They’re showing reruns of the show “Tall Ship Chronicles” on the Travel Channel here. 45 people left Lunenburg, Nova Scotia for a 19 month trip around the world, and over 20 of them completed the circumnavigation. Thw show covers the 2001-2002 voyage, but the ship makes the trip every year, apparently. Watching the show, it seems like an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that leaves me a little wistful. Realistically, I doubt I could do it, but I’d love to be able to give it a try. Unfortunately, the price tag is steep - $36,000 for the full trip, or $11,000 for a single leg.
But price tag aside, I’m curious as to whether anyone else would do it. 22 countries, 50+ ports, 19 months living with upwards of 50 complete strangers in very close quarters, and lots and lots of manual labor. Would you want to do it? Be able to?
Nope. Not my idea of a good time. If I’m going to be at sea for 19 months, I’d want it to be a REALLY HUGE SHIP and I’d also have to be able to see land the whole time or I’d freak.
Ten years ago I would have. In fact, it was a dream of mine to sail around the world solo. Fortunately, I’ve come to my senses, and don’t have the love of sailing I did back then.
But I know of someone who did exactly what the OP described.
I envy anyone that would have the cojones and stamina to embark on such an adventure but, sadly, no way I could go out on the open ocean like that in anything but a huge, ultra-safe motored ship. The ports sound wonderful and it would be the adventure and education of a lifetime but the concept of being out in the middle of the ocean has always… well… terrified me. It does sound like a very interesting show though and I’ll be checking it out.
They take a 19-month voayge every year? Hell, that’s worth 36-grand.
If I had the time and money, I’d love to do it. I’d have to look at the schedule and the route (and the ship), though. There are lots of places in the world that I’d like to see, but they’re not all on the ocean. I might be able to put together a better trip on my own.
Ask and ye shall receive Most of the ports are in the South Pacific, but there are stops in places like Australia, Indonesia and South Africa, and a decent amount of down time along the way (they spend a month in South Africa, for example). I almost wish I had the $11k laying around - I’d be just in time to pick them up in Cape Town for the last part of 2005/06 voyage.
And it’s something my husband and I are seriously considering as part of our retirement. We’ve owned (and have since sold) a ‘starter’ sailboat, and took nearly every course offered by the U.S Power Squadrons when we were members, including Seamanship, Navigation, Piloting, Weather, Sail, Advanced Sail, and Boating Safety, of course. We’ve put some time out on the SF Bay on that boat, and have read lots of books and accounts of sailing around the world (and got to hear so many stories and great advice from the salty dog members of the USPS), but we’re definitely not ready to take that step yet. We’d probably need to own at least 2 more boats (of increasing size) and get more time out on the water, as well as join a crew or two for some blue water cruising before we are ready enough to venture out on our own. Still, it’s pretty high up there on my list of things to do before I die.
I’d certainly be able to do this trip, and I would LOVE to crew on a tall ship, but for that price, I’d rather we buy our own boat and venture off on our own.
Heh, nothing sinister. They just got off at various ports for various reasons. The vast majority of the crew were (and, I assume usually are) inexperienced sailors - some had never been on a ship in their lives. During the course of this voyage, there were two serious injuries - one a suspected jellyfish sting and the other an injured back.
I forgot to mention that one of the most alluring parts of the idea for me is the opportunity to see places and experience things that would be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve in any other way. They visit islands with populations of 50 people, and the Captain knows most of them. The chance to get to experience all these cultures with the assistance of someone who knows the people, their ways, and with an open invitation to their hospitality is not easily come by.
Hell yes I would do it. Who wants to help me scrape together $36,000? I’ve got almost $50 in my pocket right now - we’re off to a good start!
Six years ago, I had the chance to visit Kenya and Tanzania for several weeks. On the way to the airport, a friend of mine mentioned that, as a grad student, he had been the sole occupant of an island research station for several months. When I asked him how he ended up doing that, he replied “same way you ended up going to Africa - I didn’t say no.” If I live to be 100, I’ll never forget that conversation.
Wow, that would be SO cool. However, I am not rich, and I have kids to take care of–but hey, if in some magical universe I could go, I’d love to give it a shot.
Sailing around the world was a dream for a while but not after I’d actually thought about what it would be like. Weeks and weeks on end of just open ocean… Would it get old? Granted, the destinations would defintely be completely amazing and probably worth the trip. This is something that would be great to brag about, but not worth doing just for the bragging rights.
For me at least, it would be much more fun to sail around the Caribbean. You can get the open ocean passages but on a more reasonable timeframe. The tropical waters allow for things like snorkeling, swimming, and scuba diving and you wouldn’t feel obligated to complete the trip in any linear way.
Remember that sailing the oceans is 99% boredom and 1% sheer terror!
Been messing with sail boats most of my life in one way or the other.
In 68, the plan was to go on the “Yankee”, missed that one, have met the ‘Roths’, and been on ‘Whisper’. Have had some dealings with Don (Squeeky) Street. One of my boats was an 1938 Tumlarn 32’ by Knud Remers, she had 3 transatlantic passages under her keel.
Longest open water was Norfolk to St. Martin on a 41’ Alden sloop. It was all I could do one day to not kill all on board and just sail on forever. Standing at the bow with porpoises jumping all around and scooping a for of water every time the bow met a wave was a place I could stand forever.
Never had enough $$ to do airplanes and sailboats enough to suit me. I’m 62 now and week but I’d still go if I had the chance.
Lynn and Larry Pardee on caught the last of the good times as far as I’m concerned.
Did the Caribbean in 72 on a 41’ Rhodes Reliant and with the way it is now, I won’t go back. Too many people and boats and idiots. I won’t ruin the great memories I have of the place.
I’ve read many accounts of circumnavigations in SAIL magazine. It doesn’t sound very appealing. Even if the hull isn’t leaking anywhere, there’s so much moisture from sweat and breathing that water drips off the ceiling onto your bunk while you get your four hours of sleep between watches. After a few days, nobody has any dry clothes. In the southern oceans you get raging sleet storms in the latitudes they call the Roaring Forties.
You mean I have to pay to work on a boat to go around the world? No, I’m not paying anyone that much money to have to work at the same time. I could get a job and do the same thing but get paid for it.
As for doing it yes, I’m putting away money right now, every two weeks just so Iris and I can make a round the world trip the day after we retire. We fully plan on doing it by motorcycle, and maybe after that by car.
Absolutely! In fact this is my husband’s and my dream, but we want to do it on our own boat. We own and sail a boat on San Francisco Bay now, but we would need a different one for a circumnavigation, as well as time off from work. Oh, and a doo-doo load of money, of course.
For the last 10 years our vacations every year have been on sail boats, mostly charter yachts in the Caribbean. There is nothing I love more than sailing to a new place and exploring it, then moving on to the next destination.
Yes, it can be physically very demanding (and I’m getting on in years) and at times uncomfortable (cold and wet), but for me the adventure more than makes up for that. The only drawback for me is the food situation: I don’t eat fish or shellfish, so it’s sometimes challenging to acquire and carry a good variety of food along on our voyages. My husband just throws a handline off the back of the boat and catches his dinner.
I’m already looking forward to our next trip - to Mexico - in May.
Most of the ports are in the South Pacific, but there are stops in places like Australia, Indonesia and South Africa, and a decent amount of down time along the way (they spend a month in South Africa, for example). I almost wish I had the $11k laying around - I’d be just in time to pick them up in Cape Town for the last part of 2005/06 voyage.