RTW Without Flying - Pacific Segment

Below is my dream trip -- and would appreciate your advice on Item 8:

1. train LA to NY (North America coast to coast)
2. sail NY to UK
3. train London to Paris then on to Portugal
4. train Portugal to China (Eurasia coast to coast)
5. train China to Singapore
6. sail (somehow) to Perth
7. train Perth to Sydney (Australia coast to coast)
   8. sail Sydney back to LA

What are some pointers, websites, etc. regarding sailing between Sydney and LA? I would like to know how this works -- particularly if there are ways to visit a few islands in between. Thanks in advance.

Basic points for getting around the SP by boat:

freighters do not take passengers.
There are almost no inter-country ferries, just domestic ferries (except maybe Apia to Pago and vv).

Yachts---few travel from Nov to April due to possible cyclones.

Hang out around main areas where yachties go. In Australia I'd guess Sydney and Brisbane would be the best, NZ it is probably Auckland. In the islands, Suva Fiji, Vavau Tonga, and Papeete Fr. Polynesia are main ones, there are a few others. Not many in the Cooks.

If by 'sail' you literally mean yachts, you'll need a lot of luck, being in the right place at the right time (right season) .. but not impossible. As Raro says, you'll have to be prepared to wait. From the gossip I picked up in Fiji, a lot of the yachties island hop around the SP, then wait out the storm season in a plush haven (Auckland seemed popular). Actual cross-Pacific to USA will be that much rarer, so timing will be critical.

Some freighters DO take passengers, but it will be expensive, $100 a day is the low end. You'll have to search the links to find out if any originate in Sydney. Visiting islands in between -- forget it, even if a freighter WERE to hit intermediate islands in the SP, which is unlikely. They'd stay only long enough to load/unload cargo. Once you get off, it may be a long wait for the next one to pass.
Some links:

http://www.freighter-travel.com/</a>
http://www.geocities.com/freighterman.geo/mainmenu.html</a>
http://www.freighterworld.com/</a>

Hey ... your handle finally filtered into my murky state of awareness, from the activities and gear branch..

And on a personal note, I am just old enough to have crossed the Pacific on what may have been one of the last passenger liners (ie not cruise ship) in service before long haul 747s took over. Sydney to Acapulco took 3 weeks (half day stops in Suva and Aukland).

Yeah... I post A LOT on the gear branch... but do travel once in a while too. :)

Born too late, I supposed, but my only ship experiences to date are ferries!