Hawaii to Brisbane

[Wojo]

Hi all you budding navigators. This the situation. I have a 38 ft sloop to deliver to Brisbane from Hawaii. I'm hoping to do it in June/August 08.

A course I was thinking of was Hawaii, Tarawa/ Tuvalu, Vanuatu New Caledonia and then Brisbane .

What I was after was the quickest route with a few comfort stops.

Appreciate any advice.

Cheers,

George

[GordMay]

Here’s a Vancover 25's (“Cool Change”), 73 sea-day Hawaii to Brisbane voyage:
Sailing Around The World* in a 25 Foot Boat

[Kanani]

I'd go Hawaii, Palmyra (get a permit), Samoa, Fiji, Brisbane. Easy shot doesn't have to get complicated. If you miss Palmyra, you'll hate yourself later.

I personally would not get as far East (that far North) as you are thinking. The run SE could be to weather from New Caledonia. If you head more southerly (about 25 to 27S at 168E) from Fiji, you should have a nice reach all the way. Any farther N at 168 and you could have a harder time. I would make my southing before 168E.

That should be a nice easy delivery once you get through the ITCZ.

If you've never been into Morton Bay (Brisbane), study the charts very carefully before entering. It can be a bit tricky. The channel markers are designed more to be seen from the deck of a ship, not a small boat. It's a very winding channel in a very large, shallow (drys in spots) bay. If you accidently miss one of the markers (because of all the bends) you will run up on the mud and could be there for a while (depending on the tides).

[Wojo]

Thanks all ...I'll get that charts out and have a look..much appreciated.

[Wojo]

Oh did I mention I have never sailed a boat on an open ocean. My experience has been purely naval and sailing inshore. I have over 6 to 7 months to become an ocean sailer. Am I aiming too high and am I being unrealistic.

cheers

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Wojo

. Am I aiming too high

How can you be aiming too high when its at sea level? Just sail the rhumb line (No, not RUM!) and watch out for pesky little blobs on the chart... or better still, stop at all the pesky 'lil blobs on the chart

[Kanani]

Originally Posted by Wojo

Oh did I mention I have never sailed a boat on an open ocean. My experience has been purely naval and sailing inshore. I have over 6 to 7 months to become an ocean sailer. Am I aiming too high and am I being unrealistic.

cheers

WHOOOOOOOOOAAA!!!!!

How much do you know about the boat that you will be sailing?

IMHO, that's far more important than where you are going or how much experience you have!!!

Are you buying this boat or delivering it for someone else??

How long do you have to make this voyage??

Oh ya........did I mention.....

DON'T MISS PALMYRA!!!!!

It's 990 miles SSW of Hawaii and is right on your way to Samoa. It's also a nice stop off point before you enter the ITCZ (Inter Tropical Convergence Zone) where you will have a lot of duldrums and strong squalls with thunderstorms possible. You might want to consider carrying lots a fuel for that area.

From Hawaii to Palmyra should be 6-7 days of a comfortable reach (wind on the beam and all sails flying) in brisk trade-winds. Once you pass 10 degrees S, you will be back in the trade winds (sorta) but as you well know, that is winter down-under and subject to cold fronts. However, you will be in the tropics and shouldn't (famous last words) encounter anything severe.

It would be a good idea to have an HF radio (SSB or HAM) on board and find out what frequencies the "Nets" are on so that you can check-in daily and get up to date weather info.

If I were you, I'd do a couple shake-down cruises between the Big Island and Honolulu, before leaving Hawaii.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by Kanani

.

I personally would not get as far East (that far North) as you are thinking. The run SE could be to weather from New Caledonia.

How long has Brisbane been SE of New Caledonia?

[Kanani]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

How long has Brisbane been SE of New Caledonia?

Ya.....DUH!!!....Thanks for catching that.

That should read, "I personally would not get as far WEST (that far North) as you are thinking. The run SW could be to weather from New Caledonia."

I guess I should stop posting until I feel better .

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Kanani

duldrums and strong squalls with thunderstorms possible. You might want to consider carrying lots a fuel for that area.

Wot?? Give it a break! sail like the old timers and leave the engine off! Half the fun of the ITCZ is getting through it without needing to switch on the donk. Just pull out a good book - Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner*? - and add War and Peace and a few hundred Barbara Cartland novels for the missus, a case of good wine, the first draft of Life at Sea by the Jolly Wojo, chess, backgammon, checkers, drafts..... Chinese dominos, a shotgun for Albatross..... have I forgotten anything?

You haven't gone accross the ITCZ (sounds so romantic!) till you've done it under sail alone...



* "The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere" for the stuck-up pretentious littury types

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

... * "The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere" for the stuck-up pretentious littury types

Thanks from all of us ...
The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere
On-line at: http://www.rc.umd.edu/rchs/reader/rime1.html

[Wojo]

Originally Posted by Kanani

Ya.....DUH!!!....Thanks for catching that.

That should read, "I personally would not get as far WEST (that far North) as you are thinking. The run SW could be to weather from New Caledonia."

I guess I should stop posting until I feel better .

Thanks Kanani...I knew what you meant..lol....still tossing up on boats. Be between 37 to 40 footer ....and yeh I was including a shake down period as well. Just wanted to make the crossing as quick as possible but avoiding the nasty stuff on the way i.e weather. I'm allowing around 60 days max.

I'm getting some good feed back on this forum too which is great.

[Kanani]

Originally Posted by Wojo

Thanks Kanani...I knew what you meant..lol....still tossing up on boats. Be between 37 to 40 footer ....and yeh I was including a shake down period as well. Just wanted to make the crossing as quick as possible but avoiding the nasty stuff on the way i.e weather. I'm allowing around 60 days max.

I'm getting some good feed back on this forum too which is great.

I was just thinking. You may want to take a look at Norfolk Isl. It's a little farther S of your rum-line but that would make your trip to Brisbane a bit more comfortable (better too far S than too far N).

Norfolk is one of the very few places that I haven't stopped so I don't know much about anchoring around there. Just be sure that you bring a chart of Norfolk, in case you need a place to ditch. That's why I never stopped. I sailed around the island back in '87 and it was awfully rugged with lots of rocks everywhere. Trying to get close to that place without a chart could be suicidle.

Another really cool hidy hole is Middleton Reef. Be sure to have a copy of a chart for there. There is a great anchorage on the N side, just under that NW hook. It's really easy and obvious. The water is flat calm in there, even in 30+kts of wind. The bottom is sand and the water is extrelemy clear which makes finding your spot easy. That's a really good spot to wait for weather and it's a real easy sail from there to Brisbane.

[shadow]

Very nice pic!! I think I found my new home!! About how far is it from Brissy??

[Kanani]

Originally Posted by shadow

Very nice pic!! I think I found my new home!! About how far is it from Brissy??

300nm due ESE.....uhhhhh.....ya....East .

Extremely easy and safe anchorage. That's another, "If you miss it, you'll hate yourself later". It's a nice sail home from there too.

The snorkeling there is the best in the world IMHO.