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good luck sailing will

the real reason for the eight month time skip

Hey, so fun fact: you can actually sail from the east coast of america to mainland europe in a month, and under optimal conditions, in as little as four days, using the northern route.  Now, getting all the way to Italy would be a longer, but here’s a neat little short article that talks pretty succinctly about the general idea.  It’s talking specifically more about the northern route, which is about 1000 nautical miles shorter than what I found, but there’s still some relevant things to keep in mind.  For one thing, nautical miles are different than air miles (which is what I think this 4616 number is based on).  

Anyway, I decided to check this out myself.  Since Wolf Trap is actually closer to DC than any other major city, I decided to go with that, and then use Florence as the destination (or Firenze, as the calculator insisted on calling it, lol).  So, I found that the air distance between the two was 4376 miles, but the nautical miles were only 3803.  That still sounds like a lot, but then the standard sailing speed I found was 100 nautical miles a day.  That was the low estimate, actually: 120 didn’t seem to be out of the ordinary, and 150 would even be in the realm of possibility, with 185 being in the upper records (the variable speeds depending on make of the ship, currents, winds, how many people, bunch of other stuff, ect).  I even found a post on a sailing forum that said that making less than 100 miles per day was depressing.  So, I’m gonna take that as the base “erring on the slow side of standard” speed.  

And even with it being longer than the northern route, and using the slower speed of 100nmpd, Will could still make the trip in 39 days, easy.  That’s a long trip, yes, but it’s still barely more than 5 weeks.  So, we’re really more likely looking at a month, maybe a month and a half, and that’s assuming he isn’t hurrying at all.  And if we assume that Will is hurrying, and is actually knowledgeable about currents/weather patterns/ect, and went with the higher, impressive-but-still-possible speed of 185 per day, we could halve that time down to 20-21 days.  And if we throw in some lucky winds or something, we could theoretically make it even shorter, since sailing speeds are apparently incredibly variable and still mostly based on, idk, the will of the gods and whether the ocean likes you or not or or some shit.      

Oh, and in terms of “good luck sailing will”…people actually sail across the Atlantic all the time, and Will is supposedly an experienced sailor who’s comfortable on the water, so I really don’t think he’d have any problems.  Sure, it seems crazy to us, but that’s just cause were unfamiliar and don’t know any better.  Here’s a passage I found on this very topic from another article I came across, talking specifically about the Atlantic crossing:

“Of course, you should have a fair degree of sailing competency, and your boat must be capable of making such a voyage, but that should come as no surprise. For many sailors it’s the contemplation of all that vastness that’s the intimidating factor. And needlessly so. Think of it in another context. Would you be more at risk mountain biking over deserted moorland than cycling to work through a crowded city? There are no prizes for the correct answer since this is obvious. The consequences of getting lost amongst the rocks and heather is more likely to be an embarrassment rather than a tragedy, whereas even a minor traffic accident can seriously spoil your day. The same principle applies to sailing. In a voyage, say, from the UK to the Caribbean, the most perilous stages will be within sight of land. It takes little reflection to realise that whatever comfort the land’s proximity brings is an illusion. It’s the likelihood of underwater hazards and other vessels that poses by far the most sinister threat. During an 18 day voyage from Madeira to St Kitts I didn’t see a single ship. The truth is that, in all but the most terrible conditions, the open sea is relatively benign – safer by far than crowded coastal waters. Assuming we choose the right timing and route, that is.” 

So, yeah, Will choosing to sail to Italy?  Not that crazy actually. 

Turns out that it’s one of the less fantastical parts of the show.  

Go figure.

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