There’s no better way to discover life, and the adventure of different lands, than in an odyssey that spans the globe – it’s easier than you think!
Last August, it was revealed that a Welsh couple’s week-long sailing trip eventually turned into a 16-year tour around the world.
If that sounds outrageous to you, don’t be surprised – sailing across the globe isn’t actually that hard. Many leisure sailors can cover adventure routes within one season (about three months).
There are three criteria that must be met to qualify your trip as a round-the-globe circumnavigation. Firstly, you must pass through every Meridian (or line of longitude), connecting Earth’s two Polar Poles.
Secondly, your total distance travelled must at least equal the circumference of the Earth. Last but not least, at some stage the furthest points in your path must be at least the width of the Earth.
These may sound confusing and difficult but if you’re travelling leisurely, who’s really keeping track?
Time and Tide
Nonetheless, if you really do want to keep track and be a true circumnavigator, don’t fret. There are many routes that other adventurers have taken, and you can plan your journey around the world based upon them.
There is a wide range of routes, from sailing solely on the high seas to paths that cut across major canals. The Race Route, or Yacht Route, is populated with racing vessels trying to be the Usain Bolt of the sea. This route is designed to take you around the world as quickly as possible.
But I doubt that’s what you’d be sailing for. For me, I’d rather take a route closer to land – that’s where the real adventures are!
Land Ahoy!
Leisure sailors prefer the tropical seas on the more common Canal Route, which is guided by trade winds and arcs between the Panama and Suez Canals. Boats have covered the whole 15,000km within a season.
The Panama Canal cuts between the Americas, and the Suez Canal between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Other notable points along this course include Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Africa and the Mediterranean. This route gives you a more scenic journey, and allows for land stops at interesting ports of call.
Do note that these two passages – as the world’s two major canals – charge heavy tolls, and it’ll do well to research into this before charging in valiantly like Popeye the Sailor Man.
Wet Weather Plans
Sailing around the world can be scenic and idyllic, no doubt, but you’ll need weather plans too. What I really mean, if you don’t get it, is monsoon and typhoon emergency plans, since you’d actually be out on the high seas for long periods. It is of utmost importance to consider the seasons and weather patterns to plan your travel (and well-being) in certain regions.
For example, hurricane season rolls around in the Caribbean between June and November, so most vessels transit the Panama Canal in February and March. The South Pacific sports the best weather conditions from May to October.
There are elaborate plans available online should you plan to check this entry off your bucket list. Just remember to look out for weather forecasts and monsoon seasons! This is certainly one of if not the most difficult on a travel bucket list but it certainly promises one helluva adventure!
By Pamela Chow
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