[quote=Edchris177][quote]Is he going East to West? Isn't that against the prevailing winds?
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No. Meteorology recognizes six basic cells of circulation, three on each side of the equator. The driving force is the suns unequal heating of the earth, which creates pressure differentials. Wind is the result of these differentials trying to equalize.
These cells are not static, but shift latitudes, slightly lagging the "heat equator", IE, in the northern hemisphere they will move slightly north in the summer, south in the winter.
Some of this was known way back in Columbus's days, hence the route from Europe to the Indies was down to the Canaries, then across to the Caribbean, utilizing the Trade Winds, which are an easterly flow.
As you move further south into the tropics, the northern cell starts to mix with the first southern cell, known as Inter Tropical Convergence,(ITC). The two airmasses pile up on each other, & with warm water can result in a stationary line of monstrous thunderstorms that persist on a nearly continuous basis.
That will be his major challenge, otherwise, at that latitude, he should enjoy downwind and/or quartering tailwinds.
The other advantage is an ocean gyre. Weather & ocean currents would be very simple, & predictable, were it not for those pesky continents & the fact that the earth is rotating.
Opposing wind cells get the water moving, but Coriolis effect(caused by earth rotation) wants to bend the resulting current, & of course continents are always in the way.
Heading west from Panama, he should pick up a favourable current, the same current that brought that Mexican fisherman to the Marshall Is.
[quote]How does he carry enough food and water?[/quote]
With today's technology, food is easy. Water would be obtained by solar still, or small de-sal reverse osmosis unit. It could be electric with a hand pump backup, though I think the hand pump is quite strenuous.<!-- editby --><em>Edited by Edchris177 on Feb 15, 2014 - 08:53 AM.</em><!-- end editby --> [/quote]
