We've been loving the Marquesas and have been talking to a lot of cruisers about there trip here and I thought I would write a few things about it and our trip.
All the boats that left after April from Panama had a hard time for at least the first week with SW winds, big swell and current all against them. To try to sail as much as possible some boats went north but then lost the wind later and still had to motor, others motorsailed and used most of there fuel and had to stop in Galapagos to refuel which was an extremely expensive exercise.
But once near the Galapagos the winds and current is more favourable and you're away downwind across the Pacific no problem.
Also bashing into it for days made a lot of problems with breakages for some boats. Stopping in Galapagos for fuel costs nearly $1000 for the privilege (plus fuel) as the harbour master isn't handing out emergency stops for sailors which is really bad.
We were very lucky to get out of Panama when we did on the 31st of March just before the winds changed from NE to SW at the end of the season and had a great sail to Ecuador with favourable wind and current for all except the last 100 miles. Some boats are put off from Ecuador as its expensive, $360 in Bahia where we landed but we enjoyed the place and is a great place to explore from if that's what you like to do. Also if you need lots of fuel it's dirt cheap @ $1.03c a gallon so the savings on that may also pay for your check in if you have big tanks:)
We left Ecuador for Marquases in June. Our original plans were to sail for the Gambier islands but June is too late as the SE trades are strong and it will be a big bash, around or before April is the time for that and or Easter Island.
Looking at pilot charts ect before we left I thought best to head down to 3 degrees as there are better winds south but we got to 1 degree and had a good SW wind so headed west hard on the wind the first few days until the wind went SE and we went 60nm under Galapagos and then started going more south pretty much on our rhum line which was very nice sailing with good speeds but not the current we were looking for. Some friends we left at the same time with went further south and then lost the wind??
If we do it again I will head closer to the Galapagos and sail as high as we can around the equator as long as we have wind before heading SW towards the Marquases. The reason is the winds start out SSE and the closer you get to the Marquases it goes pretty well due east, right from behind. If we had of stayed north as long as comfortably possible and done a big "curve" we would have had a much less rolly trip for most of it and not of had to do too many extra miles, lessons learnt:)
Don't get me wrong, we had a fast trip according to other boats and averaged 145nm a day, nearly 3600 miles in 24 days 11 hours but we worked for it as we went south and then had to gybe the headsail every few days zigzagging and looking back there was still wind close to the equator and I think more favourable current for longer there.
Another thing is the swells, I wasn't expecting the pacific to be so rough. Not crazy rough but just confused sea rough with swells from SW to SE but remember it is mid winter in the south and the swells find there way up for sure so it's obviously calmer closer to the equator. The Marquases also lie 600nm south of the equator.
Anyway I could keep blabbering on and I'm sure most will find this extremely boring but hopefully someone may find it useful at some stage ✌️😀
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