Plans

I've drafted a rough plan which because it involves sailing must be taken with a big grain of (sea) salt.

Until recently my plan had been to make a leisurely exit from Brazil, savouring the delights of the many islands at Angra, then proceeding south for more leisurely visiting.  I had vague expectations of reaching Australia in June or perhaps July.

While I was in the USA I picked up a comment to the blog from Jack Sullivan, a school mate that I had not have seen or heard of since 1963, 49 years ago.  Soon we were in regular communication and had two telephone conversations involving Jack, Arnold, and myself from Arnold's home in Kingston. 

Jack had found me rather easily using Google because he was doing preliminary work on a 50-year high school of classes from two girls' and one boys' schools.  (Catholic high schools were segregated by sex in those days.)  During this time Carol Fransen another organiser, telephoned Arnold quite independently of Jack and we had another great conversation.  From memory, Carol and Jack go back to the third grade of primary school, as will others who will be attending the reunion.

This will probably be the last opportunity that I will have to see these people because time is moving on and we have already lost some of the group.  For me the reunion will have a special edge given that I left the USA in 1966 as a very troubled young man, and for me this would represent a closure (sorry about that word, folks) on a grand scale.  Besides, Arnold is also planning to attend and the group would probably get a kick of seeing the twins together again.

The reunion is on 8 June in Mobile, Alabama.  To make that journey I would want to arrive in Fremantle no later than 30 April because I will need the time to see my friends and well wishers before I depart.  With this new constraint in mind I have made the following calculations.

The nautical distances involved are approximately:

1. Brazil-Tristan de Cunha, 1900 miles
2. Tristan de Cunha-Cape Town, 1500 miles
3. Cape Town-St Paul Island, 3000 miles
4. St Paul Island-Fremantle 1800 miles

I estimate the following days of sailing involved under two assumptions of my average number of miles covered per day: 80 (very pessimistic) and 100:

1. Brazil-Cape Town, 34-42 days
2. Cape Town-Fremantle, 48-60 days

The “worst case” time, including a 3 day stay at Tristan de Cunha and only a sail-by of St Paul, is 105 days, or roughly 3.5 months.  A six-week visit to Cape Town would add another 1.5 months, yielding a total of 5 months.  Clearing the Brazilian coast in mid-December would put me in Fremantle in mid-May. 

I hasten to emphasize that the above is “worst case”.  “Best Case”, including a 5 rather than 6 week stay in Cape Town would put me in Fremantle at about 18 April.  If conditions when I arrive at Tristan de Cunha are not suitable for safe anchoring then another 3 days will be saved.  Also, I can pick up a week if I clear the Brazilian coast by 8 December.

It's worth a shot.  One advantage from this new schedule is that it will put me in Fremantle before winter.