Crew Wanted: East coast to west coast

[Dillon.dundee]

Portland maine to San Francisco in mid June or July. Looking for the right crew member for all or part of the trip. Experience is not the main thing I am looking for. It will be aboard my Pearson 30 so it is small quarters. I am a young male from New England . I am a 100 ton master and merchant marine.

[hellosailor]

Optimistically, I'd expect that to be a six week trip and a bit of a grueling one unless there were three or four aboard.

[dpddj]

If you'd rather from Portland, ME sail my 1989 Ericson 28' to San Francisco I'll give you back to Maine airfare. Then you could do it twice. My daughter out there wants the Ericson.

[rockDAWG]

Unless it is for the experience, I would just ship the boat via truck. Heading North to SFO is not an easy task.

[dpddj]

FYI, to haul the 28' Ericson to SF from Maine was recently quoted around $7,000, with the condition I was flexible for timing and they had a haul coming from CA they could use me as a back haul. I was told not many boats coming from CA going East. Since that price is mileage/cost driven, with the recent up tick in diesel, you know that haul price is low.

[hellosailor]

Reminds me that last year someone was saying they had their boat trucked, but the trucker claimed engine trouble around Texas, eventually the truck, trucker, boat all disappeared and there was no trace to be found of anything. But, they got a great deal on the price.

Anyone know what the outcome was on that one?

Seven grand might be competitive with sailing it over. Let's say, six weeks, three people. The value of their time. The airfares, which may have to be full-rate open-fare because the ETA will be somewhere over a two or three week period, unless you want to put them up for that time in Cali.

Then there's food, the canal fee (probably $1500++ by the time all the incidentals come in), fuel, repairs, and offshore prep for the trip. That trip probably merits a life raft, bought or rented either way ain't cheap. And if the rigging is the usual mumble-mumble years old, new rigging all around. Sail repairs or sails if they're not in really solid shape. A whole roster of costs and I strongly suspect seven grand will be cheaper. And if a pick-up crew hops off halfway...way cheaper.

Or maybe, one of those new airship companies talking about how they've got a great new way to haul freight, could be talked into doing a really slick PR campaign, "air sailing" the boat cross country, staying low enough to amaze and astound highway traffic all the way across.

[dpddj]

You mean like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnZ3IgqRJHM

It's 120' long. Kinda wide, too. Forgot to add - we made the master patterns for the mast. Oracle as well. Fun projects shrouded in secrecy.

[natew]

Don't want to criticize but I live and boat about 40 miles south of point conception and will say that I know the waters around these parts pretty darn well and I have yet to round the point.

You are going to want an able and experienced crew for that journey around the point and up north for the next 100 miles or so, or you will need a whole heck of a lot of time to spare so you can play the waiting game and sneak by at full throttle on a dead calm night (1 of about 14 nights). OR you need to detour to Hawaii which honestly could be faster than waiting for an appropriate weather window in June/July to make a due north treck. You might do better to aim for September to October and hope for an early season pacific tropical storm to try and push you north otherwise it is a real beat. I know people around here who have done it and would never do it again. Maybe I'm just too coward to try it but I do know first hand that those waters are hard to get to and hard to get through.

[Seaurchin1]

hello Dillon.dundee.
im currently looking for a crew position, taking a break from my own boat a challenger35' ketch. I have experience and can handle long hours.. Ive sailed the Baja twice by my self. first time wasn a Bristol 29> person design.

im not rich and should be looking for work so I can get back to my own boat in Guaymas, Mexico. are you at all willing to compensate for time or are you looking for free crew?

I would be willing to work something out, currently in California..

hope to hear from you

Richard.

[TacomaSailor]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Optimistically, I'd expect that to be a six week trip and a bit of a grueling one unless there were three or four aboard.

Maybe the OP knows the real distance and time involved but I would be a little sceptical of the quote above


2600 miles from Maine to Panama Canal

3300 miles upwind every inch of the way for Panama Canal to San Francisco

120 miles per day to Panama = about 22 days sailing non-stop

100 miles per day upwind would be optimistic or about 35 days non-stop Panama Canal to SF

five to ten days to wait for transit and to get thru the canal

22+35+10 = 67 days UNDERWAY in a wildly optomistic mode or 11 weeks

You CANNOT DO the Panama Canal to San Diego leg between July and November and the Maryland to Panama Leg would be iffy in that time frame. (about 15 hurricanes/tropical storms between the Canal and Cabo San Lucas every year)

The San Diego to SF leg would be very difficult in the November - March time frame

A friend recently brought a 36 foot catamaran from Ft Lauderdale to San Diego - motored every inch of the way Panama Canal to San Diego - does your boat have the motor legs?

[rgscpat]

Who knows; maybe the OP plans to travel via the Northwest Passage.

That would be interesting, particularly for a bilge-keeler with removable skis.