Sail Around the World Route - Start Here

By Matt Claiborne

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.

Therefore, it’s important to think about your motivations and the sort of circumnavigation that you’d like to have.

The Milk Run

The classic circumnavigation route emphasizes safety and comfort, using favorable winds for downwind sailing. It typically starts in the Caribbean, travels west near the equator, and involves transiting the Panama Canal.

The Southern Ocean

For those seeking speed over safety, the Southern Ocean Route from west to east is favored. This path, used in races like the Clipper Around the World and Vendee Globe, offers open expanses but entails harsh conditions, including bitter cold, treacherous gales, and the challenge of rounding Cape Horn through Drakes Passage.

The Northwest Passage

This route has gained popularity as a summer-only circumnavigation route due to melting ice packs. It involves sailing from the UK to Greenland, traversing Canada's northern territories, and ending on Alaska's northern coast, before heading south along North America's mainland.

Sailing around the world appeals to adventurers seeking personal growth, cultural immersion, and an escape from routine while fostering a deep connection with nature and the environment, all against a backdrop of awe-inspiring scenery.