BVI To West Coast California. Truck Or Panama Canal?

[Greg4cocokai]

Originally Posted by seasick

I sailed from the BVI to the Columbia River a year or so ago. It was a pleasant sail to Panama and a pleasant motor up to the latitude of Alculpulco where I picked up the trades. Panama to Maui 5k miles in 39 days. Then great cruising around the islands and a three week sail back to the main land.

Last time I was in Acapulco ( month ago ), it was in Mexico!


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[anacapaisland42]

Ignore the slogging and the uphill, the Panama Canal in a small boat (i.e. anything less than 70 feet) is an experience you will remember all of your life.

Bill

[sailorman7225]

Seasick - Great video. What kind of boat? Baba? Thanks for sharing.

[CarinaPDX]

Viewing this as a delivery (get the boat there efficiently) then sailing to Galveston (easy) and trucking to CA (shortest truck route=cheap) would be the answer. But if the trip by sea is a possibility (time available, etc) then why would you pass on all of that great cruising? Aside from the Windward/Leeward Islands there is Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Caymans, Belize, Panama (inc. San Blas), Costa Rica, Mexico and so on. You might even go to Cuba as long as you will be hitting other countries before your return to the US. Why buy a cruising boat and then avoid the first opportunity to go cruising in great spots?

As for the trip, as has been previously said it is easy to get to Panama. It should not be too hard to get as far as southern Mexico on the Pacific side (depending on the season) and even Cabo with a little effort. From there it is work to climb the 800 miles or so to San Diego; there are some nice stops on the way to break it up. For seasoned sailors the offshore trip works but misses the cruising spots. Going to Hawaii is fine for us PNW sailors but doesn't make a lot of sense for going to southern California - it adds thousands of miles to the trip.

Obviously it takes a lot more time to sail her home, and working the seasons is critical, but if you have the time then go cruising now!

Greg

[wph36]

I had a Morgan 416 trucked from Panama Florida to the St. Lawerence near the 1000 Islands for about 5k about 6 years ago ..prep at the yard was another $1000. I then brought home to Georgian bay via the trent. I used Uship reverse auction to select bids.

[donradcliffe]

If you have the time, enjoy the sail. I took 7 months to go from Key West to Santa Cruz via Panama and Hawaii, and it was all great cruising-- total of less than 60 days at sea and the rest in beautiful places.

[David R Broise]

Me I am staggered here in the UK up hill as you guys put it is common place, try returning a boat from the Med. to UK and the Bay of Biscay is two out of three going to be uphill, and Biscay is not very friendly when it gets lumpy. Thirty crossings
of said water , I can testify to that fact. Careful planning of the proposed trip , given a well found and kept 44ft boat should be able to make the trip via Panama, yeah going through Panama can be a little pricey, but last time I did this it was a fun experience, sure had to work a little up the other side to San Deigo but no pain no pleasure so they say over here. I deliever boats all over the Med, Atlantic, S. America,and Carribean. Even from time to time transfer through to the Pacific via Panama. Me I would advise go for the experience sail the boat , after all is'nt that what it is supposed to be able to do...
David.

[Loco Gato]

Originally Posted by rswanson

Moving a 44' monohull from the BVI to West Coast California. Which makes the best sense putting it on a truck or taking it through the Panama Canal? What is the voyage like opposed to what are the economics of it?

Both are doable just depends on how much money and time you have. That is the bottom line.

Lynn A. Stokes
Captain
Eastern Pacific Yacht Delivery Service
Morro Bay, Ca.

[Wrong]

Sheesh!

Truck the boat...

[patprice]

Originally Posted by rswanson

Moving a 44' monohull from the BVI to West Coast California. Which makes the best sense putting it on a truck or taking it through the Panama Canal? What is the voyage like opposed to what are the economics of it?

Wow about 14 replies to your question before this one.
13 talking about trucking your yacht.
One about sailing your yacht.
None about the canal passage itself.
Seems this forum is dominated by non sailors or truck owners lol.

[TacomaSailor]

Originally Posted by patprice

Wow about 14 replies to your question before this one.
13 talking about trucking your yacht.
One about sailing your yacht.
None about the canal passage itself.
Seems this forum is dominated by non sailors or truck owners lol.

This topic is getting old. Those of us who have been there and done that have some strongly held opinions about the value of:

- spending many months pounding to weather
- beating your boat up for 4,000 NM Panama to Seattle or 3,000 to SoCal
- spending a fortune on fuel to motor into the prevailing wind and swell
- paying thousands of dollars to motor thru the Panama Canal
- paying a thousand or so dollars to check in and out of 6-countries
- buying food and supplies for 60+ days of sailing
- paying expensive transient slip fees while waiting for weather windows

Trucking makes more sense economically and time wise.

If you love sailing to weather for 4,000 miles in 3' to 6' swells then God Bless You and have fun doing it!

Four of us have voted to truck our boats. Our North American / Central America West Coast experience includes

- Ten trips Seattle to San Diego
- Five trips San Diego to mainland Mexico and back
- Two trips Mexico to Florida
- Two trips Florida to San Diego
- Two trips San Diego to Costa Rica and back
- Two trips Mexico - Hawaii - Seattle or San Diego

We have a total of 120 years sailing experience and two of us are USCG licensed captains. We have also shipped two boats from Florida to the US West Coast, trucked a boat from Mexico to Seattle, and did a Dockwise boat move from Mexico to Canada.

It might be of interest to note that every one of us who chose to move their boat by truck or Dockwise had previously done a Northbound trip from Costa Rica to San Diego, Mexico to San Diego, or San Diego to Seattle. None of us did that a 3rd time.

We all know many folks who have safely and successfully done the Panama to San Diego route. None of know anyone who enjoyed it and I am not sure we know anyone who would recommend it.

We also know several delivery captains who have done many Northbound Panama-San Diego trips in sailboats, but they get paid to be miserable. I cruise to have fun!

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by patprice

Wow about 14 replies to your question before this one.
13 talking about trucking your yacht.
One about sailing your yacht.
None about the canal passage itself.
Seems this forum is dominated by non sailors or truck owners lol.

Hardly. I've been to some of the places you're being told are worth visiting. I'd do Cuba for sure because I've always wanted to but couldn't because of the U.S. laws. But the Dominican Republic presents more headaches getting into and out of the country than its worth. Puerto Rico is alot like the U.S. but with a nearly bankrupt economy and high crime. The Caymans really don't offer more than the other leeward islands. Belize, Panama (inc. San Blas), and Costa Rica I've never been to. Mexico? Have only been to Baja and San Blas on the mainland. Was o.k. but could have been better absent the mordida and rat...

Truck the boat. All considered there's no reason to endure the headaches and expense of the Panama Canal. Then, 5,000 n.m. to Hawaii and another 2,000 to California. That's a lot of work and risk taking for what?

Truck the boat.

[autumnbreeze27]

Originally Posted by TacomaSailor

This topic is getting old. Those of us who have been there and done that have some strongly held opinions about the value of:

- spending many months pounding to weather
- beating your boat up for 4,000 NM Panama to Seattle or 3,000 to SoCal
- spending a fortune on fuel to motor into the prevailing wind and swell
- paying thousands of dollars to motor thru the Panama Canal
- paying a thousand or so dollars to check in and out of 6-countries
- buying food and supplies for 60+ days of sailing
- paying expensive transient slip fees while waiting for weather windows

Trucking makes more sense economically and time wise.

If you love sailing to weather for 4,000 miles in 3' to 6' swells then God Bless You and have fun doing it!

Four of us have voted to truck our boats. Our North American / Central America West Coast experience includes

- Ten trips Seattle to San Diego
- Five trips San Diego to mainland Mexico and back
- Two trips Mexico to Florida
- Two trips Florida to San Diego
- Two trips San Diego to Costa Rica and back
- Two trips Mexico - Hawaii - Seattle or San Diego

We have a total of 120 years sailing experience and two of us are USCG licensed captains. We have also shipped two boats from Florida to the US West Coast, trucked a boat from Mexico to Seattle, and did a Dockwise boat move from Mexico to Canada.

It might be of interest to note that every one of us who chose to move their boat by truck or Dockwise had previously done a Northbound trip from Costa Rica to San Diego, Mexico to San Diego, or San Diego to Seattle. None of us did that a 3rd time.

We all know many folks who have safely and successfully done the Panama to San Diego route. None of know anyone who enjoyed it and I am not sure we know anyone who would recommend it.

We also know several delivery captains who have done many Northbound Panama-San Diego trips in sailboats, but they get paid to be miserable. I cruise to have fun!

Wow, please present your sailor card so we can cut it up. Why buy a sailboat if you're motoring everywhere? Thousands of dollars to sail through the canal? Do you have a MacGregor and are trying to plane the whole way?

[TacomaSailor]

"Me I am staggered here in the UK up hill as you guys put it is common place, try returning a boat from the Med. to UK and the Bay of Biscay is two out of three going to be uphill, and Biscay is not very friendly when it gets lumpy. "

Biscay is about 350 NM wide - less than 1/2 the distance from Cabo San Lucas to San Diego, just slightly more than the Mexican mainland to Cabo, and only 10% of the distance Panama to San Francisco and 7% of the distance to Seattle.

Even Gibraltar to Lizard Head is less than 1/3 the distance from Panama to San Diego.

Maybe, knowing that you have 3,000 NM pounding to windward, when you leave Panama the 2nd time, discourages a person from doing it the 2nd time.

[Wrong]

Hmmmm. A50' Herreshoff ketch. Perhaps the speed and comfort of your boat has something to do with your sail at any expense position. $$$ resources too?

Everybody ain't gonna get there nearly as fast and in splendid comfort under sail as you do. And I'd guess everybody doesn't have the financial resources you do either. So, thousands of dollars spent to transit the Panama canal + all the time and risk assumed sailing nearly 8,000 n.m. via Hawaii to California may be too great an investment. Even if trucking the boat costs more...