OCC Forums

A circuit of the North and South Atlantic in 12 -14 months?

https://forum.oceancruisingclub.org/Topic7389.aspx

By tomfb630 - 20 Jan 2023

I hope to sail such a circuit commencing in the early summer of 2023, departing from and returning to the UK and wondered if anyone had experience of undertaking such a circuit? If so I would be very interested in hearing from them, or from anyone who has sailed any of the major ocean passages involved - particularly the transequatorial legs - and who may therefore have useful comments to make on the practicality of the overall plan/leg. Thoughts on, 'must include' and 'best avoid' destinations along the route would also be most welcome.

The boat is a tradional long keeled fibreglass boat of 36 feet overall (a Biscay 36) and so will not be fast compared with moderen vessels of a similar size. I have used a 100 miles per day for passage planning purposes. We will have a crew of two and hopefully three for the second half of the circuit. We all have experience of ocean passage making in the North Atlantic and two of us have previously sailed a more traditional circuit to and from the Caribbean. The purpose this time, is to take a step-up from that experience in terms of challenge, but we do want to have 'time off' along the way to 'see the sights'. 

I've consulted Cornell's "World Cruising Routes" and Tom Morgan's "South Atlantic Circuit" and have come up with the following passage plan...

June - depart UK for Canaries/Cape Verde via Madeira
September - depart for NE Brazil
October/November - cruise Brazil southwards to say Baia da Ilha Grande
December - depart for Cape Town
2nd half of January and February - Explore Cape Town and surrounds
March - depart for St Helena
April - depart for Ascension
May - depart for Azores
June - Azores
July - Depart for UK

Thoughts and comments would be most welcome.