https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/ClipperRoute.png

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ClipperRoute.png


Is the area south of Cape Town one of the rougher oceans?

Yes, the roaring forties and all that

https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Sydney+NSW/@-58.9522841,-60.090678,3568965m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x6b129838f39a743f:0x3017d681632a850!8m2!3d-33.8688197!4d151.2092955

Yes thats Sydney

From what I've read, a ship's Captain of the family's German name hit the West Coast of Tassie.... not sure if he was a direct relation, but might account for the clan in Malbun.  Building on the Far South Coast of NSW even was a nightmare with the winds....

Cape Horn is the roughest place to cross anywhere on Ocean-Earth. It's right in the Southern Ocean Gyre. Bass Straight, Cook straight and Cape Hope are pretty rough too. But not as rough as Cape Horn. Go even further south towards Antarctica and you will get consistently high 12m+ swells. :P

I've crossed the oceans 5 times and seen some scary waves come surging towards us that you believe will capsize the ship.

Thank God for the Laws of Displacement.

Smooth as silk here today halfway between NZ and Sydney.

Maybe a bit wobbly though after beer oclock this evening!

;)

Redmond Neck wrote on Dec 7^th, 2017 at 1:38pm:

Smooth as silk here today halfway between NZ and Sydney. Maybe a bit wobbly though after beer oclock this evening! ;)

Remember that poor bugger who set out to paddle from Sydney to NZ in a canoe some years back and he just disappeared, most likely tipped out into the drink by a Tiger shark, or Great White, or Mako, or Hammerhead, or maybe even a Bullshark.

Lord Herbert wrote on Dec 7^th, 2017 at 1:52pm:

Redmond Neck wrote on Dec 7th, 2017 at 1:38pm: Smooth as silk here today halfway between NZ and Sydney. Maybe a bit wobbly though after beer oclock this evening! ;) Remember that poor bugger who set out to paddle from Sydney to NZ in a canoe some years back and he just disappeared, most likely tipped out into the drink by a Tiger shark, or Great White, or Mako, or Hammerhead, or maybe even a Bullshark.

Yeah - there's a good doco on him. Left Tasmania to NZ and failed just 20kms off Milford Sound. His condition had deteriorated as to the state of his vessel and eventually it capsized and even though he radiod his situation, it was too late.

Not long after two lads in a bigger canoe made a mockery of his effort by leaving Sydney and entering Auckland. A much shorter and less turbulent path to take.

Yes - it's quite something to be in a little canoe out in the great wet void and have a 5m Great White suddenly leap up and breach beside you to take a seal that was using the canoe for (so called) safety.  :o