Mission Profile: A solar- and kite-powered seastead attempts a full circumnavigation of Earth,
optimizing for favorable winds and currents, avoiding hurricane/cyclone/typhoon seasons,
and staying generally out of the most violent Southern Ocean latitudes (targeting waves under ~15 ft).
Real-time Starlink forecasting allows continuous route optimization.
Propulsion Assumptions
Kite Power (downwind ±30°): 3 MPH — used whenever wind is favorable and kite can be deployed safely
Solar Peak (6 hrs/day): 2 MPH — sun high, solar panels producing well
Solar/Battery Off-Peak (18 hrs/day): 1 MPH — baseline movement around the clock
Baseline daily solar distance (no kite): (6 × 2) + (18 × 1) = 30 miles/day
Ocean currents (major ones): add roughly 1–3 MPH of "free" speed when aligned
Effective speed with kite + current: can reach ~4–6 MPH for extended stretches
Key methodology note: For each segment we estimate an effective average speed
combining kite availability (based on typical wind patterns), solar propulsion, and ocean current assistance.
Waiting periods for hurricane seasons are listed separately and do NOT count as travel time per the mission rules —
but they do add to total calendar time.
Proposed Route Overview
The route is designed to ride the great wind and current systems of the world: the Northeast and Southeast Trade Winds,
the North and South Equatorial Currents, the Agulhas Current, the Leeuwin Current, and the South Pacific Gyre —
while staying north of the most savage Southern Ocean latitudes. A broadly eastward circumnavigation
(following Trade Winds westward across oceans, then looping around) is less optimal than a route
designed around specific gyre systems. Here we use a predominantly westward/equatorial route
through the tropics, dipping only briefly into the subtropics.
Start/End Point: Panama City area, Pacific side (~9°N, 79°W) — chosen for convenient
access to both Pacific and Atlantic systems.
Segment-by-Segment Breakdown
Leg
Route
Distance (mi)
Primary Assist
Effective Avg Speed (MPH)
Travel Days
Season / Timing Notes
📍 PACIFIC OCEAN — Westward on the North Equatorial Current & NE Trades
1
Panama → Hawaii (via NE Trade Wind belt, ~10–15°N)
4,700
NE Trades (kite 3 mph) + North Equatorial Current (1–2 mph westward... wait — Hawaii is NE of Panama).
Correction: travel SW first to catch trades properly.
Route: Panama → ~130°W trades zone → Hawaii from south
2.8
70
Depart Jan–Mar to avoid eastern Pacific hurricane season (Jun–Nov).
NE Trades reliable Jan–May.
2
Hawaii → Marshall Islands / Micronesia (~10°N, westward)
2,400
NE Trade Winds (kite frequently), North Equatorial Current (1–2 mph W)
3.5
29
Feb–Apr. Excellent kite conditions; typhoon season not yet active.
May–Jun. Transition period; light but usable winds.
5
Singapore → Sri Lanka / Maldives (Indian Ocean, ~5–8°N)
1,700
SW Monsoon (Jun–Sep) blows NE-ward here — use to gain northing;
South Equatorial Counter Current. Route adjusted to use SW monsoon going NW across Indian Ocean.
3.0
24
Jun–Jul. SW Monsoon ideal for crossing toward Arabian Sea / Maldives.
6
Maldives → Seychelles → East Africa coast (~5–10°S)
2,000
SE Trade Winds + South Equatorial Current (westward, 1–2 mph)
3.2
26
Jul–Aug. SE Trades very reliable south of equator.
7
East Africa → Cape of Good Hope (hugging coast, ~25–35°S briefly)
3,200
Agulhas Current (southward then westward, up to 3–4 mph);
kite on SE/S winds. Avoid deep Southern Ocean — stay near 35°S max.
3.8
35
Sep–Oct. South African winter passed; summer building but wave heights manageable near coast.
Agulhas is powerful but eddies can be tricky — Starlink helps navigate them.
📍 SOUTH ATLANTIC — SE Trades & Brazil Current
8
Cape of Good Hope → St. Helena Island (~16°S) → Brazil coast
4,200
SE Trade Winds (kite frequently) + South Atlantic Gyre (westward in tropics).
St. Helena is perfectly placed as a waypoint in the SE Trades.
3.5
50
Oct–Dec. SE Trades extremely reliable. South Atlantic has NO hurricane season
(virtually no tropical cyclones). Excellent sailing window.
9
Brazil (Recife area, ~8°S) → Trinidad/Tobago → Caribbean
2,500
North Brazil Current / North Equatorial Current + NE Trades.
Equatorial Counter Current eddies usable near the ITCZ gap.
3.0
35
Dec–Jan. Atlantic hurricane season has ended (Dec). Safe passage.
NE Trades robust Dec–Apr.
📍 CARIBBEAN & PANAMA RETURN
10
Caribbean → Panama (Pacific side via Canal transit or Cape Horn — choose Canal)
1,200
Caribbean Current (westward, 1–2 mph) + NE Trades partially helpful.
Canal transit adds a short overland link (~50 miles, tug assist or lock passage).
2.5
20
Jan–Feb. End of journey. Perfect timing — back before Pacific hurricane season restarts.
Waiting Periods (Hurricane / Cyclone Avoidance)
Important: The route above is carefully timed to naturally AVOID most hurricane seasons
by being in the right ocean at the right time. However, some brief waits or detours may be needed:
Location
Hazard Season
Our Timing
Action Needed
Wait (days)
Western Pacific (Philippines/Micronesia)
Typhoons: Jun–Nov
We pass through Feb–May
None — clear of season
0
Eastern Pacific (off Mexico/Central America)
Hurricanes: Jun–Nov
We depart Panama in Jan
None — clear of season
0
Bay of Bengal / Arabian Sea
Cyclones: Apr–Jun and Oct–Nov
We cross Jun–Jul (SW monsoon)
Route stays south (~5–10°N), limiting exposure.
May need short wait or detour if a system develops.
~10 (buffer)
South Indian Ocean (Mozambique Channel area)
Cyclones: Nov–Apr
We pass Sep–Oct
None — clear of season
0
Atlantic / Caribbean
Hurricanes: Jun–Nov
We arrive Dec–Jan
None — clear of season
0
Total Planned Wait
~10 days
Speed & Distance Assumptions Explained
Condition
Speed Contribution
Notes
Kite (downwind ±30°, ~40% of time on average)
+3 MPH propulsion × 40% = +1.2 MPH average
Trade wind belts allow more kite time (~60%); doldrums and upwind legs reduce it
Solar peak (6 hrs/day)
2 MPH × 6 hrs = 12 miles/day
Used when kite is not deployed or supplementing
Solar/battery off-peak (18 hrs/day)
1 MPH × 18 hrs = 18 miles/day
Baseline always-on propulsion
Baseline solar (no kite, no current)
30 miles/day = 1.25 MPH average
Minimum realistic daily progress
Major ocean currents (aligned)
+1 to +3 MPH "free" speed
North Equatorial (~1.5), Agulhas (~3), SE Trades + S. Atlantic gyre (~1.5)
Eddy currents (Starlink-optimized)
+0.3 to +0.8 MPH average
Real-time routing through favorable eddies adds meaningful cumulative distance
Typical effective speed in trade wind + current zones
3.0–3.8 MPH
72–91 miles/day — a very reasonable estimate for optimized routing
Total Distance Estimate
A circumnavigation need not be exactly 24,900 miles (equatorial). Our route, which meanders through
favorable wind and current systems rather than a great circle, is longer — but the extra miles are
covered with extra speed. Estimated total route distance: ~25,200 miles
(the detours for favorable winds largely cancel the speed benefit, but not entirely).
Summary Calculation
🌍 Circumnavigation Time Estimate
Total route distance (estimated)
~25,200 miles
Weighted average effective speed
~3.1 MPH (~74 miles/day)
Pure travel time
~341 days
Storm avoidance waiting (hurricane seasons)
~10 days
TOTAL CALENDAR TIME
~351 days
Roughly 11.5 to 13 months depending on actual wind luck, equipment performance,
and how aggressively the route is optimized. A reasonable best-case is about 10 months;
a realistic median is ~12 months; a conservative estimate allowing for calms and minor setbacks is ~15 months.
Segment Summary Table
Leg
Route Segment
Distance (mi)
Days
Cumulative Days
Cumulative Months
1
Panama → Hawaii
4,700
70
70
2.3
2
Hawaii → Micronesia
2,400
29
99
3.3
3
Micronesia → Philippines
1,800
21
120
4.0
4
Philippines → Singapore
1,500
25
145
4.8
5
Singapore → Maldives
1,700
24
169
5.6
6
Maldives → East Africa
2,000
26
195
6.5
7
East Africa → Cape of Good Hope
3,200
35
230
7.7
8
Cape of Good Hope → Brazil
4,200
50
280
9.3
9
Brazil → Caribbean
2,500
35
315
10.5
10
Caribbean → Panama
1,200
20
335
11.2
—
Storm avoidance buffer
0
10
345
11.5
TOTAL
25,200
345
~345 days
~11.5 months
Key Assumptions & Caveats
Kite deployability: We assume the kite can safely fly in winds up to ~30 knots.
Above that, it must be stowed for safety, which temporarily reduces speed to solar-only.
The ITCZ (doldrums): Near the equator, winds die. The route crosses the ITCZ
quickly (typically a band of 100–300 miles) and the seastead reverts to solar-only (~30 miles/day)
during these crossings. This is already reflected in the conservative average speeds.
Panama Canal: Transit requires assistance (tugs, locks). This is treated as
a brief practical stop, not counted in travel time per mission rules.
15-foot wave limit: Staying north of ~38–40°S avoids the worst Southern Ocean seas.
The Cape of Good Hope route dips briefly to ~35°S and the Agulhas Current is energetic —
some 15–20 ft swells are possible here. The alternative (Cape Horn) would be more reliably
under 15 ft? No — Cape Horn is far worse. The Good Hope route is the right choice.
Starlink optimization: Real-time eddy current data (from altimetry) can add
5–10% to effective speed by positioning the vessel in favorable current cores.
This is included in the estimates.
No motor backup assumed: If the vessel has any diesel backup, these times
could be compressed. We assume pure solar + kite as described.
Upwind legs: Some segments require progress against prevailing winds.
On these legs, speed drops to ~1–1.5 MPH (solar only). Route planning minimizes these.
Best-Case vs. Worst-Case Range
Scenario
Description
Estimated Total Time
🟢 Best Case
Excellent wind luck, major currents fully utilized, minimal ITCZ delays, no equipment issues
~9–10 months
🟡 Median / Realistic
Normal variability in winds and currents, one brief storm wait, minor gear issues
~11.5–13 months
🔴 Conservative
Extended calms, route diversions, one full hurricane season wait somewhere,
equipment downtime for repairs
~18–24 months
Bottom Line: Under good conditions with smart Starlink-assisted routing,
this seastead could realistically complete a circumnavigation in about
12 months of actual travel, with a calendar span of 12–14 months
including any waiting. This would be a genuine achievement — roughly equivalent
in effort to the great 19th-century sailing voyages, accomplished on solar and wind power alone.