We are considering going to Fanning Island (one of the Line Islands, Kiribati) departure from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, in december. Then eventually head south for Samoa, stopping on the way at a small island like Surrawow slowly in April/ May.

My question is how is the weather and wind in the Fanning area at that time of year besides;

1/ the risk of late/seldom hurricanes from Mexico Pacific season
2/ strong north east wind ? or
3/ no chance of getting a north Pacific storm going that far south?

We have your World Cruising Routes.

Thanks for any info on the subject.

Sincerely
Virginia Connor

Hello Virginia,

You should have no problems with the weather on the way from Mexico to Fanning, but if you stay in low latitudes, too close to the equator, you may not benefit from NE or E winds, so you ought to get some information on how far the trade winds reach and then stay N of that latitude for most of your passage.

Winds in Fanning and the area will probably be E. As to your passage S from there on, you ought to have favourable winds S of the equator but as this will be early in the season (and this will be an El Nino year!) winds and weather conditions generally are impossible to predict.

In my latest book, A Passion for the Sea, I describe my own voyage from Tahiti to Fanning, etc. so you may get some tips there. You can order the book on my website www.jimmycornell.com.

Good luck!

Jimmy Cornell