HAS ANYONE EVER TAKEN A SHIP

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

Just wondering if anyone has started their safari by taking a ship. If so please share with the rest of us.

What do say 10 days to gang plank up.

Lon

 

[LimbNoMo]

I’m interested.

What ship would one be able to take? I’ve looked into the Qe2 from NYC to Southampton. Doesn’t seem to fit with going on safari.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Just wondering if anyone has started their safari by taking a ship. If so please share with the rest of us.

What do say 10 days to gang plank up.

Lon

I'll be watching this with interest.

I actually thought about a cruise from the US to Cape Town. Or perhaps with finished taxidermy from Cape Town to the US. Besides the cruises around the Gulf and Bermuda area I could only find cruises from the US to South America.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

I don’t know, I guess I was thinking more along the lines of a tramp steamer. Where that strange figure that i see standing at the rail looks very much like Humpry Bogard.

I believe some cargo ships take a few passengers, I have no idea on costs or time involved, but it might be an adventure.

Lon

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

Then there are the Somali Pirates.

Lon

 

[GuttormG]

I don’t know, I guess I was thinking more along the lines of a tramp steamer. Where that strange figure that i see standing at the rail looks very much like Humpry Bogard.

I believe some cargo ships take a few passengers, I have no idea on costs or time involved, but it might be an adventure.

Lon

A very few cargo ships take passengers. 99,99%do not.
A merchant vessel is not equipped, manned or suitable for passengers.
Within rules a cargo ship can take 12 "passengers" provided they have capacity (life saving equipment, cabin space, crew), in practice no one has.
This way of travelling died with the rise of air travel.

To see how a modern cargo vessel actually looks like get some snacks and watch "Captain Phillips".

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

Just a romantic thought of days gone by.

I was on a cruise ship once it was the worse 10 days of my life.

Lon

 

[Altitude sickness]

I’m sure someone could charter a craft to go anywhere they like. Rent a crew and a craft large enough to bring back the dried salted heads. Ammo, rifles, food. A week of travel each way.

60 days in country to collect museum artifacts
Get 5 other people to split the cost

Sail out of Hawaii and head to Madagascar

 

[GuttormG]

Off course you could.
It will probably be cheaper to fly 1st class and airfreight your trophies

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Indeed you can. I put a lot of effort and time into investigating this, but covid killed the idea. If you google passengers on cargo ships you will find a few companies that do it. There are no ships directly from the USA to South Africa, so what you have to do is board in Amsterdam and then it is about a three week trip to Cape Town.
I wanted to board in one of the Namibian ports, but even if they called in at that port they wouldn't allow it.
Accommodation looks to be comfortable, but not luxurious.
Cost is very low.
Our plan was to do an air-sea-train trip to end up on safari in Zimbabwe around Victoria Falls. When the ship part fell through we did the air trip to Johannesburg, Rovos Rail to Victoria Falls and air back to Harare.
The idea is still alive, but having driven all around South Africa in the series 1 Landy and currently in Botswana on the route back to Harare I am a bit adventured out to think about it (trip report to come).

 

[Inkgardener]

Then there are the Somali Pirates.

Lon

You will have your plains game rifle…

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

It looks like it might be possible. What an adventure it could be for the right group of guys.

I do not know about things like this, but maybe you could even do a daily pod cast.

Lon

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

That’s my lottery dream , buy a converted trawler and sail her around the world hunting and collecting as I go.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Recently, I was at the Port of Wlmington, DE speaking with an officer from a ship that had brought citrus fruit from north Africa. He said after this stop he was going to Southampton and then to Cape Town but no passengers.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

A fine group of literate retired men. Cigars, fine liquor. Decks of cards.
I can see a book written of this adventure. Maybe a cameraman.

Lon

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

A fine group of literate retired men. Cigars, fine liquor. Decks of cards.
I can see a book written of this adventure. Maybe a cameraman.

Lon

Look up the Calcutta light horse

 

[tward1604]

I once took a ship from San Diego to the coast of Somalia, there wasn't much interaction with the locals though. For some reason the presence of Wasp class amphibious assault ship slowed down the local industry for a while. We cruised around off the coast for 128 days, I was quite bored.

It would be quite the adventure to sail over for leisure though.

 

[Hunt anything]

This would be a great adventure, take a 60 plus foot sport fisher and fish your way across the Atlantic and work down the west coast of Africa to your safari and shoot back across the Atlantic to Brazil and up the east coast of South America, Central America and Mexico into the Gulf of Mexico. Get off of the boat and NEVER set foot on a boat again.

 

[Doug3006]

The idea sounds great. Something out of an earlier time. For some reason, my mind quickly jumped to the posts I’ve read where people complained about their bad experience in coach class on one of those “long” flights to Africa.

 

[deewayne2003]

Then there are the Somali Pirates.

Lon

Target practice….. imagine slamming a couple 500gr .470 solids into the outboard motors of a pirate skiff as it attempts to deploy a boarding ladder.

Honestly, I’d pay for that aqua Safari!