These guides cover the routes that actually matter: the downwind trade wind highways used by bluewater sailors for five centuries, the seasonal circuits that make a circumnavigation possible, the Atlantic loop that occupies a year or two of cruising life, and the coastal waterways of the United States. Each guide is written for someone planning a passage, not daydreaming about one.
Trade Wind Routes: The Sailor's Highways
How the Hadley cell, the ITCZ, and the NE and SE trade wind belts create the four great downwind passages sailors have relied on for 500 years — and how to time and cross each one.
- NE trades 15–25 kt Nov–May
- Canaries → Caribbean: 2,700nm
- ITCZ crossing strategy
Circumnavigation Routes: Around the World by Sail
The tradewind circuit vs. the Southern Ocean three-capes route — timing constraints, seasonal windows, the World ARC rally, and what actually separates a cruising circumnavigation from a racing one.
- Typical circuit: 2–3 years
- East-to-West vs. West-to-East
- Red Sea vs. Cape of Good Hope choice
The Atlantic Circuit: Transatlantic Sailing & the ARC
The classic 12–18 month Atlantic loop — Canaries to Caribbean in the NE trades, the Azores as a pivot, the spring return via Bermuda, and why the ARC rally works for first-timers.
- ARC: ~700 boats each November
- Azores High return timing
- Bermuda Triangle reality
Coastal Passages: US East Coast, Gulf, and Pacific
The ICW Norfolk-to-Miami run, the Gulf Stream Bahamas crossing, Cape Hatteras inside-vs-outside, Pacific Coast swell and current, and the 6,000nm Great Loop through eastern North America.
- ICW: 1,100nm, 6ft draft recommended
- Gulf Stream crossing windows
- Great Loop: ~6 months typical
About These Route Guides
These are editorial sailing resources based on accumulated cruising experience. Wind speeds, distances, and timing windows reflect typical seasonal patterns — actual conditions vary by year, weather, and vessel. Always file a float plan, consult current pilot charts and GRIB data, and check port entry requirements before any offshore passage. The marina directory covers facilities in harbors along these routes.