{"id":10506,"date":"2012-11-22T20:22:19","date_gmt":"2012-11-22T20:22:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cornellsailing.com\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements-2\/"},"modified":"2017-08-16T18:34:21","modified_gmt":"2017-08-16T17:34:21","slug":"cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cornellsailing.com\/de\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/","title":{"rendered":"Cornell\u2019s Survey of Global Cruising Yacht Movements"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"intro-post\"><a href=\"\/about-us\/jimmy-cornell\/\">Jimmy Cornell<\/a> has been conducting surveys of the global movements of cruising yachts since 1984. In this 6-part article, first published in the November 2011 issue of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Cruising World<\/a>, he reports on the results on his 2010 survey and highlights recent trends.<\/p>\n<p><em>Below is the <strong>1st part: Introduction &amp; Atlantic Ocean (North Atlantic).<\/strong><br \/> You can read the next parts here:<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Part 2: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/2\/\">Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean &#8211; Antarctica &#8211; Arctic)<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Part 3: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/3\/\">Pacific Ocean (Panama to Tahiti)<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Part 4: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/4\/\">Pacific Ocean (West and North from Tahiti)<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Part 5: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/5\/\">Indian Ocean<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Part 6: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/6\/\">Mediterranean &amp; Conclusion<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Part 1: Introduction &amp; Atlantic Ocean (North Atlantic)<\/h2>\n<table border=\"0\" width=\"600\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;\" title=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Destinations-ARC-Gran-Canar.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\">Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, Gran Canaria &#8211; Photo: Jimmy Cornell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The concerns caused by the deteriorating safety situation in certain parts of the world coupled with the effects of the global economic downturn appear to have had an impact on the global movement of cruising yachts. A survey conducted in 2006 showed a slight reduction in the number of cruising boats undertaking a world voyage, so I decided to update those figures and compare them to similar surveys I had conducted in the last two decades.<\/p>\n<p>As on previous occasions, I contacted officials in fifty of the most significant ports on the world cruising circuit and asked for the number of foreign flagged yachts that had passed through those areas in 2010. The cruising scene has seen important changes during the last twenty five years, and not surprisingly in several places there has been an impressive increase in the number of visiting yachts. However, the changes recorded since 2000 have been less dramatic than expected and even in some popular cruising destinations the numbers are showing a decline. Could it be that the global movement has passed its peak?<\/p>\n<p>There is no place in the world which has a larger concentration of boats preparing for an ocean passage than Las Palmas in the Canary Islands so I decided to start my investigation in this port where Christopher Columbus prepared his ships for their historic voyage.<\/p>\n<h3>Atlantic Ocean (North Atlantic)<\/h3>\n<p>One area which has seen little change over the years is the North Atlantic where hundreds of boats complete an Atlantic circuit by sailing from the Canaries to the Caribbean after the middle of November, and sailing the following year in May or June to the Azores, either direct or via Bermuda, or vice versa by those leaving initially from North America.<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\" width=\"430\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;\" title=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/GYM-Atlantic.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"430\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\">Number of cruising yachts in 2010 compared with other yearsAtlantic Ocean &#8211; Diagram by Jimmy Cornell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Las Palmas de Gran Canaria<\/strong> continues to be the main port of departure on a transatlantic passage and the port authority recorded a total of 1485 foreign flagged yachts calling at Las Palmas during 2010. Approximately eighty percent of those boats continued across the Atlantic to which should be added an estimated 200 boats that left from other Canarian islands.<\/p>\n<p>Some also leave from Madeira and even directly from Gibraltar, so it can be assumed that around 1500 cross the Atlantic along the NE trade wind route every year. The statistics obtained from Las Palmas also show the nationalities of the visiting yachts, with those from France (350) and Britain (333) making up almost half of the 1530 visiting boats, followed by 199 German, 54 American, 34 Italian and various other flags.<\/p>\n<table class=\"pic-right\" style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px 15px;\" width=\"350\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 10px;\" title=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Destinations-Horta2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\">1098 boats cleared into Horta (Azores) during 2010<br \/> Photo: Roger Watson<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The conclusions based on the figures from Las Palmas were confirmed by the statistics obtained from the port authority in <strong>Horta<\/strong>, in the Azores, which is the preferred European landfall for boats arriving from across the Atlantic. A total of 1098 boats cleared into Horta during 2010, showing little change from the 1144 arrivals in 2000.<\/p>\n<p>One significant change that is evident from the data obtained from Horta is in the national make-up of the yachts, the statistics highlighting the current predominance of French yachts in the Atlantic. This is very different to 2000 when UK boats were still leading the pack. Whereas in 2010 there were 349 French yachts compared to 207 from the UK, 70 from Germany and 52 from USA, in 2000 there were 326 British yachts, 306 French, 126 American and 101 German. However, if those figures are looked at as a proportion of their total population, even more impressive is the large number of boats which called at Horta in 2010 from such countries as the Netherlands (49), Belgium (27), Norway (24), Canada (21), etc. As a percentage of the population the Norwegians would be the clear leaders, maybe reflecting the fact that it was their ancestors who were the first to cross the Atlantic.<\/p>\n<p>The decline recorded at Horta was confirmed by the statistics obtained from <strong>Bermuda<\/strong>, which is just as important a cruising hub as Horta and is used as a point of transit by North American boats sailing between the mainland and the Caribbean or Europe, as well as by boats returning from the Caribbean either to the US east coast or Europe. The total of boats that called at Bermuda in 2010 was 905 compared to 1137 in 2006 and 1160 in 2000. The decline during the last decade reflects the increasing trend among American boats to bypass Bermuda and sail directly to the Eastern Caribbean. Whereas 140 boats arrived In Bermuda from the mainland in November 2009 on their way south, by 2010 that number had gone down to 99. The situation was reversed in May and June, when many more boats returning to the mainland called at Bermuda, with a net increase in 2010 compared to 2009. Another reason for the overall reduction of visitors to Bermuda is that many more European boats now sail directly from the Caribbean to the Azores.<\/p>\n<p>With Horta keeping detailed statistics it was also possible to calculate the average number of crew per boat. In 2010 this was four compared to 3.5 in 2005 and is in line with the overall increase in the size of cruising yachts. This could not be ascertained at Horta where a record of the size of individual boats is no longer kept, but there were two other place which could supply the length of visiting yachts. Altogether 37 long distance cruising yachts called at the Royal Cape Yacht Club in <strong>Cape Town<\/strong> during 2010 and among them 14 were under 40 feet long, 20 were between 40 and 50 feet, and three were larger. Perhaps not surprisingly the 83 cruising boats that called at <strong>Ushuaia<\/strong>, on the Beagle Channel, were on average larger, but even so 28 were under 40 foot long, 41 were between 40 and 50 feet, 11 between 50 and 60 feet, and three were over 60 feet long. What those figures show is that in spite of the proliferation of large yachts the sailing routes of the world continue to be plied by standard sized cruising boats.<\/p>\n<p>While the majority of boats continue to sail the classic transatlantic route from the Canaries to the Caribbean, an increasing number of intrepid sailors, many of them French, prefer a longer and more roundabout route which makes a detour via the Cape Verde Islands to Senegal in West Africa where the yacht club in <strong>Dakar<\/strong> reported 162 arrivals, 125 of which flew the French tricolour. It was indeed French sailors who pioneered this more interesting route from Europe to the Caribbean via the Cape Verdes and Senegal. From West Africa some sail directly to the Caribbean while others cross to Brazil and may even extend their detour to cruise the Lower Amazon before finally heading for the Lesser Antilles.<\/p>\n<table class=\"border-dotted1-black\" style=\"margin-top: 10px;\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<h3>Next page<\/h3>\n<p>Part 2 of 6: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/2\/\">Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean &#8211; Antarctica &#8211; Arctic)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>Part 2: Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean &#8211; Antarctica &#8211; Arctic)<\/h2>\n<p><em><strong>This is the 2nd part of a 6-part article by Jimmy Cornell: &#8220;Cornell\u2019s Survey of Global Cruising Yacht Movements&#8221;.<\/strong> Part 1 is here: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/\">Introduction &amp; Atlantic Ocean (North Atlantic).<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<table border=\"0\" width=\"600\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;\" title=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Destinations-Antigua.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\">Antigua &#8211; Photo: Jimmy Cornell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>For boats arriving in the Caribbean from the east, the preferred landfalls are Saint Lucia, Antigua and Barbados, while most French yachts make for Martinique or Guadeloupe.<\/p>\n<p>Over half the boats that arrive in the Caribbean from either Europe or America used to plan on spending at least one season there, but in recent years concerns over the economic situation as well as the effects of climate change have resulted in a significant increase in the number who prefer to limit themselves to a one year circuit, be it from Europe or North America.<\/p>\n<p>Those who decide to stay longer usually have their boat stored on land in a secure place during the hurricane season. The island of <strong>Trinidad<\/strong> has set up several boatyards for this purpose with 1367 boats spending the summer there in 2010, which shows a significant reduction from a peak of 2664 in 2000 and 1845 in 2006. This is explained by a gradual decline in the number of sailors who are prepared to keep their boats in the tropics during the hurricane season, which seems to be also the case in the Pacific.<\/p>\n<p>The total number of boats that spend the winter season cruising in the Caribbean has remained stable in recent years but one country that has seen a significant increase is <strong>Cuba<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>A total of 632 foreign flagged yachts, both sail and power, were recorded by the Cuban authorities to have called at their ports during 2010 but as several of them clear into more than one marina, the actual number of individual boats is closer to 250. Even so, this is a marked increase of more than one third over the comparative figures for 2006 and points to a trend that is going to continue and quite likely will accelerate as relations with the USA are normalised. According to Commodore Jos\u00e9 Miguel Escrich of the Hemingway International Yacht Club of Cuba, \u2018<em>What is remarkable is the year by year increase of vessels from the USA with a total of 135 American yachts arriving at Cuban marinas in 2010 in spite of the interdiction of sailing to Cuba still being in force.<\/em>\u2019<\/p>\n<table class=\"pic-right\" style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px 15px;\" width=\"350\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 10px;\" title=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Destinations-WarderickWells.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\">18,467 boats, both sailing and power,cleared into the Bahamas in 2010.Warderick Wells, Bahamas &#8211; Photo: Margaret Bujnoch<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Many of the boats visiting the neighbouring <strong>Bahamas<\/strong> will undoubtedly welcome such a development which significantly increases their cruising range. According to Bahamas Customs, a total of 18,467 boats, both sailing and power, cleared into the country in 2010, with Bimini being the most active port with 6,871 arrivals. What is interesting is that contrary to the general belief that the Bahamas are a winter cruising destination in fact nearly half the entries were recorded in summer, the busiest months being May, June and July, with 2,878, 3,009 and 2,926 arrivals respectively.<\/p>\n<p>While warm water cruising has remained generally stable on a global level over the last decade, cold water sailing is becoming more popular as sailors strike out for more challenging destinations. Two high latitude destinations that are now regularly visited by cruising yachts are <strong>Antarctica<\/strong> and Spitsbergen. In 2010 a total of 32 yachts visited the Antarctic Peninsula which shows the number of visiting yachts having remained very stable compared to 30 in 2006 and 31 in 2000, and the absence of an increase is probably due to the imposition of much stricter controls on the movement of vessels in order to protect that unique environment. To that figure should be added the 16 sailing yachts engaged in charter work, some of which make more than one round trip between the mainland and Antarctica every season.<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\" width=\"600\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 10px;\" title=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Destinations-Antarctica.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\">In 2010 a total of 32 yachts visited the Antarctic Peninsula. &#8211; Photo: Jimmy Cornell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>While the number of yachts sailing to Antarctica appears to be unchanged, the total number passing through <strong>Ushuaia<\/strong> has gone down slightly. This busy Argentinian port at the tip of South America is where boats planning to sail south to Antarctica or north to the Chilean Canals prepare and provision for their voyage. The 83 arrivals in 2010 compare to 90 in 2006 and 105 in 2000.<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\" width=\"600\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 10px;\" title=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Destinations-Ushuaia.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\">83 arrivals in 2010 in Ushuaia &#8211; Photo: Kathy Parsons<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Across the Beagle Channel from Ushuaia is <strong>Puerto Williams<\/strong>, a Chilean military outpost and the southernmost settlement in the world. The small port is only a short distance from Cape Horn and as the Chilean authorities claim sovereignty over a wedge that includes both Horn Island and the Antarctic Peninsula, any boats planning to sail that way must complete formalities here. The movements of all vessels are monitored by the Chilean Navy and show that 2010 was a busy year with a total of 505 yacht movements. Besides the 31 yachts going to Antarctica, the statistics also shows that 40 yachts left from Puerto Williams to cruise the Chilean Canals, with an additional 20 arriving from there bound for the South Atlantic. There was also much more traffic along the so called Cape Horn circuit, with 90 boats leaving from Puerto Williams to round that symbolic landmark.<\/p>\n<p>Most yachts heading north from Tierra del Fuego and the Beagle Channel call at <strong>Port Stanley in the Falklands<\/strong>, which saw 37 yachts in 2010, a small but steady increase over the 30 in 2006 and 22 in 2000. From there, the routes diverge and either follow the contour of the South American mainland, or sail nonstop to St Helena or Cape Town. On the latter route, the remote island of <strong>Tristan da Cunha<\/strong> is a convenient port of call for some of those boats and saw a record number of 12 visitors in 2010 compared to the previous bumper year of eight visiting yachts in 2000.<\/p>\n<p>Compared to Antarctica, at the other extreme of the Atlantic Ocean the number of visiting yachts reported from <strong>Spitsbergen<\/strong> shows a significant increase with 66 arrivals in 2010, compared to 37 in 2006, 10 in 2000 and only four in 1990. The number of cruising boats attracted to high latitude destinations in the North Atlantic is certainly increasing, with more arrivals reported from both Iceland and Greenland.<\/p>\n<p>Even the <strong>Northwest Passage<\/strong> is now regularly transited by yachts, which has grown from a trickle to a steady two way traffic. It took over seventy years after Roald Amundsen\u2019s first transit in 1903 \u2013 1906 for another yacht to achieve that feat when the singlehander Willy de Roos managed to complete the transit in one season in 1977. Other yachts followed and, after a record number of seven transits in 2008, ten transits were completed in 2009 and seven in 2010.<\/p>\n<p>That year also saw two transits through the even more difficult and less traveled Northeast Passage. Only seven yachts have managed to transit that difficult passage north of Russia since Eric Brossier\u2019s first successful transit on Vagabond in 2002 as the first yacht to conquer the Northeast Passage in one season and without any outside assistance. Eric went on to complete a circumnavigation of the Arctic by way of the Northwest Passage thus becoming the first sailor to have achieved this remarkable feat.<\/p>\n<table class=\"border-dotted1-black\" style=\"margin-top: 10px;\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<h3>Next page<\/h3>\n<p>Part 3 of 6: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/3\/\">Pacific Ocean (Panama to Tahiti)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>Part 3: Pacific Ocean (Panama to Tahiti)<\/h2>\n<p><em><strong>This is the 3d part of a 6-part article by Jimmy Cornell: &#8220;Cornell\u2019s Survey of Global Cruising Yacht Movements&#8221;.<\/strong> You can read the earlier parts here:<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Part 1: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/\">Introduction &amp; Atlantic Ocean (North Atlantic)<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Part 2: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/2\/\">Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean &#8211; Antarctica &#8211; Arctic)<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table class=\"pic-right\" style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px 15px;\" width=\"350\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 5px;\" title=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Destinations-Panama-Canal.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\">Panama Canal:1177 transits in 2010 compared to 790 in 2000Photo: Jimmy Cornell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The <strong>Panama Canal<\/strong> continues to be a valuable indicator of yacht movement both between the Atlantic and Pacific and on a global level. The Canal is working at full capacity and so the peak transit time for yachts is in February and March when waiting time on the Caribbean side can be two weeks or longer unless speeded up by using a local agent. The number of transits shows an increase compared to 2000, with a total of 1177 transits in 2010 compared to 790 ten years earlier. The proportion between the two directions has remained unchanged at an approximate ratio of 2 to 1, with 771 boats bound for the Pacific and 406 for the Caribbean in 2010 compared to 532 and 258 in 2010.<\/p>\n<p>Also largely unchanged are the Pacific destinations after the transit, with about two thirds of the boats turning north, towards the west coast of Central and North America, and the rest turning left for the South Pacific. Although the majority among the latter took the classic route to Galapagos, about one third sailed first to the South American mainland. <strong>Puerto Lucia marina in La Libertad<\/strong>, in mainland <strong>Ecuador<\/strong>, is a favourite landfall where 71 arrivals were logged in 2010, exactly the same number as during 2006. The small marina is a convenient and safe place to leave the boat while exploring the interior of Ecuador, with the High Andes and Amazonia within easy reach.<\/p>\n<p>The restrictions applied to visiting yachts in <strong>Galapagos<\/strong> are still in force but since the use of a local agent in dealing with formalities has become compulsory, entry formalities have been streamlined. Visiting yachts are now granted stays of up to twenty days by the port captains in the two official ports of entry: Baquerizo Moreno and Puerto Ayora. Compared to 180 yachts in 2000 and 120 in 2006, the number of cruising yachts has seen an unprecedented increase with a total of 395 boats having called at the Galapagos Islands in 2010. The comprehensive statistics obtained from the maritime authorities paint an interesting picture of current trends in the South Pacific. The largest national contingent was that of British yachts (92), followed by 72 American, 39 French, 30 Australian, 23 Canadian, 21 German, 18 Dutch, nine each from Switzerland and New Zealand, and a host of other nationalities. One tempting conclusion to draw compared to the statistics obtained from the Azores, is that British yachts seem to have re-established their predominance on the global cruising scene, whereas French yachts continue to occupy that position in the North Atlantic and US boats in the Pacific.<\/p>\n<table class=\"pic-right\" style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px 15px;\" width=\"350\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 0px;\" title=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Destinations-Easter-Island.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\">44 boats called at Easter Island in 2010.Hangaroa, Easter Island &#8211; Photo: Jimmy Cornell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The Galapagos statistics for 2010 also show that March continues to be the most popular time with 134 arrivals, compared to 52 in February, 85 in April and 47 in May, the figures slowly tapering off to only three in October. With April being the best time to arrive in the Marquesas, at the start of the safe season, the situation is not going to change significantly in the near future, so those planning to arrive in Galapagos in March should expect to find a crowded place as the anchorages in both Baquerizo Moreno and especially Puerto Ayora are mostly taken up by local excursion or fishing boats.<\/p>\n<table class=\"pic-right\" style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px 15px;\" width=\"350\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 10px;\" title=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/WVP-to-tahiti.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\">Routes to TahitiFrom <a href=\"\/publications\/world-voyage-planner\/\">Word Voyage Planner<\/a>, by Jimmy Cornell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>While the majority of yachts continue from Galapagos along the classic trade wind route to the Marquesas and Tahiti, every year a few boats make a detour to <strong>Easter Island<\/strong> and continue from there via Pitcairn Island to French Polynesia. They made up just over half of the 44 boats which called at Easter Island in 2010, the rest being boats en route to the Chilean Canals and South Atlantic. The peak arrival time is between January and April, with 30 arrivals recorded during that period.<\/p>\n<p>The boats which transit the Panama Canal and head for the South Pacific are joined in the Marquesas and Tahiti by boats which have sailed from Mexico, USA or Canada. It is estimated that approximately 150 American and Canadian boats arrive every year in <strong>French Polynesia<\/strong> but that number has been slowly going down. Compared to the past when many of these boats continued on a circumnavigation of the world, or at least sailed as far as New Zealand before turning around, close to about half of the North American boats now turn north from Tahiti. It is reckoned that about 80 boats sail the circuit <strong>from the US West Coast to Tahiti and Hawaii<\/strong> which some attempt to complete in one season.<\/p>\n<p>Those who sail the longer loop to New Zealand return to Tahiti in June and continue to the mainland via Hawaii. Those who limit themselves to the shorter loop, sail north from Tahiti at the end of the safe season in the South Pacific and either spend the winter in Hawaii and sail home the following spring, or return to the South Pacific for another season of cruising.<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\" width=\"600\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 10px;\" title=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Destinations-BoraBora.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\">Bora Bora, French Polynesia &#8211; Photo: Jimmy Cornell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The number of arrivals in <strong>Tahiti<\/strong> is usually a good indication of the movement of cruising boats in the Pacific basin and the figures for 2010 supplied by the port authority of Tahiti show a steady increase in recent years, with 826 in 2010 compared to 694 in the previous year, 350 in 2006, and 442 in 2000. However, according to the Tahiti Yacht Club, the figures for 2010 may be misleading as they refer to all recorded arrivals and therefore also include boats which have visited Tahiti more than once. Based on the figures from destinations west of Fiji, the individual arrivals in Tahiti were probably closer to 600 still showing a significant increase over those recorded in 2000 which were also confirmed by the figures from Galapagos.<\/p>\n<table class=\"border-dotted1-black\" style=\"margin-top: 10px;\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<h3>Next page<\/h3>\n<p>Part 4 of 6: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/4\/\">Pacific Ocean (West and North from Tahiti)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>Part 4: Pacific Ocean (West and North from Tahiti)<\/h2>\n<p><em><strong>This is the 4th part of a 6-part article by Jimmy Cornell: &#8220;Cornell\u2019s Survey of Global Cruising Yacht Movements&#8221;.<\/strong> You can read the earlier parts here:<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Part 1: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/\">Introduction &amp; Atlantic Ocean (North Atlantic)<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Part 2: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/2\/\">Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean &#8211; Antarctica &#8211; Arctic)<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Part 3: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/3\/\">Pacific Ocean (Panama to Tahiti)<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table border=\"0\" width=\"600\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;\" title=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Destinations-Suwarrow.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\">Suwarrow, in the Cook Islands welcomed a total of 107 yachts in 2010. &#8211; Photo: Jimmy Cornell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Sailing west from Tahiti there are several detours that can be made from the main trunk route and the figures for 2010 show a significant increase in the number of boats going off the beaten track. Once a rarely visited place, <strong>Palmerston<\/strong> atoll attracted an unprecedented influx of 108 boats. According to Mike Dorsett, who spent a long time there, \u201c<em>You are still made welcome, although there are now some local council rules that allow them to get rid of undesirables. This is one place where you still get a true Polynesian welcome, one that is sadly lacking in major centers, probably due to the large number of visiting yachts.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<table class=\"pic-right\" style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px 15px;\" width=\"350\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px;\" title=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Destinations-Tonga-Vavau.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\">Vava\u2019u, Tonga, welcomed a staggering 553 arrivals in 2010, an all time record. &#8211; Photo: Jimmy Cornell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Another highly popular place, also in the Cook Islands, is <strong>Suwarrow<\/strong>, an uninhabited atoll where a caretaker is based during the peak arrivals time and welcomed a total of 107 in 2010, while further west the small island of <strong>Niue<\/strong> could hardly cope with an influx of 120 boats during the busy winter season. In neighbouring <strong>Tonga<\/strong>, the main island of Tongatapu saw a record 148 arrivals but was utterly eclipsed by the northern island group of <strong>Vava\u2019u<\/strong>. This long time favourite among sailors roaming the South Seas welcomed a staggering 553 arrivals, an all time record.<\/p>\n<p>With all popular destinations west of Tahiti recording higher arrivals than in previous years, as <strong>Fiji<\/strong> is the main cruising hub in the South West Pacific it is an ideal place to assess the extent of the cruising traffic in the South Seas. According to the Royal Suva Yacht Club, the Fijian capital was visited by an estimated 400 boats during 2010, of which 196 used the services of this welcoming club. A perennially popular destination is the Musket Cove Yacht Club on the island of Malololailai. Located just west of the main island of Viti Levu, the owner of the Musket Cove resort founded an informal yacht club which has become the most popular watering hole among sailors roaming the South Seas. Altogether 266 yachts dropped by in 2010 with the largest national contingent made up by the 73 New Zealand boats, followed by 38 British, 36 Australian, 33 American, 15 Canadians, followed by various European boats but only two from France. Indeed, most French yachts are known to head straight for New Caledonia obviously guided by the same linguistic preference as in the Caribbean.<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\" width=\"600\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;\" title=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Destinations-Fiji-Savusavu.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\">Savusavu, Fiji &#8211; Photo: Jimmy Cornell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Most cruising boats leave the tropics during the cyclone season and normally sail to New Zealand or Australia. Although ports in South Queensland and New South Wales are attracting an increasing number of boats, <strong>New Zealand<\/strong> continues to be the favourite destination. This was borne out by the 697 arrivals in New Zealand, a net increase on the 567 which arrived in 2000. In <strong>Australia<\/strong> the numbers have remained stable over the last decade with a total of 771 arrivals of which an estimated 450 were foreign flagged. This shows a significant decline of foreign visitors from 2000, when among the 802 arrivals, 571 were non-Australian. The situation was similar in neighbouring <strong>New Caledonia<\/strong> which saw 415 arrivals in 2000 compared to 605 in 2010.<\/p>\n<p>These figures seem to confirm that whereas the total number of boats cruising in the South Pacific has increased, those continuing on a world voyage has gone down. One reason may be the safety concerns regarding other parts of the world, especially the Indian Ocean, but a major reason is the lasting attraction of this part of the world, as explained by Tom Walker. \u201c<em>Many world cruisers become caught in the South Pacific gyre. This is a vast imaginary current which sweeps cruisers north from New Zealand and Australia to the islands for the austral winter. It sweeps them south again for the cyclone season. Some cruisers become caught in the gyre for many years. And why not, as these are the finest islands anchored in any ocean<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While the South Pacific continues to attract most of the yachts undertaking a world voyage, the <strong>North Pacific<\/strong> saw comparatively fewer boats with only an estimated 30 foreign flagged yachts calling at <strong>Hawaii<\/strong> in 2010 compared to 25 in 2006 and 39 in 2000. US boats were not included in those statistics although Hawaii does attract many American boats and most of the yacht movement in the eastern part of the North Pacific continues to be made up of US and Canadian boats commuting between the mainland and Hawaii. It is estimated that Hawaii is visited every year by between 200 and 250 boats, both cruising and racing. Some sail from there to French Polynesia and a very few continue west towards Micronesia and the Asian mainland. This is shown by the 28 arrivals in the <strong>Marshall Islands<\/strong>, which is probably a fair estimate of the total number of boats calling at the Micronesian islands generally.<\/p>\n<p>There was much more movement in <strong>Asia<\/strong> proper with 88 arrivals recorded in <strong>Hong Kong<\/strong>, a considerable increase over the twenty arrivals in 2000, although the port authority pointed out that some of those may have cleared in more than once. However, only ten foreign cruising boats visited neighbouring <strong>China<\/strong> where formalities for visiting yachts continue to be both complicated and expensive. Until these matters are improved sailors will continue to be deterred from visiting this interesting country. What is showing a change, however, is the rapid increase in the number of Chinese owned yachts which are visiting neighbouring countries.<\/p>\n<table class=\"border-dotted1-black\" style=\"margin-top: 10px;\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<h3>Next page<\/h3>\n<p>Part 5 of 6: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/5\/\">Indian Ocean<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>Part 5: Indian Ocean<\/h2>\n<p><em><strong>This is the 5th part of a 6-part article by Jimmy Cornell: &#8220;Cornell\u2019s Survey of Global Cruising Yacht Movements&#8221;.<\/strong> You can read the earlier parts here:<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Part 1: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/\">Introduction &amp; Atlantic Ocean (North Atlantic)<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Part 2: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/2\/\">Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean &#8211; Antarctica &#8211; Arctic)<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Part 3: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/3\/\">Pacific Ocean (Panama to Tahiti)<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Part 4: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/4\/\">Pacific Ocean (West and North from Tahiti)<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\" width=\"430\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 10px;\" title=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/WVP-Indian-Ocean-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"430\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\">Routes in the Indian OceanFrom <a href=\"\/publications\/world-voyage-planner\/\">World Voyage Planner<\/a>, by Jimmy Cornell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>There has indeed been a marked increase in local traffic in South East Asia, with more local boats, both racing and cruising, joining the rallies and regattas held during the winter season in Western Malaysia and Thailand. Unfortunately the Singapore port authority would not reveal any statistics, replying that the information was confidential. The figures from Phuket confirm the increase in visitors from neighbouring countries, but a net reduction among other foreign flagged boats as many of those on a world voyage now avoid the North Indian Ocean. Indeed, this is one area which has seen major changes in the movement of cruising boats in recent years and this is due entirely to the threat posed by Somali pirates.<\/p>\n<p>It is estimated that between 250 and 300 yachts transit the <strong>Torres Strait<\/strong> every year. In 2010, a total of 88 boats cleared into <strong>Australia at Thursday Island<\/strong> but as only boats which have not cleared into Australia elsewhere need to stop there, the number of cruising boats passing through this international waterway was much higher as seen from the number of visiting yachts that passed through Darwin on Australia\u2019s north coast.<\/p>\n<p>Heading west from the Torres Strait most cruising boats normally stop at <strong>Darwin<\/strong>. According to official records 69 yachts cleared in there in 2010 but this does not include the 70 foreign boats which joined the <em>Sail Indonesia Rally<\/em> in Darwin. The 2010 edition of this popular event attracted a total of 106 boats, of which 36 were Australian. A great attraction of this annual event, which is supported by the Indonesian authorities, is that the compulsory cruising permit is provided as part of the entry fee, as are all other formalities, not to mention the many entertainments laid on during a three months long programme.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Indonesia<\/strong> saw a record 615 visiting yachts, which is the number of cruising permits (CAIT) issued in 2010 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. <strong>Bali<\/strong> is an important cruising hub and gateway into the Indian Ocean and most boats stop there, regardless of whether they are planning to continue to South East Asia and the Red Sea or take the Cape of Good Hope route. A total of 220 boats stopped at Bali marina, of which approximately half continued into the South Indian Ocean. The nearest stops along this route are the two Australian outposts, <strong>Christmas Island<\/strong>, which saw 27 arrivals, and the more popular <strong>Cocos Keeling<\/strong> with 69. From there, the route splits into a northern branch leading to <strong>Chagos<\/strong> and a southern branch to <strong>Mauritius<\/strong>. The latter recorded 174 arrivals, among which 49 boats were described as local traffic as most had sailed over from neighbouring Reunion. On the northern route, Chagos was visited by 105 yachts that had obtained the necessary permit to call there from the British authorities, which administer this territory.<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\" width=\"600\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;\" title=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Destinations-Chagos.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\">Egmont Atoll, Chagos &#8211; Photo: Jimmy Cornell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The larger than usual number that called at Chagos was due to an influx of boats that were originally bound for the Red Sea and Mediterranean but had changed their plans at short notice because of the increased threat of piracy. As a result, 2010 was the first year when more boats appeared to have taken the Cape of Good Hope route than to have sailed across the North Indian Ocean to the Red Sea and Suez Canal.<\/p>\n<p>For those who prefer to sail the traditional route to the Mediterranean, <strong>Phuket in Thailand<\/strong> and <strong>Langkawi in Malaysia<\/strong> are the favourite places to prepare for the crossing of the North Indian Ocean. Yacht Haven in Phuket deals with most foreign visitors and, based on the 170 arrivals reported in 2010, the manager estimated that the total of foreign flagged boats was about 250, while Langkawi attracted around 150 yachts. As some of those boats called at both places, it is assumed that approximately 300 to 350 long distance cruising boats pass through South East Asia every year. About one half of those boats used to sail to the Mediterranean in the past, but that figure is now closer to one quarter as more sailors prefer the Cape of Good Hope route.<\/p>\n<p>The most popular ports of call along the northern route to the Mediterranean are <strong>Galle, in Sri Lanka<\/strong>, where 79 boats called in 2010, while the <strong>Maldives<\/strong> were visited by 98 and <strong>Mumbai, in India<\/strong>, saw a record of 36. In recent years many of the boats bound for the Red Sea called first at Salalah in Oman, to join convoys and sail from there in company through the critical area.<\/p>\n<p>A good indication of movement in the Indian Ocean is the number of transits through the <strong>Suez Canal<\/strong> where the northbound traffic has been going steadily down in recent years. In 2010 there were 95 northbound transits, to which should be added the 36 yachts that had been shipped from the Maldives and Oman to the Mediterranean to avoid the risk of piracy. This is more than the 103 northbound transits recorded in 2006 but significantly less than the 160 transits in 2000. What has gone up are southbound transits, although most of the 40 southbound boats only went as far as Southern Egypt to spend the winter in one of the marinas in the Hurghada area or make a detour into the Gulf of Aqaba before returning to the Mediterranean. It is estimated that about half of these returned to the Mediterranean and were therefore included in the 95 northbound transits.<\/p>\n<p>The figures from Suez confirmed a trend which has become apparent in recent years and it is now estimated that approximately 200 boats sailed the Cape of Good Hope route in 2010. This estimate is based on statistics obtained from two key sources: <strong>Cape Town<\/strong> and <strong>St Helena<\/strong>. The various yachts clubs and marinas in the Cape Town area recorded a total of 121 visiting yachts during 2010. Because of St Helena\u2019s strategic location in the South Atlantic, few yachts bypass the island without stopping. The 169 yachts which called at Helena shows an increase over the 137 arrivals in 2006 but is lower than the 184 visitors in 2000, which now appears to have been a record year in all oceans.<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\" width=\"600\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;\" title=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Destinations-StHelena.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\">169 yachts called at St Helena in 2010. &#8211; Photo: Jimmy Cornell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<table class=\"border-dotted1-black\" style=\"margin-top: 10px;\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"10\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<h3>Next page<\/h3>\n<p>Part 6 of 6: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/6\/\">The Mediterranean &amp; Conclusions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>Part 6: The Mediterranean &amp; Conclusions<\/h2>\n<p><em><strong>This is the last part of a 6-part article by Jimmy Cornell: &#8220;Cornell\u2019s Survey of Global Cruising Yacht Movements&#8221;.<\/strong> You can read the earlier parts here:<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Part 1: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/\">Introduction &amp; Atlantic Ocean (North Atlantic)<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Part 2: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/2\/\">Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean &#8211; Antarctica &#8211; Arctic)<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Part 3: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/3\/\">Pacific Ocean (Panama to Tahiti)<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Part 4: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/4\/\">Pacific Ocean (West and North from Tahiti)<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Part 5: <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/5\/\">Indian Ocean<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table border=\"0\" width=\"600\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px;\" title=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Destinations-Dubrovnik.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\">Dubrovnik, Croatia &#8211; Photo: Jimmy Cornell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The Mediterranean itself has seen a steady increase during the last decade with more locally based yachts, visitors from outside the area and expanding charter operations. Popular places such as the Balearics, Croatia and Greece are uncomfortably crowded during the summer and even outside the high season visiting yachts have difficulties finding places in marinas.<\/p>\n<table class=\"pic-right\" style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px 15px;\" width=\"350\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;\" title=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Destinations-Gibraltar.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\">Gibraltar recorded a total of 3,222 arrivals in 2010.Photo: Jimmy Cornell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>As the gateway into the Mediterranean, <strong>Gibraltar<\/strong> recorded a total of 3,222 arrivals in 2010, reflecting this upward trend. The Baltic Sea has seen an even greater increase, both in the number of visiting boats from outside the area and in cross-country movement. In spite of the still cumbersome Russian formalities, even <strong>St Petersburg<\/strong> was visited by 118 foreign yachts.<\/p>\n<p>A trend that was started by large yachts being shipped at the end of the season from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean and vice versa has been catching on also among cruising boats. The two main operators are <em>Dockwise Yacht Transport<\/em>, which has its own purpose built ships, and <em>Sevenstar Yacht Transport<\/em>, which uses commercial ships on which yachts are loaded as deck cargo. <em>DYT<\/em> runs a regular service between the US East Coast to the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, East Caribbean, Pacific West Coast and South Pacific. <em>Sevenstar<\/em> has a worldwide network of pick-up and drop-off ports in Florida, the Caribbean, Mediterranean, South Pacific, Middle East, South East Asia, with the Seychelles, India, Brazil and South Africa being their latest destinations. The schedules of both operators usually coincide with the end or start of the favourable sailing seasons in the areas covered, and thus provide an attractive solution for owners who prefer to reach their favourite cruising grounds in the shortest time and most convenient way possible. In recent years, safety considerations have also persuaded owners to have their yachts shipped through a dangerous area, such as the North Indian Ocean.<\/p>\n<p>Overland transport has also seen a significant increase as owners prefer to have their boats trucked to avoid a difficult passage or simply to save time. There are trucking companies offering this service between Baja California and the Pacific Northwest, the Great Lakes to the Pacific Coast and the Mediterranean to Northern Europe. For those who prefer to explore the waterways of Europe on their own boat, there are now companies transporting masts between the starting and finishing points of such voyages.<\/p>\n<h3>Conclusions<\/h3>\n<table border=\"0\" width=\"600\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px;\" title=\"\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/GYM-World.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\">The number of cruising yachts that visited key cruising destinations in 2010 compared with other yearsDiagram by Jimmy Cornell &#8211; Click <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cornellsailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/GYM-World.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a> to enlarge<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The above statistics show that popular cruising grounds in or near developed areas such as the Eastern Caribbean, Mediterranean, Bahamas, Baltic and Pacific Mexico, have seen the number of visiting yachts in the last ten years remain relatively stable. On a global level the figures for 2010 indicate a general slowdown in comparison to 2000. What seems to have changed is the ratio between cruising and charter boats, with the latter figures showing a steady increase while the number of cruising yachts undertaking long voyages is gradually declining. This is shown by the figures obtained from Saint Lucia in the Caribbean where Rodney Bay marina recorded an all time high of 6,375 yacht movements in 2010, of which only an estimated 300 had arrived from across the Atlantic, including 230 with the ARC, the majority of the rest being made up by charter boats plying up and down the Lesser Antilles chain.<\/p>\n<p>Even though there has been an increase in the number of people cruising, much of this has been on a regional basis, and the number of boats completing a circumnavigation does not seem to have changed significantly in the last decade. To assess the number of boats completing a circumnavigation of the world in any one year, I examined the data obtained from such significant locations as the Panama and Suez canals, as well as Tahiti, Ushuaia and Cape Town, because any boat sailing around the world is bound to pass through some of these gateways. My estimate has remained unchanged from 2001, when I concluded that between 150 and 200 boats complete a circumnavigation in any one year. The main difference is that whereas ten years ago the number was split equally between the two main routes via the Red Sea and Cape of Good Hope, the latter\u2019s popularity is now firmly in the ascendance.<\/p>\n<p>While the global movement is relatively easy to determine, attempting to make an assessment of the number of boats actually cruising is bound to be less accurate. Such a figure should only include boats undertaking a longer voyage and exclude those that are engaged in coastal cruising in areas of high concentration. Based on the figures for 2010, I estimate that on a global level there are approximately 10,000 cruising boats undertaking a long voyage, of which about half would be in the Atlantic, 2,000 in the Pacific, 1,000 in the Indian Ocean, and 2,000 in the Mediterranean. The current estimates are about twenty percent lower than the conclusions I drew in 2000, when I reckoned that there were between 10,000 and 12,000 boats roaming the oceans of the world.<\/p>\n<p>Those who are planning a world voyage can take heart from the fact that such attractive destinations as Tahiti, Galapagos, French Polynesia, New Zealand, Tonga and Indonesia, have not been overrun by visitors and show no signs of that in the foreseeable future. What has changed, mainly because of the concerns over safety, but also climate change as well as the economic uncertainty, is a move towards regional cruising with many sailors now preferring to limit their voyages to one ocean. In line with this trend, for many sailors the aim of completing a circumnavigation seems to have lost its aura and whereas in the past most of those who set off on a world voyage were hoping to eventually sail round the globe, nowadays it is only the most determined who find the motivation to go all the way.<\/p>\n<p><em>This article was first published in the November 2011 issue of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Cruising World<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"morelinks\">Read also on this website:<br \/> <a href=\"\/2012\/10\/100-cruising-guides-for-all-sailing-destinations\/\">Cruising Guides to All Sailing Destinations<\/a><br \/> <a href=\"\/2012\/11\/the-best-boats-for-globe-girdling\/\">The Best Boats for Globe Girdling<\/a> , by Jimmy Cornell<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"intro-post\"><a href=\"\/about-us\/jimmy-cornell\/\">Jimmy Cornell<\/a> has been conducting surveys of the global movements of cruising yachts since 1984. In this 6-part article, first published in the November 2011 issue of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Cruising World<\/a>, he reports &#8230;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cornellsailing.com\/de\/2012\/11\/cornells-survey-of-global-cruising-yacht-movements\/\">Read more<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":2138,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[130],"tags":[345],"odyssey":[],"destinations":[173,198,205],"class_list":["post-10506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-zeitungsartikel","tag-survey-de","destinations-atlantic-ocean-de","destinations-indian-ocean-de","destinations-pazifischer-ozean","odd"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cornellsailing.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10506","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cornellsailing.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cornellsailing.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cornellsailing.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cornellsailing.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10506"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cornellsailing.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10506\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24219,"href":"https:\/\/cornellsailing.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10506\/revisions\/24219"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cornellsailing.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cornellsailing.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10506"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cornellsailing.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10506"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cornellsailing.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10506"},{"taxonomy":"odyssey","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cornellsailing.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/odyssey?post=10506"},{"taxonomy":"destinations","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cornellsailing.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/destinations?post=10506"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}