The Navigation of the “Beau Geste”
Introduction
Chile has a long historical and cultural relationship with the Pacific Ocean. It is a central part of our national identity and has always been the means through which the most significant processes of cultural enrichment and economic growth have benefited our people. Unlike the generous but arid desert and our beautiful but imposing Andes mountain range, the Pacific Ocean has never been an obstacle. Today, more than ever, it unites us with the rest of the world.
Nature has blessed us with a geographically privileged location, a position that gives us immeasurable advantages to access valuable commercial and cultural opportunities for our country. A true "balcony" of approximately 4,000 km of coastline that constitutes a front-row seat to a world full of opportunities. But here is the danger, we cannot sit idly by, watching these opportunities pass before us and the advantages that derive from them materialize spontaneously. This imaginary "balcony" has too much seating and lacks an appropriate bridge to connect us with these opportunities. The vital question then is: what can we do, here and now, to build and begin to cross this bridge?
Like the intrepid ancient sailors sailing uncharted waters on fantastic and exciting voyages, my adventurous spirit has made me cherish the dream of embarking on a voyage of navigation and discovery to remote, unknown, and exciting places throughout my life. After much work, today the stars seem to be aligning, the winds are blowing in the right direction, and the time to set sail has come.
This momentum has led me to the beginning of a wonderful individual experience, however, this journey can be much more than a personal achievement. Just as a small spark can ignite a powerful engine, I would like to make this wonderful adventure a means of bringing about change, a means of "building bridges," and promoting the presence of our country in the complex geopolitical context of the Pacific Basin.
Join me on this extraordinary journey, in which we not only pursue dreams, but also goals. Let's bring together and from Chile to the countries of the Pacific Basin, a message of unity and progress. Let's take advantage of our unique location, our "balcony," to forge opportunities and solidify our brand and leadership on the world stage.
Let's visit the 27 ports and bring this message to the 12 countries that will welcome us. Let's sail together the 27,000 miles in search of a brighter future for Chile, embracing the limitless potential that awaits us on the horizon."
Captain Raúl Zapata Fuenzalida is a retired officer of the Chilean Navy and an engineer. He is also an Honorary Volunteer of the Fourteenth Fire Company "J.A.S Jackson" of the Santiago Fire Department. He has a certification from the Chilean Navy as a High Seas Sports Captain and "Competent Crew Member" awarded by the "Royal Yachting Association in Australia".
He was the Captain of the Kuini Analola, a traditional Polynesian catamaran that covered the crossing between the South American continent and the island of Rapa Nui for the first time in modern times. He led a crew of ten people in this historic achievement, setting sail from Valparaíso and landing in Anakena 27 days later, on April 27, 2019.
Alfredo Silva Pavlov is a retired officer of the Chilean National Police (PDI) who has established himself as a successful businessman and advisor in the security field. He is also a volunteer of the Fourth Fire Company of Valdivia.
He holds a certification as a Bay Captain and is currently pursuing a certification as a Coastal Captain. He is passionate about outdoor life and an enthusiastic runner, an activity he shares with his family.
Description of the Voyage
The project aims to circumnavigate the Pacific Ocean in a clockwise direction. We will embark from the marina "The Roaring Forties Marina" in Valdivia, the boat's home port, and sail to Quintero, from where we will head to Rapa Nui. This extraordinary journey is estimated to take around 18 months, covering 27,000 miles and visiting 27 ports in 12 different countries.
Rapa Nui has a fundamental importance in the project. The island is central to the journey, being the beginning of international sailing and the end of it. In this wonderful place, our boat and crew will have the honor of receiving the blessing of the traditional authorities of the Rapa Nui people. This sacred connection will allow us to carry on board the Beau Geste, the spirit of the ancestors of the Rapa Nui people and, furthermore, be bearers of a message of unity and brotherhood from the entire Chilean people, continental and insular Polynesian, to the rest of the Polynesian countries and the Pacific Basin.
For planning purposes, we have divided the region to be sailed into four quadrants, demarcated by the 150 W meridian and the equator. The initial departure will be from the home port at "The Roaring Forties Marina" in Valdivia, in November 2023.
NOTE: There is an alternative, still under evaluation, of sailing from Japan to Hawaii and from that place to Vancouver.
The Vessel
The "Beau Geste" or "Honu Moana" is a Catalina 309 sailboat, built in 2009 in the United States. This vessel is designed and equipped for ocean voyages and is ideal for a crew of two. With 11 meters in length, 3.54 meters in beam, and almost 5 tons of displacement, it is a small ocean-going vessel
Planned Itinerary
Quadrant I - 5317 nm
Track | Distance | App. Duration |
Valdivia (CHI) – Quintero (CHI) | 453 nm | 4 días |
Quintero (CHI) – Rapa Nui Island (CHI) | 2000 nm | 20 días |
Rapa Nui Island (CHI) – Pitcarn Island (GBR) | 1120 nm | 11 días |
Pitcairn Island (GBR) – Archipelago Tuamotus (Gambier Island) (FRA) | 285 nm | 3 días |
Gambier Island (FRA) – Archipelago Marquesas (FRA) | 821 nm | 8 días |
Archipelago Marquesas (FRA) – Tahiti (FRA) | 758 nm | 8 días |
Quadrant II - 5545 nm
Track | Distance | App. Duration |
Tahiti (FRA) - Bora Bora (FRA) | 136 nm | 1 día |
Bora Bora (FRA) - Tonga (TON) | 1384 nm | 14 días |
Tonga (TON) - Fiji (FJI) | 436 nm | 4 días |
Fiji (FJI) - New Caledonia (FRA) | 750 nm | 8 días |
New Caledonia (FRA) - Vanuatu (VUT) | 350 nm | 4 días |
Vanuatu (VUT) - Solomon island (SLB) | 530 nm | 5 días |
Solomon Island (SLB) - Papua New Guinea (PNG) | 795 nm | 8 días |
Papua New Guinea (PNG) - Guam (GUM) | 1164 nm | 12 días |
Quadrant III - 5441nm
Track | Distance | App. Duration |
Guam (GUM) - Tinian | 106 nm | 1 día |
Tinian – Hiroshima (JPN) | 1391 nm | 14 días |
Hiroshima (JPN) – Osaka (JPN) | 154 nm | 2 días |
Osaka (JPN) – Kodiak Island (USA) | 3800 nm | 38 días |
Quadrant IV - 9089 nm
Track | Distance | App. Duration |
Kodiak Island (USA) – Cordova (USA) | 270 nm | 3 días |
Cordova (USA) – Sitka (USA) | 410 nm | 4 días |
Sitka (USA) – Vancouver (CAN) | 784 nm | 8 días |
Vancouver (CAN) - Seattle (USA) | 120 nm | 1 día |
Seattle (USA) - San Francisco (USA) | 837 nm | 8 días |
San Francisco (USA) - San Diego (USA) | 516 nm | 5 días |
San Diego (USA) - Mazatlan (MEX) | 1000 nm | 10 días |
Mazatlan (MEX) - Puntarenas (CRI) | 552 nm | 5 días |
Puntarenas (CR) - Ciudad de Panama (PAN) | 552 nm | 5 días |
Panama City (PAN) - Rapa Nui (CHI) | 2900 nm | 29 días |
Rapa Nui (CHI) - Valdivia (CHI) | 2000 nm | 20 días |
TOTAL NAUTICAL MILES (App) 27.000 nm
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