The Long Way Home .....
Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Sat 5 Mar 2011 07:47
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Phuket Saturday 5th March 1315 Local 0615
UTC
I have decided that I will plan to have to go the
long way round to get home. Round the Cape of Good Hope and up the South
Atlantic. Lovely.
While this decision has heavy consequences it is in
some ways becoming easier to make as each day passes by.
We have been following some of the reports, mails
and blogs coming out from those that are currently in the Northern Indian Ocean.
They are having a terrifying time. I now do not believe that any plan can be
safe and whether in a convoy or not it is a matter of luck if one is not
attacked. There is almost nowhere safe on the shore side now from Yemen and
Somalia in the Gulf of Aden all the way through to the North of the Suez
canal.
If a vessel is subject to an attack then it is
likely that armed security aboard who spot an attack early and fire aggressively
- and accurately - very early on may be able to dissuade the attackers. May.
If the attackers however are determined and deranged and
high on qat and get an accurate shot off with an RPG or AK then it is game
over...
When these attackers have fired an RPG at a
warship, I now don't believe that a convoy will offer the neccessary protection
and that in fact they may provide a larger target. Five or Six yachts closing up
will not persuade these maniacs to stand down when a warship does not. Lead
poisoning is the only thing that will stop them. As I have said before a
stint in a westen jail certainly is no deterrent to
them.
Although my trying to arrange a convoy was always
going to be difficult (we had 868 views on our posting - but no serious
enquiries) as it was late in the season I have now in any event abandoned any
idea of that as being adequate protection for a North Indian Ocean and Gulf
of Aden passage.
My contacts with armed security companies have so
far not persuaded me that this is the best option. I will persue these contacts
for now but I will nevertheless plan on the basis that I shall have to head
south round the South of Africa in a Southern winter.
Our passages and anticipated timings and conditions
are as follows:
Thailand to Maldives, 1500 nm, Early April, End of
NE monsoon, Mixed conditions likely
Maldives to Chagos, 400 nm, mid May, rarely
affected by Cyclones, SE trades and favourable currents
Chagos to Mauritius, 1200 nm, Late
May, End of Cyclone season SE trades and
favourable currents
Having determined to sail so far south to avoid the
Somalian piracy threat of the Northern Indian ocean, I believe there is no point
in trying to go to the Seychelles or round the north of Madagascar close to
previous incidents. So while I would like to sail to Madagascar and to have the
favourable "protected" conditions on the West side of Madagascar in the
Mozambique channel, it is more likely that I will sail from Mauritius &
Reunion directly to South Africa.
Mauritius/Reunion to Durban, 1500 nm, Late June,
Out of the Cyclone season, SE Trades and favourable currents until
........
the southern point of Africa when SW busters will
come through and cause some of the worst wave conditions in the world over
the Agulhas current.
The passage down the coast of Africa from Durban
therefor requires some careful planning and local advice and consideration of
weather. Rhiann Marie however is a very well found ship, able to make 200 miles
per day. We also have well prepared 200 hp engine and newly prepared
sails.
After coastal hopping 1,500 miles round the south
of Africa, the longest passage being 250 miles, we should set off north up the
southern atlantic ocean.
Capetown to St Helena, 1800 nm, Early August, Not
the best time of year but possible all year, favourable currents and favourable
winds.
St Helena to Cape Verde Islands, 2,300
nm September, Not ideal time of year nor ideal route but should be
possible, winds and currents OK
From Cape Verde this just leaves the small matter
of a 1700 mile beat to Gibraltar, but Canaries might be OK too. If this leg is
too contrary at the time a seasonal run from St Helena can be made to Brazil and
up the South American coast to Grenada. The boat however will not be much closer
to home than it would be if we left it exactly where we are right
now!
I will now need to think about having some crew as
we had already agreed that Trish would not be doing anymore long passages and
due to my reckless accident she now has to commit to some more long passages (
to put it mildly ) However I am sure she will not be doing the South Atlantic so
I shall have to round up a motley crew!
it's one a hell of a thought when we thought we
were on the home straight but some times you just have to do what you have to
do. It's a big bite but I can chew very
hard.
It's all down to me to get the back sorted
now......
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