"KLC Lewis" wrote in
et:

Well, let's look at it rationally. Three to four trips in one year?
That means sailing year-round, in all weather conditions, including
winter storms and summer cyclone season, not to mention three or four
trips across the doldrums. Let's say three round trips, to make it
easier on our lucky sailor. Six crossings of the Pacific round trip in
one year. And not a simple rhumb-line passage from, say San Diego to
Sydney, because that is simply impossible. No, our sailor will need to
follow the prevailing winds and currents, meaning a southerly course
down and a northerly course up. Essentially, the return trip will mean
sailing at least as far north as Washington, then coming back down the
west coast.

Of course, they could always just fly back, but that would eat into
their profits. They'd be lucky to do two trips in a year, and would be
beaten up pretty well by the time it's over.



It would be dumb to sail back. What they'd be doing is more like a
delivery captain trip. Have two adverturesome young men sail down each
taking a Mac26M and sailing in company for safety. Deliver the boats and
make about 20 grand profit or more each. Then fly back to California and
do it again. What's an airline ticket cost from Australia to California?
Two grand? That's a eighteen grand profit for about a month's work. You
could do as many trips as you could during the off season to not run
into typhoons. I think you could do six trips a year by flying back.
According to sailing instructions it's a downwind milk run from
California to Australia. You'd have to cross a bit of doldrums around
Hawaii but then you're in the trades and going like all getout right for
Australia. Remember how Capt. Bligh went from Tahiti all the way past
Australia in an open row boat? It would be a piece of cake in a Mac.

--
Cheerio,
Ed Gordon
http://www.freewebs.com/egordon873/index.htm