Fiji To Hawaii

[Bwdavenport]

Hi, just a general inquiry about potential routes and suggestions to head from Fiji onto Hawaii in the coming weeks. 50foot steel monohull ketch 500gallons of diesel but hoping to sail most of the route no real rush getting there.
I have always wanted to visit Kiribati after reading "the sex lives of cannibals" many years ago. Anyway open to any suggestions. Thanks

[Cool Hand Luke]

Originally Posted by Bwdavenport

Hi, just a general inquiry about potential routes and suggestions to head from Fiji onto Hawaii in the coming weeks. 50foot steel monohull ketch 500gallons of diesel but hoping to sail most of the route no real rush getting there.
I have always wanted to visit Kiribati after reading "the sex lives of cannibals" many years ago. Anyway open to any suggestions. Thanks

Wow!! Would love to do something like this one day!!!



Approximately 3,100 nm according to Navionics. Definitely will be longer if you zig-zag. And, if in no rush??? That's awesome!!! Sounds like fun! Fish, relax, clean, fix stuff, drink, eat, and be merry...

Sounds like you have enough fuel to go there and back

I can't really add to the discussion or help, since I've never been there, but good luck and keep us posted!!

[Hobie_ind]

Here's a link to a blog that did effectively the same route in April to July 2011:

Updates from Camdeboo

50' Steel Sloop with lots of diesel also (and it sounded like they used a lot of it!)

You might find some good info there. We looked at it as an option a few years ago and I spent a lot of time watching weather patterns for windows as you're largely against the prevailing winds for the first legs of this trip from Fiji. I'm not sure why they left from Suva, I'd have left from Savusavu to cut some mileage off the first leg to try and maximize the windows where weather systems reverse the prevailing winds for periods. Cornell also has some info on the route in 'World Sailing Routes'.

Their general route was:
Fiji to Victoria, BC


Fiji:
- Vuda Point
- Musket Cove
- Lautoka
- Robinson Crusoe Island
- Suva

Samoa:
- Apia

American Samoa:
- Pago Pago

Cook Islands:
- Suwarrow
- Penryn

Republic of Kiribati:
- Christmas Island

Hawaii:
- Kona, Big Island
- Lahaina, Maui
- Honolulu, Oahu



Victoria, BC

[roverhi]

The people that bought my old boat brought it back to Hawaii over a similar route. They stocked up on fuel and headed East in the ITCZ. Little wind and flat seas and had a little current help which was optimal for powering. When they'd made enough easting turned north and had a rousing tradewind sail to Hawaii.

If you want to sail the typical route is south almost to NZ's latitude gaining as much easting as possible and then head north in the SE trades to Tahiti and then north.

We left from Ahe in the Tuamotus for Hilo and had a very pleasant sail north even even some wind in the ITCZ. When we picked up the NE trades we averaged more that 150 nmpd in our W32. The farther east you go, the freer the wind you'll have above the equator.

A straight shot is out unless you really don't like yourself and want to destroy your boat.

[Livia]

Pandion did Fiji-->Samoa-->Fanning-->Hawaii-->SF

They were trying to move "efficiently" though to get the boat back.

Starting here you can see their posts:
Pandion

[JPA Cate]

CF member, mikem, did this trip on a very special boat. Perhaps he'll chime in. They (it was an 80 footer,) were doing 10 knots on the wind for much of the trip.

Ann

[Bigkev31]

I live in hilo hawaii. Im interested in sailing from fiji back to hilo. Was wondering if u knew how long it would take? And if i would be checked by immigration on way back.

There is a formula for calculating hull speed based on waterline length: 1.34 times the square root of the waterline length of the vessel. It's average speed will be less than that, even in tradewinds, because it is hard to stay at hull speed for the whole trip.

How long the trip would take would best be expressed by a window: between x and y days, weeks. It would depend on the winds available on the various routes.

Yes, you would have to check in with immigration. You shall have gone into and exited a foreign nation: Fiji. There is a Customs Office in Radio Bay, and they are empowered to check the vessel.

Ann

[tarian]

Big Jimmy does a great book and has this route for you
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...t_bibl_vppi_i2

[Bigkev31]

Im looking for someone to take me and my gf from fiji to hawaii by boat. I can pay what is needed to make this happen. If anyone can do this or has any suggestions please let me know. Email profighter17@yahoo.com