The results of the investigation:
Leaving everyday life behind, casting off the ropes and discovering the world under sail - going on a long voyage is still a lifelong dream for many people. Over the past two decades, more people have fulfilled this dream than ever before. Including more and more young sailors who didn't want to wait until retirement to head for the Caribbean, the South Seas or even just the coasts of the Mediterranean. They put their jobs and careers on the back burner and instead enjoyed a carefree existence at sea and in distant harbours.
The fact that, whether young or old, there can sometimes be a huge gap between dreams and reality when it comes to long-distance sailing has already rudely torn crews from their sailing dreams in the past. Be it because the boat turned out to be susceptible to repairs or completely unsuitable for long ocean passages. Because the cramped conditions on board made life difficult for some sailors. Because the usual social contacts with friends and family suddenly broke off. Or because life under sail turned out to be much more expensive than initially calculated.
However, this only ever affected individual crews. The vast majority who had taken a break from sailing in the past were extremely happy with their decision.
Everything has been different since 2019
But then came 2019 and with it the crises. First the coronavirus pandemic, then the war in Ukraine. At the same time, the consequences of global climate change became increasingly noticeable in many areas of the world. Even the fastest yacht could not sail away from all of this. On the contrary, the further away long-distance sailors were from home, the harder they were hit in some cases. Dozens of trips had to be cancelled or terminated and boats had to be sold at short notice.
We have reported on this several times in YACHT over the past few years, usually focussing on German sailors. One person, however, who has his eye on the big picture, i.e. the international blue water scene worldwide, is Jimmy Cornell. It was he who once launched the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), in which hundreds of crews still sail together towards the Caribbean every autumn.
Jimmy Cornell- long-distance drivers in focus since the mid-eighties
As a passionate sailor, Cornell himself sailed to the most beautiful parts of the world for many years. Even in old age, he crossed the Northwest Passage in northern Canada. He has written manuals and trip planners. And he has been observing and documenting the movements of long-distance travellers around the globe since the mid-1980s. Since then, he has published current figures approximately every five years, identifying changes compared to previous years and deriving trends.
Cornell recently analysed his latest surveys. His results are so exciting because they show how all the current and recent crises have impacted - and continue to impact - the international long-distance travel scene. First and foremost, the coronavirus has managed to international yacht traffic to a standstill, says Cornell.
The pandemic caused chaos"
"As many popular sailing destinations had closed their borders, those who were affected either had to postpone their plans or leave their boats unattended and return home. In many places, those who had been caught off guard by the events suddenly no longer had access to land."
Sailors, otherwise always welcome, were suddenly treated with hostility"
To get at least a rough idea of the actual situation, Cornell contacted the harbour authorities at some of the busiest hubs for sailors, such as Panama, Bermuda, Las Palmas, Tahiti and Noumea, in early 2022. The figures he received showed that the situation for long-distance sailors was better than expected in some places, while in others the number of guest sailors had declined to an unprecedented extent.
In some cases, unprecedented declines in the number of guest guests
Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, for example, recorded its highest influx ever in 2021 with 1,256 guest yachts. Cornell: "As the starting point for the annual ARC and an important transit hub, the city proved its enduring popularity thanks to the tolerant attitude of the local authorities, who were also taken completely by surprise by the crisis. The picture was similar in Horta in the Azores, the favoured stopover at the end of a transatlantic passage from the Caribbean. The port recorded 1,102 arrivals, compared to 465 in 2020 and 1,132 in 2019."
In other parts of the world, however, the situation was dramatic. The number of yachts travelling through the Panama Canal fell to 806 in 2021 compared to 1,122 in the previous year. The decline was even more severe in countries where Covid restrictions were still in place in 2021, such as Tonga, New Caledonia, New Zealand and Australia. They recorded almost no foreign crew arrivals at all. The numbers also plummeted in Tahiti and South Africa, reports Cornell.
"During 2022, when the Covid pandemic seemed to be under control, most countries began to lift their restrictions. As the situation slowly returned to normal, I resumed my survey and contacted the port authorities at the world's main transit points for long-distance travellers again. Based on the data I received from the most popular destinations as well as some less visited places, I was able to get a good overall impression of the current global traffic of cruising yachts."
The detailed results of Cornell's investigation:
Atlantic Ocean
There are more boats preparing for a sea voyage in the harbour of Las Palmas than anywhere else in the world. Most of them, around 75 per cent, leave from here for the Caribbean, some of them stopping in Cape Verde. In 2022, the Canary Islands harbour authority registered a total of 1,237 boats sailing under the flags of 44 countries. The largest contingent was from France (266), followed by Germany (194) and the UK (83).
The Mindelo marina on São Vicente recorded the highest number of visiting yachts to date in 2022, with a total of 1,120 arrivals. The Cape Verde island is located in the north-east trade winds and has long been considered a better starting point for an Atlantic passage to the Caribbean than the direct route from the Canary Islands. "The chance of consistently favourable winds is higher here and the distance is shorter," says Cornell.
Most European yachts that sail to the Caribbean usually cross the Atlantic in mid-November or early December and finish their Atlantic round trip by sailing to the Azores the following April or May. Of the 105 German yachts that stopped in Horta in 2022, 82 had completed a transatlantic voyage. Almost a third of these were sailed by crews of two, by the way, while eleven German boats were sailed by single-handed sailors.
Bermuda seems to have lost its appeal for Europeans
While the total number of boats (1,131) that arrived in Horta in 2022 has not changed significantly, the data confirms that most trips from the Caribbean to Europe were now sailed directly to the Azores. The diversions via Bermuda appears to have become less attractive.
Although Horta has overtaken Bermuda in terms of the total number of visiting yachts, the islands in east Florida continue to be an important transit point for North American crews sailing between the mainland and the Caribbean or Europe. And also for boats returning from the Caribbean to the USA or Canada.
Above all, more than half of the yachts that come to the Caribbean from Europe or America used to spend at least one whole season there. In recent years, however, concerns about the effects of climate change have led to a significant increase in the number of yachtsmen who prefer to limit themselves to a one-year round trip. Another reason is the fact that many insurance companies are no longer willing to provide cover for those who want to spend the critical season in the tropics.
Shorter stays in the Caribbean
This contrasts with developments in the more northerly latitudes of the Atlantic. Two destinations that are regularly visited by cruising yachts are Svalbard and Greenland. Spitsbergen is the most popular destination in the north, with 52 boats visiting in 2022. Greenland is also becoming an increasingly popular destination. 14 yachts called at the capital Nuuk. These were both crews who wanted to explore the coast and sailors who wanted to continue on to the Northwest Passage.
Four boats managed the passage westwards to the Pacific, while four boats also managed the passage in the opposite direction. These eight successful voyages in 2022 compared to none in 2021 and only one in 2020 could indicate a return to normality. But it doesn't have to be permanent. In order to prevent further pollution of the sensitive region, restrictions could be imposed on ships travelling through the Northwest Passage in the future.
Such restrictions already exist at the other end of the Atlantic, where private yachts must obtain authorisation from their national authorities for trips to Antarctica and comply with the strict environmental regulations of the South Polar region. The Argentinian port of Ushuaia at the tip of South America is the place where boats that want to sail further south or northwards to the Chilean fjord country prepare and supply their journey. The 38 arrivals in 2022 were a sharp decline compared to 64 in 2015 and the peak of 105 yachts in 2000.
Only half the number of guest sailors in Ushuaia
On the other side of the Beagle Channel lies Puerto Williams, a Chilean military outpost and the southernmost settlement in the world. As the Chilean authorities are responsible for an area that includes both the Antarctic Peninsula and parts of Tierra del Fuego, every ship that wants to sail in this direction has to complete the formalities here.
The movements of all vessels are monitored by the Chilean Navy and show that the total number of 77 yachts in 2022 was significantly lower than the 143 in 2015. The number of private yachts sailing to Antarctica has also decreased significantly: from 43 in 2019 to 12 in 2022.
Pacific Ocean
The Panama Canal is the most important indicator for yacht traffic both between the Atlantic and the Pacific and on a global level. The latest figures show that the steady increase in pleasure craft transits appears to have peaked in 2010. At that time, 1,177 yachts crossed the man-made waterway. What has remained unchanged are the destinations after crossing: a third of the boats turn northwards, towards the west coast of Central and North America, while the rest head for the South Pacific.
The Galapagos Islands used to be a popular stopover on the way to French Polynesia. However, the restrictions imposed on incoming yachts, as well as the complicated formalities and associated costs, now deter most sailors from stopping there. From a record high of 395 boats in 2010, the number for 2022 has fallen to 66.
Excessive bureaucracy prevents sailors from stopping in Galapagos
Most sail non-stop to the Marquesas, while a few venture the long way to Easter Island and on to Pitcairn before heading to French Polynesia. Easter Island is one of the most remote destinations in the world and has seen the sharpest decline, as the latest survey shows.
According to the harbour captain of Hanga Roa, the island's main settlement and port, only seven ships stopped over in 2022 compared to a record 79 yachts that docked in 2015. Pitcairn, the former hideout of the Bounty mutineers, whose descendants still live on this remote corner of the world, welcomed eleven visiting yachts.
Only seven ships sailed to Easter Island in 2022, eleven to Pitcairn
There was significantly more activity in the Marquesas: 264 boats arrived there in 2022, most of them in Atuona on the island of Hiva Oa. The total number of arrivals throughout French Polynesia was 404 - a significant decrease compared to the record year of 2010 with 826 arrivals.
Many other smaller atolls, which used to be popular and frequently visited by long-distance travellers, also suffered from a decline in visitors. For example, Suwarrow in the north of the Cook Islands (2022: 16 boats, 2015: 69 boats) and Vava'u (2022: 14 boats, 2015: 424).
Fiji is a major hub for cruising in the South Pacific, with the capital Suva welcoming 83 yachts in 2022. Once they reach this point, most long-distance crews leave the tropics before the cyclone season begins and sail to New Zealand or Australia. The decision by the two countries to close their borders to all foreigners at the start of the Covid pandemic caused chaos among sailors, who were suddenly deprived of important havens.
The restrictions were only lifted in 2022, with 324 boats then heading for New Zealand and 330 for Australia. After zero arrivals in 2021, New Caledonia was also visited again by 241 crews in 2022. A hopeful sign that the situation in the South Pacific is gradually returning to normal.
Indian Ocean
In recent years, the number of long-distance yachts in the North Indian Ocean has steadily declined as most boats travelling around the world take the route via the Cape of Good Hope to reach the Atlantic Ocean, rather than the alternative via the Red Sea and Suez Canal. In contrast, there is still a lot of traffic in the eastern part as more local and regional boats participate in the rallies and regattas that take place in West Malaysia and Thailand during the winter season.
Djibouti only safe harbour for passage through the Red Sea
Those who are not deterred by the uncertainty in the Red Sea and continue westwards across the North Indian Ocean will find a suitable port in Galle on the south coast of Sri Lanka, where 23 arrivals were recorded in 2022. Djibouti is still the only safe harbour to prepare for the passage through the Red Sea. 29 boats stopped here before travelling north. All of them made it safely to Suez, where 36 boats arrived in 2022. Compared to 2010, when 171 yachts crossed the Suez Canal, this figure underlines the continued popularity of the Cape of Good Hope route.
Before the cyclone season begins in the Indian Ocean, it's time to make your way to South Africa. In 2022, Richards Bay was the most popular harbour for long-distance sailors with 103 arrivals. The number of boats calling at Cape Town was 126, of which 123 sailed on to the South Atlantic. It is important to note that South Africa was one of the few countries in the world that did not close its borders to visitors during the pandemic, thanks to the efforts of the Ocean Sailing Association.
The trends: fewer crews on long journeys, also due to climate change
Overall, there are currently significantly fewer crews on long voyages than in the years prior to 2019. The number of couples and young families with small children who are taking a sabbatical, sometimes shorter, sometimes longer, under sail has increased. The proportion of catamarans has also risen. It is possible that the latter trends are related, as twin-hulls offer families more space than monohulls.
The average size of the monohulls in Las Palmas in 2022 was just under 13 metres, while the multihulls were 13.80 metres. In Panama, on the other hand, the monohulls were a whopping 15.20 metres long on average and the cats 15.00 metres.
Multihulls accounted for 10.1 per cent of the total number of longboard yachts in Las Palmas and 17.2 per cent in Panama. At around 25 per cent, the proportion of catamarans was even higher at the ARC 2022.
French crews make up the majority of all long-distance skiers
Another interesting trend that emerges from the figures: The statistics from Las Palmas, the Azores, Tahiti, Cape Town, St Helena and the Suez Canal show that US-flagged yachts are no longer in the majority. Now they are French-flagged vessels, while British and German boats are in third place.
The long-distance sailing scene is therefore still undergoing major changes, not to say a worldwide decline. Blue water sailing reached its temporary peak in 2010.
Safety concerns are playing an increasingly important role in the decision in favour of or against long-distance travel
The reasons for this vary, but they are all likely to be related to safety concerns. The consequences of climate change, which often take the form of unpredictable and severe weather conditions at sea, are a headache for many sailors. The majority of over 60 long-distance skippers surveyed recently agreed that good voyage planning is even more important today than ever before. The days of being largely spared from unexpected weather caprices on a round-the-world voyage are over.
Other weather truths are also becoming less and less valid: the trade winds are weakening, the Gulf Stream is failing, the paths of hurricanes are changing and, on top of all this, El Niño is once again shaking up the weather systems.
The Covid pandemic has undoubtedly played its part in making many sailors much more cautious about cutting ties with home.
Added to this is the uncertainty in the face of increasingly smouldering political conflicts or even open armed conflicts in many parts of the world. On the other hand, all of this could also have the opposite effect: That some people decide not to wait until it is perhaps entirely too late, but would rather set off now to realise their lifelong dream. The full order books of boat builders could be an indication that this is the case, as could the long increase in demand for used blue water yachts.
In this respect, the motto: Carpe diem! is perhaps more valid today than ever before.
Jimmy Cornell
