Pacific Circumnavigation

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Revision as of 23:12, 22 August 2012

Passage - Pacific Circumnavigation

Around the Pacific Clockwise

The Pacific is the largest of the oceans of the world.

This section describes the passage around the Pacific Ocean - Clockwise.

Many cruisers are well familiar with the Eastern and Southern portions of this passage: The route from Mexico, the US, or perhaps coming via Panama on to French Polynesia and the islands of the South Pacific. Some cruisers are also well versed in traveling the equatorial islands and atolls of the western Pacific. However, it is a less common affair to exit the South Pacific to the North Pacific and complete the full circumnavigation of the Pacific Ocean. This trip is reported to be between 18,000 and 20,000 miles depending upon exact routing. At a reasonable minimum, it takes about 18 months, working with the weather windows, to complete the full Pacific Circumnavigation. It is a reasonable voyage for those cruisers seeking a worthwhile sailing sabbatical in less than two years. By and large, cruisers undertaking this passage are taking advantage of prevailing ocean currents and winds and will experience a wide range of sailing conditions, cultures, and land masses.

Departure Points

Possible departures from:

• British Columbia, Canada
• Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
• San Francisco, United States
• Panama
• Japan
• New Zealand

Route

There are several routes cruisers have taken to complete a Pacific circuit around both the North and South Pacific in a clockwise fashion. In 1972, renowned cruisers Hal and Margaret Roth chose the following route for what they called their 19 month, 18,538 mile Pacific Circumnavigation. It was their first "big" cruise undertaken. In sequence they traveled from *San Francisco, CA, USA to Guadalupe Island, or Isla Guadalupe, Mexico [1], French Polynesia The Marquesas, Tuamotus , Society Islands, Cook Islands ,Samoa, Elluce Atolls, Gilbert Islands, Caroline Islands, Guam, The Marianas, Kuyushu Japan, Hokkaido Japan, The Aleutians, The Queen Charlottes

More recently, in 2008, the MV Westward completed a 19 month 21,500 mile Pacific loop starting from Seattle, Washington. Their route progressed from

• Seattle departure, in February 2007, down the US West Coast to
• La Paz, Mexico (March–April 2007)
• Clarion Island, Mexico (May 2007)
• French Polynesia The Marquesas (June–July 2007)
• Tuamotus (July 2007)
• Society Islands (July–August 2007)
• Cook Islands (August 2007)
• Samoa (September 2007)
• Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Melanesia (Sept-December 2007)
• Kapingamarangi December 2007
• Caroline Islands of Pohnpei, Losap, Chuuk Ant Atoll, Oroluk Atoll, Micronesia (December 2007-January 2008)
• Guam and the Northern Marianas (January–March 2008)
• Chichi-jima Ogasawara Archipelago of Japan (March 2008)
• Honshu, Japan (March–May 2008)
• Busan, South Korea (May 2008)
• Return to Honshu, Japan (May–June 2008)
• Aleutian Islands Alaska (July 2008)
• Southeastern Alaska and the Inside Passage of British Columbia (July–August 2008)
• Home to Lake Union, Washington (September 1, 2008)

Charts

sources and lists...

Weather Windows

discussion needed

MY Westward shows that even motor vessels can sail in the trade winds of French Polynesia

Climate & Weather Information

The North Pacific and South Pacific Weather discussion needed

winds—currents—The circulation of the North Pacific surface currents resembles an ocean-sized gyre with the various currents moving in a clockwise direction around the perimeter of the North Pacific. The California Current feeds down into the North Equatorial Current which flows westward with an axis about 12 deg. North. The North Pacific Current splits into a southern branch (reverse direction and known as the Equatorial Countercurrent) and a northern branch which continues on clockwise up towards Taiwan and Japan. This then in turn feeds into the Kuro Shio, which seasonally sets to the NE during the SW monsoon season but reverses direction during winter during the NE monsoon. South Pacific?

Radio Nets

List radio Nets covering the Pacific.

References

Books, guides, etc.

Forum Discussions

List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)

External links

Links to relevant websites.

Personal Experiences

Personal experiences of this passage.

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