VI South Club Night - Sailing the South Indian Ocean and Around the Cape of Good Hope
by Peter McMartin 13 Sep 2018 17:23 UTC
Sailing the South Indian Ocean and Around the Cape of Good Hope © Bluewater Cruising Association
You've sailed the South Pacific and you are in New Zealand, Australia, or SE Asia—now what?!
Cresswell Walker and Irena Chmielowicz, aboard Conversations, took a less-travelled route home from the South Pacific and will share memories of the passage at our first Club night of the fall season.
One of the biggest barriers to sailing the South Pacific, and onward around the world in most people's minds is the leg from Australia and SE Asia. It's a tough sail back eastward across the Pacific without the tradewinds working for you. Continuing westward, with pirates still a problem along the route across the northern Indian Ocean to the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, presents few options. The only real options for moving westward are shipping your boat to the Mediterranean aboard a freighter (expensive), or sailing Southern Indian Ocean and rounding the Cape of Good Hope and South Africa (scary).
But hold on! If you have sailed the South Pacific, you can sail the South Indian Ocean and round the Cape of Good Hope. It is some of the best and most beautiful sailing on the planet. This talk will show you why you might want to, and how to do it safely. We will look at some of the wonders of this not much sailed stretch of the world and speak to what you want in a boat, your boat's equipment and crew to make this passage safely.
Please note: Due to another event at RVYC, our September Club night is on Tues September 25, one week later than normal.
Royal Victoria Yacht Club - Main Lounge
25 Sep 2018 1900h - 2130h
Members $5 / Non-Members $10
This article has been provided by the courtesy of Bluewater Cruising Association.