Our Sailing Route Planing

Every bluewater sailor sets out with a unique vision, shaped by personal goals, dreams, and the kind of adventure they want to have. For us, the plan is to sail from Tahiti to Florida, the long way, over the course of a year. Our priorities are clear. We want to visit remote, hard-to-reach places, the kind you can’t easily fly to later in life. We’re less interested in big cities or tourist hubs and more drawn to wild anchorages, quiet islands, and places that still feel untouched. At the same time, we want our passage to be as safe and manageable as possible. As first-time ocean crossers, we aren't looking for unnecessary risk, just the raw beauty of the sea, good wind behind us, and a smart route. But what makes a passage "safe and easy"? That question led us down a rabbit hole of researching global wind systems and storm seasons, ocean currents, and piracy activity. If you’re curious to explore any of these topics further, feel free to click the links throughout this post and check out our dedicated blog entries where we dive into each one in more detail. In this blog post, we’ll take you along as we map out our journey, including the decisions, the dreams, and the data behind our route.

Our sailing adventure begins in Tahiti, one of the most breathtaking places on Earth. Starting in May 2026, after I (hopefully!) earn my PhD, we plan to spend several months exploring the islands of French Polynesia, soaking in their beauty while heading west towards Indonesia. Thanks to the steady southeast trade winds and the South Equatorial Current of the South Pacific, sailing westward is far easier than attempting to sail back east. That sets our general direction early: from French Polynesia towards Indonesia, with as many island stops as time and weather allow. In Indonesia, we plan to sail through the central and eastern archipelago, where piracy reports are far less common and cruising is more relaxed. Routes through Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, and Alor offer beautiful stops, fewer big ships, and less risk.

However, we’re also racing the seasons. The safe sailing window in both French Polynesia and the Indian Ocean runs from May to October, with cyclone season beginning in November. That gives us roughly 4 to 5 months to explore Polynesia and Indonesia before it’s time to cross the Indian Ocean, a passage we definitely don’t want to attempt during cyclone season.

When crossing the Indian Ocean, we’ll again benefit from favorable conditions: the South Equatorial Current lines up nicely with the southeast trade winds, giving us both wind and water pushing us in the right direction. From Indonesia, we face a major choice: Route A: Through the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean, Route B: Around the Cape of Good Hope, at the southern tip of Africa. Let’s look at both options.

Sailing through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden toward the Suez Canal would be spectacular, historically, culturally, and scenically. Entering the Mediterranean would be a dream for many sailors. But the piracy risk near Somalia and parts of Yemen is well-documented and severe. Incidents in this region have involved armed boarding, kidnapping, and even killings, often targeting slower or poorly defended vessels. Commercial ships use armed escorts or sail in convoys, options most cruisers simply don’t have or want to have. For us, the risk isn’t worth it.

Instead, we plan to sail south around Madagascar and the Cape of Good Hope. While piracy is minimal in this region, it presents its own challenge: weather. The notorious Agulhas Current flows southwest along the African coast. When strong southwest storms meet this current head-on, they create dangerously steep and chaotic seas, with waves up to 20 meters (65 feet) recorded. This phenomenon is most dangerous from May to November, so we plan to pass through between December and March, when conditions are generally more stable. That means reaching Madagascar in November and then rounding the Cape of Good Hope in December/ January, taking advantage of safer weather windows while still allowing time to explore.

Once around the Cape, we aim to cross the Atlantic toward Brazil, avoiding the high-piracy zones off West Africa (particularly near Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea). The South Atlantic Current can assist us westward toward Brazil. From there, we’ll head north through the Caribbean, ideally arriving in Florida before June, when the Atlantic hurricane season begins. The North Brazil Current and Caribbean Current should help carry us through the Lesser Antilles and up toward our final destination.

It’s an ambitious plan, but we’re willing to adjust as we go. This is just our first roadmap, not a fixed route, but a starting point for the adventure ahead.

📚 Our Book Recommendations for Route Planning

We highly recommend The Voyager’s Handbook: The Essential Guide to Bluewater Cruising by Beth A. Leonard. This comprehensive manual covers everything from budgeting and choosing the right yacht to offshore upgrades, refitting, essential equipment, liveaboard life, passagemaking skills, and navigating foreign countries. Each topic is explored in impressive detail, making it an invaluable resource for anyone serious about long-term cruising. 👉 Buy on Amazon (Ad)

In addition, we recommend three beautifully illustrated books by Jimmy Cornell that helped us discover global sailing routes, weather systems, and potential destinations:

🌍 World Voyage Planner - A great intro to long-distance sailing, covering weather systems, safety, and route overviews with timing, distances, and personal insights, perfect for getting started 👉 Buy on Amazon (Ad)

🗺️ World Cruising Routes - A detailed 600+ page guide to over 1000 routes worldwide, with essential info on winds, currents, seasonal weather, and regional details, an ideal guide for route planning 👉 Buy on Amazon (Ad)

🏝️ World Cruising Destinations - Focuses on 180+ sailing destinations, offering climate info, local infrastructure, customs, marinas, and practical tips to prepare for each country. 👉 Buy on Amazon (Ad)

If you’d like to read more, follow our journey, and support what we do, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on social media. Every bit of encouragement helps keep the adventure going and we’d love to have you aboard!