The Route

The Circumnavigation as Planned

The circumnavigation route was planned to transit the Caribbean Sea, Pacific Ocean, Coral Sea, South China Sea, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Atlantic Ocean. It called for landfall on six continents, all except Antarctica.

Approximate planned route is sketched on map. Click thumbnail for larger view; then click the browser's "back" button to return to this page.

Generally speaking, we followed the plan -- although there were many small detours and deviations along the way.

The Route as Completed

Summary

We sailed from Florida through the Caribbean Sea, then through the Panama Canal and across the Pacific Ocean to French Polynesia; then from Bora Bora to Tonga via the Cook Islands. From Tonga, we crossed to the North Island of New Zealand and then, via Fiji and Vanuatu, to Australia (where we cruised as far south as Sydney and as far north as Darwin). From Australia, we sailed north through Indonesia to Singapore; through the Malacca Straits to Malaysia and Thailand; across the Indian Ocean to the Maldives; and through the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea, making landfall in Eritrea and Egypt. After transit of the Suez Canal, we crossed the Mediterranean Sea to Turkey, then cruised Greece and Croatia before heading west to Italy, the Balearic Islands, Spain, and Gibraltar. We began our Atlantic crossing in the Canary Islands and made landfall -- after changing course to avoid a late-season tropical storm -- in Trinidad, where we crossed our track to complete the circumnavigation.

As to timing, we could have completed the trip comfortably in about three and a half years. Because we stayed an extra year in New Zealand and an extra year in Sydney, Australia, we stretched it to five and a half. (And I wouldn't trade that extra time for anything!) We know many people who have circumnavigated in two years, so we know it can be done. But in our view 3-4 years is about right as a good planning minimum.

Details of the route follow.

THE CARIBBEAN SEA

Caribbean route is sketched on map. Click thumbnail for larger view; then click "back" to return.

Florida southeast through Bahamas to St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. (actual beginning and endpoint of circumnavigation)

Cruise U.S.V.I. and B.V.I.

St. Thomas south to Grenada and Trinidad & Tobago for hurricane season

Cruise St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and back to Trinidad for annual maintenance

Trinidad west to Panama, via Margarita Island, Venezuela, Bonaire, and Aruba

West through the Panama Canal, from Colon to Balboa

THE PACIFIC OCEAN, Coral Sea, Tasman Sea, Arafura Sea

Pacific route is sketched on map. Click thumbnail for larger view; then click "back" to return.

Panama west to Galapagos (not shown on map)

Galapagos west to Marquesas, French Polynesia (not shown on map)

Marquesas west through Tuamotus to Society Islands (Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora)

Bora Bora west to Palmerston Atoll, Cook Islands

Cook Islands west to Vava'u, Tonga

Vava'u south to Tongatapu, Tonga, via the Ha'apai Group

Tongatapu south to New Zealand

Cruise and land-travel New Zealand

New Zealand north to Lautoka, Fiji

Cruise western Fiji (Viti Levu, Mamanuca Group, Yasawa Islands)

Fiji Islands west to Vanuatu

Vanuatu west to Cairnes, Australia (Great Barrier Reef)

Cairnes, Australia, south to the Whitsunday Islands, Australia

Whitsunday Islands south to Hervey Bay (Fraser Island), Australia

Hervey Bay south to the Gold Coast, via the Great Sandy Strait, Australia

Southport (Gold Coast) south to Sydney, Australia

Explore Sydney Harbour and environs, including land travel to interior

Sydney back north to Fraser Island

Fraser Island to Cairns

Cairns to Cape York, via Great Barrier Reef islands

Cape York west to Darwin

INDIAN OCEAN, Timor Sea, Java Sea, Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, Gulf of Suez

Click on map for larger version, then click "back" button to return here.

Darwin to Bali, Indonesia

Bali to Batam, Indonesia

Batam to Port DIckson, Malaysia, via Singapore Strait

Port Dickson to Langkawi, Malaysia, via Malacca Strait

Langkawi to Phuket, Thailand

Cruise west coast of Thailand

Thailand to Maldive Islands

Maldive Islands to Eritrea, via Gulf of Aden and southern Red Sea

Eritrea to Egypt (northern Red Sea)

Transit Gulf of Suez

Transit Suez Canal

Mediterranean Sea, Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, Adriatic Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea, Balearic Sea, Alboran Sea

Click on map for larger version, then click "back" button to return here.

Port Said, Egypt, to Marmaris, Turkey

Cruise Turkish coast

Cruise Greek Islands

Transit Corinth Canal; cruise Ionian Sea

Cruise Croatia

Around the "boot" and through the Straits of Messina

Cruise Italian west coast

Italy to Mallorca via Strait of Bonifacio

Cruise Mallorca, Ibiza, Formentera

Formentera to Gibraltar