sailboat to sail around the world

10 Best Sailboats for Sailing Around the World

With the sailboats available today, sailing around the world is easier than ever. Finding the perfect boat for the job, on the other hand, can be a daunting task. So, what are the best sailboats for sailing around the world?

We’ve narrowed down the top ten sailing around the world boats. The following are our top ten picks:

• Beneteau Oceanis 46.1
• Island Packet 349
• Wauquiez Pilot Saloon 42
• Figaro Beneteau 3
• X-Yachts X4.9
• X-Yachts Xp55

These sailboats offer dependability, comfort, and performance, all of which are important features for your trip. Read on to know more about the best sailing around the world boats, including their dimensions and major features.

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10 Best Sailing Around the World Boats

1. beneteau oceanis 46.1.

The Beneteau Oceanis 46.1 is the most popular Beneteau boat model that has been produced, thanks to its stepped hull shape. Not only did Beneteau deliver the best features of their previous masterpiece, the Oceanis 45, to the Oceanis 46.1, but they also improved the boat’s overall performance, design, and craftsmanship.

The Oceanis 46.1 has a larger mast and a deeper lead-bulb keel, which provide a total of 28 percent extra sail area. In addition, the company released a ‘First Line’ edition that offers both speed and comfort. The Oceanis 46.1 allows you to sail in luxury and comfort, with a wide and functional cockpit and an enormous forward owner’s stateroom – ideal for sailing around the world.

The LOA and LWL of the Oceanis 46.1 are 47’11” (14.60 m) and 43’5″ (13.24 m), respectively. It has a 44’9″ or 13.65 m hull length. Its base power engine is a Yanmar diesel with 57 horsepower, with a Yanmar diesel with 80 horsepower available as an option.

This version is available in five different layouts: three cabins with two heads, three cabins with three heads, four cabins with two heads, four cabins with four heads, and five cabins with three heads. You may sail short-handed with this model, and you can handle the winches from aft.

The rooms below deck are finished in brushed light oak veneer for a stylish look. Wide sunbeds with separate shower and head compartments are also available. It has wide hull portholes that let natural light into the saloon, making it feel big and comfortable below deck.

A walkthrough of the Beneteau Oceanis 46.1 is shown in the video below:

2. Island Packet 349

The Island Packet 349 was hailed the “Best Midsize Cruiser Under 38 Ft” by Cruising World. [ 1 ] Regardless of the weather, it provides passengers with a safe and enjoyable long-haul sailing and cruising experience.

The IP 349 is a two-cabin boat with a separate shower compartment in the single head. This is unusual for boats under 38 feet. It includes refrigerators, a pull-out spice rack cabinet, under-counter dry goods storage, and several SS overhead and bulkhead mounted handholds, among other things. The saloon also contains an L-shaped built-in sofa to port and a dining table that you can fold away to save some space when not in use.

The LOA and LWL of the Island Packet 349 are 38’3″ (11.65m) and 31’5″ (9.58m), respectively. The beamwidth is 12’6″ (3.81m), with a 4 ft. draft (1.2m). It has a fuel capacity of 55 gal and a water capacity of 100 gal. It is powered by a Yanmar diesel engine with 45 horsepower, capable of covering 500 miles at a cruising speed of 6 knots.

With a 32-foot waterline, the IP 349 has a nominal hull speed of 7.5 knots. This model is safe and easy to navigate in sea conditions, thanks to its full keel, 20,000 lbs. displacement, and a ballast-to-displacement ratio of 39 percent.

The Neel 51 ranks third on our list of the best sailing around the world boats. After the success of the Neel 45 and Neel 65 flagships, this trimaran gained popularity among its customers. The majority of people prefer this model because of its large deckhouse. The Harken 52 winches manage the double headsail rig, which is conveniently accessible from the helm.

However, the headsail limits view from the helm, which is a typical problem with multihulls. There is a wide and comfy lounge space adjacent to it if you want to hang out and rest. Two center-hull cabins with separate head/shower are located below deck. The trim of the Neel 51 is made of Alpi wood, while the flooring is made of hard-wearing polyester materials.

This boat measures 51 ft. (15.6 meters) in length and 29 ft. and 18 inches in width (9.2 meters). It features a live-aboard space of 90 square meters and a tender garage technical room of 18 square meters. It has a Volvo diesel inboard engine with a sail drive that produces 75 horsepower.

It has a water capacity of 160 gallons (600 L) and a fuel capacity of 160 gallons (600 L). The Neel 51 is easy to drive and has outstanding directional stability. It has little trouble sailing in winds ranging from 6-7 knots to 10-11 knots, increasing its boat speed .

4. Wauquiez Pilot Saloon 42

The Wauquiez Pilot Saloon 42 is the fourth monohull model in the Wauquiez Pilot Saloon series and the smallest one. The sleek and semi-minimalist design of this model stands out. Its interiors are mostly white, giving it a light and airy feel, while brightly lighted LED lights surround the saloon. The design is intended for long-distance cruising, such as from one country to another or even around the world.

The Wauquiez Pilot Saloon 42 is powered by a 57 horsepower Yanmar diesel engine, which also comes with an 80 hp Yanmar diesel engine as an option. The Pilot Saloon 42 has an overall length of 42’6″ (12.99m) and a beamwidth of 14’2″ (4.34m), with a sail area of 973 sq. ft. (87 sq. m) when fully rigged. This boat has a fuel capacity of 110 gal (416 L) and a water capacity of 162 gallons (613 L).

It has an excellent water grip because it is equipped with a double rudder system at the stern, allowing passengers to effortlessly control and steer it on upwind routes. On onshore wind, the Wauquiez PS42 can sail up to 12-16 mph and rarely dips below 7 knots.

5. Arcona 435

The Arcona 435 was designed using the same blueprint as the Arcona 430, which was a huge success for Arcona Yachts. The Arcona 435, a monohull offshore cruiser-racer sailboat, outperforms its predecessor with its improved, up-to-date design and performance. It proves to be a fast and easy-to-manage 43-ft. performance cruiser and one of the best sailing around the world boats. It has a lead bow and a wider stern, more saloon space, and a large cockpit, all while ensuring improved stability.

The Arcona 435 was created to provide outstanding performance without compromising comfort below deck. It boasts a conventional, light Scandinavian layout with fine woodwork beneath the deck. Its big saloon and spacious kitchen let passengers move freely, while three comfortable double rooms (one front and two aft) provide ample sleeping and storage space.

The LOA and LWL of the Arcona 435 are 43’4″ (13.2m) and 40′ (12.1m), respectively, while the beamwidth is 13’1″. (4m). It has a maximum fuel capacity of 47.6 gallons and a maximum water capacity of 79.3 gallons. It has a 45-horsepower Yanmar JH45C inboard diesel engine and a hull speed of 8.48 knots.

6. Figaro Beneteau 3

The Figaro Beneteau 3 is the world’s 1st foiling 1-design monohull. And like its predecessor, the Figaro Beneteau 2, the FB3 is a game-changer. The FB3 is primarily designed for those looking for a traditional single-handed race. For its size, this model is extremely light and sensitive.

The FB3 is built with a light helm in mind, which is ideal for lengthy offshore races as well as single-handed or double-handed racing. The Figaro Beneteau is designed for speed, but it may also be used to sail around the world, especially if you want to do so quickly.

This model is a monohull single-handed racing sailboat that measures 35’7″ (10.89m) in overall length and 31′ in waterline length (9.46m). It has an 11’5″ (3.48m) beam width and an 8’2″ waterline beam width (2.50m).

It covers a total of 752 square feet on the upwind sail area and up to 1,555 square feet on the downwind sail area. It can carry up to 11 US gallons (40 L) of fuel and has a hull speed of 7.28 knots. It is powered by a 21-horsepower Nanni Diesel N3 inboard engine.

7. X-Yachts X4.9

The X-Yachts X4.9 , the third model in the new ‘X’ series, comes in at number seven on our list of the best sailing around the world boats . This model attempts to provide an attractive and comfortable cabin without sacrificing performance. Its interior design combines great aesthetics with practicality.

Pinstripes of full teak run the length of the deck from bow to stern. This yacht is easier to operate thanks to its four electrically powered winches. The four winches are all located at the back of the cockpit, leaving the lounging area free of ropes.

The X4.9’s below deck is particularly well-designed. It appears pleasant and inviting to live in, right down to the Nordic oak finish and U-shaped sofa. Additionally, it has white Corian worktops with a stove cover, a double sink, and space for a fridge, microwave, and espresso machine on the L-shaped galley.

The forward owner’s stateroom has hull windows at bed level and a minimalist design with a huge island bed and a thick mattress, as well as a separate shower compartment.

It has an overall length of 49’7″ (15m) and a waterline length of 44’5″ (13.58m), with a beamwidth of 14’7″ (4.49m). It has a sail area of 1,290 ft2 (129.1m2) and can carry 66 gal (300 L) of fuel and 68 gal (310 L) of water. The X4.9 is powered by a 57-horsepower diesel engine (42.5 kW).

8. Hylas 48

The Hylas 48 has been rated the ‘Best Full-Size Cruiser Under 48 Ft’ by the magazine Cruising World. [ 2 ] It’s designed and equipped for the long haul, with a robust stainless-steel stem fitting and two anchor rollers. It also has a lead fin keel and is made of solid hand-laid fiberglass. A self-tacking jib for upwind sailing and a mounted-forward Genoa for off-wind sailing are included in this model.

The H48 has a classic configuration, which includes a cockpit in the center, a large dining table in the saloon, U-shaped seats to port, and a cushioned bench in the centerline. Depending on the customer’s needs, the H48 offers a variety of customization choices. Teak, light oak, and maple are the interior finish options.

The Hylas 48 is powered by a Yanmar 75 HP turbo diesel with dual Racor fuel filtration. At 2,400 rpm, this model can hit 8.1 knots and 8.9 knots at 3,100 rpm. It is 48′ (14.6m) long overall and 42′ long at the waterline (12.8m). It has a 14’6″ (4.4m) beamwidth and a 6’6″ draft width (2m). It has a fuel capacity of 290 gallons and a water capacity of 119 gallons.

9. Lagoon 50

The Lagoon 50 , a catamaran sailboat, is number 9 on our list of the best sailboats for sailing around the world. In the 40 to 50 ft. category, it has been rated the best multihull cruising boat. It has a sporty style to it, as well as an easy-to-handle rig and improved performance. This model provides outstanding performance without sacrificing comfort. The hulls also have a lot of space and are very comfortable.

The interiors, designed by Nauta Design, feature a homey feel with unique architecture. It boasts a retractable panoramic windscreen with a wood finish that can be customized, as well as plenty of natural light that floods the aft cabin, making it bright and spacious.

The Lagoon 50 has a beamwidth of 26’7″ and an overall length of 48’5″ (14.75m) (8.10m). It has a capacity of 263 US gallons (2240 L) of freshwater and 2137 US gallons (2520 L) of gasoline. It is driven by a Yanmar 4JJH57 diesel engine that produces 57 horsepower.

10. X-Yachts Xp55

Our list of the best sail around the world boats includes another X-Yacht. This article also mentions the Xp55 , which is a sister of the X4.9. The Xp line focuses on the boat’s performance. The hull structure of this Xp model is made up of a blend of fiberglass and carbon fiber, which absorbs rig and engine loads. A regular 9’4″ (2.84m), a deep 10’6″ (3.2m), and a shallow 8’2″ keel are all available (2.49m).

The Xp55 comes with two different layouts for the owner’s cabin, as well as a choice of double or triple heads. The basic interior finish is teak furniture with a touch of holly floors. On the other hand, a touch of brushed oak wood on the furniture with walnut floorboards is a choice for a different style of interior design. A big U-shaped sofa in the saloon, which can accommodate up to 8 people, is found on many sailboats.

The Xp55’s LOA and LWL are 56′ 6″ (17.23m) and 48′ 9″ (14.87m), respectively, with a beamwidth of 15′ 8″ (4.77m). The Xp55 is powered by a 110 horsepower diesel engine (81 kW). It has a fuel capacity of 123 US gallons (465 L) and a water capacity of 159 US gallons (600 L).

• Post category: Sailing
• Post author: Charlie Green

Ultimate Guide: How to Sail Around the World – Expert Tips and Routes

Alex Morgan

Taking up the challenge of sailing around the world is an exhilarating and rewarding endeavor that requires careful planning and preparation. Whether you are a seasoned sailor or a novice, embarking on this global adventure requires a comprehensive understanding of the various aspects involved. From gaining sailing experience and choosing the right boat to planning the route and equipping your vessel, each step is crucial for a successful journey. Understanding weather patterns , maintaining health and well-being, and knowing how to handle emergencies at sea are essential skills to possess. Interacting with different cultures along the way also adds a unique dimension to the experience. In this article, we will guide you through the process, providing valuable insights and tips on how to sail around the world.

Key takeaway:

• Taking up the challenge: Sailing around the world requires determination and perseverance, but it can be a life-changing experience.
• Preparing for the journey: Gaining sailing experience, choosing the right boat, and securing necessary documents are crucial steps before setting sail.
• Planning your route: Selecting the best season, considering trade winds and currents, and identifying potential stops and ports are vital for a successful voyage.

Taking Up the Challenge: How to Sail Around the World

To embark on the challenge of sailing around the world , follow these steps:

1. Taking Up the Challenge: Gain sailing experience by learning navigation skills and sailing in various weather conditions.

2. Plan your route: Conduct thorough research on seasons, wind patterns, and potential hazards to chart the safest course.

3. Prepare your boat: Prioritize safety by equipping your boat with necessary safety gear, provisions, and performing regular maintenance checks.

4. Obtain necessary permits and visas: Ensure compliance with country entry requirements by obtaining the required permits and visas.

5. Study weather patterns: Familiarize yourself with meteorology to make informed navigation decisions and ensure a safe journey.

6. Create a watch schedule: Establish a rotation system to have someone always alert and attentive during long passages.

7. Stay connected: Invest in reliable communication devices to maintain communication with the outside world throughout your voyage.

8. Practice self-sufficiency: Acquire essential repair and maintenance skills to address any potential issues that may arise during the journey.

9. Be prepared for emergencies: Carry a well-stocked first aid kit and have emergency procedures in place to be ready for any unforeseen circumstances.

10. Enjoy the journey: Embrace the breathtaking views and savor the unique experiences encountered along the way.

Fact: Sailing around the world can be a voyage lasting anywhere from 1 to 3 years , depending on factors such as weather conditions, route choices, and boat speed.

Preparing for the Journey

Are you ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime? In this section, we’ll dive into the essential steps for preparing your journey as you set sail around the world. Discover the importance of gaining sailing experience , choosing the right boat , and securing the necessary documents . So, grab your compass and get ready to explore the thrilling world of global sailing!

Gaining Sailing Experience

When it comes to gaining sailing experience, there are steps you can take to build your skills and knowledge:

• Take sailing lessons or enroll in a sailing school to learn navigation, boat handling, and safety protocols.
• Join a yacht club or sailing community to connect with experienced sailors who can provide guidance and mentorship.
• Participate in regattas or sailing races to practice skills in competitive environments and learn from more experienced sailors.
• Crew on other people’s boats to gain practical experience and learn different sailing techniques.
• Sail in different conditions , such as different weather conditions and types of waters, to cultivate proficiency in different sailing scenarios.
• Stay up-to-date with sailing publications, books, and online resources to enhance theoretical understanding of sailing techniques, rules, and navigation.
• Consider completing certifications such as the American Sailing Association (ASA) or Royal Yachting Association (RYA) to validate sailing skills.

Fact: Gaining sailing experience is crucial for a safe and enjoyable sailing journey around the world.

Choosing the Right Boat

When sailing around the world, picking the right boat is crucial for a successful and safe voyage. Consider these factors when selecting your vessel:

1. Size: Determine the boat’s size based on the number of crew members and trip duration. A larger boat offers more space and stability but may be harder to maneuver.

2. Construction: Look for a boat made of durable materials like fiberglass or aluminum. They resist damage from waves and weather conditions.

3. Design: Consider the boat’s layout, ensuring it has enough storage space, comfortable living quarters, and a functional deck for sailing.

4. Sail Rigging: Choose a boat with a sail rigging system that matches your sailing experience and preferences. Options range from traditional sloop rigs to modern catamarans.

5. Navigation Equipment: Ensure the boat has essential navigation instruments such as a compass, GPS, and radar for safe navigation.

An illustrative story underscores the importance of choosing the right boat. A couple attempted to sail worldwide on a small boat. Despite their experience, the boat lacked stability and safety features for long-distance cruising. They faced multiple challenges, including rough seas and equipment failures. Eventually, they had to abandon their journey and get rescued. This story emphasizes the need for thorough research and selection of a suitable boat for your sailing adventure.

Securing the Necessary Documents

Securing the necessary documents is crucial when preparing to sail around the world. Follow these steps:

1. Research the required documents for each country you plan to visit, including passports, visas, and cruising permits.

2. Ensure that your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your planned departure date to avoid complications.

3. Check the visa requirements for each country and apply well in advance. Some countries may have specific visa requirements, such as transit visas for shorter stopovers.

4. Obtain the necessary cruising permits or licenses for your vessel, providing proof of ownership and insurance.

5. Make copies of important documents, such as passports, visas, and permits. Keep these copies secure and carry them with you while sailing.

6. Consider getting international health insurance to cover medical emergencies while traveling.

7. Register your trip with your local embassy or consulate to receive assistance in emergencies or evacuations.

8. Stay updated on any changes in entry requirements or travel advisories for the countries you plan to visit.

Securing the necessary documents ensures a smooth and hassle-free journey around the world. It is advisable to start this process well in advance to allow for processing times or unexpected delays.

Planning Your Route

When it comes to sailing around the world, one of the most crucial aspects is planning your route. In this section, we’ll dive into the nitty-gritty details and explore how to select the best season for your voyage. We’ll also take a look at the importance of considering trade winds and currents in order to navigate efficiently. And of course, we’ll discuss the key factors to keep in mind when identifying potential stops and ports along your epic journey. Get ready to chart your course and make your sailing dreams a reality!

Selecting the Best Season

When planning a sailing journey around the world, selecting the best season is crucial. Consider factors such as weather conditions, navigation difficulties, visibility, chances of storms, and sea currents to help you determine the best season for your journey.

Typically, the summer months offer more stable weather conditions with calmer seas and lesser chances of storms. It is essential to research specific regions’ weather patterns as they can vary. For example, sailing through the Caribbean is best between December and April when the weather is pleasant with lower chances of hurricanes. Meanwhile, sailing across the Pacific may be best during the southern hemisphere’s summer months between November and April to take advantage of favorable winds.

Keep in mind that weather patterns can change, so it’s important to monitor forecasts and consult experienced sailors or local experts for accurate information to make the best decision.

Considering the Trade Winds and Currents

When considering a journey to sail around the world, it is crucial to incorporate the trade winds and currents into your planning. These natural forces can greatly impact the speed and direction of your voyage, making it essential to understand and take advantage of them.

The trade winds act as consistent winds that blow in specific directions in different parts of the world. By utilizing these winds, sailors can maintain a steady and efficient course.

Ocean currents resemble rivers within the ocean, flowing in various directions and speeds. By comprehending these currents, sailors can navigate more efficiently, ultimately saving both time and fuel.

To effectively plan your route, it is recommended to study weather charts, pilot books, and seek guidance from experienced sailors. This will help determine the best course to take full advantage of favorable winds and currents for each leg of your journey.

Remember that the timing of your departure is crucial as certain seasons may offer more favorable winds and currents. It is important to remain flexible and adjust your departure dates for a better sailing experience.

By considering the trade winds and currents , sailors can navigate their way around the world more efficiently, ultimately leading to smoother and faster passages.

Incorporating these factors into your planning is an essential aspect of ensuring a successful and enjoyable circumnavigation.

Identifying Potential Stops and Ports

When planning your journey to sail around the world, it is important to identify potential stops and ports. By doing so, you will have the opportunity to rest, resupply, and explore new destinations along the way. There are several important factors to consider when choosing these stops:

1. Research: It is essential to conduct thorough research in order to identify potential stops and ports that align with your travel goals. This includes taking into account the distance from your current location, the available facilities at each port, and the local attractions that may be of interest to you.

2. Navigation: To ensure a smooth journey, it is advisable to use nautical charts, guidebooks, and online resources to identify suitable ports. It is important to pay attention to any navigational hazards that may exist and ensure that the ports you choose have adequate mooring facilities available.

3. Infrastructure: Before selecting a port, it is crucial to check if it has the proper facilities to accommodate your vessel. This includes looking for marinas, anchorages, fuel stations, and repair services. By doing so, you can ensure safe docking and maintenance for your vessel.

4. Customs and Immigration: It is important to research the customs and immigration procedures for each potential stop in order to comply with local regulations. This includes planning enough time for clearance procedures and ensuring that you have all the necessary documents ready.

5. Safety and Security: Considering the safety and security of each stop is of utmost importance. It is advisable to look for ports that have a reputation for safety and low crime rates. Consulting experienced sailors or online communities for advice on port safety can provide valuable insights.

6. Local Attractions and Culture: It is important to take into account the attractions and cultural experiences available at each stop. Immersing yourself in different cultures, trying local cuisines, and exploring the beauty of each destination will enhance your journey.

By incorporating these considerations into your planning, you can ensure a more enjoyable and successful journey around the world.

Equipping Your Vessel

Equipping your vessel is crucial when embarking on a journey to sail around the world. In this section, we’ll explore key aspects such as ensuring safety equipment and first aid supplies , stocking up on food and water , and installing navigation and communication systems . Get ready to dive into the practical essentials that will make your sailing adventure safe and smooth, from the necessary gear to the provisions for sustenance and the tools for navigation.

Ensuring Safety Equipment and First Aid Supplies

When getting ready for a sailing adventure, it is essential to ensure the presence of safety equipment and first aid supplies. This will help protect both yourself and your crew. Here is a comprehensive list of the must-have items:

• Life jackets: It is crucial for each person to have a properly fitted life jacket.
• Flares and signaling devices: These items can effectively draw attention and assist rescuers in locating you during emergencies.
• Fire extinguishers: Make sure to have fire extinguishers on board to swiftly extinguish any fires.
• First aid kit: Include bandages, antiseptics, and medications for addressing injuries or illnesses.
• Emergency radio: Use an emergency radio to communicate with the coast guard or other vessels in case of emergencies.
• Navigation tools: Carry a compass, charts, and a GPS system to ensure safe navigation.

By having these safety equipment and first aid supplies, you will have peace of mind and be well-prepared for any unexpected situations that may arise during your sailing journey.

Fun Fact: The International Safety Management (ISM) Code has provisions in place that require the proper presence of safety equipment and first aid supplies on ships to ensure the safety of both the crew and passengers.

Stocking Up on Food and Water

When embarking on a global sailing expedition, it is vital to stock up on provisions, including an ample supply of food and water, to satisfy the crew’s sustenance and overall well-being.

For sustenance , it is recommended to procure non-perishable food items, such as canned goods, dried fruits, nuts, and energy bars. It is essential to take into account any dietary restrictions and crew preferences when selecting these items. The aim should be to have enough food to last the entire journey, while also considering additional supplies for unforeseen emergencies .

To meet hydration needs, it is important to ensure an adequate water supply. This can be achieved by calculating the daily water consumption per person and multiplying it by the duration of the trip. Factors such as climate, physical exertion, and possible delays should be considered in this calculation. It is advisable to invest in water storage containers and filtration systems to ensure safety during the voyage. Carrying extra water capacity is recommended for added security .

It is crucial to create a detailed provisioning plan for each leg of the journey, taking into account potential restocking points along the route. This plan should be adjusted based on the availability of supplies at these points.

To prevent damage or spoilage of provisions during rough seas, it is essential to have adequate storage space. Using lockers and securing items will help safeguard them. For the preservation of perishable items, it is crucial to rotate them regularly to maintain freshness and avoid waste. Prioritizing the consumption of items with shorter expiration dates is advisable. Proper food storage techniques should be followed to prevent contamination .

By adhering to these guidelines and diligently planning food and water supplies, you can ensure proper nourishment and hydration throughout your exciting sailing adventure.

Installing Navigation and Communication Systems

To sail around the world, install navigation and communication systems on your vessel. This ensures safety and effective navigation throughout your journey.

• Choose a reliable GPS: Install a Global Positioning System (GPS) for accurate positioning information to determine your exact location at sea.
• Install a marine VHF radio: A marine VHF radio is crucial for communication with other boats and coastguards. It allows distress calls, weather updates, and communication with nearby vessels.
• Set up an AIS transponder: AIS transponders transmit your vessel’s information, such as position, speed, and course, to other vessels. This prevents collisions and enhances safety.
• Install radar: Radar systems detect objects, land masses, and other vessels using radio waves. It provides valuable information during poor visibility or night navigation.
• Consider satellite communication: Satellite communication systems keep you connected when out of traditional cellular networks. They provide weather updates, emergency services, and communication with loved ones onshore.

Pro-tip: Regularly test and maintain your navigation and communication systems to ensure optimal functionality before embarking on your journey. Familiarize yourself with their operation and keep spare parts or backup systems onboard as a precaution.

Understanding Weather Patterns

Weather patterns play a crucial role when it comes to sailing around the world. In this section, we’ll uncover the secrets to understanding these patterns. From learning how to interpret weather forecasts to navigating around tropical storms and heavy weather, we’ll equip you with the knowledge needed to sail safely. We’ll also explore how to tackle calms and light winds, ensuring you’re prepared for all conditions Mother Nature throws your way. Get ready to set sail with confidence!

Learning to Read Weather Forecasts

Learning to read weather forecasts is crucial for sailors. By understanding weather patterns, sailors can make informed decisions about when to set sail, avoid storms, and navigate through different wind conditions.

To read weather forecasts, sailors should analyze meteorological data such as wind direction , speed , atmospheric pressure , and cloud patterns . This information can be obtained from weather forecasting websites, radio broadcasts, and onboard weather instruments.

By interpreting weather forecasts, sailors can anticipate the behavior of weather systems and plan accordingly. For example, if a forecast predicts strong winds and storms , sailors can delay departure or seek shelter. Conversely, if the forecast indicates favorable conditions, sailors can plan longer passages and optimize their route using wind patterns.

Learning to read weather forecasts requires practice and knowledge of meteorological concepts. Sailors should familiarize themselves with weather symbols, terminology, and the use of weather instruments. It is important to stay updated with the latest forecasts throughout the journey to make necessary adjustments.

In a true story, a sailor named Lisa embarked on a solo circumnavigation. Her ability to interpret weather data and make informed decisions contributed to a safe and successful journey. Lisa learned the importance of constantly monitoring weather updates, trusting her instincts, and seeking advice from experienced sailors. Her newfound knowledge and skills in reading weather forecasts enhanced her confidence as a sailor.

Avoiding Tropical Storms and Heavy Weather

Stay updated on weather patterns and forecasts to anticipate the formation and movement of tropical storms and heavy weather.

Avoid areas prone to tropical storms and heavy weather by planning your route strategically.

Choose a time of the year when the likelihood of tropical storms and heavy weather is minimal in the regions you will be sailing through.

Utilize real-time weather information to avoid potential danger.

Stay in contact with other sailors, local authorities, and rescue services to receive timely warnings and advice regarding tropical storms and heavy weather.

Prepare your boat by securing loose items, reinforcing the rigging, and checking and maintaining essential equipment to withstand strong winds and rough seas.

If you encounter a tropical storm or heavy weather while at sea, find a protected anchorage or marina until the weather improves.

Familiarize yourself with emergency procedures and know how to deploy safety equipment and handle emergencies during tropical storms or heavy weather.

Develop a contingency plan for worst-case scenarios, such as losing control of the boat or facing exceptionally severe weather, to ensure the safety of yourself and your crew.

Prioritize safety above all else when deciding whether to continue sailing or seek a safe haven during tropical storms or heavy weather.

Dealing with Calms and Light Winds

Dealing with calms and light winds while sailing can be challenging, but with the right strategies, it’s possible to navigate through these conditions. Here are some key points to consider:

1. Maintain momentum: Maximize your boat’s speed by carefully trimming the sails to capture the available wind. Use any breeze, no matter how light, to keep your boat moving forward.

2. Be patient and persevere: Sailing in calms and light winds requires patience. Stay focused and alert for any subtle changes in wind direction or intensity.

3. Consider alternative propulsion: If there are prolonged calms, use methods like an engine or auxiliary power to maintain progress towards your destination.

4. Conserve resources: During periods of calms and light winds, conserve essential supplies such as food, water, and fuel. Plan accordingly and make sure you have enough to sustain your journey.

5. Stay updated with weather forecasts: Anticipate areas of potential calm or light wind conditions by staying updated with weather forecasts. This will help you plan your route and make necessary adjustments.

6. Utilize current and tidal flows: Take advantage of favorable currents or tidal flows that can provide additional propulsion in the absence of wind.

Remember, dealing with calms and light winds is a normal part of a sailing adventure. By using these strategies and remaining adaptable, you can continue to make progress towards your destination even in challenging conditions.

Maintaining Health and Well-being

When it comes to sailing around the world, maintaining health and well-being is crucial. In this section, we dive into the key aspects that contribute to a successful voyage. From staying physically fit to managing seasickness and maintaining mental resilience, we’ll uncover the essentials for a smooth and enjoyable journey across the vast oceans. So, grab your compass and let’s explore the secrets of maintaining your health while sailing the seven seas!

Staying Physically Fit

Staying physically fit is of utmost importance for sailors embarking on a journey around the world. Sailing necessitates strength, endurance, and agility to effectively navigate the physical trials experienced at sea. It is essential to consider the following key factors in order to maintain fitness:

1. Regular exercise: Engage in cardiovascular activities such as running or swimming to enhance stamina and cardiovascular health. Incorporating strength training exercises , like weightlifting, aids in building muscle strength and endurance.

2. Flexibility and mobility: Integrate stretching exercises like yoga or Pilates into your routine to improve flexibility. This is vital for maneuvering on the boat and reducing the risk of injuries.

3. Healthy diet: Maintain a balanced diet that is rich in nutrients to promote overall health and physical well-being. Ensure your diet includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains to provide energy and aid in recovery.

4. Hydration: It is crucial to consume an adequate amount of water to stay hydrated. This helps to maintain optimal performance and prevent dehydration.

5. Rest and recovery: Allow your body sufficient time to rest and recuperate. Ensure you get enough sleep and schedule rest days to prevent fatigue and facilitate muscle repair.

By staying fit, you will significantly enhance your sailing experience by improving your well-being and proficiency. Giving priority to physical fitness ensures that you possess the necessary physical capabilities to overcome challenges encountered at sea.

One inspiring account of maintaining physical fitness while circumnavigating the globe through sailing is that of Lisa Blair . In 2017, she accomplished the remarkable feat of becoming the first woman to solo and unassistedly circle Antarctica . Blair exhibited extraordinary fitness and resilience by diligently adhering to a strict regimen of exercise, yoga, and a nutritious diet. Her unwavering dedication enabled her to conquer the physical demands of her journey and achieve this awe-inspiring accomplishment.

Maintaining Mental Resilience

Maintaining mental resilience is crucial when sailing around the world.

It requires staying focused, positive, and adaptable to handle challenges.

1. Build a positive mindset: Cultivate a positive outlook. Embrace the adventure, stay optimistic, and maintain a proactive attitude towards overcoming obstacles.

2. Develop coping strategies: Find healthy ways to cope with stress and difficult situations. Engage in activities like meditation or journaling. Take breaks and seek support from fellow sailors or loved ones.

3. Enhance problem-solving skills: Think critically and adapt to changing circumstances. Practice problem-solving techniques and develop a flexible mindset to navigate unexpected situations.

4. Prioritize self-care: Take care of yourself physically and emotionally. Get rest, eat nutritious meals, and exercise regularly to keep both body and mind strong.

5. Manage emotions: Recognize and manage emotions that arise during the journey. Embrace the highs and navigate the lows. Develop emotional intelligence to make better decisions and maintain mental well-being.

Remember, maintaining mental resilience is an ongoing process. By applying these strategies, sailors can better navigate challenges, adapt to the demands of the journey, and enjoy a fulfilling experience sailing around the world.

Managing Seasickness and Motion Sickness

When sailing, managing seasickness and motion sickness is crucial. Here are some strategies to naturally alleviate discomfort:

– Stay hydrated: It is important to drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration, as it can worsen seasickness.

– Eat light meals: To avoid nausea, it is best to steer clear of heavy or greasy foods. Instead, opt for small, frequent meals and snacks throughout the day.

– Focus on the horizon: To reduce the feeling of motion and alleviate seasickness, fixate on a stable, distant point.

– Take breaks: If you start feeling queasy, find a calm and well-ventilated area to relax.

– Use medication: Consulting a healthcare professional for options such as antihistamines or ginger-based products can help alleviate symptoms.

– Avoid strong smells: It is advisable to stay in well-ventilated areas to prevent worsening nausea caused by certain smells.

– Stay above deck: Spending time in the open air and feeling the breeze can help reduce motion sickness. Try to avoid staying below deck for extended periods.

– Practice relaxation techniques: Engaging in deep breathing exercises, meditation, or listening to calming music can distract from nausea and promote relaxation.

By incorporating these strategies, you can effectively manage seasickness and motion sickness while enjoying your sailing journey.

Handling Emergencies at Sea

Emergencies can strike anytime, anywhere, and even when sailing around the world, you need to be prepared. In this section, we will explore how to handle emergencies at sea. From dealing with equipment failures to managing medical emergencies, and developing a plan for man overboard situations, we will equip you with the knowledge and skills to navigate through unforeseen challenges. So, tighten your lifejacket and let’s dive into the essential tips for handling emergencies on your sailing journey.

Dealing with Equipment Failures

Dealing with equipment failures is essential when sailing around the world. It is crucial to properly maintain and prepare your vessel to minimize the impact of these failures. Consider the following key points:

– Regular inspection: It is important to inspect your boat frequently, including the engine, rigging, sails, and navigation systems. The goal is to identify potential issues before they become serious problems.

– Emergency repairs: Make sure to equip your boat with a comprehensive toolkit that includes spare parts, tools, and materials for onboard repairs. Addressing minor issues promptly can prevent them from escalating.

– Training: Take the time to familiarize yourself with basic repair techniques and procedures. Knowing how to fix common equipment failures can be incredibly valuable in emergency situations.

– Backup systems: Install backup systems for critical equipment, such as an auxiliary engine or redundant navigation instruments. Having this redundancy in place can help mitigate the impact of failures during your journey.

– Communication: Always carry a reliable means of communication onboard, such as a satellite phone or radio. This way, you can seek assistance in the event of major equipment failures or emergencies.

– Insurance: It is crucial to ensure that your boat is adequately insured to cover equipment failures or damages. Review the policy’s terms and conditions to fully understand the coverage it provides.

By following these steps, you can enhance safety and confidence while sailing around the world.

Managing Medical Emergencies

Managing medical emergencies is of utmost importance when sailing. It is crucial to be prepared for potential crises in order to save lives and guarantee a safe journey. Here are some important steps to follow in order to effectively manage medical emergencies:

1. It is vital to stock a comprehensive first aid kit with bandages, antiseptic solutions, and medications for common ailments.

2. Develop a clear communication plan to easily contact emergency medical services. It is essential to have a working satellite phone or radio onboard.

3. Ensure that the crew is trained in basic first aid and CPR. It is important that everyone knows how to respond to emergencies and provide immediate assistance.

4. Create a medical emergency response plan that outlines the necessary steps to take in case of injuries, illnesses, or accidents.

5. It is essential to regularly check and maintain all medical equipment and supplies to ensure that they are in proper working condition.

6. Keep detailed records of the crew members’ medical conditions, allergies, and medications. This information will be helpful to inform medical professionals if the need arises.

7. Stay well-informed and consider enrolling in medical training courses such as wilderness first aid or advanced marine medical training.

8. Consider subscribing to a telemedical service that can provide real-time medical advice while at sea.

Remember, prevention is key. Encourage good hygiene practices and ensure that the crew is aware of potential health risks associated with sailing. Being well-prepared for medical emergencies is essential to ensure a safe and successful journey.

Developing a Plan for Man Overboard Situations

Developing a plan for man overboard situations is crucial for safety. It is essential to follow these steps in such emergencies:

• Immediately shout “ Man overboard! ” to alert the crew and ensure they start monitoring the person in the water.
• Throw a buoyant object, like a life ring or flotation device, towards the person to provide something to hold onto.
• Activate the man overboard alarm system, if available, to notify nearby vessels or authorities.
• Designate a crew member to visually monitor the person in the water and continuously point towards their location.
• Initiate a quick and efficient recovery procedure, such as turning the boat around or using a rescue sling or ladder.
• Retrieve the person from the water using the established recovery procedure, ensuring the safety of the rescuer.
• Provide immediate medical attention if required and monitor the person’s condition until professional help can be reached.
• Conduct a debriefing with the crew to assess the situation and identify any lessons learned.

A true story highlighting the importance of a plan for man overboard situations involves a sailing team in a race. During a storm, a crew member fell overboard. Thanks to their quick response and well-rehearsed plan, they safely retrieved the crew member and provided necessary medical assistance. Their efficient handling of the situation highlighted the importance of developing a plan for man overboard situations and the significance of preparation and training for everyone’s safety on board.

Interacting with Different Cultures

Stepping into new cultures while sailing around the world offers a beautiful tapestry of experiences. In this section, we’ll dive into the joys of interacting with different cultures, exploring topics like respecting local customs and traditions , learning basic language skills, and establishing positive interactions with locals. So, get ready to expand your horizons and embrace the richness of diverse societies as you embark on your global sailing adventure.

Respecting Local Customs and Traditions

Respecting local customs and traditions is essential when sailing around the world to establish positive interactions with locals and ensure a harmonious experience.

Before visiting a new destination, it is crucial to research and understand the local customs and traditions to avoid offending or disrespecting the locals.

Following the appropriate dress code for each destination, taking into consideration religious or cultural requirements, is important.

Modest clothing is often expected in conservative countries or when visiting religious sites.

Learning the proper way to greet locals in each country is also vital as handshakes, bows , or other forms of greetings may vary based on cultural norms.

Being aware of social etiquette, such as dining customs, gestures, and table manners, is equally important.

Even if it differs from your own cultural practices, it is crucial to respect the local way of doing things.

Familiarizing yourself with local customs, such as gift-giving, ceremonies, or festivals, can greatly enhance your cultural experience and show appreciation for the local traditions.

An important pro-tip is to observe and follow the lead of locals in their own country.

By showing respect and embracing local customs and traditions, you can foster meaningful connections and create lasting memories during your sailing journey.

Learning Basic Language Skills

Learning basic language skills is essential when you are sailing around the world. It is necessary for effective communication and meaningful interactions with the locals. If you want to improve your language skills, here are some tips that can help you:

1. Begin by learning common phrases: It is important to learn simple greetings, directions, and essential words for daily interactions. This will enable you to navigate different countries and effectively communicate your basic needs.

2. Pay attention to maritime terms: Make sure to familiarize yourself with nautical vocabulary that is specific to sailing. Understanding these terms will allow for clear and effective communication with fellow sailors and port authorities.

3. Make use of language learning apps: Take advantage of language learning apps and online resources to practice and improve your language skills. These tools offer interactive lessons, pronunciation guides, and vocabulary exercises.

4. Consider attending local language classes: During your travels, you may want to consider enrolling in language classes conducted by native speakers. Learning from them will enhance your language proficiency and deepen your cultural understanding.

5. Immerse yourself in the local culture: Engage in local customs and traditions to enrich your language learning experience. By participating in cultural activities, you will have the opportunity for real-life conversations and gain a deeper understanding of the language.

Pro-tip: Try to speak with locals as much as possible, even if you make mistakes. Most people appreciate the effort and are willing to help you improve your language skills. Embrace the learning process and enjoy the multicultural experience!

Establishing Positive Interactions with Locals

Establish positive interactions with locals by respecting local customs and traditions. Take the time to learn about the culture and customs of the places you visit, showing that you have a genuine interest in learning and that you respect the locals.

To establish positive interactions with locals, it is helpful to learn basic language skills. While you may not become fluent in every language you come across, learning a few key phrases such as simple greetings, thank you, and please , can show that you are making an effort to communicate.

Being polite and friendly is essential in establishing positive interactions with locals. A smile and friendly attitude can go a long way. Treat everyone with respect and kindness.

Show an interest in the culture of the locals to establish positive interactions. Ask questions and demonstrate genuine curiosity about their local culture, traditions, and history . This will not only help you learn more but also show the locals that you value and appreciate their heritage.

In order to establish positive interactions with locals, it is recommended to support local businesses and artisans . Instead of patronizing big chain stores and restaurants, seek out local businesses and artisans. This not only supports the local economy but also provides opportunities for meaningful interactions with locals.

Being mindful of your actions is important to establish positive interactions with locals. Show respect for the local environment and be conscious of your impact on the community. Avoid littering, follow local rules and regulations, and be aware of cultural sensitivities .

Being open-minded and flexible is crucial when trying to establish positive interactions with locals. Embrace new experiences and be willing to adapt to different ways of doing things. Remember that you are a guest, and there is much to learn from the locals.

Some Facts About How To Sail Around The World:

• ✅ Living aboard a sailboat and sailing around the world is becoming increasingly popular.
• ✅ The duration of a trip around the world depends on factors like exploration, weather, and direction.
• ✅ Legal documentation and the appropriate type of boat are required to sail around the world.
• ✅ The recommended sailboat size is between 35 and 45 feet, considering factors like the route, number of people, and supplies.
• ✅ Safety in sailing around the world depends on navigation skills, the right boat, and avoiding certain areas prone to extreme weather.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. what are the key factors to consider when planning to sail around the world.

When planning to sail around the world, it is important to consider factors such as a well-prepared route, reliable bluewater sailboat, necessary paperwork, safety training, mental and physical preparation, and research. These elements will ensure a smooth and pleasant voyage, allowing you to make the most of your grand adventure.

2. Can I sail around the world with a rented sailboat?

While it is technically possible to sail around the world with a rented sailboat, it may come with restrictions and limitations. Renting a sailboat is typically more suitable for shorter trips or coastal cruising. For a circumnavigation of the globe, it is recommended to have your own reliable bluewater sailboat, which is better equipped to handle the challenges and demands of long-distance voyages.

3. How much does it cost to sail around the world?

The cost of sailing around the world can vary depending on factors such as the type of boat, family size, route, and lifestyle choices. On average, the cost can range from $500 to $1,000 per person per month. This includes expenses such as food, maintenance, insurance, cruising and mooring fees, satellite phone, fuel, and other miscellaneous costs. It’s important to budget accordingly and plan for unexpected expenses.

4. What safety training is necessary for sailing around the world?

Proper safety training is crucial when embarking on a sailing trip around the world. It is recommended to undergo appropriate safety training courses, both online and practical, to learn navigation skills, emergency procedures, and essential safety protocols. This preparation will equip you to handle unforeseen situations and ensure the well-being of yourself and your crew.

5. How long does it take to sail around the world?

The duration of a sailing trip around the world can vary depending on factors such as exploration, weather conditions, and direction. While the world record is 40 days, most trips take around 100 days or even 3 to 10 years if you want to make stops along the way to explore different countries and islands. It’s important to plan a flexible and realistic itinerary that matches your desired pace of travel.

6. Can I sail around the world without any sailing experience?

Sailing around the world without any sailing experience is not recommended. Operating a sailboat and having basic sailing knowledge is essential for a safe and enjoyable journey. It is advisable to gain experience by crewing on other sailboats, taking shorter voyages to refine your skills, and possibly obtaining an internationally recognized sailing license. Learning from experienced sailors and continuously improving your sailing abilities will greatly contribute to the success of your circumnavigation.

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Sail Around the World Route – Best Options Explained

Before you ponder your route to sail around the world, think about why you’re even thinking about such an undertaking. 

There are countless sailing routes you can take to circumnavigate the globe, but each one is for a different sort of sailor. The two most common routes are the mid-latitudes “Milk Run” and the high-latitudes journey through the Southern Ocean or Northwest Passage.

Here’s a look at some of these very different trips and the types of sailors and vessels that accomplish each one every year.

Table of Contents

Basic planning factors – winds, currents, and storms, the classic sail around the world route – the milk run, circumnavigating in the southern ocean, an alternate sail around the world route the northwest passage, which sailing routes would you pick for your circumnavigation, sailing routes around the world faqs.

The Basics of Sailing Routes Around the World

First, some lingo. Sailors refer to a sail around the world route as a “circumnavigation.”

Taking a boat around the world requires some gumption. So why do it at all? For some, it is the goal of having done it. For others, it’s a fun way to combine their passions of sailing and travel. Some folks compete in races to see who can do it fastest. And some folks think it would be a good lark and a neat way to see the world.

Whatever reason draws you to the idea of completing a circumnavigation, you aren’t alone. Every year there are rallies or races that you can join to meet up with like-minded people. And for as many people who compete in rallies, there are likely an equal number of people doing it on their own. 

No matter how you cut it, a circumnavigation is made up of numerous legs. So if traveling and seeing the sights is your goal, then it only makes sense to take your time and visit as many places as you can along the way. 

Folks with a limited time frame will inevitably miss something or rush through someplace they want to see. 

For sightseers, the goal of a circumnavigation might be secondary to seeing the places they want to see. In other words, someone with their heart set on circumnavigating might set a schedule of two years to get it done, while another sailor who wants to complete loops in the Atlantic and Pacific might have a lot more time to visit more countries and ports of call. 

Every sailor and every boat comes into this adventure with different goals. Therefore, it’s important to think about your motivations and the sort of circumnavigation that you’d like to have. What’s the most important part to you, and how much money and time can you dedicate to the endeavor? 

Most pleasure boaters contemplating a circumnavigation are interested in the safest route to sail around the world. Part of the safety and enjoyment of the crew comes from planning the trip to follow the prevailing wind patterns around the globe.

When sitting on land, you might think of the wind as unpredictable and variable depending on the day and weather conditions. And while that is true all over the world, at sea prevailing weather patterns tend to be more steady. 

That means by understanding the causes and patterns in the winds, you can use them to your advantage on a circumnavigation. 

For example, let’s look at the North Atlantic circuit. If a yacht wants to depart Europe for North America, its best bet is to head south first and follow the area between 10 and 30 degrees north latitude westbound. Why? Because this is the area where the winds flow from the east almost constantly. Since ships used these winds to get to the Caribbean in the old days, they are still known as the Trade Winds. 

What if you want to go the other way, back to Europe? In that case, your best bet is to head north and make your easterly course between 40 and 60 degrees north latitudes. There, the prevailing winds are westerly and will push you back to Europe. 

While sailboats can sail into the wind, doing so is called “beating” for a reason. It’s rough on the boat and crew; it’s tiring and unpleasant. You’ll have to do it occasionally, but a successful and comfortable passage is usually the result of planning so you don’t have to sail to weather. 

Similarly, you can use the world’s ocean currents to your advantage. If the Gulf Stream can give you a knot or two of an extra push toward Europe, you should take it! It makes a big difference when your normal speed is six knots. Trying to fight against it for any length of time could double your trip planning and make for a very nasty ride.

And then there is the risk of storms at sea. With good trip and weather planning, a boat can circumnavigate without ever experiencing a bad storm at sea.

That requires conservative planning to avoid areas and times of the year when the weather is bad. To do this means you must plan to be in the right places at the right times. Pilot charts are published for every ocean sector on Earth, showing the prevailing winds for any given month and the probability of encountering a severe storm in the area. 

Using pilot charts and the historical prevalence of hurricanes or cyclones, sailors can plan to transit these areas only during quiet times. In other words, no one wants to be in the middle of the North Atlantic during peak hurricane season or during winter gales, but being in the middle of the North Atlantic in May is pretty optimal. 

Likewise, you don’t want to be in the middle of the South Pacific during February when it is peak cyclone season, but June or July is good.

The classic route for circumnavigating is based on the path of least resistance, making it the safest route to sail around the world. These routes utilize the prevailing winds to make as many downwind, fair-weather passages as possible. 

The goal of this route is not speed but comfort and safety. This is the route you take your family on. This is the route that around the world rallies, like the World ARC Rally , use for every trip. 

Starting from the Caribbean, this route travels westbound and keeps close to the equator. Of course, you can start anywhere, but many yachts cross their wakes (begin and end their voyage) somewhere in the Lesser Antilles. 

After crossing the Caribbean Sea, transit is arranged through the Panama Canal. Canal transits are expensive and time-consuming, and they usually involve a broker to arrange all the paperwork and scheduling. 

Before the canal was constructed, the only way to make the journey was to travel south in the Atlantic and pass Cape Horn. There, you can follow Drakes Passage through Argentina’s islands and Patagonia’s wild lands. Many expedition yachts still choose this route to see this remote and beautiful part of the world. 

After the Panama Canal, most yachts take familiar sailing routes across the Pacific . The first stop is the Galapagos Islands. This takes you mostly south along the coast of Central America and across the equator into the Southern Hemisphere.

From the Galapagos, the single longest passage lies ahead–roughly 3,200 nautical miles to the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia. This trip takes most sailboats about 14 days. An alternate route takes you farther south. It doesn’t shorten the trip but allows you to visit Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and Pitcairn Islands.

Once in French Polynesia, you can island hop your way through the South Pacific island nations, but with a weary eye on the weather. The point is to avoid the area during cyclone season, roughly the summer months (December through April or so). 

At this point, many yachts find a hurricane hole where they can relax during storm season. Usually, it is time to haul out and complete some maintenance after so many sea miles. Some make it south and out of the cyclone belt to New Zealand or Australia. Others opt to stay in the islands but find a well-sheltered marina or boatyard where they can haul out.

Once cyclone season is winding down, the next big passage awaits. After passing through the Torres Straits, stops in Northwestern Australia and Indonesia welcome you to the Indian Ocean. There are only a few isolated stops after that. Many yachts make one long passage out of it, although many enjoy a few stops, like Cocos Keeling, Maldives, Diego Garcia, or Seychelles.

This is where the route branches in two directions. Traditionally, boats would transit on a northwest course and into the Gulf of Aden. From there, you follow the Red Sea to the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean is, of course, one of the most storied cruising grounds on the planet. You can cruise from Turkey and Greece to Italy, France, and Spain, with countless famous ports of call along the way. 

Unfortunately, the route to get there, through the Gulf of Aden and around the Horn of Africa, is home to bands of pirates who have been known to prey on leisure yachts and commercial vessels alike. For this reason, this route has fallen out of favor in recent years. 

Instead, boats head to South Africa. The country makes a good landfall point from which you can travel home or take land excursions to see the rest of Africa. Popular stops on the way are the islands of Reunion and Mauritius. Some folks also like to visit Madagascar.

After rounding the Cape of Good Hope, yachts are back in the Atlantic and can head northwest toward the Caribbean. You can make a few stops along the way, mostly isolated island nations like St. Helena and Ascension Islands. After that, it’s a straight shot back across the equator and to the Windward Islands of the Caribbean. 

When coming from the Mediterranean, boats heat westbound through the Straights of Gibraltar. The next stop is the Canary Islands. How long does it take to sail across the Atlantic? It’s a roughly 17-day passage downwind to the Windward Islands.

Most people take two full years or longer to complete a circumnavigation as described above, but even that only allows a little time to see the sights. So a more realistic number would be four or five years. 

This route isn’t for those looking to get it done in the shortest amount of time. Instead, the Southern Ocean Route is the favored path for those looking to trade a bit of safety for speed. This route, due to the prevailing winds along the route, is completed from west to east. 

Races like the Clipper Around the World , Vendee Globe , and the Golden Globe Around the World Race use this path. It utilizes the open expanses of the Southern Ocean. Once you get into these high latitudes, there are no real landmasses in your way, and you can steer a course all the way around the world in record time.

Of course, the Southern Ocean is not for the faint of heart. High-latitude sailing involves biting cold weather and dangerous gales. You’ll be rounding Cape Horn through Drakes Passage, one of the dicest stretches of water on the planet. 

It’s a punishing stretch of ocean, and boats are often beaten and bruised. Dismastings and equipment failures are common. In other words, a sailor who chooses this route must be ready for anything, capable of handling whatever the sea throws at them, and sailing an extremely well-founded bluewater vessel.

In recent years it has been in vogue to attempt a transit of the Northwest Passage, thereby making it possible to circumnavigate the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Obviously, this is a summertime endeavor only, and even then, only during years when the ice pack has completely melted. This is happening more and more, so the route is gaining popularity.

The leg that makes this possible starts from the United Kingdom going west across the Atlantic to Greenland through the Labrador Sea. The Northwest Passage itself then bisects Canada’s northern territories. Finally, you end up on the northern coast of Alaska. Then, keeping the mainland of North America to port, you continue south into the Pacific Ocean.

From the Aleutian Islands, the most favorable course is to transit to the west coast of North America. After that, you can make your way south along the famous Inside Passage, a network of fjords in British Columbia that can link you to Puget Sound and the Seattle metro area. 

Once in the US, your next steps are southbound transits to Baja, Mexico, or jumps like sailing to Hawaii from California . You can then join the normal routes across the South Pacific islands to Australia or Southeast Asia.

Both the Southern Ocean and the Northwest Passage routes are high-latitude routes that carry more risk than the Milk Run. High-latitude sailing involves dealing with more frequent severe weather systems, stronger winds, and greater variability in the weather in general. They’re also farther from services and more remote, so self-sufficiency is even more vital. 

While you can do the Milk Run in nearly any of best bluewater cruising sailboats , these high-latitudes routes are more comfortable in a robust expedition-level vessel. These are the perfect places for that aluminum sailboat you’ve been dreaming about.

There is much to learn and think about if you want to circumnavigate. If you’re dreaming of sailing the world, consider starting your research by picking up a book or two written by someone who has done it. Here are three stories of circumnavigations, but there are countless others and blogs galore to be found on the internet. 

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Jimmy Cornell is the master of how to sail around the world. His “World Cruising” series of guides includes everything you’d ever need to know, from weather systems and route planning to legal formalities. This book, 200,000 Miles , combines some of those technicalities with a biographical story of his journey.

Sailing Around the World Alone is Joshua Slocum’s story of his journey. It’s not a modern tale–Slocum set out in the late 1890s from Nova Scotia. But his adventure is the OG tale of sailing around the world and is worth a read. 

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Lin and Larry Pardey circumnavigated several times (both eastbound and westbound), but if you totaled up the miles they sailed, it would be more like seven times. The difference, of course, is enjoying every port and stop along the way.

While they never wrote a book specifically about sailing around the world, their cruising tales live on in the various tales and how-to guides they produced over the years. 

Capable Cruiser discusses techniques that will get you there, interwoven by the Pardey’s inimitable charm and wit. For more travel inspiration, check out their original series of books: Cruising in Seraffyn , Seraffyn’s European Adventure, Seraffyn’s Mediterranean Adventure, and Seraffyn’s Oriental Adventure.

What route do you take to sail around the world?

There are several ways to circumnavigate, but the most common is the “Milk Run.” This route goes from the Caribbean through the Panama Canal. From there, it heads south to the Galapagos Islands and into the South Pacific. After Tahiti, yachts head to Australia, across the Indian Ocean, and through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea. Finally, leaving the Med, boats cross the Atlantic to the Caribbean to close the circle, or “cross their wake,” as they say.

How long does it take to sail around the world?

The WorldARC around the world sailing rally usually lasts 18 months, but you can do it quicker by selecting fewer stops or taking faster routes. For most sailors, however, the length of the trip around the world really depends on how much they stop along the way and for how long. If the purpose of the trip is to travel and see the world, it makes little sense to rush and do it in the shortest possible time. Many circumnavigations take five or more years. 

How much does it cost per month to sail around the world?

Sailing has been described as the most expensive way to get somewhere for free. The cost to sail around the world is extremely variable–it is impossible to pin down any price. On the one hand, the type of boat makes a difference. The larger the boat, the larger the costs. The lifestyle you choose while sailing matters, too–lavish resort marinas cost more than anchoring away from town. Hiring professionals to do boat maintenance costs more than doing it all yourself. There are ways to do it lavishly and ways to be cheap about it. Comfortable cruising is somewhere in the middle, but where exactly that depends entirely on you. 

How big of a sailboat do you need to sail around the world?

Many solo sailors and couples have circumnavigated in boats less than 30 feet long. Lin and Larry Pardy wrote many novels as they circled the globe on 22-foot-long Seraffyn , a Lyle Hess-designed cutter. The size of the boat has everything to do with your cruising style and budget. So long as the vessel is well-founded and designed to take the rigors of bluewater passages, size matters less than many people think.

Matt has been boating around Florida for over 25 years in everything from small powerboats to large cruising catamarans. He currently lives aboard a 38-foot Cabo Rico sailboat with his wife Lucy and adventure dog Chelsea. Together, they cruise between winters in The Bahamas and summers in the Chesapeake Bay.

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We were heaved to in the middle of the Atlantic, the sails of the 40-foot sloop set in such a way that the boat drifted slowly through the water, riding gently upon the heaving ocean swell that rose and fell with cosmic regularity. The puffy trade wind clouds marched across the sky in the perpetual easterly breeze. The sea itself was an indescribable shade of deep blue that exists only in deep waters far offshore, a color for which we have no word.

I was on the lee deck, wedged between the coach roof and the lifelines, bracing myself against the swell, gripping an old plastic sextant and practicing my sun sights. Engaging in a method of navigation used for centuries is to truly become one with the universe, a sensation long lost among the lives of those on shore. After plotting my line of position that I obtained by calculating the angle of the sun on the horizon, I figured we were around 26 degrees North latitude, 65 degrees West longitude, just about halfway between Charleston, SC, and our landfall in the Virgin Islands. We were seven days off the East Coast, another seven or so more to sail. We had finally adjusted to life at sea, the simple life of living in tune with the universe.

Traveling and Working as a Volunteer Crew Member

Amazingly, I was along for this trip of a lifetime as a volunteer crew member. The owner had paid my way, provided the food onboard, and would pay for a return ticket from Tortola upon our successful delivery of his yacht to the islands, where he planned to use it over the winter months. The 40-foot, French-built sloop boat was incredibly comfortable for the four of us onboard — my father, another 20-something young woman, and the volunteer French captain. We had a nicely-sized galley with working refrigeration, ample sleeping space, and plenty of food (and coffee) for two weeks at sea.

Traveling the world by sailboat is a dream shared by many but experienced by few — more often than not, thrown to the wind and destroyed by careers, commitments, and shore side attachments. But life is gratifying for those who commit to the sea — simple in its routines yet profoundly natural.

As a lifelong sailor and professional captain, I have traveled the world by every means imaginable, yet I have found that the best way to travel is under sail. For those looking for a unique way to see the world and experience life, becoming volunteer crew doing yacht deliveries is an exciting, unique, and reasonably affordable way to get around.

How to Find the Right Boat to Work On

Yacht deliveries can range from taking a neglected 32-footer built in the 1960s from Bermuda to Nova Scotia in the dead of winter (which I have unfortunately experienced) to sailing a sparkling new 70-footer in the warm Trade Winds of the Caribbean, island hopping your way around some of the most beautiful sailing grounds in the world. So it pays to do some research before signing up for any trip that is out there.

Walk to Docks to Find a Boat: Ironically, the best way to get a job as a delivery crew member is to arrive in a new port on a sailboat and walk the docks looking for work. Unfortunately, the age-old catch-22 situation rears its ugly head — you need experience to be crew, yet need to crew to gain experience. Suppose you are lucky enough to live in a sailing city — such as Annapolis, MD, Ft Lauderdale, FL, or any coastal town in the Caribbean or Mediterranean. In that case, walking the docks and talking to people is your best bet for finding a boat. The girl on my last trip found our boat precisely that way. She was a local from Charleston, SC, simply looking for sailing experience and a ride to the islands where she wanted to pursue her kite surfing passion. Since we were only three then, we welcomed her extra help, even though she had never been on a sailboat before.

Use the Internet: If you are like me, come from a rural inland town, or are otherwise far removed from the ocean, the Internet is helpful and provides another way to find a boat. Several websites are dedicated to finding crew, particularly for deliveries, and they often allow you free access. Professional delivery skippers often post ads looking for volunteer crew people, and it is usually just a matter of sending your resume, a photo, and a short email about why you want to crew that will get you on a boat. Frequently these skippers are willing to take inexperienced crew as a third or fourth member and are usually very amenable to teaching.

Take Part in “Cruising Rallies”: Increasing numbers of retired businessmen and women are buying boats with big dreams of crossing big oceans without the knowledge, skill, or confidence to do so alone. Several career sailors have recognized this problem, and "Cruising Rallies" are becoming increasingly popular in all the world's oceans. They are organized by experienced sailors with thousands of ocean miles, and together with up to 50 other boats, inexperienced sailors (primarily retirees) can cross the ocean of their dreams in the relative safety of the group with experienced leadership. Once in port, these newfound ocean sailors have the added benefit of organized parties and events to share the joys of their first ocean passage with others.

You can be a part of the increasing popularity of cruising rallies, and many of the organizations behind the logistics maintain websites and crew registers. The Carib 1500, for example, is perhaps the most popular cruising rally on this side of the Atlantic, with nearly 50 boats, all over 40 feet (and many much bigger), sailing non-stop from Norfolk, VA, to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. The rally occurs after hurricane season and before the onset of winter, in early November. They also organize a return rally in May from Tortola to Bermuda. From there, the boats split up and headed east to Europe or back to the U.S.

What About Experience?

Many captains, including myself, require at least one if not two, professional or very seasoned sailors to join them on a major ocean crossing. However, like me, many are more than willing to take a few extra inexperienced sailors or intrepid adventurers along for the ride and are often willing to instruct them along the way.

The key to finding a boat to sail on is to present yourself as a trustworthy person eager to join the trip. Ulterior motives are often very apparent, and no captain is willing to take along someone just looking for a free ride.

Working Aboard the Sailing Boat

The work aboard an ocean sailing boat is difficult, tiring, and unending. A passage of even ten days sounds short, yet when you're on a watch schedule of four hours on and eight hours off, one day seems like two, and you must adapt to an utterly different way of life than the one you are accustomed to ashore. Everyone shares in all the duties involved in running the boat, from standing watch in the rain at 2 a.m. to cooking breakfast and making coffee. Then you must clean up upon arrival when the boat is in shambles, and you have not had a freshwater shower in two weeks.

Life at sea is incredibly raw and incredibly basic. Your world shrinks to the three miles or so you can see in every direction before the horizon curves out of view. A passing freighter is often the most exciting thing on a given day. The intense discomfort of being salty and sticky for two weeks is offset by the rewards of a cloudless night watch under a new moon. The sky is so dark you can scarcely see your hand in front of your face, yet the stars fill the night sky like an enormous diamond exploding in the center of the universe, sending fragments to every corner of space. You will see more shooting stars on one night watch than you would in a lifetime ashore; at sea, the lights of civilization do not pollute the sky.

Ocean Sailing Makes the World Feel Big Again

In our age of instant communication and light-speed travel, crossing even a short distance in a sailboat reminds us that despite our attempts to shrink the world with technology, our planet remains one enormous place. After two weeks at sea, watching a distant island grow on the horizon provides an indescribable feeling of accomplishment. The first beer ashore never tasted better, and a freshwater shower after weeks of bathing in the salty ocean is a blessing from Heaven.

If you plan accordingly and have ample time, traveling the globe by "hitchhiking" on sailing yachts is a unique and rewarding way to see the world. After the first trip, you still gain experience, and finding and sailing on additional boats becomes progressively easier. You will save thousands on airfare and gain a greater appreciation for the distances we travel so quickly through the sky. But most importantly, you will return to nature, experience life with a stronger sense of connection to the universe, and return with unforgettable stories. You will change.

Andy Schell is a professional captain and freelance writer who lives aboard his sailboat Arcturus in Annapolis, MD, and travels extensively.

Home » Blog » Travel » So you want to sail around the world. Now what?

So you want to sail around the world. Now what?

By Author Fiona McGlynn

Posted on Last updated: November 20, 2023

Sailing around the world is a major undertaking, but you don’t have to be super rich, athletic, or have salt water running in your veins to do it.

I know bluewater cruisers and round-the-world sailors from all walks of life: young couples,  single women ,  families with kids , and an  85-year-old Reverand .

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When I was in my late twenties, my husband, Robin, and I spent three years sailing 13,000 nautical miles from Vancouver, Canada to Mexico and then across the Pacific to Australia in our 35-foot sailboat.

We didn’t complete a full circumnavigation of the world—our goal was to reach Australia—but that’s pretty common for cruisers our age (I’ll talk more about routes and timelines below).

I grew up dinghy sailing and Robin had no sailing experience at all. We had office jobs, average incomes, and knew almost nothing about bluewater sailing when we started. 

It was two years from buying our boat to casting off the dock lines and setting sail. However, we did 95% of our preparation in the year before we left. This just goes to show how quickly you can go from “dreamer” to “doer”.

How to sail around the world

For every bluewater cruiser I know, I can think of dozens of “armchair sailors” who dream of sailing around the world but never get out and do it.

Why? There are some big hurdles to overcome before you set sail: getting offshore experience, finding the right boat, outfitting it with all the right gear, learning how to be self-sufficient, and fixing things that break. 

Not to mention finding a way to finance it all.

There’s also a strong psychological and social element: “What will my parents, friends, and colleagues think?” “Will I be able to find work again with a big hole in my resume?”

Going bluewater cruising is a radical departure from the norm and an entirely new way of living. You’ll be faced with challenges, but that’s what makes it such an incredible experience.

If you want easy travel, get a camper van. Sailing around the world is a life-changing adventure. 

So, I wanted to share how we made our transition from landlubbers to bluewater cruisers and share a few resources to help you on your way.

1. Get some offshore sailing experience

Sure sailing around the world sounds romantic—the freedom of the open ocean, sunsets on a beach in Bora Bora, sipping fresh water from a coconut you picked yourself (words of caution: climbing a palm is much harder than it looks!).

But are you willing to put up with  the not-so-fun stuff  that comes with it?  Seasickness , scary conditions, sleep deprivation from  sailing at night , repairing your boat when it breaks (which it will), and being thousands of miles from friends and family?

Some of the best moments in my life were on the boat, but I’ve also had experiences that put me way out of my comfort zone.

It’s not simply a matter of being  mentally tough  (though that helps), some people are just never going to enjoy the sailing life.

The question is: is it right for you? What about your partner, your kids, or whoever else is coming along for the ride? 

Bluewater sailing can blow up relationships. I’ve heard many stories about sailing couples investing tens of thousands in their boats, only to set sail and discover that one or both of them hate it. 

So, before you buy a bluewater boat, quit your job, or give up your studio apartment, you (and your crew mates) should  go and get some offshore sailing experience . 

Spending a week on an offshore passage will not only teach you valuable skills, but it will also give you a taste of the challenges and joys that come with bluewater cruising.

There are plenty of ways to get experience if you don’t already own a boat:

• Take a course at an  offshore sailing school
• Try  sailboat hitchhiking
• Look for crewing opportunities (or pay for a spot) on a rally boat in the  ARC  (Atlantic Ocean crossing),  Pacific Puddle Jump  (Pacific Ocean crossing), or  Baja Haha  (San Diego to Cabo). 
• Become a crew member on a friend’s boat 

2. Find your community and immerse yourself in cruising culture

If you want to go cruising, you’re going to need a support network of people who’ve been there and done it.

We received so much help leading up to our trip (and along the way). Our liveaboard friends and neighbors in Vancouver helped us fix up our engine, rewire our boat, and find a great deal on a new set of sails, just to name a few. 

There are lots of ways to  find your sailing community , either online or in person. I highly recommend mooring your boat in a  liveaboard marina , where you’ll likely be surrounded by other bluewater cruisers.

You can also learn a lot from other people’s stories. Immerse yourself in bluewater cruising culture: read the  classic sailing books , subscribe to a magazine like  Good Old Boat  or  Cruising World , listen to  sailing podcasts , and follow a few  sailing Youtube channels  or  sailors on Instagram .

3. Make a plan

There are many different routes for sailing around the world. Most cruisers sail the easier legs—following the trade winds across the Atlantic and Pacific, transitting the Panama Canal —and spend their time exploring beautiful places and cruising grounds like the Galapagos Islands, French Polynesia, and New Zealand. 

Only a few cruisers take on the harder routes—transiting the Northwest passage, Southern Ocean, or Indian Ocean (perhaps you’ve heard of the infamous Cape Horn or the Cape of Good Hope?).

For route planning, I highly recommend picking up a copy of Jimmy Cornell’s  World Voyage Planner  which shows you how to sail from anywhere in the world to…well, anywhere in the world.

How long does it take to sail around the world?

The current world record for sailing around the world is 40 days, 23 hours, and 30 minutes (IDEC 3, skippered by Francis Joyon). But unless you’re going for the speed record, you’re going to want to visit the different countries you sail to.

I know cruisers who’ve circumnavigated in as little as five years and others who spend decades making the big loop. 

In my experience, it doesn’t pay to be in a rush because inevitably things don’t go to plan.

Your boat will break down and need repair which often means spending time in a boatyard. 

You may find yourself waiting weeks if not months for crucial parts. 

You may need to fly home in the middle of your cruise (as we did) when a relative is ill or dies. 

Or, you may just fall in love with one of the remote places you visit and want to stay for a while.

Bad weather and hurricane season will dictate when and where you sail. For example, we had originally planned to cross the Pacific in 2016, but we didn’t feel ready. So, we waited a whole year for the right conditions and crossed in the spring of 2017.

My recommendation is to give yourself a minimum of three years to trial the cruising life . Make a plan but don’t be disappointed if you have to throw it to the winds.

4. Make a cruising budget

When people learned that we were traveling the world on our sailboat, they often assumed that we were independently wealthy, which couldn’t have been further from the truth!

We’ve cruised for as little as $1000 a month, but when it comes to cruising budgets, the sky is the limit. It all depends on:

• Your boat . Smaller boats cost less to buy and maintain.
• Destinations . We found places like Mexico and Fiji very affordable, while places like French Polynesia and Australia were quite expensive. 
• Your timeline. Most of the young cruisers we knew were on three-year timelines (because that’s what they could afford). The retirees and families we met often had the financial means to cruise for longer (sometimes indefinitely). Some had houses that they rented, and others would take breaks in places like New Zealand where they worked regular jobs.
• Whether you’re willing to work along the way. We wrote for sailing magazines while we were cruising, but it wasn’t enough money to fund our trip. We mostly relied on savings. With technology like Starlink and the post-pandemic remote work boom, it’s probably easier today to  earn money while cruising . However, cruising is a full-time job. It can be challenging to cover ground while keeping up with work commitments
• Your lifestyle. As I mentioned, it’s possible to  sail around the world on a budget . But we lived pretty rough: no air-conditioning, no freezer, no hot water—at one point, we hadn’t taken a shower for 8 months!

When making your budget, I’d suggest perusing a few  sailing blogs  where cruisers post their monthly expense. 

Also, there are plenty of  creative ways to finance a sailboat . Some people even manage to  travel the world for free by buying and selling their boats in the right markets . 

5. Buy a bluewater boat

You can’t sail around the world in any old sailboat.  Bluewater boats have specific design characteristics  that make them appropriate for offshore sailing. 

I love data, so I made a list of the  best bluewater sailboats  by looking at 2,000 boats that were entered in the Pacific Puddle Jump, a cross-Pacific rally, over the last decade. We also have a list of  smaller boats  which I recommend if you’re on a budget.

Once you have your list, you can get busy searching YachtWorld, Craigslist, and these other  great places to buy used boats . 

Keep in mind that a bluewater boat isn’t necessarily a seaworthy boat. It may have structural damage, unsound rigging, or need an expensive retrofit. Uncover any lurking issues (and know what they’ll cost to fix) before you sign on the dotted line.

We had a very in-depth  boat checklist  that we used to inspect every boat we considered buying. We also hired an accredited marine surveyor, twice, to survey every detail of our boat. The first time was for the purchase, the second time was when we were preparing to go offshore.

For more on how to search,  understand boat values , and close the deal, check out our series on  how to buy a boat .

6. Live on your boat

The next big step on your cruising journey will be moving onto your boat.

We lived on our boat for two years before we set sail and it taught us so much about the boat (read: what needed to be fixed) as well as ourselves (and whether we could handle close-quarter life).

By moving aboard you’ll learn if living on a boat is right for you  and your family. You can also save a bunch of money for your trip. After two years of living aboard, our rent savings paid for the purchase of our boat.

7. Prepare yourself

Preparing yourself for going offshore is a major undertaking. You’ll need to learn advanced navigation, weather, and excellent seamanship, among other things.

It’s not enough to know the theory. Get out and practice with your gear and become comfortable with maneuvers like reefing,  heaving to , sailing downwind with a pole out genoa , and  anchoring under sail .

In addition, you should become intimately familiar with your boat’s systems. Sailboats break down at sea (here are the  most common problems ). So, you have to be capable of fixing your boat when you’re hundreds of miles from shore. 

Become an expert in your boat’s electrical system , propulsion, rigging, sails, and plumbing, before you go.

When the pandemic hit, a lot of sailing education moved online. Now there are plenty of great  online sailing courses  covering everything from learning the parts of a sailboat to celestial navigation.

That being said you can’t beat on-the-water instruction and offshore experience (see #1 for offshore sailing courses). 

8. Outfit your boat

Preparing your boat for offshore will take dedicated effort and money, especially if it’s an older boat that’s not been previously equipped for bluewater sailing.

In addition to fixing existing issues and replacing old equipment, you’ll want to add offshore gear like a  watermaker , a boom brake , downwind sails , self-steering wind vane, life raft,  satellite phone , AIS, solar panels, and inverter. 

Not to mention all the spare parts you’ll need to keep these systems running. 

Needless to say, outfitting can get pretty expensive but you can save money by buying used boat parts and second-hand sails .

We spent six months in the boatyard, working full-time on our 1979 Dufour 35 to get her ready to sail. We built a solar arch , installed panels, replaced our rigging, added a roller furler, replaced our anchoring setup, removed 30 years of antifouling paint, and much much more. 

9. Do a shakedown cruise

Next, it’s time to test your boat (and yourself) by taking it on a shakedown cruise. The idea of a shakedown is to test your boat’s performance after any major changes or repairs. The goal is to find any issues (and fix them) before going farther afield. 

We circumnavigated Vancouver Island for our shakedown cruise. It took us a little over a month and allowed us to test our systems in a variety of conditions including ocean swell, fast currents, and light and moderate wind speeds.

Despite checking and fixing every system on our boat over the preceding months, we still had issues. Our engine quit, we struggled to get our wind vane working, and we had to make a few adaptations to our brand-new sails. But that’s the whole point of a shakedown cruise!

10. Go now!

“Go small, go simple, go now” is a popular cruising philosophy and one that we adhere to.

Life is short and we’ve seen poor health and other life situations bring cruising adventures to a halt.

There’s no ideal time to go cruising. You can be young or old, with or without kids, retired or working. 

Certainly don’t wait until you can afford a larger boat. A  small boat  was our ticket to cruising early in life because it made it more affordable. 

If your dream is to sail around the world, start working towards your cruising dream NOW. You won’t regret it.

Let us know how we can help you on your bluewater journey and what topics you’d like to learn more about by leaving us a message in the comments.

Fiona McGlynn is an award-winning boating writer who created Waterborne as a place to learn about living aboard and traveling the world by sailboat. She has written for boating magazines including BoatUS, SAIL, Cruising World, and Good Old Boat. She’s also a contributing editor at Good Old Boat and BoatUS Magazine. In 2017, Fiona and her husband completed a 3-year, 13,000-mile voyage from Vancouver to Mexico to Australia on their 35-foot sailboat.

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Better Sailing

Best Small Sailboats To Sail Around The World

While there are plenty of 30-35ft blue water cruising yachts currently on the used sailboat market, many of them are tired and need new standing rigging, sails, engine, etc. That said, there are good boats out there that have been loved and looked after. Those that are well used have most likely been well maintained, too, so don’t be put off by yachts that have crossed oceans or even circumnavigated before, as their owners will have had to keep them properly seaworthy. Sailing around the world is no easy task, so these boats should be in tip-top shape. 

Some might consider 30-35ft too small for bluewater cruising or for a circumnavigation (sail around the world), but that has been disproved over the years. Bigger might be better for coastal cruising with friends, but maintenance costs rise exponentially with every extra foot. A small sailboat should be more than enough to carry a couple off on the adventures of which they dream.

Nicholson 35

Now somewhat legendary, the tough and dependable Nicholson 35 first appeared in 1971, and between then and 1985, some 228 boats were launched. Built to Lloyds’ specifications with a hand-laid solid GRP hull, she boasts a fully encapsulated lead fin keel and full-depth skeg. She has an alluring sheer with nicely balanced overhangs, giving her bows a powerful go-anywhere look, while her low-profile coachroof blends pleasingly into the decks.

Compared to today’s modern cruiser, the Nic 35’s accommodation is somewhat limited due to her relatively narrow beam and pinched ends, but what there is has been used intelligently and makes for a good working environment on long passages. The need to pass through the heads to reach the forecabin can be inconvenient with guests on board. Still, for two people cruising, these minor irritations are more than compensated for with the high quality and solidity of the fittings and joinery and the availability of safe sea berths on passage.

The main saloon is comfortable with 1.88m/6ft 2in headroom. A U-shaped dinette makes a narrow but long double in port, and the 1.92m/6ft 4in-long starboard settee a great sea berth. However, many were fitted with one or two pilot berths above the settee backs instead of lockers. The galley boasts a huge coolbox, full-size gimballed cooker, deep sink, and plenty of stowage. A crash bar, bum strap, and bulkhead pole make it a great working galley at sea. Opposite is a large aft-facing chart table with instrument mounting space on a half bulkhead separating it from the watch seat and wet locker further aft. A few boats had a forward-facing chart table and roomy quarter berth instead.

The water tanks are under the sole above the keel, not under the saloon settees as with many modern crafts. Small portlights and hatches mean natural light and ventilation might not be so plentiful as on a newer boat, but then there is less opportunity for leaks. Her cockpit is business-like – not over wide but with high coamings to support the crew securely and keep them dry. She also has a high bridge deck to stop water going below should a wave find its way into the cockpit and very deep cockpit lockers. The mainsheet track is within reach of the helmsman, just forward of the pedestal, but getting to the primaries entails climbing over the seats from behind the wheel. Her masthead sloop rig has a keelstepped mast. It is stout and uncomplicated, with twin lower shrouds and a removable inner forestay for a storm jib.

Post-1975 models had a taller mast option (51ft as opposed to 45ft), increasing the sail area considerably. No doubt most will now have the control lines led aft into the cockpit for safer shorthanded sailing. Under sail, the Nic comes into her own. She has a very positive helm, although she can be prone to weather helm if overpressed. Her performance under sail is well mannered and drama free. However, her large (145%) genoa can take some sheeting in (don’t leave the inner forestay on). Her high bows part the waves with a gentle motion, and her deep, longish keel keeps her tracking dead straight in a following sea. She won’t break any speed records, averaging around 5 knots on a long passage, but she’ll always get you there safely and in comfort.

Nicholson 35 Specs

>>Also Read: Best Sailboats Under 30 Feet

The Sadler 34 evolved from the 32, and while the 32 was a tough, capable seaworthy sailboat cable of sailing around the world. The 34 offers much more in the way of accommodation thanks to her wider beam. Apart from being pretty, the most notable feature of the 34 is her double-skinned hull, sandwiched with thick closed-cell foam, making her unsinkable and eliminating condensation thanks to the added insulation. She came with a deep fin, shoal fin, or bilge keels, and the post-1990 models had a Stephen Jones-designed, foiled fin keel with ballast bulb that upped upwind performance. Under sail, she is responsive and vice free with a comfy motion and predictable handling. While her pinched (in modern terms) stern might limit the width of the aft cabin, it works well at sea, allowing her deep full skeg-hung rudder to keep a good bite on the water.

The Sadler 34 is quite a powerful performer and, despite having a fairly high displacement, achieves excellent passage times due to her ability to soldier on through foul weather and rough seas. Her deep and secure cockpit is perfectly dimensioned so as not to get thrown around at sea, and yet it provides enough clear seating for dining alfresco with mates. Stowage is also good, especially in the full-depth locker to port. There are harness points in the cockpit, but the mainsheet track runs across the bridge deck, which can catch out the unwary if the traveler isn’t locked in place.

On deck, the layout is practical, and the side decks uncluttered. Her foredeck is set up ideally for regular anchoring with a twin roller stemhead fitting and big anchor locker. Her accommodation is spacious enough for four. Though it was called a ‘double’ aft cabin, it only really works as a single, roomy quarterberth. She has an excellent U-shaped galley where pretty much everything can be reached with ease. The chart table opposite faces forward with its own seat, and there’s room aplenty for instruments and pilot books. Her saloon is roomy, and the table and seating are large enough for six to dine in comfort.

To port, the heads have a basin and its own door, allowing access to the forecabin. But in shower mode, the entire compartment runs athwartships, which isn’t ideal, especially as the hanging locker is in the same enclosure. There’s a decent-sized vee berth forward, which makes an ideal owner’s cabin at anchor. Stowage is reasonable, although the water tank is under the starboard settee.

Sadler 34 Specs

>>Also Read: Best Sailboats Under 100k

Not unlike the Nicholson 35 in both hull lines and reputation, the Rival 36 is a tough, solid yacht designed for passagemaking in virtually all weathers and sea conditions. The 36 slotted between the slightly cramped 34 and the larger 38 ketch, with 78 in total being launched. Possibly a squeeze on such a tight budget, but you get a lot more space in the R36 than the older R34, and there’s a good chance you could find one that’s already equipped for bluewater cruising. She was offered as a masthead sloop or with a cutter rig option. Keel choice was between a deep lead-ballasted fin, a shallower Scheel keel, or a centerboard (R36C).

Under sail, she’s predictable and easily handled, although, like her predecessors, she’s not the fastest boat around. As with most heavy displacement cruisers, she’s designed more to get you safely across oceans than to race around the cans. Wheel or tiller-steered, she has a large, deep cockpit with high coamings and excellent stowage for deck gear. Access along the wide side decks is good, assisted One of a range of solidly built and well-found cruising yachts built by Northshore Yachts, the Vancouver 32 was designed specifically for serious passagemaking.

Full hull sections and short overhangs offer a high-volume yacht with excellent load-carrying abilities. Her fully encapsulated shallow keel contains nearly 3 tonnes of lead ballast, giving her an enviable ballast ratio of nearly 45%; a keel shoe extends aft to support the rudder and protect the prop from floating debris and lines. Only available with tiller steering and transom-hung rudder, she has an easily manageable masthead cutter rig with full shrouds and twin straight spreaders.

A smart teak-capped bulwark offers extra security going forward while large scuppers ensure rapid deck drainage. The interior is surprisingly spacious and comfy. The long quarterberth and port-side straight by high teak-capped gunwales and long handrails on the coachroof, and the foredeck big enough for handling the headsails and ground tackle, which can be securely stowed in the large, deep anchor locker when sailing. Below decks, she is warm and woody and retains the trademark Rival ‘keyhole’ bulkhead separating the superbly designed and well-appointed galley and navigation areas from the saloon. The twin-leaf saloon table has fiddles and can seat six for a meal, while the settees are straight and make comfortable 1.91m-long sea berths with lee cloths. Most had a pipe cot above as well.

Maximum headroom is 1.91m/6ft 3in, and stowage is good, thanks in part to the water tank being above the keel. With no double cabin aft and only a quarterberth, the forecabin provides a comfortable vee berth with ample floor space to dress, plenty of lockers to stow your clothing, and even a dressing table. The heads/shower compartment is also roomy, and Jack and Jill doors offer access from both saloon and forecabin.

Rival 36 Specs

>>Also Read: Best Sailboat Brands

Vancouver 32

One of a range of solidly built and well-found cruising yachts built by Northshore Yachts, the Vancouver 32 was designed specifically for serious passage making. Full hull sections and short overhangs offer a high-volume yacht with excellent load-carrying abilities. Her fully encapsulated shallow keel contains nearly 3 tonnes of lead ballast, giving her an enviable ballast ratio of nearly 45%; a keel shoe extends aft to support the rudder and protect the prop from floating debris and lines. Only available with tiller steering and transom-hung rudder, she has an easily manageable masthead cutter rig with full shrouds and twin straight spreaders. A smart teak-capped bulwark offers extra security going forward while large scuppers ensure rapid deck drainage. The interior is surprisingly spacious and comfy.

The long quarterberth and port-side straight settees make excellent sea berths, leaving the U-shaped starboard saloon settee (converts into double berth) and roomy vee berth forward for sleeping at anchor. A half bulkhead separates the galley/navigation areas from the saloon, with a support pillar on either side providing excellent handgrips. It’s a bonus having the quarter berths behind the ch

art table as it allows the off-watch crew to keep one eye on the instruments and chart. However, having the heads forward can result in a lot of water dripping off your oilies when going below in wet weather.

All that lovely solid hardwood adds to her weight (nearly twice that of a modern 32ft Bavaria). Most owners are more concerned with her superb oceangoing abilities, though. She sails predictably and undramatically, her high bows and fine balance ensuring she parts the waves with little spray and no slamming – ideal for long passages where many lighter boats can throw you about.

Vancouver 32 Specs

Peter is the editor of Better Sailing. He has sailed for countless hours and has maintained his own boats and sailboats for years. After years of trial and error, he decided to start this website to share the knowledge.

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Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere

John Vigor turns the spotlight on twenty seaworthy sailboats that are at home on the ocean in all weather. These are old fiberglass boats, mostly of traditional design and strong construction. All are small, from 20 feet to 32 feet overall, but all have crossed oceans, and all are cheap.

Choosing the right boat to take you across an ocean or around the world can be confusing and exasperating, particularly with a tight budget. Vigor sets out to remedy that in this book. He compares the designs and handling characteristics of 20 different boats whose secondhand market prices start at about $3,000. Interviews with experienced owners (featuring valuable tips about handling each boat in heavy weather) are interspersed with line drawings of hulls, sail plans, and accommodations. Vigor has unearthed the known weaknesses of each boat and explains how to deal with them. He rates their comparative seaworthiness, their speed, and the number of people they can carry in comfort. If you have ever dreamed the dream this book can help you turn it into reality.

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How to Sail Around the World

Sailing around the world is a dream many boaters share, but it can be expensive and time-consuming. Sailing is one of the most popular sports worldwide and is part of a tradition that goes back to the ancients.

While sailing is a recreational activity for most, it’s also a way of life. 

In this article, we’re going to look at how to sail around the world , and the research you’ll need to do to make your dreams a reality.

• Sailors spend hours on the water, working to make their vessels as fast and efficient as possible. 
• They may spend their whole lives perfecting their craft.
• Sailing is an activity that requires a lot of time, energy, and money. 

Sailing is also an activity that is becoming more accessible to people with fewer resources.

This article will cover the basics of how to sail around the world and what you should consider before embarking on this journey.

Importance of Sailing on the Open Water

The sailboat can be seen as an embodiment of human freedom and self-determination, allowing people to explore their waters without relying on power and fossil fuel.

Sailboats are important because they have a long and rich history. They have been around since the time of ancient Greeks and Romans, and almost certainly before that as well.

The first sailboats were made of logs and sails from animal skins or cloth.

Moreover, it is a type of watercraft that uses the force of winds to propel the boat. Not only were they used for transportation but also for recreation and as a form of art. Sailboats have always been a popular choice for people who want to enjoy the beauty of nature on their terms.

However, with the development of technology, sailboats have become more and more accessible for people who want to enjoy this activity.

Sailing worldwide is an adventure anyone can achieve with enough determination and perseverance. It is not something that is taken lightly, but it can provide some of the most rewarding experiences of your life. It is one of the most challenging outdoor activities that you can do. It is a sport that requires a lot of physical and mental strength, endurance, and skill. 

People considering sailing worldwide must acquire certain skills to handle the conditions on board their boat. They should know how to navigate and sail in all conditions, as well as how to handle emergencies that may arise during their journey. 

You’ll need to consider factors such as climate, wind direction, water movement, and much more in order to sail safely around the world. If everything is planned out and ready, it’s time for the next step – getting ready for sailing!

Here are some ways in which you can sail around the world:

1. Volunteer on Sailboats

The world is huge in diversity and beauty. There are many places to visit, people to meet, and cultures to experience. Your budget is the only thing that stands in your way of exploring the world. Some people sail for leisure, some for adventure, and some for work. 

If you are interested in sailing but don’t have the time or money to do it, you can find a crew that needs your help and join as an unpaid member to gain experience. You can also go on a yacht charter for free if you’re willing to help with cleaning and cooking chores while on board. The boat owners usually pay for your food and accommodation.

2. Get Paid for Sailing

You can join an online sailing community and get paid for your sailing skills. Nowadays, numerous companies offer sailing internships or positions where you’ll get paid while you learn about how sailing works and other aspects of the industry.

3. Buy a Boat

If you have the money, there is also the option of buying a boat outright and making it your own by customizing it or remodeling it. Buying a used boat is cheaper than chartering, but you must ensure it is in good condition and safe for your journey. Chartering means you’ll be renting the boat from someone else, which is usually more expensive than buying one. Keep in mind that buying your boat means it requires a lot of inherent maintenance expenses.

4. Discover Boat-Sitting Opportunities

If you want to sail without spending too much money and worrying about your safety at sea, you should seek boat-sitting opportunities . It is a great opportunity for the owners of the boat who are not interested in sailing around the world and find the idea a bit scary of leaving the empty boat behind. They seek boat sitters to babysit in their boats for a specific period. 

Often the boat owners make deals in which they don’t pay the boat sitters. However, they give them access to their boats to occupy them for security purposes. On the other hand, the boat sitters get free accommodation and facilities in various awesome spots. 

You can find boat-sitting opportunities on the internet through various websites. These websites provide listings of boats looking for people to fill their crew positions for free or cheap rates while sailing around the world! 

5. Get a Boat on a Share

In order to make your sailing dream come true, you can approach it from two angles – you can buy a boat on a share or rent one. Unfortunately, buying a boat and sailing away is not always convenient. Many cost factors come into play when buying a boat, such as fuel, maintenance, insurance, and other expenses. 

In order to make your sailing dream come true, you can approach it from two angles – you can buy a boat on a share or rent one.

Hence, the share scheme allows you to buy a yacht without paying the full amount upfront. You can choose how much of your share goes towards the purchase price and what percentage of your share goes towards the running costs (fuel, insurance, etc.). Ultimately, share boats are perfect for those looking for something cheap and easy. They also offer an opportunity to learn low-risk sailing skills as you sail with other people who want to do the same thing.

Before you try sailing around the world, it’s a good idea to cross off some simpler tasks like sailing 100 miles or sailing across the Atlantic .

If you want to sail the world, it’s a good idea to get your sea legs underneath you by volunteering and practicing long-journey sailing before you dive in and try it yourself.

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Cole Brauer is the first American woman to sail nonstop, alone around the world

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• Julia Corcoran

Fewer than 200 people have ever sailed solo non-stop around the world. Cole Brauer is the only American woman among them.

The 29-year-old completed the 30,000-mile journey last week when she stepped off her 40-foot sailboat, First Light, and onto dry land after 130 days at sea. Brauer was the only woman out of 16 boats that competed in the race, the Global Solo Challenge, this year. She finished the race, which began in late October, on March 7 in Spain.

9 questions with Cole Brauer

What is it like to walk on land after 130 days at sea?

"Everyone really thought that I was going to like trip or stumble and people were really concerned about me. My dad even kind of picked me off the boat and carried me for a second. But I think because I was exercising on the boat, I was doing things, I wasn't just sitting down below, and the boat is constantly moving quite quickly that I never got the vertigo type of feeling that you normally would get."

What was it like to see people, your family again? Did you laugh? Did you cry?

"I think I was the only person not crying on the dock. The entire crowd, my parents, my team, I got second place and even the first-place competitor when he handed me my trophy was even crying. I think I was the only one not crying. And I don't know if maybe it just hasn't hit me yet."

How did your boat hold up?

"My boat held up pretty well. I was a little disappointed in how she held up, but when I look at the other competitors and what it actually takes to go around the world, she did great. And I think maybe I'm just a perfectionist in that kind of way. I don't want things to break. I felt like we were going through things too quickly. The last couple of days my team and I have been dedicated to looking at what is broken and taking the whole boat apart."

What did break?

"Oh god, do you want the list? I think the majority was actually electrical. Saltwater is just horrible for electronics, and your electronics are waterproof with freshwater, not saltwater. The salt is just really good at corroding and killing everything."

Tell us about the route and what the hardest spot was for you?

"You leave from Acuña, Spain, and you travel south and then you navigate through the Canary Islands and Cape Verde, which is off of Africa. And then you go across the equator, there's a couple of islands off of Brazil. You go through those and then you take a left turn to go and start your Cape [of Good Hope] journey. To be honest, that whole area inside the Southern Ocean—you have the South Atlantic, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, and each individual one is so different because of the currents, because of the wind, the waves, and how close each of these oceans is to the land. And so each have their own struggles. I think no sailor out there will disagree that the Southern Oceans are by far the most challenging."

You must have learned a lot about the weather, weather patterns, wind patterns.

"100%. I had a very good team behind me. My weather router, Chelsea, sent a 10-year historical analysis about the Southern Oceans to me about three weeks before the start of the race, so I read her entire booklet. She sends me where she thinks that the breeze is going to be coming from, and then I have to decide on what sails to use, and how big the sails should be that I'm going to use, and where I'm going to go. We talked every single day. My team was like, 'Okay, we trust that your eyes are seeing this firsthand and you're going to make the right decisions for how big the seas are and how windy it is.'"

How did you stay on course?

"I, of course, have like an autopilot system that’s driving at all times, because the autopilot can drive perfectly 100% of the time, where I can drive perfectly for maybe 10 minutes. On the ocean, autopilots are 100% necessary and almost every boat has them. It's just not really possible to drive all night long and there's no place to just pull over and park. A lot of the technology is programmable, so you have a PC and you're constantly programming it for the specific conditions. And I'm not a video game geek, so I struggle with that, but everything has a manual. If you can read a manual, you can sail."

You’re on Instagram, and I read that you began with the goal of having maybe 10,000 people following you around the world. I think you're at about  500,000 followers now on Instagram. You were posting a lot during this trip. I understand some of your sponsors weren’t necessarily happy about that. Why did you decide to do it?

"I had it in my mind that if you wanted to make this important, people had to see it. You know, there's one thing to go around the world and there's another thing to actually show the world what you're doing, and show the sport that is so obscure and that people don't really know about. Exposing myself on to social media didn't seem like that crazy to me and to an older generation it did."

Are you hoping to inspire young people to try things, to sail, to do something adventurous?

"Yeah, of course. I have a protegé. I started working with her when she was 15, and I think she's now 17 going to be 18. She flew all the way from Connecticut to Spain just to see my finish. I look at her and, you know, her friends, and anyone else that I've spoken to about this and I’m at the forefront of this campaign, but it's the people behind me that have been lifting me up the entire time. My advice to anyone is keep those friends that really respect you and understand your dreams and want to be a part of it. Find the people that are willing to participate in your dreams and don't laugh at you or think that you're crazy, because when you actually get the opportunity, you want to have some people in your corner."

Julia Corcoran  produced and edited this interview for broadcast with  Todd Mundt . Corcoran also adapted it for the web.

This segment aired on March 14, 2024.

Scott Tong Co-Host, Here & Now Scott Tong joined Here & Now as a co-host in July 2021 after spending 16 years at Marketplace as Shanghai bureau chief and senior correspondent.

Julia Corcoran Producer, Here & Now Julia Corcoran is an associate producer for Here & Now.

More from Here & Now

After sailing around the world, Cole Brauer says she's more grounded than ever

C ole Brauer's adventure put her in the history books and in the heart of the most isolated and dangerous places on Earth. Not to mention Instagram .

The southern oceans of the Atlantic and Pacific that Brauer endured alone in her 30,000-mile sailboat voyage brought her face-to-face with bigger waves and storms than most people will ever see."It's like going to Mars and hoping that you can breathe," says Brauer, who became the first American woman this month to sail solo nonstop around the globe . "It's not made for humans."

She's now a seafaring celebrity who has been deluged with more questions about aquatic travel and surviving the dangers of the deep than Jules Verne and Jacques Cousteau. That's because Brauer's social media followers now total half a million, and many are asking about her journey and how she did it.

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"With this newfound fame, I want to keep my feet on the ground," says the 29-year-old from Long Island. She's looking to chart a new course in the sailing industry, which has historically been a bastion of elitism and exclusivity, she said.

Brauer used Starlink − the low-orbit satellite network owned by tech billionaire Elon Musk − to get an internet signal on her voyage so that she could talk to her team, FaceTime with her mother and post videos to Instagram from her 40-foot Class40 sailboat, First Light.

She departed from A Coruña, Spain, on Oct. 29 and was at sea for 130 days. She competed against 15 male sailors, eight of whom had to drop out. Sailors set off at staggered times, depending on the speed of their boat. Brauer finished second in the race, behind France's Phillipe Delamare.

"Cole put in a tremendous effort to achieve a tremendous result," said Marco Nannini, who organized the Global Solo Challenge race.

Treacherous conditions in the Southern Hemisphere

Because the race took Brauer around the world, she had to endure scorching temperatures near the equator and near-freezing cold in the globe's southern oceans − where waters are more choppy and dangerous to sail, she said.

"I always had respect for the ocean, but this was an absolute different level," Brauer said. "It's beautiful. It's uninhabited. It's just untouched by humans."

Stronger winds and underwater currents in the Indian, South Atlantic and Pacific oceans often react to form bigger waves and "crazy storms," Brauer said, making those areas "some of the most dangerous places to be on the planet."

Unlike the part of the Atlantic Ocean stretching between North America and Europe, the southern oceans have a lot less traffic, Brauer said. During the two months she sailed there, she said, she saw only one other boat. The weather was colder and grayer, and the nights were much shorter.

The scariest moment came about two weeks from the end of race, when over just a couple days a fellow competitor had to abandon his ship because it started to sink and another had to do the same after his boat lost its mast.

It caused Brauer to feel paranoid, she said, even imagining noises coming from her own boat, which was also going through normal wear and tear.

"I just felt like, 'Oh my gosh, what's going to break next?'" she said. "Is the boat going to break in half?"

Alone in the middle of the ocean, Brauer felt homesickness, then zen

Brauer made it all the way around the world the same way any sailor goes from one point to another: staying out of direct wind and tacking from one direction to the next until she finally got to the finish line.

"You want to go straight, but you can't," she said. "You can't sail directly into the breeze; you have to tack back and forth at a 45-degree angle. I went around the world tacking, and jibing, and eventually you make it there − but there's a lot of twists and turns."

Brauer also had to constantly check the weather and change sails while also maintaining the boat.

"Everything has the possibility of breaking," Brauer said.

Brauer slept on a pile of bedding on the boat's floor for two to four hours at a time. She boiled water and used a warm wash cloth to bathe, she said. She packed 160 days' worth of freeze-dried food, including a peaches and cream oats mix that became her favorite.

Despite the technical challenges of sailing around the world, homesickness was by far the biggest challenge, she said. In Spain, before she set off on the race, nightly family-style dinners with teammates and group outings in A Coruña created intense personal bonds that she longed for on the ocean.

"All of a sudden I had a family of like 12, and you get very used to being surrounded by all these boisterous and loud people," she said.

But then, something clicked one evening when Brauer was in the boat's bow watching the colors of the sunset bleed through a massive sail.

"My body and my mind finally got used to being out there and and knowing that this was like where I was supposed to be," she said.

Brauer said she saw dolphins, sea turtles, plenty of fish and even a whale as big as her boat.

"It's just so magical," she said.

Pitch-black night skies were another highlight, Brauer said, especially when she was sailing through hot areas and the darkness brought cooler temperatures.

Brauer documented every moment on Instagram

Brauer shared details of her journey with tens of thousands of followers on Instagram. At the start of the race, her Instagram account had 10,000 followers and now boasts nearly 500,000.

Creating and posting more than 150 original videos from the boat allowed Brauer to stay connected with other people even when she was in the middle of the ocean.

Many of Brauer's videos showed her raw emotions up close, like in one post from early in the race when she angrily vents about the moment she realized she'd have to fix several boat parts on her own.

"Right now I've been feeling just broken," she says in the video.

That vulnerability is what's allowing Brauer to chart a new course in the sailing industry, she said.

"I've shown a good piece of me. I've put my heart and soul out there and I think a lot of people are really afraid to do that," she told USA TODAY. "If you want to judge me for changing or molding myself a different way, you don't have to follow me."

Race win was a team effort

Brauer surrounded herself with a team of sailors and experts who helped guide her from ashore. There were medical staff, a weather router, an expert rigger, an electronic systems manager, a sailmaker and many other team members.

Next, Brauer and her behind-the-scenes team are preparing for the Vendée Globe in 2028, another around-the-world race with stricter rules and a bigger cash prize. She won 5,000 euros (about $5,430) for finishing second in the Global Solo Challenge.

That race will be far more difficult, Brauer said, because the sailors have to race on their own and cannot receive any verbal assistance from their teammates on land.

Almost two weeks since reaching dry land, Brauer said, she now craves being out on the ocean more than ever and even feels a sense of pain when she's not able to see the water or look up to see a sky covered in white, fluffy clouds.

"The fear used to be about the boat, when I was on the boat. Now the fear is not being out there," she said. "I'm not afraid of the ocean − I'm afraid of not being on the ocean."

As for her goal of sailing around the world?

"I did everything that it took to get here, and now I can bask in it. I made the biggest dream that I could possibly think of doing and then did it."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: After sailing around the world, Cole Brauer says she's more grounded than ever

6 ultimate island-hopping itineraries for 2024

Explore the world from the deck of your own yacht with a skippered charter, bareboat or flotilla holiday. Whether you’re a first-timer, a foodie or a family, there’s a sailing itinerary to suit every type of traveller.

Craving a holiday with the freedom to escape the crowds and explore hidden coves, secluded bays and uninhabited islands? Dreaming of anchoring somewhere to take a dip without another person in sight? Sailing enables you to access remote spots that are often inaccessible by land and to experience the diversity of a region, exploring islands, villages and resorts in a single trip. Whether you're just starting out, or keen to set out with little ones in tow, these itineraries suit every type of sailor.  

1. Best for first timers: British Virgin Islands (BVIs)

Calm seas, sheltered anchorages, reliable steady trade winds and easy line-of-sight sailing make the BVIs one of the world’s best sailing destinations for less experienced sailors. The proximity of its islands also means you only need to sail for an hour or two to gain a sense of adventure and achievement as you successfully navigate to the next port of call. Set sail in Tortola and continue on to Virgin Gorda to witness The Baths, a geological wonder made up of granite boulders that stretch down the beach into the sea. Look out for hawksbill turtles as you sail on to tiny specks of land such as the idyllic Saba Rock, and be sure to end the day with a rum cocktail or two at one of the region’s many laid-back bars, which are often perched on unblemished stretches of white sand.

2. Best for families: Croatia

The calm, clear waters of the Adriatic combined with favourable weather conditions in summer provide easy sailing for families and, with more than 1,000 islands dotted along the Dalmatian Coast, there’s a range of activities and attractions with short hops to keep kids engaged. Set sail from the picturesque marina village of Agana and cruise gently to islands such as Brač, Šolta and Hvar, encouraging children to help out on board while keeping an eye out for passing dolphins. With their sheltered bays and clear waters, these islands are ideal stops for families. Spend an afternoon paddling in Brač’s Bobovišća Bay, before setting sail for the remote islands of the Kornati Archipelago, a wild and beautiful national park known for its empty hiking trails. Sailing stops here can be educational, too, with a plethora of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and picturesque port towns steeped in history.

3. Best for food-lovers: Italy

Why base yourself on land to sample Italy’s incredible gastronomy when you can sail from region to region tasting the very best food and wine at numerous ports of call? Sunsail’s SailEatalia’s Italian Cuisine Procida Flotilla departs from the glamourous port town of Procida and sails to the Pontine Islands along the sun-soaked Amalfi Coast, offering stops to taste local cuisine, from classic dishes to regional delicacies as well as the country’s finest wine. Sample Ischia's iconic stewed rabbit in an independent restaurant at the top of a mountain or try the Italian coastal delicacy alici da portare (pasta with anchovies, olives and capers) in the quaint fishing village of Cetara.

4. Best for winter sun: Antigua

Gloriously warm weather between December and May and around 365 powdery white beaches lapped by clear waters make Antigua a popular winter sun destination for British travellers. Sailors can also relax knowing the region has consistent trade winds, safe anchorages and fairly short distances between ports, giving you more time to explore a variety of attractions at your own pace. Drop anchor in Deep Bay to snorkel around the famous shipwreck the Andes , discover uninhabited islands and visit famous places like Nelson’s Dockyard to sip cocktails and dance to the lively music of traditional steel bands.  

5. Best for culture vultures: Croatia  

A cultural treasure trove with 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites ranging from Roman fortresses to hilltop castles, Croatia is a mecca for sailors with a penchant for history and art. Start and finish a week’s charter in Dubrovnik to explore one of the best-preserved medieval walled cities on Earth, touring ancient citadels and Renaissance palaces, and be sure to include Lokrum, home to the ruins of a Benedictine monastery. Sail north and discover Mljet National Park and the island getaway of Korčula, thought to be the birthplace of famed explorer Marco Polo, where museums, galleries and excellent restaurants line the beautiful cobbled streets and defensive walls of the town.  

6. Best for island-hopping: Greece

With thousands of islands scattered fairly close together, sailing from one to another is a breeze with the promise of a remote white sand or perfect pebble beach around every headland. Sailors are spoilt for choice, but the Ionian Islands, off the west coast of the mainland, are ideal for beginners looking for tranquil stretches of gin-clear water with light winds and warm temperatures in summer. Sail to Ithaca or Kefaloni in the south or to Lefkas, Paxos, Antipaxos and Corfu. While Corfu is known for its party vibe and high-end beach bars, others, like tiny Antipaxos, feature just a scattering of houses, no proper roads and a couple of charming waterside tavernas where you can watch local fishermen bring in the day's catch.  

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The Costs of Solo Sailing Around the World: With Real Numbers!

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Imagine stepping aboard your sailboat and setting off into the sunset to begin a solo sailing trip around the world. Sounds both nerve-racking and amazing at the same time, right? But before you step aboard, you should spend some time fully understanding how much it costs to solo sail around the world. 

It costs between $600-$2,000 per month to solo sail around the world. The exact figure depends on the sailboat used, its amenities, and what the itinerary looks like. It’s also noteworthy that the above estimate doesn’t include the cost of purchasing the boat.

The rest of this article will talk more about the costs of solo sailing around the world, including fixed costs like the sailboat itself and monthly variable costs, such as provisions, excursions, moorage, and marine fuel. 

Table of Contents

Fixed Costs When Solo Sailing Around the World

Before you can set sail, you’ll need to have a well-functioning sailboat that’s equipped for a worldwide journey and special liveaboard boat insurance. Purchasing a used sailboat is usually cheaper than buying a new one, but you’ll also need to account for any necessary repairs or upgrades.

Buying a Sailboat

Solo sailors will want to purchase a boat that is small enough that they can successfully sail it on their own, but still large enough to have room to live without feeling cramped. 

The sailboat represents the highest initial cost when considering a sailing trip.

One of the most significant factors in how much a sailboat cost is its size. Smaller boats, such as those used by solo sailors, will cost much less than larger vessels that require a crew. A solo sailor can typically sail a boat on their own up to 40’, according to a study I did. Boats larger than that often require at least one other person to be sailed safely. 

Small, used solo-sized sailboats can be found for as low as $10,000 and go up from there. Cheaper boats may require a lot of repair work to make them fully sea-worthy or need lots of new equipment. Most blue-water single-handed sailboats will cost between $30,000 to $50,000. 

When you’re living aboard your sailboat and traveling the world, you’ll need to make sure to have liveaboard insurance instead of recreational insurance. This particular type of insurance will cost more if you’re sailing internationally as compared to sailing in local waters. 

Liveaboard insurance for international travel will cost around 1-3% of the boat’s value per year.

Here’s an article I wrote where I discuss the costs of boat insurance on a catamaran.   

Variable Monthly Costs When Solo Sailing Around the World

In addition to the fixed cost of the boat and insurance, there will also be costs that vary each month based on travel distance, geographic location, and personal preference. 

Ongoing Maintenance and Repairs

Set aside at least 10% of the cost of the boat annually for repairs and maintenance. Boats require lots of regular maintenance and repair work to keep them running safely on the water. 

Repairs can include everything from minor cosmetic repairs to make the boat look nicer to expensive engine or communication center overhauls. Additionally, marine parts tend to be more costly than land-centric construction materials. 

Plan for fuel costs of at least $100 per month, plus a cushion to account for unexpected increases . 

The cost of marine fuel will depend on where in the world you are refueling your sailboat . Fuel is usually cheaper in Europe and more expensive in Asia and Latin America. However, fuel costs can also shift suddenly depending on the global market. In addition to marine fuel, you’ll also need propane for cooking. 

Food and Drink

Food costs will likely run from $100-$200 per month for a solo sailor . 

Just as on land, provisioning your sailboat can be done very cheaply if you are willing to eat more processed foods and buy in bulk. If you have special dietary needs or are a picky eater, it will probably cost more to stock up on food and water. 

You’ll also want to consider how long you’ll be at sea between ports. Perishable food will need to be eaten first, leaving boring canned goods as the only remaining option. The most significant limit to how much perishable food you can bring on board is available refrigeration space. 

On-Land Excursions

On-land excursions can range from $0 for those who skip them entirely to any amount imaginable. 

If you want to save money while solo sailing you can limit how much you spend during on-land excursions. This includes limiting special activities that are often available in or near ports, such as scuba diving or zip lining, as well as curbing how much you spend eating out. 

Luckily, on-land activities and restaurants may be cheaper in international ports than in most US cities. Minimize your expenses by choosing local restaurants and cafes over global chains. 

Moorage and Marina Fees

Monthly moorage fees range from $550 to $750 per month. Daily rates can run from $10-$300 per night. 

Liveaboard moorage is typically more expensive than recreational moorage. The actual moorage fees will vary greatly depending on location and the length of time you plan to remain in one marina. 

Visas and Administrative Fees

International visas can be completely free of cost up to several hundred dollars. They are only needed to go on land.  

Depending on where your travels take you and your country of citizenship, you may need to pay for international visas or pay other administrative fees if you wish to go on land. You don’t have to pay any fees to enter an international harbor, and you can receive services without leaving the ship. 

Miscellaneous Communication and Entertainment

Depending on your needs, you’ll likely spend between $100-$200 per month on the internet, communication, and on-ship entertainment. 

It can be a challenge to stay connected to others when you’re in the middle of the ocean. Look for global plans that can use both WiFi and cellular data, and consider a signal booster to increase your range. 

Summary of Costs

Let’s look at a quick summary of these costs. Don’t forget that the final numbers will vary greatly depending on where you’re traveling and your preferences for the provision and amenities you’d like available onboard your sailboat. 

• Boat Purchase: $30,000-$50,000
• Insurance: $1,800 per year
• Maintenance and Repairs: 10% of boat cost
• Fuel: $100/month 
• Provisions: $100-$200/month
• Excursions: $0 – Sky’s the Limit
• Moorage and Marina Feeds: $550-$750/month
• International Visas: $0-$300
• Miscellaneous (Internet, Communication, Entertainment): $100-$200/month

One of the best ways to learn more about what your sailing costs might amount to is to check out the experiences of other solo sailors. 

Sailing Malou focuses on the cheapest way to sail around the world in this video: 

Final Thoughts

Going on a solo sailing world tour can be a fantastic adventure, and it doesn’t have to be extremely expensive. Purchasing a boat will be the highest fixed cost, and most other costs will vary depending on where in the world you are and your personal preferences. Expect to spend somewhere between $600 and $2,000 every month on a worldwide solo sailing trip. 

• Waterborne: Is Living on a Boat Right For You? 
• Sailing Soulianis: How Much Does It Cost To buy a Bluewater Sailboat? 
• Better Sailing: How Much Does it Cost to Sail Around the World? 
• Saving to Sail: The Cost of Sailing – How Much It Costs Us to Live on a Sailboat
• Wander by Sail: How Much Does It Cost to Sail Around the World? 
• Quora: What types of documents or visas do I need to sail around the world? 
• YouTube: Sailing Malou: How Cheap Can You Sail Around the World? 

Owner of CatamaranFreedom.com. A minimalist that has lived in a caravan in Sweden, 35ft Monohull in the Bahamas, and right now in his self-built Van. He just started the next adventure, to circumnavigate the world on a Catamaran!

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What Size Catamaran To Sail Around The World

Last Updated by

Daniel Wade

August 30, 2022

Catamarans are generally longer than monohulls, but their accommodations and handling vary widely between sizes.

The best size catamaran to sail around the world is 45 to 50 feet. The smallest catamaran with space for long-term provisions and a cabin is around 30 feet in length, and a 55 to 60-foot catamaran is the largest that can be accommodated at most marinas.

In this article, we'll go over the different sizes of catamarans and how they handle in the open ocean. Additionally, we'll cover each size category and the best sizes for traveling the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

We sourced the information used in this article from marine design guides and the consensus of experienced catamaran sailors.

Table of contents

‍ What Sizes Are Catamarans?

Catamarans come in all shapes and sizes, but the smallest models don't have the accommodations required to sail around the world. Most catamarans under 30 feet in length don't have a cabin at all, which is a stark difference that they have with monohulls.

Small monohull sailboats often have cabins, as there's plenty of room below on a wide single-hulled sailboat. Monohulls can be as small as 16 to 18 feet and still have a cabin, but catamarans must be much larger to have suitable accommodations.

The smallest catamarans are about 12 to 15 feet long. These are small recreational craft used primarily for racing, and they aren't designed for the open ocean. Larger catamarans in the 20-foot range can (and have) been used on the ocean, but they're usually classified as day boats.

Catamarans become practical for longer excursions once they hit about 30 feet in length. A boat of this size is large enough for a cabin and can usually accommodate between two and four people comfortably. Catamarans commonly stretch beyond 50 feet, which is where they're the most useful and comfortable.

Smallest Catamaran to Sail Around the World

So, what's the smallest catamaran you could use to sail around the world? In theory, any catamaran can sail long distances—but you need one that's large enough for shelter and storing provisions. Generally speaking, 30 feet is the bottom limit for an ocean-crossing catamaran.

Let's take the ME Cat 30 (Maine Cat) as an example. This small and nimble 30-foot catamaran makes use of its limited space and provides comfortable accommodations for a few adults. The ME Cat 30 is a split design that houses the basic accommodations in either hull, with an open seating area between them.

Inside the ME Cat 30, there's barely enough room for all the living spaces. It features a head and a large bed in one hull and a galley and a smaller berth in the other. With that, all the useful cabin space is filled—and this is considered a very good design for the size. As you can see, the best catamarans for sailing across the world are usually much larger.

Typical Ocean Crossing Catamaran Size

Based on what we discussed above, a 30-foot cruising catamaran is really pushing the limits on size. However, it doesn't take a whole lot more length to make a catamaran exponentially more comfortable and suitable for long journeys.

The typical ocean-crossing catamaran is usually about 40 to 45 feet long. With the addition of 10 feet in length, designers can fit an enormous amount of additional accommodations in the hulls.

This is because adding a little extra length allows designers and boatbuilders to widen each hull significantly, which makes room for luxuries like private bedrooms, multiple bathrooms, and entirely separate dining and cooking spaces.

Cruising Catamaran Floor Plans

A 40-foot to 50-foot catamaran usually comes with a mirrored floor plan. The traditional catamaran has an identical layout in each hull. That means if one hull has a private berth in the bow and a shower and a toilet in the stern, the other hull will have the exact same layout except opposite.

This is usually because spaces like the galley and sitting area are kept in the center console, where there's much more space to move around. Spaces that are used at night or only occasionally are kept in the narrow hulls, as this has proven to be a more comfortable layout for crews.

Storage is usually kept deep in the hulls as well, as there's extra space to work with when the only other design purpose is for sleeping in bathing. Catamarans in this size range can also have separate hull layouts, but the mirrored design is by far the most common.

Best Catamaran Size for Pacific Ocean Cruising

Catamarans are very versatile craft, but some function better in the Pacific Ocean than others. One of the main considerations when choosing a catamaran for Pacific Travel is that the Pacific usually has greater distances between ports and stopping points.

This is especially true on the US West Coast, where there are only a handful of ports and safe anchorages. The best Pacific cruising catamaran size is between 45 and 50 feet in length, as you're likely to need more space to store provisions for extended cruising.

If you're starting in San Francisco or Seattle, even a 'short' trip along the coastline could mean you'll pass hundreds of miles of steep rocky cliffs and no stopping points insight. When crossing the Pacific, you may travel thousands of miles before you encounter a port or island with any infrastructure at all, let alone stocks of provisions and a full-service marina.

The Pacific is a huge ocean, and the last thing you want to do is run out of food or fuel a thousand miles from your destination. Larger boats store more supplies, and they also give you more breathing room when you're surrounded by empty blue water for months on end.

Best Catamaran Size for Atlantic Ocean Cruising

The Atlantic Ocean is smaller than the Pacific Ocean, and the coastlines of many countries that border it tend to be well-developed. This makes it easier to get away with owning a smaller boat, as you don't need to store as many supplies, and your voyages will be shorter.

Another factor to consider is that not all marinas on the Atlantic can accommodate extremely large catamarans, or it may be prohibitively expensive to dock a 55-foot or 60-foot double-wide vessel. That's why the ideal size for an Atlantic-crossing catamaran is between 40 feet and 50 feet. Today, 45 feet seems to be average.

The boat of this size will fit in at most marinas in developed countries around the Atlantic, and its draft is shallow enough for island hopping and exploring the coral reefs that the Atlantic Islands are known for. Additionally, 40 to 50-foot catamarans are usually just as seaworthy as the larger boats, and they're less expensive to maintain.

Unlike the US West Coast, where ports are few and far between, the Atlantic in the Gulf of Mexico is littered with marinas and safe anchorages. You can travel for weeks along the coastline of the United States and parts of South America and never be further than a hundred miles from a full-service marina.

There are also hundreds of islands, tourist destinations, and service locations that reduce your need for large stores of provisions aboard your catamaran. This gives you a lot more flexibility in choosing a size and a floor plan, as your needs are different than that of a Pacific sailor.

Best Catamaran Size for World Cruising

If you're planning to go on a world tour or a circumnavigation, you're going to need a catamaran that's large enough to fit your crew and your provisions comfortably.

You'll also need a boat that is small enough to be serviced and accommodated in most locations but also seaworthy enough to whether anything you're likely to encounter out of the water.

For most people, the sweet spot seems to be around 45 to 50 feet in length. A 50-foot catamaran is more than large enough to store enough provisions for many months of sailing. It's also roomy enough to house two to six people comfortably for many weeks at a time.

Catamarans between 40 and 50 feet in length are also extremely seaworthy and have been known to make circumnavigation frequently. You're almost guaranteed to find a 50-foot catamaran in almost any remote anchorage in the world where sailors are known to frequent.

Also, almost any marina can accommodate a 50-foot catamaran, and most boatyards can perform at least basic repairs on a boat of this size. Most marinas have fee schedules for boats based on size, and the cutoff for large boats is usually 60 feet. This keeps you in the 'medium' boat category, which can save you thousands.

How to Choose a Catamaran Size

Choosing the right size catamaran can be challenging, but there are a few things you can do to narrow it down. First, examine how you plan to use the vessel. You can travel the oceans in a catamaran between 30 and 40 feet long, so if you have a small crew, you may want to consider a compact model.

Larger catamarans can sleep eight or more people comfortably. This is large enough for most people, though some charter captains may need additional room. A 40 to 45-foot catamaran is usually large enough for a small family, though a 50-footer would be more comfortable, especially if there are kids running around.

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I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

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Do You Want to Sail Around The World? Here’s 7 Ways to Make it Happen!

Are you dreaming about sailing around the world?

Thankfully, quite a few of us humans have thrown out the dated mentality that we have to grow up, get married, have kids, get a good job and then when we retire we can travel (or have fun). Who wants to wait until they’re 65 years old to sail around the world?

My family and I have been sailing around the world for over five years now.

And while doing so we’ve come across a wide variety of opportunities to sail around the world . Allow me to list them…

How to Sail Around the World – 7 Ways to Make It Happen

1. get paid to sail around the world.

Review various crew-training courses and find a link between your skillset and crew jobs.

Qualifications include: Deckhands, Steward/ess, Engineering, Interior Training, Chef, all the way through to becoming a qualified Captain.

Our friend Stephanie is currently working her way up to being a Captain. To get her hours in, she’s spent time crewing on a 90’ motor yacht in the Caribbean, a 65’ sailboat in the Mediterranean and she’s now on a 120’ floating palace in the Pacific.

As her job qualifications increase so does her pay packet. AND… let’s not forget that she’s seeing the world in the process.

Gerald, another friend, works for a high-end sailboat manufacturer. He services all the sailboats currently making their way around the world in a three year organized around-the-world rally.

On each leg of the journey, he joins a different boat heading to the next destination. In-between passages he works on servicing the whole feet.

And these are just a few of many examples of how you can get paid to sail around the world.

If you want to do a professional sailing course, then courses from the American Sailing Association ( ASA ) and the  Royal Yachting Association ( RYA ) are good, internationally recognized options. The courses are offered by many sailing schools all over the world.

2. Volunteer to Crew on Smaller Sailboats

Are you in a rush to get on a sailboat? Would you prefer to skip the qualifications and head straight for the experiential side of sailing? If so, get in touch with sailors that are currently sailing around the world and offer to volunteer your time.

We took four volunteers sailing across the Atlantic Ocean with us and have had several others join us for one or many long-distance passages.

You can find sailing couples and families on YouTube (many have Youtube channels), by searching for Sailing Bloggers, and by joining sailing groups (on Facebook for example).

And there are dedicated websites such as Crewseekers.net and Crewbay.com where you can create a profile listing your experience and information about where and when you’d like to sail.

When emailing or talking to a boat owner explain your desire to volunteer, any relevant skillsets, and your availability.

We’re always looking for an extra pair of hands but it’s great when we have guests that know about electrics, plumbing, woodwork, cooking, and those that are happy to help us entertain our seven-year-old!

3. Seek out Boat Sitting Opportunities

This is a great opportunity for those that want to sail around the world but don’t actually like sailing OR like the idea of sailing but get seasick.

Most boat owners making their way around the world take time out to go home. They’ll often find the safest marina they can but leaving a boat is scary for a boat owner.

Some owners find boat sitters that will babysit the boat for a few weeks or even months.

There’s often no exchange of money but both parties win. The boat owner has someone keeping an eye on things and the boat sitter gets free accommodation in a variety of awesome spots.

To find these opportunities, simply search on Google, ‘ boat sitter jobs ’.

4. Date a Single Boat Owner

This might seem like a crazy objective but it happens all the time.

Boat owner boy or girl meets non-boat-owner girl or boy. They fall in love and the boat owner says, ‘let’s sail around the world’. The rest is history.

To increase your chances of success, hang out in marinas and yacht clubs.

Of course be careful, because you do end up sharing a small living space in often very remote places. But, I’ve heard many beautiful love stories.

5. Go on a Sailboat Cruise or Join an Around the World Race Boat

Some sailboats continuously go around the world. You can choose the area you want to see and pay for that particular leg of the journey.

If you have the funds to go all the way around the world, bonus. If not, you can do a different leg every year until you achieve your goal.

6. Set up a Boat Share

Find some friends that have similar ambitions as you have. Pool your money together to get a boat. Once the boat is obtained, work on a plan to sail it around the world.

There are several syndicate boat owners making their way around the world doing one to two passages a year.

The owners work year-round but take vacations to sail the boat to the next destination. This makes it a great way to sail around the world while keeping your job.

7. Buy Your Own Boat

This isn’t as difficult as it may seem. For US$40,000 you could get a reasonable boat to sail around the world in.

Many boaters sell their house, buy a boat and turn to a nomadic sea life. The key issue is to find a source of income while sailing around the world.

Renting out property, working online and finding work-from-home jobs are ways that many people make it work.

Or, there are those that buy a boat and sail it six months out of the year and return home to work for six months.

Before you buy a boat though, do a lot of research.

Boats require more maintenance than you probably thought (it sometimes feels like the work never ends!). And, if you want to sail around the world the boat you choose needs to be up to the job.

I’d recommend reading all the blogs you can find about living on a sailboat and about sailing around the world. Watch Youtube videos from people who are currently sailing around the world to get inspired and to get an idea of what it would be like to do this yourself.

Also Read: How to Work Remotely From Anywhere in the World and My Experiences Sailing Across the Atlantic

Sail Around the World. Make it Happen!

Sailing around the world is one of the most exhilarating, fulfilling, and incredible ways to see the world.

And you don’t have to wait until you win the lottery to make it happen.

Tip: if you want to get more sailing experience, or want to figure out if sailing around the world is really for you, chartering a boat is a good option. When you volunteer as crew, the owners often don’t have the time or ability to teach you real sailing. But when you charter a boat with a captain, the captain is there to, literally, show you the ropes.

Or, charter a boat without a captain if you know how to sail already and want to build miles and perhaps try out different boats.

I know, chartering a boat may sound expensive, but split the cost with friends (or post a message in a sailing group on Facebook to share a boat with other sailing enthusiasts) and it will all of a sudden cost you barely more than a hotel room.

Click&Boat is one of the best websites to charter a sailboat in most countries around the world.

Renting a boat in Greece is a popular option to build miles and gain experience, as I describe in this article .

Whichever way you choose to start your sailing adventure, I hope I’ll see you on the sea soon!

• How to Stay Healthy While Traveling Long Term
• Chartering a Yacht in The Caribbean – Where to Go & Other Tips
• Sailing in St Lucia: Anchorages, Sailing Tips & More
• A Detailed Guide for Sailing in Grenada
• Sailing from St. Maarten to the British Virgin Islands
• 7 of the Best Places to Visit by Boat in Miami, Florida
• Why You Should Go on a Cruise at Least Once in Your Life

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17 thoughts on “Do You Want to Sail Around The World? Here’s 7 Ways to Make it Happen!”

I would love to have the chance to sail the 7 seas!!

Where can I find a person looking for a traveling worker/friend? Hopefully that’s how they would see a person to circumnavigate the globe with anyway. I Just don’t want to feel like I’m on an adventure with my boss. I’m extremely serious about sailing around the world. Really looking to try and find someone with a fire under them to start a trip sooner rather than later. One or two people to help me getting the whole thing going from the acquisition of a boat to finish. CHEAPLY will be a great adventure.

Hi Ben, did you try connecting with other people through sailing forums or sailing Facebook groups? You are very likely to find people there who are interested in sailing around the world in the same way as you are.

Hi ben! did you ever make your journey around the world on a sailboat? I want to do the same thing even if I have to give a little and pay a little.

Great post. Thank you heaps. Would love to set sail soon. If theres any single ladies with an ocean cruising boat out there looking for a friendly sailor to date, hit me up 😉. Cant wait to circumnavigate the planet with you.

I would love to spend a year at sea. Just need a way to do it!

So glad to have found your site! All my husband is doing is looking at boats for sail and talked of leaving his job to sail around the world. It sounds wonderful, but we have a 7 year old and one about to leave for adulting in 1 1/2 years. So I just don’t know how to take that leap. He is ready to get away from his crazy job. So many things to think about as a mom and I know my kids would learn SO much more in life than just common core stuff the US is currently teaching.

I want to sail around the world. Well I’m dying and I can’t be cured so my last wish is to buy a sailing boat like an ocean going yacht and just pack some food and normal provisions and just cast off and set sail. I’m looking to buy an old boat that’s ok for the open seas and just go. I know how to rig the sails and basic things but I can’t read maps or do the compass but that’s not a problem. I have sourced ocean yacht that has got the milage behind it but it’s an old wooden boat. I’m not too worried as it’s a sound boat but i need to know how to set the auto pilot and set the course from here in the uk to america first stop. ive got at least 8 months left in my life so I want to just head out to sea. The boat is 22 ft long. It’s a good solid boat as far as I’m told. It has a compass and an inboard engine and it can be crewed by 1 man. I’m kinda disabled so I thought I would set the mainsail and then the other 2 sails and just get the boat out off the harbor and then just follow the coast around till I get to the open sea and then head towards the north star and see where it takes me. I don’t know how to use the radio but it should be simple I guess. I’ve got plenty of excess fuel for the inboard engine and a tank of fresh water. I have no charts as I can’t read them but I’m guessing head along the English channel till I get to the Atlantic ocean then head towards Ireland and then from there head towards America across the Irish sea. I ain’t got no licenses for radio but that’s not a problem if it ain’t going to be used.

I want to do this trip before I pop off to the promised land and the time by my self will help me to come to terms with what I’ve got to come. Anyway, any help in telling me instructions on what to do on my boat as to keeping engine and lighting working and how to do the autopilot and the other instruments will be a help.

It’s something I’ve longed to do sail a yacht on the ocean as they say you don’t know till you try it. Please any tips would be helpful.

Love this post! Trying to achieve the dream right now, can’t wait to finally take the leap and buy the boat 🙂 Am loving reading about your other adventures.

Haha I absolutely love this post idea and dating a boat owner is definitely my favorite! 😀 Maybe I’ll add that to my bucket list, cause I can definitely see me sailing around the world! Also, your pictures look stunning!

I would love to sail around the world but alas I can get quite sea sick! Definitely need to take more meds or natural remedies to be able to complete this challenge! Wouldn’t mind dating a boat owner for it either 😀

Since buying my own boat is impossible, I actually love the idea of being a boat caretaker! I really didn’t think there was something like that but it sounds about perfect. You get to live on a boat without investing any money at all, for weeks! What an amazing idea 😀

Wow sounds just awsome!!

LOL I somehow don’t think any of those will happen for me – but I had no idea there were so many options to sail around the world. And, if you could find me a dating site where I could filter out ‘single boat owners’ who are also millionaires, that would be a good starting point…

Sounds like a dream come true if you don’t get seasick! I would love to sail around the world. Just looking at your photos entices me to do it. But as I do get terribly seasick I don’t think I would have a good time.

Those pictures look absolutely stunning! I have been sailing before, but always close to land, where the water is “friendly” 🙂 I’m not sure if I have the stomach to cross complete oceans though 🙂

Date a single boat owner! Ha, that’s funny. More likely than buying my own boat though. What an adventure!

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Cole Brauer becomes first American woman to sail solo, nonstop around world

A joyful Cole Brauer returned in her boat Thursday to A Coruña, 130 days after sailing away from the Spanish port city.

Completing the epic voyage made the 29-year-old the first American woman to sail around the world nonstop, with no one else aboard. Brauer’s solo feat, which unfolded over approximately 30,000 miles, was also good for a second-place finish in rigorous Global Solo Challenge.

“Amazing finish!!!! So stoked!” Brauer wrote on Instagram. “Thank you to everyone that came together and made this process possible.”

Brauer provided regular updates on her voyage, which began Oct. 29, as her Instagram following burgeoned from less than 100,000 to almost half a million. Along the way, the East Hampton, N.Y., native shared battles with high winds, monstrous waves and maintenance issues on her Class 40 monohull, named “First Light.”

The 5-2, 100-pound sailor, who learned to sail at the University of Hawaii, posted clips of herself getting bruised ribs when suddenly flung across the interior of her boat and self-administering fluids intravenously to ward off dehydration. Her journey took her around the three great capes — Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, Australia’s Cape Leeuwin and South America’s treacherous Cape Horn — and through Point Nemo, an area in the Pacific Ocean so far from any land that the nearest humans are often orbiting overhead in the International Space Station.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by COLE BRAUER OCEAN RACING (@colebraueroceanracing)

According to race organizer Marco Nannini, over half of the 16 entrants in this installment of the event have had to retire before completing it. One passed a kidney stone at sea, per Nannini, before making landfall in New Zealand for medical assistance, and another was semi-submerged and out of contact for “24 very long hours prior to rescue” after a collision in the remote Pacific.

Brauer joins a group of fewer than 200 people known to have sailed solo around the world without stopping. The first, according to a list maintained by the International Association of Cape Horners , was England’s Robin Knox-Johnston in 1969.

The first woman to accomplish the feat, per Nannini, was Australia’s Kay Cottee in 1988. Brauer is the 18th.

“It was a long and emotional day,” Nannini wrote Thursday, “which started well before sunrise after a sleepless night monitoring Cole’s progress, meeting her at sea, watching her sail at First Light into A Coruna and celebrating her outstanding achievement. Well done Cole!”

Brauer was the youngest competitor in the Global Solo Challenge field — and the only woman. Of making her mark in a “fully male-dominated world,” as she put it in a recent interview with NBC , Brauer said, “I think that it takes a lot of strength to actually push and to strive into this industry, and I really want women to understand that it’s possible.”

“It would be amazing if there was just one other girl that saw me and said, ‘Oh, I can do that, too,’” she said .

She had lived a life of adventure. Then came the ultimate sailing race.

Last year, Brauer won the opening leg of the One-Two Yacht Race , which involved sailing solo from Rhode Island to Bermuda. All competitors picked up a second sailor for the return trip, and Brauer finished first again with teammate Catherine Chimney as they became the first all-female duo to win the race overall.

Each leg of that competition took approximately three days, barely a toe in the water compared to the duration of Brauer’s just-completed circumnavigation, but the first three days of the Global Solo Challenge were some of the hardest for her. She endured a “ pretty rough, rough, rough start ” making her way around the Spanish coast after departing A Coruña, an experience she described on Instagram as a “trial by fire.”

The second day of the event began with Brauer vomiting — “I’ve never had seasickness before in my life,” she told her followers, adding that she may have suffered from food poisoning — and shortly thereafter she gave herself the IV on the advice of her medical team.

Brauer shared plenty of posts in her usually upbeat demeanor, but a Dec. 8 video found her “ angry that things keep going wrong” with her boat. “Right now, I have been feeling just broken,” Brauer said with emotion. But she was smiling at the camera the next day while engaging in some “ self care ” as some technical issues got ironed out.

By Christmas Eve , Brauer was past Cape Leeuwin, close to the halfway point of the journey as she began the long, challenging stretch across the Pacific. After dodging some strong weather systems and enduring others, she passed Cape Horn and was finally back in the Atlantic in late January. Of course, there were still some “ horrendous conditions ” to deal with, but Brauer also shared excitement about the media coverage her exploits were attracting.

“So excited to move sailing into the mainstream!” Brauer wrote on Instagram late last month. “For far too long sailing and racing has been in the shadows maybe partially due to its attempts to keep its ‘traditions’ but those ‘traditions’ have also pushed really amazing sailors out of the industry due to burn out rates and unnecessary exclusivity. This hasn’t been easy one bit but it makes it all worth it to see that we are taking this industry from the dark and bringing it into the light.”

After making her long-awaited return to dry land, she told NBC , “It was really emotional, because I see my parents, I see my friends, my family — I see everyone — and this dream has become a reality.”

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The Safest Sailing Routes Around the World (Which to Avoid)

There are several ways you could sail around the world, but if you want to minimize the inevitable risks, there's really only one way to go. Let's take a look at places to go and places you should definitely avoid.

What is the safest sailing route around the world? Sail from the Atlantic westward to the Caribbean, using the trade winds, crossing the Panama Canal, the South Pacific Ocean, and then either around Cape of Good Hope or through the Suez Canal. The safest sailing conditions are along the equator since it provides the most reliable sailing weather and calmest waters.

There are certain places you want to avoid if possible, but you will need to compromise. Below, we'll explore how to find the right way for you.

Key takeaways: Avoid the Gulf of Aden, the Cook Strait, the Drake Passage, the Timor Sea, and the Southern Ocean if possible. Sail close to the equator and use the Panama Canal.

Trying to circle the Earth is fine. Doing that on a boat is among the most complicated ways to go about such a thing. The knowledge required and the number of variables that can go wrong is sky-high. But it is also among the most, if not the most rewarding ways.

On this page:

Choosing the right path, the fast route, the pleasure route, what routes to avoid.

Choosing the right route can be the difference between success and failure. If you choose the right one and time it well, it can be literally smooth sailing all the way , where your biggest worry will be the occasional maintenance.

If you choose the wrong route, though, you will have your hands full the whole time, and the chances you giving up will go up.

What are the best routes to sail around the world?

• The fast route - through the Southern Ocean. This route is fast but also more dangerous due to unpredictable weather.
• The pleasure route - staying as close to the equator as possible. This route will be safer, with more reliable sailing weather.

21 Places to Avoid Sailing Around the World (In Order)

Let's have a closer look at both of these - this is a big deal, so we gotta explore the details to know what we sign up for.

The idea here is to pick the safest one. And since safety is a relative term , let's have a look at two main points of view.

What's the fastest sailing route around the world? The fastest sailing route around the world is the sail south from the Atlantic towards the Southern Ocean (Antarctica) and circumnavigate the world around Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn. Sail back up north to the Atlantic starting point to complete the circumnavigation.

Being away on the sea poses risks - some of which you can avoid, some of which you can't. The conclusion being that the longer you are out there, statistically, the higher the chance something will break or that you will be unable to outrun bad weather - or that you will bump into something - since trash floating in the oceans and breaking boats is, unfortunately, a thing now.

Wear and tear is an intrinsic part of sailing; many sailors say that. For instance, Atlantic crossing is more about maintenance than actual sailing skill. The longer you are out there, the more you expose your boat to elements, and things are bound to break.

Similarly, if you plan for a longer route, you have to have more things with you in terms of provisions and equipment. That means a heavier load on the boat, which affects handling and takes up space.

41 Sailboat Cruising Essentials To get an idea of what you'll require to bring on a long sailboat cruise, we've made a list of 41 cruising essentials you should definitely bring along. Read all about cruising essentials

And last but not least, there is the mental aspect of it all. Though you might feel up to the task now, being on the sea for a long time can prove tricky - whether that be because of loneliness (or the constant presence of people you might not see eye to eye with) the relative mundanity of the scenery or the lack of civilization.

So if you want to avoid all that as much as possible, choose the route chosen by those who are in a hurry - such as Vendée Globe racers.

The fastest route around the world

Starting in the European North Atlantic, this route runs south to the South Atlantic. Once it gets into the waters of the Southern Ocean (the one surrounding Antarctica), it stays there, circles the globe, around the Capes, and then up the South, and eventually up the North Atlantic again.

Know that this is not really much of a scenic route or a route that would show you the most interesting parts of the world - it is solely aimed at getting around as fast as possible in the most straightforward way possible.

As mentioned, the overarching principle here is to make the journey as fast as possible - and that is where the safety of this route lies in - exposing yourself to the risk for the least amount of time possible. That being said, be careful around the Cape Horn - an infamously tricky place to navigate.

And for those of you who are looking at the globe while reading this, thinking it is a bit of cheating - since you don't really go around, but circle the globe at its thin end - know that the length of this route is more or less 26,000 nautical miles, which is very roughly the length of the equator. So you will be doing the work in the end.

What's the safest sailing route around the world? The safest sailing route around the world is to stay as close to the equator as possible to make use of the more favorable winds there. This route requires sailing through the Panama and Suez Canals, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, the South Pacific, and the Atlantic.

The above route might be fast, but it is about technically getting around, not really about the enjoyment of the world you are circling. So if that is what you have in mind, if you are not particularly in a hurry and don't mind stopping here and there to enjoy the local cuisine and whatnot, this one might be for you.

Speaking of stopping, the above route also doesn't allow for many stops. And that is what the safety of the Pleasure Route lies in. It keeps you close to the coast quite often, so you don't have to plan as much when it comes to consumables, spares, and energy - and if something breaks, you can dock at the next opportunity and have it repaired.

You will never be far from civilization (as far as circumnavigations go). With all the ports available, situations that would otherwise prove risky, like running low on water or wear and tear, can be tackled with relative safety.

The safest route around the world

This route runs from the Caribbean through the Panama Canal, then crosses the South Pacific to get to the shores of Australia, then through the Indian Ocean towards the countries of Southeast Asia and maybe India, then down towards South Africa with a stop or few on the way, eventually getting into the South Atlantic and back to the Caribbean.

If you find yourself in Europe, you will probably get to the Canaries first, then continue to the Caribbean. And similarly, towards the end of your route, after passing South Africa, you will go up to the Canaries and then back to Europe.

Looking at the map, you will see this route certainly doesn't have speed in mind but rather providing the traveler with enough opportunities to stop and admire. You can see Panama, then stop at Galapagos, visit the Pitcairn Islands, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Srí Lanka, India, Madagascar, South Africa… and that is just touching on to the major points of which there can be twice as much if you want to.

If you read diaries of those who went down this route, you will see this is indeed the case most of the time - stopping at a place and enjoying it, rather than leaving the port immediately after a shopping trip and a good night's sleep. It is a great way to get to know the world from many sides and is the true traveler's path.

How long does it take to sail around the world? It can take anywhere from 100 days up to 20 years. We've compared three sailing speeds for both sailing routes for you. Read all about circumnavigation speed

There really is no whole route that would pose risks, rather places you might feel enticed to go through to save time, only to regret this later. We have picked out places that you are likely to want to go through if you circumnavigate, so have a look and if you see your picks below, be careful.

The Gulf of Aden is pirate territory

Among these is the Gulf of Aden. All those films about pirates hijacking cargo ships? Yep, that's the place. Just about anybody will strongly advise you against it since it poses a man-made danger like no other place on the sea in the world. Why do people still take it when going from the Mediterranean to the Arabian sea or vice versa? Because the alternative means a circa 17,000 kilometers long detour around the whole continent of Africa.

The Cook Strait and Drake Passage are very unpredictable

Also, avoid the Cook Strait, a passage between the North and the South islands of New Zealand. These are among the most unpredictable waters in the world.

The same goes for the Drake Passage, between the southernmost tip of America and Antarctica. High winds, very strong currents, and high chances of icebergs make this a deadly zone. We list it in the Fast Route, and it can be navigated without damage, but it requires skill. If you are not confident, avoid it.

The Timor Sea has 100 storms per year

Timor Sea - if you go north of Australia into the Southeast Asian regions, be careful - 100 storms per year is nothing out of the ordinary here. Even big oil rigs have to be constructed differently there to withstand the constant bad weather, with evacuations of the workers to the shore being nothing special.

The Southern Ocean is difficult to navigate

The Southern Ocean. Yes, yes, I know, the very route we suggested. While it is true what we said, that it is the fastest route around the globe, it is where the freezing waters around the Antarctic meet the warm waters up north. That results in storms and swells, which, paired with icebergs and the whole place being remote, thus unlikely to offer much help, means one tricky ocean to sail through.

Just as is the case with the Drake Passage, the idea here is not to forbid you from entering it, if you have got the skill - but rather to warn you if you do not.

The two routes mentioned above are among the most famous ones - one for speed, one for its beauty. They both have their advantages and disadvantages but are often traveled, so as far as safety goes, both have a lot to offer. Choose wisely.

Chocolate Angel Richardson

iS THERE ANYWAY TO GET THIS ARTICLE? iT ONLY PRINTS OUT WITH A BUNCH OF ADVERTISEMENTS. i DON’T SEE A PRINT ANYWHERE??? tHANK YOU

william wieckert

Sissy rosenstein.

If I go near Somalia what are my chances of getting gang raped by pirated?

Francis Drelling

Your articles on this topic are great. Do you think you might write one simply telling the best, and the worst, times to sail in the warriors regions where people circumnavigate? That way we could use it as a guide as we ponder our routes.

would like to find out about the red tape involved for entering a forign port/country & staying awhile

Your safest path around the world takes your right through the Gulf of Aden, which in the next paragraph you say to avoid.

You don’t build a barn dumbass. What do you think this is, 1785?

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She sailed around the world solo — and learned to stop and smell the ocean breeze

Cole brauer became the first american woman to complete the global solo challenge.

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It took just four months for Cole Brauer to complete her historic solo sailing journey around the world — but she's already missing that ocean air. 

"I definitely miss being out on the water already. I'm 100-per-cent ready to go back," Brauer told As It Happens host Nil Köksal. "It's something that I miss at every second of every single day, just that fresh, pure ocean air."

Brauer arrived at A Coruña, Spain — the same place she started the trek — on March 7 from her trip around the world, making her the first American woman to complete the race known as the Global Solo Challenge.

The 29-year-old was the youngest competitor and the only woman of the fleet of 16 boats. She finished in second place. Philippe Delamare of France won the race, with the lone Canadian, William MacBrien, unable to finish after his boat started taking on water.

The journey spanned over 48,200 km, venturing to the capes of Africa, Australia and South America.

Brauer says that as a very driven person, the trip helped her slow down and enjoy life.

"If you just gorge yourself and eat all of your food within the first month, it's going to be very depressing for three months after that," said Brauer.

"So you really, really learn how to slow down, enjoy life, watch the sunrises, watch the sunsets."

Keeping people up-to-date

Brauer says the 130-day journey reminded of her the isolation that came during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Even during COVID, I thrived being alone and writing and taking notes and sailing by myself. And I feel like that was exactly the same way that I had felt on the boat," said Brauer.

But when Brauer left A Coruña on Oct. 29, 2023, she kept in touch with her friends by posting on Instagram with the help of the satellite internet service Starlink, and the team that was helping her on the journey.

And she didn't just share the good news. Part of the way through the journey, Brauer injured her rib. 

"I wanted to start this video by saying the last, like, 24 hours I've been so angry," she said in one of her video updates.

"Angry that things keep going wrong. I'm angry that my ribs hurt so bad. I don't want you guys to think I'm like [a] Superwoman or something."

Brauer said that was the lighter version of the story. In the original recording, she says she was cursing half the time, which made it not so suitable for social media. 

"For me, posting on Instagram, it was kind of a virtual diary. And sometimes you just need to get it out. And the majority of those videos were me just getting it off my chest," she said. 

When she arrived ashore in Spain, her friends and family were emotional that she had made it back. But Brauer says she didn't feel like she had even left, because she had been able to stay in contact with the people important to her. 

She says she was able to virtually join friends' dinner parties and talk to her mother on a regular basis. 

An inspiration

Brauer took on the challenge at what some might call a disadvantage. She is 152 cm tall, and has been prohibited from competing in some races because of her height. 

But Brauer didn't feel like it was a disadvantage.

"I've never been a bigger person. I only know what it's like to be a five foot, two inches, 100-pound woman," she said.

"To do things on the boat, I've always had to do things with a little bit extra steps and using mechanical advantage, using pulleys, using things that help me."

She hopes her story will help get more people into sailing. She suggests people check out boat clubs, which are far less expensive than yacht clubs.

"There is some infrastructure out there for cheaper sailing opportunities. There's just, one, there's not that many people that actually know about it. And two, a lot of kids are usually into doing, you know, more recognized team sports," said Brauer. 

As for Brauer, she is already getting ready to set sail again in June for a race. It won't take her around the entire world again, but she's looking forward to getting back on the water.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Philip Drost is a journalist with the CBC. You can reach him by email at [email protected].

Produced by Chris Trowbridge