Raiatea to San Diego

[Loco Gato]

I am seriously thinking about sailing direct to San Diego from Raiatea. Am I totally loco? Maybe with a slight curve depending on the location of the high. More than likely it will after the 1st of the year. Just don't feel like doing the Hawaiian route and then up and over the high, too damn cold that time of year and am thinking I may just be able to squeak under the high and still be in shorts for most of the trip. The vessel is a Beneteau 393. And yes, I do like long passages.
Thanks,
Lynn

[rebel heart]

My friend did San Diego to Hiva Oa last year; took him five weeks because of the itcz. It's going to be a long ass trip.

[Charlie]

I read (I think) in Latitude 38 about a guy who sailed from the South Pacific to Mexico. I think it took him 38 days. I'm trying to find it but haven't been able to. IT is possible but hard work.

OK I was off by 4 days and it was Hawaii not the south Pacific.

Nakia *— Hans Christian 33
John Gratton and Linda Hill
Seven Years In Eastern Pacific
(Redwood City)

John and Linda are the ultimate in fast-responding pick-up crew. On our way to the start of the first of the three Banderas Bay Blast fun races with Profligate, we passed their boat Nakia on the hook at Punta Mita. Having not seen them since the '04 Ha-Ha, we hollered for them to come along with us. It took them about two seconds to accept our offer, and just a few more minutes to gather what they needed for three days of fun racing. Given their considerable experience, they were terrific crew. Since we had them as a captive audience for three days, we pressed them for what they've been up to the last seven years.

"Well," replied John, "after the Ha-Ha we spent four winters and three summers in Mexico, all of the summers being up in the beautiful Sea of Cortez. In the spring of '09, we continued down to Ecuador, then sailed back up the Pacific Coast of Colombia to Panama. We next set sail for the Galapagos, and continued on to the Marquesas and Hawaii. We liked the Marquesas, so we sailed back there from Hawaii, and continued on through much of French Polynesia. Late last year we sailed back up to Hawaii, then in December and mostly January, we made a 34-day passage from Hawaii to Manzanillo."

[svcambria]

You can decide yourself!

Check:

Nautical Publications
for Publication 136, Ocean Passages of the World, UK Hydrographic Office (Admiralty Nautical Paper Publications). That will give you the traditionally possible sailing routes from one place to another...

Check also:

Maritime Safety Information
National Geospatial Intelligence Agency online pilot charts, good for climate (not weather), plan a route that keeps you in the wind - you can sail upwind but you can't sail without wind...

Same thing but on a computer:

Digital Wave - Home

I did sail Hawaii to SF a few years ago, right back up the trade routes, it did get noticeably cooler by 33 degrees latitude.

Michael
S/V Cambria

[Kili Sands]

Originally Posted by Loco Gato

I am seriously thinking about sailing direct to San Diego from Raiatea. Am I totally loco? Maybe with a slight curve depending on the location of the high. More than likely it will after the 1st of the year. Just don't feel like doing the Hawaiian route and then up and over the high, too damn cold that time of year and am thinking I may just be able to squeak under the high and still be in shorts for most of the trip. The vessel is a Beneteau 393. And yes, I do like long passages.
Thanks,
Lynn

Actually, I am just starting to get a plan together for a Hawaii-to-Raiatea or Raiatea-to-Hawaii sailing voyage. But, it's not a "leisurely" thing! It will be a documentary with some Polynesian archeology involved.

[AndrewB]

Sounds perfectly practical to me. I did San Diego - Cabo - Marquesas - Tahiti - Raitea a couple of years ago and had a great time. Going direct is certainly an option, though you'll miss out some wonderful places.

Yes, count on a slow trip, specially through the ITCZ. Best time of year to leave San Diego would be early April, so as to cross the ITCZ at the change of seasons.

[daddle]

There have been some articles written about this upwind folly - probably Latutude 38. The one I remember said it was possible, but a 'mission from hell.' He would never do it again. It's either slamming into trade wind seas or slow progress with not enough wind. The last part can be tough. The long cold way is probably quicker and more comfortable.

[gjordan]

In the mid 70s I met Herb and Nancy Payson in the Marquesas. It was I believe, in mid June. They were delivering an old English Cutter from Tahiti to LA , and had stopped for repairs in the Marquesas. I fell in love with the boat because it looked like a Contessa 26 on steroids. It was long(40 ft) low, and narrow and Herb said it sailed wonderfully, but it was clapped out and leaked like a sieve. When they left the bay most of us figured they would never be seen again, but I ran across Herb in Tahiti several monthes later, and he said they had a good trip other than the engine packing up and having to pump all the way to LA. He later wrote about the trip in the hilarious book BLOWN AWAY which unfortunatly I loaned out and have never seen again. I have no idea what the trip would be like in January or Feb, but it would depend on the boats windward ability and the crews stamina. The choice of Jan. or so, might be dodgy, being the middle of the South Pacific hurricane season, but the trip is not at all impossible. Another 2 cents worth.____Grant.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by AndrewB

Sounds perfectly practical to me. I did San Diego - Cabo - Marquesas - Tahiti - Raitea a couple of years ago and had a great time. Going direct is certainly an option, though you'll miss out some wonderful places.

Yes, count on a slow trip, specially through the ITCZ. Best time of year to leave San Diego would be early April, so as to cross the ITCZ at the change of seasons.

Hey Andrew,

Perhaps you didn't notice, but he is asking about the reciprocal course to what you propose... ie upwind instead of downwind. Does make a difference!

We did Societies to SF some years ago, but went via Hawaii starting in August . Bora Bora to Hilo was pretty good sailing, but after lingering in Hawaii until October, the Kauai to SF leg was a bitch.

The practicality of the direct route will depend to some degree on the windward ability of boat and crew, and of course, on the actual wx that one encounters. Certainly not impossible, but perhaps daunting.

Cheers,

Jim

Cheers,

Jim