

7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

8 THINGS YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO

9 THE HARDEST BITS

10 THE EASIEST PASSAGES

11 THE MOST ENJOYABLE BITS

12 THE LEAST ENJOYABLE BITS

13 THE MOST EXPENSIVE PLACES

14 THE LEAST EXPENSIVE PLACES

15 CULTURAL THINGS

16 SINGLEHANDING

17. THE CRUISING COUPLE

18. PARANOIA

19. THE QUESTIONS MOST ASKED

20. THE PERSONAL QUALITY MOST NEEDED

21. RESPONSIBILITY

CHAPTER 8. LIFESTYLE; THE TRICK

THE TRICK

1 COSTS AND FINANCIALS.

2 COMMUNICATION AND ENTERTAINMENT

3 KIDS AND PETS ONBOARD

4 SICKNESS & INJURY & SAFETY

5 FISHING

6 YOUR CLOTHES

7 WATER

8. FOOD, COOKING AND EATING

9. POLITICAL EFFECTS

10. IT IS A CHANGING WORLD

CHAPTER 9 THE BOAT

1 THE BOAT

2. TOYS ( SEDUCTIONS )

3. DAMAGE AND MAINTENANCE

5. THE TOILET

6 SAIL REPAIRS

7THE ENGINE

8. THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS

9. LISTS; SPARE PARTS, TOOLS & BOOKS

10. FILLING THE PROPANE BOTTLE

11. THE DINGHY

12. GETTING WORK DONE ON THE BOAT

13 WALLABY CREEK 1993

CHAPTER 10 THE WEATHER

THE TRADE WINDS

THE EQUATORIAL TROUGH (DOLDRUMS)

VARIABLES

WESTERLIES

SEASONAL WINDS AND MONSOONS

DEPRESSIONS

DAILY SEA BREEZES AND LAND BREEZES

KATABATIC WINDS

HURRICANE SEASONS

FOG and ICE

OCEAN CURRENTS

CORAL WATERS

OCEAN WAVES

AVERAGE CONDITIONS

CHAPTER 11. SAILING THE BOAT

1 PASSAGE PLANNING

2 NAVIGATION

3 SPEED

TRADEWIND SAILING

4. ANCHORING

5. BERTHING YOUR BOAT

6. WATCHKEEPING.

7. HOW TO COIL ROPES AND CLEAT ROPES.

8. PRACTICAL HEAVY WEATHER SAILING

9. LIGHTNING

10. KNOTS

12. CROSSING BARS

13 HURRICANE TACTICS

14. TURNING BACK

15. A PRAYER

16. FIRE

17 BECALMED

18. MAN OVERBOARD

19 LOSS OF RUDDER.

20. LOSS OF MAST

21. BUOYAGE SYSTEM

22. RULES OF THE ROAD.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Living is dangerous. Cars crash, diseases appear from nowhere, loved ones die, careers evaporate. There is no safety. Misfortune can hit anywhere anytime. There is nowhere to hide.

The more you try, the more vulnerable you are. So do not waste your life trying to be protected. Instead set out to live. We have only one life, only one chance to live. If we do not live it, it is gone and wasted.

Why not think of the joys of living a full and interesting life? Why not throw your financial caution to the wind and sail off around the world?

Have the courage to live.

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION.

The Milk Run is the easiest and warmest possible route to circumnavigate the world.

If you are thinking about sailing around the world and if your object is to sail as easily and safely and warmly as possible with a minimum of hardship and a maximum of pleasure, then you need to take the Milk Run Route

The Milk Run Route uses the trade winds to cross the major oceans and avoids tropical revolving storms (i.e. hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons).

There are variations of this plan but the critical planning factors which must be considered are the following;

CRITICAL PLANNING FACTORS

You must use the trade winds to cross the major oceans.

(The trade winds blow in winter).

You must stay out of the hurricane areas.

(Hurricanes occur in summer).

The Mediterranean is best in the summer.

The Red Sea is best in spring.

CROSSING LATITUDES

The winter trade winds blow between latitudes 3-30 degrees. ( Both in the North and South Hemispheres).

In the southern hemisphere you go during April to November. (winter)

In the northern hemisphere you go in the northern winter. Most Atlantic crossings occur after Xmas.

The major problem is to not get caught in a hurricane. These occur in the same latitudes as the trade winds but in the opposite season.

Cyclones in Northern Australia occur Xmas until March.

In the Caribbean they occur June until October.

The effect of these rules turns out to be really good -You always sail towards the west in nice warm comfortable conditions.

The circumnavigation is 27,000 nautical miles. At four knots you would average 100 miles a day taking nine months to complete your circumnavigation. Because you are a cruising sailor following the seasons you would normally take three years.

To complete your circumnavigation to this timetable in a cruising yacht you will need to be prepared to motor/motorsail 35% of the time. Also to keep to this timetable you will need to be out on the ocean sailing your yacht at least 20% of the time.

Where it is possible to day sail you will need to be sailing at least 60% of the days available. It sounds easy but it is not. That is a lot more sailing then the average yachtie is prepared to do. Most yachties extend the time available to have a slower and more enjoyable experience. Sailing as slow and easy as possible keeps the drama to a minimum.

At each port you need a full day to check-in, a couple of days to rest and recover, a couple of days to explore the town to find the good food and fuel, change some money, carry food and fuel and water. What is the use of all the hardship of traveling if you do not have time to make friends, have meals with the locals, spend lazy boozy afternoons and evenings comparing experiences or shooting the breeze with other yachties. For me stopping my boat for less than a week seems like I am rushing and I should have stayed home and gone to work everyday.

Many yachties take 10 years or more for a more relaxed and enjoyable circumnavigation.

For the purposes of this book I am starting the voyage on New Years Day at Canary Islands on the Eastern side of the Atlantic Ocean. So the first passage is the Atlantic crossing from Europe to the Americas.

Obviously, YOU will not be starting from the Canary Islands. It is a circular route which you can get on and off as you choose.

Americans come down the California coast and out to French Polynesia in March/April.

Or from the East coast they leave Florida and cross the Caribbean then sail through Panama Canal and out into the Pacific in April.

Europeans leave from Gibraltar in November. Australians leave from Darwin in June.

On this schedule, you could;

leave the Mediterranean in November

cross the Atlantic in January

leave Panama in April

arrive in Australia or New Zealand in November.

The second year would take you up to Thailand. Or down to South Africa.

The third year would be across the Indian Ocean up the Red Sea and across the Mediterranean.

If a Xmas in New Zealand another in Puckett and another in Canary Islands sound good to you then this is the cruise you should be planning.

This will all become clearer as you study the following chapters.

CHAPTER 2

THE OVERVIEW

YEAR 1

EUROPE TO NEW ZEALAND

13,000 MILES

START… Canary Islands

JANUARY…Atlantic Ocean

FEBRUARY.. Caribbean

MARCH…Caribbean

APRIL..Panama Canal

MAY..Pacific Ocean

JUNE.. French Polynesia

JULY..French Polynesia

AUGUST..French Polynesia

SEPTEMBER…French Polynesia

OCTOBER. .Cook Islands

NOVEMBER .Tonga

DECEMBER..New Zealand

Leave Canary Islands as soon as possible in the New Year. It will take around three weeks to cross the Atlantic Ocean. From Canary Islands you drop south until you pick up the trade winds; then set your autopilot for the Caribbean and relax for the best sailing of your life.

At stages, day after day after day will go by when you never even touch a sail or a rope. This is all at four knots with the wind behind you. It is fabulous and fantastic lifestyle.

You now have a couple of months to get across the Caribbean Sea to Panama.

From Panama you go south across the equator until you reach the winter tradewinds, which will blow you across the South Pacific Ocean from Galapagos to French Polynesia, to Cook Islands, to Tonga and then New Zealand.

These winds blow between April and October.

So you could leave Panama in April, have a stop at Galapagos on the equator, and pick up the winds of the southern hemisphere in early May.

The Pacific Ocean is great sailing; good fresh winds and glorious tropical islands. Truly it is the greatest paradise on earth.

Sail six months visiting all those South Pacific islands and in November drop down to New Zealand where you will be south of the cyclones. It is nice and warm there in the southern summer. It is a great place to spend Xmas.

YEAR 2

NEW ZEALAND TO THAILAND

5,000 MILES

START.. New Zealand

JANUARY ..New Zealand

FEB to JUNE .Australia

JULY Indonesia

AUGUST Indonesia

SEPTEMBER…Indonesia

OCTOBER….Singapore

NOVEMBER….Malaysia

DECEMBER .Thailand

In the New Year you could cross to Sydney and explore the Aussie coast slowly northwards. Until the cyclone season finishes and the trade winds start again in April stay south of Bundaberg.

Then you have the rest of the year to sail Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore to Thailand. Thailand is another great place to spend another Xmas.

YEAR 3

THAILAND TO CANARY ISLANDS

9,000 MILES

START...Thailand

JANUARY..Sri Lanka

FEBRUARY..India

MARCH..Yemen

APRIL MAY & JUNE to Suez Canal

JULY to OCTOBER…Mediterranean Sea

NOVEMBER-Gibraltar

DECEMBER-Canary Islands

In the northern winter the trade winds will blow all the way from Thailand past Sri Lanka, Maldives and India to the Red Sea. Be in the Red Sea by the 1st April because that is when the trade winds finish in the Indian Ocean.

Now the Red Sea is next. It is difficult because the winds will be against you. By now it is springtime and it is the best possible time of year for this passage.

Unless you are in a real hurry you should take around 10-12 weeks to get to Suez Canal. This is the hardest part of the entire circumnavigation.

You need a strong boat, excellent anchors and lots of patience.

Also this is the most interesting and exciting part of your world circumnavigation. Do not even think about the political problems as they do not affect you at all. The weather is bad but the exploring and discovering is superb. It is possibly the best in the world. There is a whole new culture here that will uncover new delights at every turn. Definitely do not miss the countries of Arabia. And open your mind as it is nothing like home. Isn’t this why we travel?

That schedule will put you in the Med before the end of June. You have six months to cross the Med and get back to the Canary Islands ready to cross the Atlantic Ocean in January.

The Mediterranean is not good for sailing. There is usually no wind at all. When the wind does blow it is often too strong to use and you will be forced to seek shelter. Also the most likely breezes that may blow will be from the west and will blow against you. Be prepared once again to use your motor. You only need to average around 16 miles per day. I like to spend my mornings motoring to the next harbour, and my afternoons joining in with the cappuccino and chardonnay society. The harbours are interesting and easily accessible but expensive. There are often good free anchorages in the lee of the harbour wall. When you do need to use a marina the cost will be up around 50 euros per night. You do often need to use the marinas as the weather in the Med is difficult and unpredictable.

I passed through Gibraltar in November and had an enjoyable month exploring Morocco and then another month in Canary Islands.

There it is, your circumnavigation completed. It is pleasant, it is warm and it is unlikely that you will ever experience winds of gale force.

SUMMARY

° SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

TRADEWINDS..APRIL-OCT..LATITUDE.. 3-25

CYCLONES..NOV-MARCH..LATITUDE.. 7-25

° NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

TRADEWINDS NOV-MARCH. LATITUDES..3-25

HURRICANES APRIL-OCT.. LATITUDES ..-25

SUMMARY OF STARTING POINTS:

From USA you leave from Mexico or Panama heading west across the Pacific Ocean towards Australia. Start this passage on 1 st April.

From Europe get yourself through Gibraltar in November and set out across the Atlantic Ocean from Canary Islands around Xmas.

From Australia plan to leave from Darwin in June.

Sea Surface Temperatures

CHAPTER 3

YEAR 1

ATLANTIC OCEAN AND CARIBBEAN SEA

This year is the biggest year of the entire trip for ocean miles. You will sail across the two biggest oceans on earth. You are going to sail around 13,000 miles this year with five full months at sea.

The Atlantic crossing in the trade wind belt is from Canary Islands to the Caribbean in the northern winter. In the North Atlantic Ocean the trade winds blow from November to April between latitudes 3 degrees to 25 degrees. Then the hurricanes can occur in the northern summer between latitudes 5 degrees and 30 degrees. They are most dangerous from August to October.

The Pacific Ocean crossing from Panama to New Zealand is in the southern winter. Then through Panama Canal and down into the Southern Hemisphere looking for the trade winds in the southern winter from April to October between latitudes 3 degrees and 25 degrees. The cyclones (hurricanes) occur in this ocean in the southern summer from November to March between latitudes 5 degrees and 25 degrees. They are most dangerous from January to March.

THE SCHEDULE LOOKS LIKE THIS:

Start into the Atlantic Ocean

Leave on 2nd January year 1

Allow 22 Days to cross the Atlantic Ocean

Arrive Barbados between 20- 30th January

Leave Barbados on 1st February

Arrive Trinidad on 3rd February

Leave Trinidad 15th February

Cruise the islands of Venezuela 10 days

Arrive Bonaire on 26th February

Arrive Curacao on 2nd March

Arrive Panama Canal on 15th March

Transit Panama Canal.

Start into the Pacific Ocean

.

Leave Panama around 10th April

Arrive Galapagos Islands on 21st April

Leave Galapagos Islands on 1st May

Arrive Marquises on 24th May

Leave Curacao by 5th March

Cruise in French Polynesia until 22 Sept.

Arrive Cook Islands on 1st October

Leave Cook Islands on14th October

Arrive Tonga on 19th October

Leave Tonga on 8th November

Arrive New Zealand on 18th November

This schedule gives you four months cruising in French Polynesia as well as two weeks in Cook Islands and two weeks in Tonga. Ten days in Galapagos may be enough. Also you may want to move slower in the Caribbean as the hurricanes will not occur before June. You must be on the last passage into New Zealand by November.

THE ATLANTIC ROUTE

THE ATLANTIC OCEAN FROM CANARY ISLANDS TO THE CARIBBEAN.

This is the route taken by Christopher Columbus when he set off on his voyage of discovery to America. On four voyages his fastest passage time was 21 days.

You can start from Las Palmas on Gran Canaria Island at Canary Islands. Every year for Xmas and New Year there is a good yachtie party in the marina at Las Palmas on Canary Islands. After you are recovered, load up and get going. Let's say, aim to leave on the 2nd January or even earlier.

Or nowadays you can join a rally. At this time of the year there is a rally called the ARC (Atlantic Rally of Cruisers). About 200 yachts sail across in company. Joining together with hundreds of others gives a feeling of security and safety. Many inexperienced people like to start out doing this. They usually leave in the last week of November with a plan to be across for Xmas in Saint Lucia.

I am writing this book as I do my circumnavigation. So today is 10th January 2005. I am 1,200 miles out from Canary Islands. The boat is sailing at 7.1 knots. Average speed so far is just under 6 knots.

I set out from Gran Canaria with full genoa and mainsail. On the first night I took down the mainsail as it was a gusty night and the boat was straining to broach and round up in the 3-4 meter waves and following winds. I cruised then only under genoa until today which is the ninth day out.

This morning I put up the other headsail on the spinnaker pole on the starboard (windward) side. So now we are wing and wing under twin headsails. The wind steering system is working hard but doing a good job. The conditions are exactly as expected. That is force 5-6 out from the Canaries reducing to force 4 now that we are below 20 degrees latitude and approaching the half way point. It was cold for the first week but now we are back in shorts and t-shirts and enjoying the tropical winter sun.

I have a new crew with me. That first night out they appeared to all be totally disorientated and seasick. I was probably a bit tense also on the first night of this long voyage. During the night when Wallaby Creek was surging wildly in the Atlantic rollers I decided that she needed to get the main sail off to avoid an uncontrolled broach. I was on deck alone and I did not want to risk my inexperienced crew coming on deck in the rough conditions and not knowing where the ropes were. So I went to the mast and completely released the main halyard. The sail was straining tight against the mast so nothing happened. Then I returned to the steering position, released the wind-vane steering system and putting the helm full over I turned her up into the wind. She turned quickly in her own length and as we went about a roller took us on the beam and threw us down. There were cries of anguish from below as half the crew flew out of their beds and hit the floor. Then the wind came out of the sail and it rattled down. A wave took us on the other side and the rest of the crew were launched into flight. I swung her back on course downwind and she immediately felt much better as she was pulled through the water by the genoa. Within a half hour the cries of anguish had settled down and I could contemplate a wonderful night doing what I love.

Now the Atlantic Ocean has a fearsome reputation. The main reason for this is because America is on one side and Europe on the other. Every time there is a storm lots of people hear about it.

In actual fact in this trip of yours around the world the Atlantic Ocean is the very least of your problems. In January it is a pussy cat. In November it is even calmer. It may start out a little rough, you may have your wet weather gear on and you may be seasick. However, as you swoop southwards towards the trade winds everything will steadily improve. You will get warm, the sun will shine, and the wonderful following trade winds will skim you along with not a worry in the world. What you really need here is a good bread recipe. The best time of each day is when the bread comes steaming hot from the oven to the table. Just the smell of the hot baking bread lifts the spirits of nervous sailors.

Mix three cups of plain flour with a teaspoon of yeast, a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of sugar. Add two tablespoons of cooking oil and a cup of tepid water. Knead for ten minutes and leave in a warm place for an hour. Then punch hard, knead for a minute, shape into a loaf and place in an oiled pan for an hour. Bake at 240 for 45 minutes. Start this process at 9.00 am an there will be hot delicious bread for lunch.

It is a simple process involving only 15 minutes of work and the results are well worth the effort.

From the Canary Islands you need to make south to waypoint 20N x 25W. From here you can fully utilize the miracle of nature called trade winds. At latitude 20 degrees get your twin headsails working, steer towards the destination, punch on the automatic steering system, make yourself a large rum cocktail and enjoy a marvellous sailing adventure. This is as good as it gets.

It is not quite that easy. There are a few things to think about. Firstly when to leave? Before Xmas or after?

You can plan to leave in late November and do most of the passage in December arriving in the Caribbean for a calypso Xmas. Or you can wait in the Canary Islands until after Xmas.

The December passage will be slower and calmer and warmer then in January. In January the winds are more developed and will blow stronger with less chance of a calm period.

The January passage can be done at speeds in excess of 5 knots with just one good headsail flying. In Nov/Dec you will need the extra poled out headsail and will also probably get a couple of days or a week stopped waiting for wind. Also in January you can follow the rhumb line more closely and reduce the distance sailed as the trade winds blow at higher latitudes. Before Xmas you will need to get south as fast as possible as that is your best chance of finding wind.

This last time I did this passage was in January 2005. I was ready to leave on 1st January. My plan was to wait and only leave when there was a good north wind blowing. Otherwise if I leave on another wind I may be forced to sail westward and then I could be left out there at a latitude above the tradewinds. Then I will be rolling around getting seasick or burning diesel. This is not a good thing to do in the first part of a long passage.

The prevailing wind at Canary Islands is North-East so the wait should not be more than a week at most. Then if I can quickly and easily get down past 20 degrees latitude I can then afford to hang about waiting for the tradewinds because I know that they will surely blow soon. And blow me all the way to the Caribbean. That is it. That is my plan. Not very highly complicated is it?

It will take around three weeks from Canary Islands to Barbados. It is 2,800 miles. Remember that pushing yourself and the boat to make miles every day takes most of the fun and relaxation from the voyage. It can be a spiritual experience if you allow yourself time to really relax and enjoy it.

If you are lucky you may get a week or two of no wind. What a great experience it is to spend a week drifting in perfect calm on this mighty ocean.

I recently met an Englishman here in the Canary Islands who was planning on taking six weeks to cross. He said that he enjoyed being at sea. He often took down his sails at night and went to bed. He also did not sail the boat in heavy weather. He simply stayed in bed with a good book. He would rather spend a few weeks extra and enjoy making love to his nice Brazilian girlfriend than spend his time striving to get the miles. I really respect this guy as one of the most sensible sailors that I have met this whole year.

The apparent wind speed on your deck will be a little over 10 knots for most of this voyage. The weather will be settled with light blue sky and clouds that look like fluffy cotton balls covering around 20% of the sky. After leaving Canaries the weather will settle, get warmer and the seas smoother every day. You should set out with a reef in your mainsail and then just roll your genoa in and out to suit the daily conditions.

After you get to the waypoint at 20 degrees latitude and turn more west put your mainsail to bed and pole out another headsail on the starboard side. If you do decide to carry a spinnaker then this is the most likely crossing where you will be inclined to use it. But you need to be vigilant as squalls are possible as are steady wind increases to over 30 knots. If the winds do increase to thirty knots as they sometimes do you should get the poled-out sail in very early, say before 20 knots, and then simply roll your genoa in and out to keep her going steadily and comfortably forward. Nothing could be safer or easier. Your steering system, whatever it is, will be under no stress and the crew will feel every confidence in the skipper. There is no tendency to broach even when an unexpectedly large wave suddenly arrives. Maybe it is true that every thirteenth wave is a double and that at least once a day you will experience a really huge wave. This is the one minute a day for which your boat has to be securely rigged.

Also remember that a serious breakage (say the mast) early in the passage may put your life at risk. So take it easy sailor!

It takes more than 24 days at average 4.5 knots. I last took 22 days at average 5.3 knots and I took it all real easy in January.

WAYPOINTS AND NAVIGATION FOR ATLANTIC CROSSING

START Las Palmas Harbour 28°07’N x 15°23.4’W

Sail south around the island of Gran Canaria in daylight.

The intermediate waypoint where you can expect to find the trades is 20°N x 25°W

From this waypoint you can steer to Barbados south coast 13°N x 59°30’W

Follow the coast to the harbour 13°06.5’ x 59°38.0’.

The total distance is 2,800 miles

AVERAGE CONDITIONS EXPECTED IN ATLANTIC CROSSING IN JANUARY

AVERAGE WIND SPEED/ DIRECTION 15 Knots @ 77

AVERAGE CURRENT SPEED/DIRECTION 0.6 Knot @ 253

AVERAGE WAVE HEIGHT IN METRES (FEET) 2.00 (6.5)

AVERAGE AIR TEMPERATURE Degrees C (F) 21 (75)

AVERAGE SEA TEMPERATURE Degrees C (F) 21 (74)

AVERAGE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE 1017 Millibars

AVERAGE PERCENT CHANCE OF GALES 1 %

AVERAGE PERCENT CHANCE OF CALMS 2%

AVERAGE WIND SPEEDS LESS THAN 10 KNOTS 3-5 DAYS

AVERAGE NUMBER OF HOURS TO RUN MOTOR 1-3 Days

ANGLE OF BOAT TO WIND 150 Degrees from Starboard

AVERAGE BOAT SPEED 5.0 knots

AVERAGE DAYS FOR PASSAGE 22 Days

BRIDGETOWN HARBOR

Bridgetown Barbados.

Brief Description; Barbados is the traditional landfall for yachts seeking the shortest trade wind route across the Atlantic Ocean.

Barbados is a great stop after all those weeks at sea. It is green and tropical. The people are the first of the lively happy Caribbean calypso people who you will meet. They speak English, but wow they make it sound like poetry. They love to sing and dance. There is good shopping and good restaurants. Every day at least one big cruise ship disgorges hundreds of tourists into the town so much of the shopping is excellent with an emphasis on jewellery. There are discos and music on the beach.

Approach; I prefer to approach around the south of the island. The chart shows that the ocean depths come up to relative shallows along this south coast. I was expecting that there would be a drastic change in the sea state as the bottom came up from the ocean depths. In fact there was no discernable change and I sailed in without the slightest problem. I stayed a couple of miles off and felt comfortable and safe.

Nav Aids; The only thing you must remember is that they use the American system with the red on the right and the green on the port side. The lights were all working both times when I came through. There are left and right hand buoys near the harbour entrance. Also, a lighthouse on the south coast.

Harbour Entry; Call the harbour control as you approach on channel 16 (or 13) to ask permission to enter the harbour for entry formalities.

This harbour is a safe and easy entry. Go in behind the first wall on your right and tie up against the wall in the very back of the harbour near the tug boats. It can be uncomfortable here sometimes when the wind swirls around the island from the north. The officials are right there on the wharf at the cruise terminal. A night entry would be possible.

Anchorage; Most yachts move out and anchor in Carlisle Bay the lovely sandy bay just to the south. Or with permission from the harbour master you can stay in the commercial harbour against the wall.

You probably will not be able to find a berth in the Careenage near the centre of town. This was the original harbour from the days of old but is now crowded with local boats.

Tides; The tidal range is one meter (three feet).

Facilities; There are not a lot of yacht services here. There is a sail maker and there are all the normal hardware and metalworking industries. Specialist yacht equipment will probably have to come by courier from USA or Trinidad.

Formalities; Customs, Health and Immigration officers are all on the wharf in the cruise terminal 24 hours a day. It all takes a couple of hours and costs around US$50 depending on the number of visas.

Weather; Glorious!

Geography; It is the most easterly of the Lesser Antilles. It is the only one of the windward islands that is not volcanic. It is actually formed from coral limestone. This limestone means that there are not many rivers and no surface water. There are deep ravines cut into the limestone and plenty of underground reserves of excellent water. Other limestone features are the cave systems, with stalactites and stalagmites. The western coast is well endowed with sandy beaches, the eastern coast more rugged. Barbados has no natural deep-water harbours and is largely surrounded by coral reefs. It has a flat coastal plain with hills in the interior. The highest point is Mt Hillaby at 340 m (1,100 ft).

The soil is fertile and sugar cane is grown extensively.

History; When the Spanish first arrived there were Indians on this island. They later disappeared. Then the British started to appear and they have held it ever since. Barbados never changed hands during its colonial history and its traditions are British mixed with African. It is very British. Cricket has traditionally been the national game.

Barbados is a constitutional monarchy with two legislative houses. The head of state is the British monarch, represented by a governor-general. The head of government is the prime minister.

People; There are 280,000 Negroid people descended from the African slaves and mixed with English. These are Calypso people. The population density of 649 persons per sq km (1,682 per sq mi) is one of the highest in the world. 50% of the people live a rural lifestyle. About 80 per cent of the population is black, another 16 per cent of the population is of mixed ethnic origin, and 4 per cent is white. There are no Native Americans

Language; English is the official language. I found that everybody spoke English. However, it is spoken as a mother tongue by only around 13,000 people. Barbadian Creole English is the preferred language, spoken by the majority of the population

Money; Things are expensive but not outrageous. The money is the Barbados dollar. (2.08 Barbados dollars equalled US$1 in 2005).

Travel; Things to do & see; The local buses go all over the island. They are cheap. This is the best way to meet the locals as they are friendly and the people on the bus will talk to you. Cricket is the national sport. Barbados offers excellent opportunities for swimming, windsurfing and surfing, water-skiing, scuba-diving, and snorkelling. The country's extensive coral reefs are popular with divers, and there are three sunken ships offshore for underwater exploration. Sunday and holiday picnics at the beach are popular. Barbadian folk songs and calypso and dancing play an important part in Barbadian life. The music they prefer is made by the steel bands. The instruments are tuned oil drums that are struck with rubber-headed drumsticks.

The University of West Indies Cave Hill Campus is here. The statue of the British admiral Horatio Nelson at Trafalgar Square is a major landmark. The historic Careenage and an 18th-century Anglican cathedral are worthy of exploration. The international cricket matches and other sports events are held at nearby Garrison Savannah.

Time zone; -4

Food; The restaurants and supermarkets are good. They are very welcome after all those weeks at sea. Barbadian cuisine combines African and English traditions. The national dish of Barbados is couscous (made of okra and cornmeal) served with flying fish or salted cod. Lobster, shrimp, dorado (a large game fish), red snapper, turtle, tuna, and the crane chubb fish are also enjoyed. White sea urchin eggs are considered a delicacy. Mangoes, papaya, bananas, cucumbers, guavas, avocados, and coconuts, as well as pumpkins, tomatoes, aubergines, breadfruit, and numerous other fruit and vegetables are grown in Barbados. Local dishes include jug-jug (Guinea maize and green peas), pepper pot (a spicy stew), and conkies (cornmeal, coconut, pumpkin, raisins, sweet potatoes, and spice steamed in a banana leaf). Black-bellied sheep and goats provide meat, and cows and goats provide milk.

Fast food and pizza are also available.

Of Interest; The yacht club at the south of the sandy beach in the bay is an interesting place to have a beer. I found the locals to be nice and friendly.

Dangers; I heard a story of one yachtie who anchored out on the fringing reefs. The rangers found his anchor on the coral and he suffered a $10,000 fine for damaging the coral.

Dinghy Landing; If you are out in the harbour you may need a taxi to get into town as the walk is hot and tiring.

When I was anchored off the beach I found that usually the waves were too rough to land the dinghy on the beach. Sometimes we swam ashore. Usually we took the dinghy into the careenage. It is really a little river right in the heart of the town. Go under the first bridge and tie up on the right side between the two bridges.

If you want to get to Trinidad for carnival then you will have to hurry.

THE CARIBBEAN SEA 1,400 miles

THE CARIBBEAN

The name of the sea is derived from the Carib people, who inhabited the area when Spanish explorers arrived there in the 15th century. The Caribbean is approximately 2,415 km (1,500 mi) from east to west and between about 640 and 1,450 km (400 and 900 mi) from north to south. The entire Caribbean Basin is more than 1,830 m (6,000 ft) deep. Large areas of the sea exceed 3,660 m (12,000 ft) in depth. Navigation is open and clear, making the Caribbean a major trade route for Latin American countries. The main oceanic current in the Caribbean Sea enters the sea at the south-eastern extremity and flows in a generally north-western direction.

In the winter the trade winds blow across this area. In the summer hurricanes can rage everywhere except in the very south. For us in this month the currents and the winds will be very favourable.

Now that you have completed the Atlantic Ocean crossing you have to plan for your transit of the Panama Canal, cross the South Pacific Ocean and get to New Zealand before the cyclone season.

The choice you have is whether to carry straight on or to first spend a year or more in the Caribbean. Yachts that have a home on the east coast of America will head north from Trinidad after the carnival.

Across the Caribbean from Barbados to Panama Canal is a distance of 1,400 miles. If you are following this schedule you will have from 1st Feb to 15th March to complete this passage.

The trade winds in the South Pacific Ocean do not start until April. So you have six weeks to do 1,400 miles. In the prevailing wind you can sail at good speeds. Working on 130 miles per day you have ten days of continuous sailing to do and 45 days in which to do it.

You can hole-up for the summer hurricane season and spend a whole extra