How long does it take to travel 100 miles (not nautical) on a sailboat?

Question

I want to make sure that I have an approximate time schedule. Wind of course matters, but say it was gentle, and helping them. Thanks!

Answer 1

the information a sailor needs to give a clear answer would be

-what kind of sailboat?

-trip from where to where?

-weather conditions (at least downwinds or upwinds, wind + sea state

-what kind of mile (a Spanish land mile would be 5 kilometers...)

Let's assume a small boat. A very good average speed for a small boat over a long distance is 5 knots = 5 nautical miles per hour. But that is the speed through the water, not the speed of approach to the destination. For your case it seems appropriate to calculate with 3,5 kn as the approachung speed to destination.

Further assumed you mean American land miles (1,6 km). As one nautical mile is 1,852 km, 100 Am. land miles are about 86 NM.

You see, if everything runs quite good, those 100 land miles will take a small boat at least a full day.

In many areas the wind is much less or at least much different at night.

If you have to go against current, you loose immensly with weak winds.

If you want to anchor and sleep, you loose again.

A normal small boat sailor would plan two or three days for a trip like that if it should be vacation and stress-free.

...and yes of course there are much faster boats, even very small ones. You can meet their skippers in any pub close to the harbour ;-)

Answer 2

Most vessels that sail these days, manage 12 knots, cruising, this being said, a nautical mile is a measure of time, not one of distance so at twelve knots, you will have travelled a distance of 100 miles (geographically ), if there is no counter current, and no assisting current,  and without the need to alter sails, ( a very unlikely scenario, over this time ), in just a teensy bit over 9 hours....good luck with that, but reckon on about ten, and a touch, in reality........i.e. a good days work in most latitudes, but if you are facing nightfall, then you are unlikely to make it ,except in  the higher or lower latitudes, where days are longer than nights. i.e. above the lines of the Tropics of Cancer, or "below" the lines of the Tropic of Capricorn, during summer times, and winter respective to the Northern seasons, because nightfall causes winds to drop off.

To really help, it would be beneficial to know where you plan on sailing from, or to, as you ought to leave a sailing plan with someone ashore, as a safety feature of any plan , from this, they can tell if you are likely to be delayed, from weather conditions and where to begin a search, depending on known wind and current patterns, ....

Answer 3

Sorry, but I have to disagree with "A T" on this...

     A 100 miles at sea is considered "a good day" in a regular recreational type - monohull sailboat - and this is 24 hours of sailing - not 9 or 10 or even 12 hours.  

     True, many monohulls can sail 12 knots - but it is almost impossible to "sustain" this kind of speed over time and distance.

     With favorable winds and current, your looking much closer to 18 or 20 hours - then 9 and probably even closer to 24.

     Sounds like you might be waiting on someone's arrival... But honestly, If this were my son (and he has sailed around the world twice - once with me - and once with his girlfriend)  but, I wouldn't even "start" getting a little worried for 24 hours...  and I wouldn't "really" be worried until after 30 - but you can bet, I would have been checking the weather along his route.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

There are so  many factors involved, but 100 miles really is a very good day sailing.  We did not do very many 100 mile days, so count on a day and a night for sure, and most likely it will be longer, because perfect conditions for sailing will probably not be the case.

Answer 5

First of all, it depends on the LENGTH of the sailboat because the laws of fluid dynamics apply to boat hulls.

100 miles a day would be a good average for 24 hours of sailing... I'd take that any day.  I have a 38 footer and I use 5 knots for chart planning and dead reconing purposes.

Answer 6

There is no way to give you a good time based on the information given.  To solve for time traveled you need distance and speed.  You have provided the distance, but not the distance the vessel needs to travel, just the distance from point to point.  Speed on a sailboat has too many variables to just give an answer.  

If I were planning a trip like this I would allow several days for an easy trip or if in a race at least 18 hours of hard sailing.

  

Answer 7

As a sailor of many yrs > 100 miles depending wind and sea conditions> Can take 1 days & night>> As your traveling close to 200+ mile tacking>At 3 to 7 knots depending how good the crew is> Motor sailing can be 1 night & arival the early evening> Remember all can change with the weather and wind> when sailing don't count on everything going correct> As it never does> I have left on 35 miles trip ending up a 110 miles as the weather forcast wasn't correct and returning after dark was impossible> Be safe> Have servival gear

and leave with others knowing your course and destination> Gentle is a joke if it is gentle than add  another 12 hrs>