"KLC Lewis" wrote in
et:
"Ed Gordon" wrote in message
8...
"KLC Lewis" wrote in
et:
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
FWIW, "World Cruising Routes" puts it at 3563 miles from San Diego to
Tahiti, non-stop. This alone is in excess of a month of sailing,
without landfall, in your Mac. A month's worth of food, water, fuel,
etc. This is assuming you make good time and have no delays crossing
the ITCZ. Forget about using the ballast tanks for storing drinking
water, as you are going to NEED that ballast. And since the vessel is
not equipped with light air sails, it would be best to allow at least
45 days for this passage alone, with the distinct possibility that it
could take longer.
Tahiti to New Zealand is another 2500 miles or so -- in reverse. But
you can't go that way. You'll go first to Tonga, then head south. Make
it 3000 -- another month. New Zealand to Australia is another 1200 or
so, perhaps two weeks.
Still think it's doable? We're not even talking about the wear and
tear on the "brand new" Mac, or taking time for repairs along the way.
Or rest for the crew, or stopping for supplies...
It's longer than I thought. How about this? Buy the Macs on the US east
coast and then go to Australia via Cape Horn. That way it would be
westerly winds the whole way. Just stay on the edge of the roaring 40s
so it wouldn't be too rough and it would be a milk run the whole way.
One could re-provision in South Africa. Going across the Equator south
of the Windwards would be the only light wind area.
--
Cheerio,
Ed Gordon
http://www.freewebs.com/egordon873/index.htm