# Califonia to Brazil.



## brottousn (May 2, 2014)

I want to sail from California to Brazil. go south down past mexico past Central America, through the panama canal. out the other side down to Brazil to a small town called paracuru. I would spend my summers there as a boy. iam originally from brazil also Fortaleza where my journey would eventfully end. I also have family near Rio and manaus where I was born. this is something I want to plan and and study on. I want to accomplish this with-in the next 3 - 5 years. I have made up my mind. I will do this. the reason Iam writing this post is I cannot seem to find any information about this route or journey. I want to read about others who have done this I want to hear their experiences. books I should read? I need information and I haven't had much luck looking it up. thanks for the help in advance.

regards 

Victor


----------



## copacabana (Oct 1, 2007)

Victor, the reason you won't find much written about this route is that it's not a common route to take to Brazil. From Panama you will be fighting the prevailing winds and a strong current all the way to the bulge of Brazil (João Pessoa). It can be done, but it's not an easy route! Have a look at this article written by James Baldwin and the loooong route he took to Brazil to avoid what you're proposing.

Atom Voyages - The Long Way Back to Brazil (Part 1)

(Click on "part 2" to continue reading)

Boa sorte!


----------



## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

brottousn said:


> I want to sail from California to Brazil. go south down past mexico past Central America, through the panama canal. out the other side down to Brazil to a small town called paracuru. I would spend my summers there as a boy. iam originally from brazil also Fortaleza where my journey would eventfully end. I also have family near Rio and manaus where I was born. this is something I want to plan and and study on. I want to accomplish this with-in the next 3 - 5 years. I have made up my mind. I will do this. the reason Iam writing this post is I cannot seem to find any information about this route or journey. I want to read about others who have done this I want to hear their experiences. books I should read? I need information and I haven't had much luck looking it up. thanks for the help in advance.
> 
> regards
> 
> Victor


California to Brazil is really really tough.

Here is a better idea. Leave from the EAST coast of the USA. Somewhere around North Carolina. Sail to the Azores possibly via Bermuda. From the Azores you want to finish up in the Canary Islands. You can go direct or via Spain and Portugal. From the Canaries it will be an easy sail to Brazil possibly via the Cape Verde islands.


----------



## SVTatia (May 7, 2007)

TQA said:


> California to Brazil is really really tough.
> 
> Here is a better idea. Leave from the EAST coast of the USA. Somewhere around North Carolina. Sail to the Azores possibly via Bermuda. From the Azores you want to finish up in the Canary Islands. You can go direct or via Spain and Portugal. From the Canaries it will be an easy sail to Brazil possibly via the Cape Verde islands.


This is the route I took, but sailed from NYC. I crossed from the Canaries to Natal, then coasted south to Rio. I met a delivery skipper in Bermuda who was sailing directly from Bermuda to Brazil, but he was on a 60 footer, had a full crew and the entire deck was lined with fuel jerrycans.
If you truck the boat to the east coast, you will save a lot of time and money than thru the canal, etc.


----------



## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

Or you could go westward to Brazil from California if you have time. You would get to visit some other interesting places along the way. Would be a much more pleasant and comfortable trip, albeit longer.


----------



## SVTatia (May 7, 2007)

killarney_sailor said:


> Or you could go westward to Brazil from California if you have time. You would get to visit some other interesting places along the way. Would be a much more pleasant and comfortable trip, albeit longer.


Now, that is thinking out of the Panama Canal box!


----------



## brottousn (May 2, 2014)

thanks you very much for all the good advice and answers. SVTatia how long did you trip take


----------



## copacabana (Oct 1, 2007)

Victor, are you planning on keeping this sailboat in Brazil after you arrive? There is a time limitation for foreign-flagged yachts in Brazil (6 months, unless it's changed). If your plan is to spend time sailing around in Brazil, you might want to consider buying your boat here. At any rate, be aware that "importing" your boat to Brazil is very expensive. See link below:

Revista Náutica ? Ver Tópico - Importar produtos/veículos náuticos

You might want to check out the forum as well for information on sailing in Brazil:

Revista Náutica ? Página Principal

You asked for a book reference. You might want to check out this bookstore:

A Moana Livros especializada em Náutica e Aventura. livros, DVD, Carta de Navegação, Equipamento para Navegação, Consultoria para proprietário de barcos de passeio, veleiros, lanchas a transatlanticos, navíos...

There are a few books that come to mind that describe the slog down the coast. It usually involes sailing very close to shore to get out of the north-flowing current and taking advantage of the "terral" wind that blows off the land in the evening. The trip is complicated by shallows, sandbars, unlit fishing boats and very high tides. I can assure you, the trip back up to the Caribbean will be a cake walk after the slog down!

Abraço!


----------



## SVTatia (May 7, 2007)

brottousn said:


> thanks you very much for all the good advice and answers. SVTatia how long did you trip take


7 months from Toronto via NYC, Bermuda, Azores (4 islands) and Madeira.
But stayed a month in Bermuda, 40 days in the Azores, a month in Madeira.
All of those stops were planned for two weeks max... The best time to sail south from the Azores is before the Equinox, and the best time to sail to Brazil from Madeira is around mid-November, so, we need to smell the flowers as they say, and adjust for the best timing...



copacabana said:


> Victor, are you planning on keeping this sailboat in Brazil after you arrive? There is a time limitation for foreign-flagged yachts in Brazil (6 months, unless it's changed)....
> 
> ...I can assure you, the trip back up to the Caribbean will be a cake walk after the slog down!
> 
> Abraço!


Copa is right, but there are 87 and a half ways to circumvent this. As a Brazilian I could stay forever, but the boat had to go. Since my boat did not have any means of remote control, I convinced them to extend my stay. I ended up staying more than 2 years, and met French, Italians, etc that were there longer. This is an ancient law that needs addressing, and there is no way to leave Brazil for a foreign port and come back to re-validate the stay, unless you are near Uruguay.

The trip north is easier, but I was stuck in Bahia for a few months waiting for weather. However, I did offer a few prayers for the weather not to change.... but that is another story. Bahia is the best place to get stuck in.


----------



## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

I'm curious: In a recent post you mention that you just bought a 27 foot O'Day with an outboard. Is this the boat that you intend to sail to Brazil? That will be quite the adventure.

I've never been through the Panama Canal, but you might want to check that they allow boats with outboards to transit. I've read from others that went through that you have to be able to maintain a certain speed.


----------



## Yorksailor (Oct 11, 2009)

Outboards OK for the Canal. If fact when were in Bonaire a 70 ft yuppy cat with new but failed electric drives was fitting 2 big outboards to get him through the Canal.

We transited in March and spent more time slowing down than motoring fast.

However, there is no way a boat with an outboard could motor into those winds and currents north of Brazil

earth :: an animated map of global wind, weather, and ocean conditions

Phil


----------



## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

Found it. Must be able to maintain a max speed of 8 knots. But I was told that they don't always enforce it.

http://www.pancanal.com/eng/op/notices/2014/N01-2014-Rev01.pdf


----------



## copacabana (Oct 1, 2007)

SVTatia said:


> Copa is right, but there are 87 and a half ways to circumvent this. As a Brazilian I could stay forever, but the boat had to go. Since my boat did not have any means of remote control, I convinced them to extend my stay. I ended up staying more than 2 years, and met French, Italians, etc that were there longer. This is an ancient law that needs addressing, and there is no way to leave Brazil for a foreign port and come back to re-validate the stay, unless you are near Uruguay.
> 
> The trip north is easier, but I was stuck in Bahia for a few months waiting for weather. However, I did offer a few prayers for the weather not to change.... but that is another story. Bahia is the best place to get stuck in.


Tatia, I'm curious how you were able to get the extra time for your boat. I know of some foreign boats that overstay their 6 months either by not officially checking in for a while or by simply hiding from the authorities (but when they get their exit zarpe I would imagine it would complicate things).

BTW, I couldn't agree more about Bahia! Great place to hang out for a while.


----------



## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

Donna, no particular need to worry about Canal speeds. They ask if you can do 8 knots. You say you can't and they say do your best. We came northward along the coast of South America on the way from South Africa to Grenada. We were carrying two knots of current along there. Would be slow going the other way and much of it hard on the wind. Not nice (possible?) in a 27' with an outboard. For one thing, gas stations are few and far between.


----------



## SVTatia (May 7, 2007)

Yorksailor said:


> ...
> 
> However, there is no way a boat with an outboard could motor into those winds and currents north of Brazil
> 
> ...


Cool link. But I could not find a way to play or use a time dimension. In any case, I think this is more indicative of what happens down there in general:

earth :: an animated map of global wind, weather, and ocean conditions



copacabana said:


> Tatia, I'm curious how you were able to get the extra time for your boat. I know of some foreign boats that overstay their 6 months either by not officially checking in for a while or by simply hiding from the authorities (but when they get their exit zarpe I would imagine it would complicate things).
> 
> BTW, I couldn't agree more about Bahia! Great place to hang out for a while.


Copa, I used several methods, excuses and arguments, but will say right away that bribery was definitely not one of them. I didn't have to and I wouldn't anyway.
I was constantly visiting the Policia Federal. For some months, my trusty Westerbeke broke down every 15 days on the dot. And unfortunately parts took a looong time to arrive, got it?
I ended up in Vitoria for quite some time and I got to know the Port Captain who was always at the yacht club, as you know Capitania dos Portos is the one responsible to keep track of us.
Another time, like the other "foreigners" I just did not bother to check in with them, if you keep a low profile they don't bother to "bother" with you, specially foreign flagged boats,
When I left the Canaries, they did not provide a zarpe, even after insisting, so I arrived without one in Brazil and they took my word for it, a few times.

I finally checked in a couple of weeks before I left so that I could check out. In northern Brazil they are a bit laidback in relation to the laws, unlike places south of Porto Seguro.


----------



## lucianoZINN (Jul 28, 2010)

Oi meu Amigo!!!!

Eu não sei se vc conseguiu concluir seus planos de velejar ate Paracuru. Eu naveguei por duas vezes de Trinidad and tobago para o Brasil e não foi uma boa experiencia ok. Realmente a corrente e os ventos são todos desfavoraveis.


----------



## aloof (Dec 21, 2014)

Yes, west about is by far the easier route from California to Brazil, only twice as far. Much better sailing. No motoring required. No canal. No headwinds (so they say).


----------

