If a boat left the USA headed for China, how long would it take to arrive, trave

1. 67

   davenmidtownposted 11 years ago

   If a boat left the USA headed for China, how long would it take to arrive, traveling by wind power?
   
   Just a curious question about ocean currents, solor energy, trade winds, and travel/trade...

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   Tusitala Tomposted 11 years ago

   Very vague question gets very vague answer.    Are we talking about a modern racing yacht or a old pearling lugger; a Chinese junk, or a Arab Dhow?   And are we talking about a great circle path or a rhumb line course?
   
   We know that the wooden tea clippers of the 1830s to 1860s or so were the fastest ships as far as being able to keep up the pace for weeks on end.  But even here it is dependent not only on ocean currents and generally prevailing winds, but on storms and calms.
   
   Oh, and don't call a ship and boat.  Deep sea sailors hate that sort of thing.
   
   Good luck in getting a sensible answer.

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      kwade tweelingposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Well put.

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      davenmidtownposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      The question was never intended to be answered...sensibly or otherwise...it meant to test a theory of another question. The reaction to this question brings up a curious point about how many people will try to answer a poorly phrased question.

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      chuckd7138posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Gotta go with what Tusitala Tom says here, especially about the ship and boat thing. Ships are big. Boats are small. Boats get carried on ships.
      I was in the Navy for 9 yrs, 5 of which were at sea including 19 consecutive months in the Persian Gulf.

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   Nick Hanlonposted 11 years ago

   Depends if the crew is unionized,has health-care insurance and is affiliated with the AFL-CIO or is a bunch of illegal aliens working 15 hours a day for $5 an hour.

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      kwade tweelingposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      lol Good one.

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4. 82

   kwade tweelingposted 11 years ago

   19 hours and 20 minutes. This of course is in a boat with wings and a jet engine for it's wind power. It also assumes a 3 hour layover.
   
   You may as well ask "how much a fish?".
   
   For a better answer, try doing some research. Tom already gave a good run down of why this question isn't going to get a good answer.  If you have a specific set of criteria to go by, that will narrow the search, otherwise, you are looking at a very wide time frame from months to years depending on the ships capabilities combined with weather and currents.
   
   If you want to know more about "ocean currents, solor energy, trade winds, and travel/trade" you may want to separate the subjects and re-frame the question(s). either way, knowing what you want to ask will help.

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      WD Curry 111posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Some folks just don't have a sense of humor. Voted up. The layover thing is priceless.

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      kwade tweelingposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I got the time from Priceline. That was the quickest from Hawaii.

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   D Shannahanposted 11 years ago

   87 days, 5 hours, and 32.5 minutes. exactly.

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      robhamptonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I came up with with the exact same figure!  (almost.. 32.7 minutes) Amazing

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   navneetjhaposted 11 years ago

   Depends on who is sitting in the boat.. Are they trying to send OBAMA out of US

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   MickSposted 11 years ago

   What's are you asking about, 'A Slow Boat to China'?  Are you travelling east or west, and what is the wind speed?  This is a waste of space, nonsense question, asked for the sake of asking.

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   Matthew Weeseposted 11 years ago

   there is no accurate answer to that question, as currents always change, and the winds are always changing....I would hope if you decided to sail to china you would bring a back up motor.

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      davenmidtownposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Matthew Weese Gets an A for undestanding the entire question....

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   An AYMposted 11 years ago

   A year and a half.  Apparently that answer was too short... soooooo... here's some filler.

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10. 58

    WD Curry 111posted 11 years ago

    
    
    The answer may friend is blowing in the wind. The answer is blowing in the wind.

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11. 61

    freecampingaussieposted 11 years ago

    It would also depend on what part of the USA you were leaving( as there is a big diference between leaving LA  or Florida ) and what part of China you were heading to ........ lol !!!

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       freecampingaussieposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       What is wrong with this answer ? This would be a valid point !

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       davenmidtownposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       I voted your answer up because it shows the use of logic.... I left out a great number of factors that would have made it possible to give a specific answer... though in truth... this question was never intended to be answered...

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       freecampingaussieposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       This was a fun question & put a smile on the dial !

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    purnimamoh1982posted 11 years ago

    It will depend on several things. You may have to finalise several things before starting such calculations.
    (1) when you are trying to start your travel (the month)
    (2) Weight and structure of the boat
    and so on
    You may also have to strengthen your calculations based on certain assumptions based on historical data on storms, cyclones and so on.
    
    Anyway, interesting thought. I would also like to be a part the cruise. Ready to contribute towards the cost as per my capacity.

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    Morgarenposted 11 years ago

    It would leave at 8 PM traveling west at 45 knots per hour while the current would perpetually go south by southest at 16 knots, the distance is 4,875 miles, and solar flares give a deriviative controct value of .8, the captains shoes are blue, which will cost him 45 points in the cabin fashion show on the fifth day. They eat clams instead of shrimp and steak, except when the moon is waning. The sail engineer has a brother with herpes, and it distracts him making him work at 87.5% efficency. Solve for X

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