Gents:
I'm looking for info for a leisurely trip to Africa. I'd like to take a ship to Cape Town or Dar, and make my way to the hunting destination via road or rail.
Has anyone done this or can make suggestions?
Thanks,
Cal

Check out this site, Cal, if you haven't already. It has a list of freighter travel agents.

http://wikitravel.org/en/Freighter_travel

Regards,
Tim

Damn Cal - another line on my bucket list.

This seems really cool.

Mike

Report....Cal Pappas seen lost in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Now that's old school!

Awesome idea. Most of us do hunts in less time, from door to door, than it took for Roosevelt to even get there.

I have never taken a hunting trip like you are proposing but have done some cruising. Carrying firearms may be an issue, you will have to check.

Vacations to Go has good cruises and some heavily discounted cruises that start booking at 90 days out. No around the world stops are showing now but periodically they will have stops in Cape Town. I can't say I have ever seen Dar on their itinerary.

http://www.vacationstogo.com/e...k.cfm?nr=cus_V7o_PCL

If you do a hunting trip like this please post a report. I too would like to learn more.

All the best.

And on your way to the hunting destination you are welcome to come say "Hello" in the Eastern Cape

Cal - I have heard of the "Slow Boat to China" , but never the slow one to Cape Town. Good luck in your search and keep us posted on results as this sounds like a really cool adventure.

Larry Sellers
SCI(International)Life Member
Sabatti 'trash' Double Shooter
R8 Blaser
DRSS

Cal, keep me in the loop on what you find out. I would love to do this one day too. I think I would take the ship route over trying to reminisce by flying on a Connie to Africa (although the sound those big radial engines make on a Connie is truly a lullaby).

Cal - This sounds really cool. Please keep us posted on your plans if you wind up making this trip. This is the kind of trip a lot of us can only dream about. Also, if you go, you must promise to take photos of everything, including the boat ride to Capetown, and your land excursion, via road or rail, to your hunting area, and then post it in the hunt reports.

This is one of the dreams I will likely never realize. I am imagining a steamer trunk full of carefully selected books. I think the only problem is that the ship would be too fast.

Go for it!

I guess I spent to many years in the Navy, the thought of taking a ship to Africa doesn't thrill me. I've been bored for to many days underway.

Cal

I have read many old stories, and seen several old movies that revolved around Ship Travel.

While I would never take a carnival type cruise, I too have thought it would be cool to sail to Africa, and then do a Safari.

I think it would be most fun of it was on a good Freighter, with all the passangers buddies going to do a Safari.

Just think we could carry a LOT more than 11 lbs of ammo, and some floating targets, and do some shooting along the way...

I am reminded of a Bogart movie...

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
Cal

I have read many old stories, and seen several old movies that revolved around Ship Travel.

While I would never take a carnival type cruise, I too have thought it would be cool to sail to Africa, and then do a Safari.

I think it would be most fun of it was on a good Freighter, with all the passangers buddies going to do a Safari.

Just think we could carry a LOT more than 11 lbs of ammo, and some floating targets, and do some shooting along the way...

I am reminded of a Bogart movie...

Sounds like you just need to lease a yacht with the range...

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
Cal

I have read many old stories, and seen several old movies that revolved around Ship Travel.

While I would never take a carnival type cruise, I too have thought it would be cool to sail to Africa, and then do a Safari.

I think it would be most fun of it was on a good Freighter, with all the passangers buddies going to do a Safari.

Just think we could carry a LOT more than 11 lbs of ammo, and some floating targets, and do some shooting along the way...

I am reminded of a Bogart movie...

Pirates might be in for a surprise if you sail past Somalia.

CAL this sounds great,but you would have to have lots of time..at my age I do not think I have that much to spare...

I have looked at that option several times and haven't been able to put it together. if you do find something please post for the rest of us.

I'd love to do it but the cost and time involved make it impractical for me.

Mark

I can just imagine it!

Cal is on a slow boat to Africa, with a towed target behind the boat, and him trying to shoot it with his 600 NE!

Then Mark Sullivan appears, and starts to pull the target in, saying "Cal, we have to let the target decide how it wants to DIE!"

Cal look into this option. Fly to Europe, the continent not the UK. From there search for cruises to Africa. it has been my experience that there are far more options available to a traveler when you originate from Europe.

Good luck Cal! Now, there's always the option of crewing on a tanker. . . .

Train to New York, Cunard to London, Holland America from London to Cape Town.

Just noticed that Oceania has a cruise from Miami to Cape Town as well. Not even that expensive.. And plenty of cruise options to get yourself to Miami from the West coast.

Gents:
Thanks for your leads and replies. I will look into them as a long and easy trip I have wanted to do rather than the fast paced flying. If anything develops I will post it here.

Saeed: Thanks for your shot.

Cheers, all.
Cal

Cal, Take your 8 Bore Harpoon gun...Moby Dick might still be out there. Arghhh! :-)

quote:

Originally posted by AilsaWheels:

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
Cal

I have read many old stories, and seen several old movies that revolved around Ship Travel.

While I would never take a carnival type cruise, I too have thought it would be cool to sail to Africa, and then do a Safari.

I think it would be most fun of it was on a good Freighter, with all the passangers buddies going to do a Safari.

Just think we could carry a LOT more than 11 lbs of ammo, and some floating targets, and do some shooting along the way...

I am reminded of a Bogart movie...

Pirates might be in for a surprise if you sail past Somalia.

Yes if I was rich I would buy a new high tech "freighter", equip it well, invite some buddies, and do a Cruise off the Horn of Africa...

quote:

Originally posted by Rick O'Shay:
Train to New York, Cunard to London, Holland America from London to Cape Town.

He may want to fly on a Yankee Clipper as well.

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:
I guess I spent to many years in the Navy, the thought of taking a ship to Africa doesn't thrill me. I've been bored for to many days underway.

No kidding. Although it sounds interesting on the surface, unless you've experienced it first hand, it's hard to get a grasp on how time can literally stand still on a boat in the middle of the ocean (and not in a good way) with nothing but a horizon of water in all directions, day in, day out for extended periods of time. My last cruise was aboard the USS Roosevelt with 180 days at sea, and a single port of call for 3 days, in of all places ... Dubai!

My wife finally conned me into taking the family on a 6 day cruise a few years back when my boys were little. She was excited to go topside and watch the sunset each evening, asking "isn't it beautiful". My response, "No ... it's water. Was water yesterday and will be water tomorrow. Always looks the same". You've probably figured out by now I wasn't a "lifer" for the Navy!

The problem is, I think, that most cruises (aside from Transatlantics) tend to be "round trip" propositions and, to make matters worse, it's not like they run a regular schedule every few weeks to accommodate the average safari length. Most "Africa" trips I have seen on cruise lines tend to be of the 20-30 day variety as well which means....big $$$$. Truthfully, the best cruise deal I see these days is in fact the Transatlantic. Even the QMII is only about $1000 each way which, considering it includes lodging and food, and entertainment, strikes me as a real bargain. In that case, the best "retro adventure" in terms of transport, might be to take a train from wherever you are to NYC, QMII across the atlantic, train to Scotland, and then shoot the hell out of the local red stag and roe deer!

Back then, they didn't have any choice, but had time and money.
That was reality then.
I cannot for the life of me justify boat for air travel. Not for all the money in the world.

I too have thought about this before . But I couldn't see how to to directly put it together . The route to London and then to Cape Town sounds like the way .

I did try to do something similar like cruise to Mexico and then fly back home . I inquired with a couple of cruse lines . They never even responded back.

Maybe you will post what you find as I too would be interested in what you might put together.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I can just imagine it!

Cal is on a slow boat to Africa, with a towed target behind the boat, and him trying to shoot it with his 600 NE!

Then Mark Sullivan appears, and starts to pull the target in, saying "Cal, we have to let the target decide how it wants to DIE!"

OMG, That comment made my day!

Saeed has, shall we say, a wicked sense of humor...

Rich

You may want to go aboard a container ship before you decide to cross the Atlantic. I have heard great things about the Blue
Train in RSA.

Samuel Johnson said it best:

"No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned. A man in jail has more room, better food and commonly better company."

Here you go - https://www.freightercruises.com/

Read there and enjoy. You might wind up wanting to skip the hunt and just go freighter cruising around the world.

Typically on these you'll dine with the captain and be one of about 6-8 total passengers. Take plenty of reading material and try to not get a room with a view of a stack of containers.

But, the safari thing will not work with this. For starters bringing a gun on board would be prohibited. Ships rules are not going to allow it. And getting it off would be tougher. Keep in mind, it won't be docking like at an internat'l airport where there are customs people who are used to firearms law and paperwork. You'd be asking I think for a really difficult situation once you arrived. Meaning, where do you go with your double rifle once you leave the gangplank? Can you carry it around town over your shoulder? I think not. And what happens with the first cop you meet?

And finding a boat that went to wherever when you want and back would be impossible.

I'm afraid we're just a little past the good old days of tramp steamers to exotic lands with free and easy customs...

..btw, here's a webpage where you can see in real time all the positions of freighters in all oceans - http://sailwx.info/shiptrack/shiplocations.phtml - you can zoom in on it. They also have one for cruise ship positions worldwide. Enjoy.

Thanks all and Shack, too. I appreciate all the info as I made the post to learn it it was a realistic possibility.
Cal

Cal, Some good friends here in Nigeria are retiring back to Europe next month after 15 yrs in West Africa. Instead of flying back they are sailing back on the Grimaldi (a ro ro car freighter) at EUR 1.750,- for a double cabin all meals (but no booze) included. 21 - 23 day trip.

Seems like steamship travel is coming back into fashion !

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:
I guess I spent to many years in the Navy, the thought of taking a ship to Africa doesn't thrill me. I've been bored for to many days underway.

No kidding. Although it sounds interesting on the surface, unless you've experienced it first hand, it's hard to get a grasp on how time can literally stand still on a boat in the middle of the ocean (and not in a good way) with nothing but a horizon of water in all directions, day in, day out for extended periods of time. My last cruise was aboard the USS Roosevelt with 180 days at sea, and a single port of call for 3 days, in of all places ... Dubai!

My wife finally conned me into taking the family on a 6 day cruise a few years back when my boys were little. She was excited to go topside and watch the sunset each evening, asking "isn't it beautiful". My response, "No ... it's water. Was water yesterday and will be water tomorrow. Always looks the same". You've probably figured out by now I wasn't a "lifer" for the Navy!

I have no desire to traverse long distances over water. They won't let me fish off the ship and they won't let me drive it. So what is the point?

Jeff