Panama to PNW - Which Way ?

[nelson.peter]

I am finishing up a 2-year Med-Carib voyage and heading home (sniff, sniff). Gotta figure out the best way north, back to the Pacific Northwest.

Jimmy Cornell suggests 3 options. 1) via Hawaii. 2) Coastal. 3) Offshore/coastal.

The 3rd option is out -- I don't have a watermaker and hence the range to do a 5,000 nm offshore leg.

Option #2 is against wind and current and will involve a lot of motoring and a slow slog uphill. Sure we get to go into ports -- to avoid getting bashed and to recover from the last bashing!!

Option #1 seems the most preferable. Mostly downwind (relative to #2!!). We would have to hop up to Acapulco probably just to get close enough to HI (our range is about 3,800nm). And it seems like it would only take 2-3 weeks longer.

Anyone with any experience on options 2 or 3 wish to weigh in on experiences? If you haven't done either leg then please avoid the temptation to weigh in. Thanks!

[bruce smith]

I motored north for 10 days (@5KN) to acapulco, Then motored west for10 days, getting wind. Then close reached for 38 days ,reaching theStraights of wanna **** her,coming in on the back of a low. Carried 150 gal water in extra jugs. We were about 600 miles offshore most of the way. If the engine had stopped, we would of been in trouble,so it may be safer to motor/drift to leave galapagos to stbdthen turn north.(skipping acapulco)

[zoombats]

Bruce Smith. Were you in Bequia in the seventies, brother to "Mermaid" John?