Tahina’s Circumnavigation Route

[UPDATED August 2014]

View more detail in Google Earth

The green lines represent our actual track for where Tahina has gone so far. The orange line is our possible future route (subject to change).

The route Tahina is taking around the world is partially determined by winds and weather, and partly determined by our desires to see certain places. Most sailing circumnavigators take the trade wind route which is from east to west. The trade winds are favorable winds for a sailing vessel (generally in the same direction you want to go). These winds are also generally favorable speeds and fewer storms if you go during the right times of the year. The route takes those leaving from the eastern US through the Panama Canal and across the Pacific to eventually end up near Australia. Then it takes you north of Australia across Indonesia and into the Indian Ocean.

Due to the hazard of piracy in the Red Sea, we decided to avoid that area. As a result of this, and other factors, we have chosen to not go to the Mediterranean during this trip. We will instead go around the Cape of Good Hope (stopping to visit parts of Africa by land). It is unfortunate that a few individuals have chosen to attack small yachts forcing many sailors to cancel their plans to complete their circumnavigations, pay enormous fees to have their vessel transported on ships through the Red Sea, sell their boats in Australia and end their trips, or take the longer trip around the Cape of Good Hope.

The route you see in the map above shows our historical route during the past almost five years. Our plans may change as we go along. We think we will learn about other places we want to go along the way, and weather and other factors may alter the route.

Another important point: our actual travel is even more extensive as we take trips over land and by plane to see other countries not visited by boat. We currently plan to visit several countries in Africa in addition to the many countries close to the rough draft route we have drawn. And, we may change this route to change the countries/islands we visit by boat as well. The Google Earth link above provides a lot more detail about our travels – if you zoom down it will load detailed GPS tracks and photos and other map details for many of the destinations.