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Old 13-05-2016, 22:36   #16
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Re: Seattle 2 Hawaii - SCHOOL ME!

Ann, very good post and much agreement. We have crossed the country several times in various RVs. Crossing oceans a radically different story.

Fair encouragement to press to do the small trips and build the skills. Many times on this forum I see many words expended to help those who are starting out. Nothing wrong with that but those who start with "I want to sail the southern ocean in June and my budget is 15k need a dose of wisdom.

That being said we met a couple in Bora Bora with 3 kids and a 60'er. They bought it, hired a captain and after 3 lessons he stepped off and said "do not leave the dock, you will die."

They made it :-) I have other stories, not such happy endings. Serious business. Great process.

Written from my deck in Alaska where all I think about is getting back to sea :-)
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Old 13-05-2016, 22:37   #17
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Re: Seattle 2 Hawaii - SCHOOL ME!

Oh yea, sailing to Hawaii, follow the con trails :-)
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Old 13-05-2016, 23:25   #18
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Re: Seattle 2 Hawaii - SCHOOL ME!

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Originally Posted by reed1v View Post
Not true. Its generally an easy sail following the trade winds to Hawaii. Just watch the weather. You can actually drift to Hawaii as one guy did on a log(yup, a real log) from Seattle back in early 60s.

May-June best time to go. Easy seas, usually gentle and constant trades, and good weather. Of course there are exceptions, but the route does not demand any particular skills. Some folks years ago just followed the jet contrails to get to hawaii. Go for it.

The only problem you will have is finding a slip to stay in. Few anchoring out spots. Kaneohe bay, Hilo harbor, and the roadstead in Lahaina are about the only anchorages near anything of importance. Hanalei is nice but you will be out in the boonies and in a rolly polly anchorage.
Yeah, some years it's a piece of cake. Other times it's boat and crew-breaking challenge, especially the stretch between Seattle and Monterey. In June we sailed from Seattle to San Francisco and hit 50-kt winds, 60-kt gusts, 15-20 ft waves. While we were fighting that, we were monitoring Coast Guard communications with another vessel a few hundred miles offshore where the conditions were such that they had to ask for help.

Look at the race tracks for the Pacific Cup, the Vic-Maui, and the Singlehanded Transpac. Many years you will see several boats retiring due to significant gear failure.

Look at the August 2008 conditions offshore of San Francisco: Some very capable sailors on well-found boats had big problems -- one was forced to abandon ship.

Once you hit the tradewinds, it's not always smooth sailing. July and August can throw some nasty hurricane conditions at you as you approach Hawaii. In 2014 we had to render assistance to a boat that lost their rudder as they were approaching Kaneohe Bay (Hawaii), and a friend of ours on another boat had to come to the aid of a boat with rig failure. A non-race boat had to abandon on their approach to Hawaii due to hurricane-force winds. A Vic-Maui racer lost their mast on their Maui approach. A Pacific Cup boat lost their mast as they were leaving Oahu.

And it doesn't require a hurricane to cause problems. Tradewind squalls can hit very quickly, and when the windspeed jumps from 25 to 50 kts at 4:00 AM, all sorts of bad things can happen. This is where your experience can make a world of difference.

I'm not saying this is generally a treacherous trip. On my first Hawaii-and-back voyage I had little sea-time, but I did have many years of coastal sailing and I had some very experienced friends as crew. I've made the Mainland to Hawaii and back trip six times now, and every time I learn something new.

So don't "just do it." Get some experience first, or find yourself an experienced crew and learn from them. Know what a well-founded boat requires for this trip.
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Old 14-05-2016, 02:20   #19
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Re: Seattle 2 Hawaii - SCHOOL ME!

It's the middle of May. He has never owned a sailboat. I think he's setting himself up for failure to try and be in Pearl Hbr. by Dec. 7. There just isn't enough time.

That's why I seconded the advice to fly there for the ceremony. Meantime get to know his new boat-after he's bought it!

He needs to get out there and learn how to heave to, where the storm jib sheets to, how the f to reef, etc., etc. The sail to HI can be quite pleasant, the trip down the NW coast to SF, less so. The man needs some experience, he doesn't even know if he gets seriously seasick! Circumnavigating Vancouver Is. would be one possible, challenging starting point.

Bye, guys,

Ann
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Old 14-05-2016, 21:09   #20
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Re: Seattle 2 Hawaii - SCHOOL ME!

I knew full and well when I posted this making the trip was out of the realm of possibility, I asked the question because for me not knowing is the hardest part.

This is something I have wanted to do for a very long time, even though I will not be doing it this fall it is something I will be doing someday. Just not sure when.

In the military we had a term called "war gaming" or thinking through the things you were going to do before you do them which in turn raises your chances of success when you do them.

Or you can be fool hardy like the Japanese and dismiss the American Carriers showing up to thwart your Midway invasion and wind up with 4 of your carriers and several other ships on the bottom, but I digress...
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Old 14-05-2016, 22:00   #21
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Re: Seattle 2 Hawaii - SCHOOL ME!

I can crew that run but how is your cooking I will need a gallley slave.
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Old 15-05-2016, 09:59   #22
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Re: Seattle 2 Hawaii - SCHOOL ME!

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I can crew that run but how is your cooking I will need a gallley slave.
I didn't wind up overweight because I didn't like my own cooking, I can tell you that much.

Just haven't quite figured out how to put a smoker on the boat.... yet...
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Old 15-05-2016, 10:12   #23
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Re: Seattle 2 Hawaii - SCHOOL ME!

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I have crossed the Atlantic without experience..
You got very lucky, believe me...

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Originally Posted by RafaCavi View Post
I think you have to have a very well equipped boat with all the communication systems (Spot, EPIRB, Satellital phone) and raft, energy system, etc... and follow the sun....
Even the best electronic on board is not enough if skipper have no previous experience on bluewater..
Suggest AA from Seattle.... and let bluewater for future trips.. It's a very interesting navigation to do.. with proper boat, skipper and equipment...
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