Honolulu to Panama

[daddle]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Sorry I'm confused about your comments. Your last post you said "Honolulu to Central America is reaching and downwind: cruising conditions."

Maybe you meant reaching to go north of the Pacific High and then downwind along the coast to Panama?

That is correct. Reaching around the N Pacific high is the easy way. More direct from a sailor's perspective. Typically boats gybe onto port and reach to California or Juan de Fuca. Someone sailing thru to Balboa might gybe sooner, but not so soon that the windless center of the high is encountered ... Depends on the position of the high ... Might not become coastal until deep into Mexico ... Depends depends ...

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by daddle

That is correct. Reaching around the N Pacific high is the easy way. More direct from a sailor's perspective. Typically boats gybe onto port and reach to California or Juan de Fuca. Someone sailing thru to Balboa might gybe sooner, but not so soon that the windless center of the high is encountered ... Depends on the position of the high ... Might not become coastal until deep into Mexico ... Depends depends ...

OK. That's what I thought.

Just another illustration that in the world of boating (especially sail boating) a straight line is not always the shortest distance between two points.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Just another illustration that in the world of boating (especially sail boating) a straight line is not always the shortest distance between two points.

Not always? Sometimes? Rarely. Nah --- never. That's why it's so much fun.

Sounds like you've figured out Father Winter and the weather patterns.

Man - New Joisy?

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Sounds like you've figured out Father Winter and the weather patterns.

I'm studyin' hard so I can go west one of these days and sail in the big ocean.

[Ken of KC]

Skipmac, I don't understand your abbreviation, what is ICZ, thanks again, Ken

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Ken of KC

Skipmac, I don't understand your abbreviation, what is ICZ, thanks again, Ken

itcz=inter tropical convergence zone........or more commonly know as the doldrums which is the band of low pressure air where the ne trades meet the se trades around 10 degrees on either side of the equator.

the itcz can move by 100's of miles n or s on a daily basis,affecting the winds,or lack of depending where on you are in relation to it.

[Ken of KC]

Thanks atoll, based on what everyone says, that might be a welcome relief. atoll, you I think deliver boats and crusie that area a lot it seems, let me ask you straight up based on your knowledge of the area, is this a project you would do in January? My concern is that being a primarily East Coaster, I don't obviously want to get in over my head. Thoughts? Thanks again, Ken

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Ken of KC

Thanks atoll, based on what everyone says, that might be a welcome relief. atoll, you I think deliver boats and crusie that area a lot it seems, let me ask you straight up based on your knowledge of the area, is this a project you would do in January? My concern is that being a primarily East Coaster, I don't obviously want to get in over my head. Thoughts? Thanks again, Ken

in a proven custom offshore equipped vessel with heating,a strong crew and storm sails no problem.

in a hunter,or production type yacht of suspect strenth,roller furling etc it would be best to wait for the optimum conditions in april-may.
going north from panama in june is actually a better time due to the trade winds having dropped,as long as you keep an eye out for hurricanes forming.

in your case if you are having to ask this question definitely not in january!

[Ken of KC]

atoll, thanks for the candor, the trip would be on a boat I have as yet to see, with a crew that is not my normal crew, there is possibly heat as long as the gen set works and can run, which gives rise to the concern of enough fuel, there are no storm sails and while I was strongly considering a weather service once I shove off further updates may be scarce to non-existent. My inner voice was making similar comments to me, but the owner currently in Honolulu keeps down playing it but I am unaware of his offshore experience also. I guess I just am questioning if I am being to conservative in my old age. While one does want to stretch a bit and grow in experience and skill one is also not allowed many mistakes. I also think back to I think earlier this year I think when one of the racers in July did a solo cross, turned around a few days later and returned to the west coast only to call to be removed from his boat. A very experienced sailor, with a proven boat under almost the same conditions, just a different route. And he had done that race before. He mentioned the possibility of just going to the west coast and trucking it, but I would think if one did the crossing all else is down hill. I'm just not sure he realizes or appreciates the potential how things can go very bad, very quickly, there is rarely a single thing that goes wrong. Also your last comment almost mirrors what I have told some of my sailing students. Thanks again, Ken

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Ken of KC

atoll, thanks for the candor, the trip would be on a boat I have as yet to see, with a crew that is not my normal crew, there is possibly heat as long as the gen set works and can run, which gives rise to the concern of enough fuel, there are no storm sails and while I was strongly considering a weather service once I shove off further updates may be scarce to non-existent. My inner voice was making similar comments to me, but the owner currently in Honolulu keeps down playing it but I am unaware of his offshore experience also. I guess I just am questioning if I am being to conservative in my old age. While one does want to stretch a bit and grow in experience and skill one is also not allowed many mistakes. I also think back to I think earlier this year I think when one of the racers in July did a solo cross, turned around a few days later and returned to the west coast only to call to be removed from his boat. A very experienced sailor, with a proven boat under almost the same conditions, just a different route. And he had done that race before. He mentioned the possibility of just going to the west coast and trucking it, but I would think if one did the crossing all else is down hill. I'm just not sure he realizes or appreciates the potential how things can go very bad, very quickly, there is rarely a single thing that goes wrong. Also your last comment almost mirrors what I have told some of my sailing students. Thanks again, Ken

sailing using the pacific high in january,will be in the region of 2700 miles to LA.
this equates to 20- 25 days enroute,during this time you can expect at least 3 low pressure systems to pass you with associated frontal systems.
expect winds of up to 60 -70 knots as the front passes.
after that 25-40 knots will be the norm.

staying south of 35N you will need to motor a lot to make any easting,plan for at least 10- 15 days motoring in lighter variable winds between each frontal system.

once you have reached the mainland it is all pretty much downwind text book stuff till you leave panama to head north again against the trades for florida,but warm , wet and windy!

[Ken of KC]

I wanted to say once again to all of you thanks for your input. I have received a recent survey on the boat and short story is, I'm not taking it anywhere. I also talked to the surveyor and was of the same mind. It has some rigging issues, electrical issues, not all of the safety gear it there and I could go on and on, maybe that is why he was in such a hurry, hoping I would not notice maybe. So he is either going to have to deal with these issues and have the boat ready in the proper weather window or make other provisions. I did check to see the cost of bringing it over on a ship and that was in the neighborhood of 30 grand, thanks again to all, Ken

[skipmac]

Well, based on all the information seems like a sound decision. On a trip of that magnitude I would want the boat and rig to be in tip top shape.

The $30K for shipping sounds like a lot of money but when you start adding up all the expenses for boat prep, flying crew halfway around the world and home again, costs for fuel, food, customs fees and such on the trip AND wear and tear on the boat then the $30K is not really that bad. I think you could easily have half that just in out of pocket expenses for the trip.

What about shipping partway, like drop off in Houston or Miami? Might be a significant savings while leaving a much easier trip for the last leg of the voyage.

[Ken of KC]

Skipmac, sorry I did not make it totally clear, the 30K was to take it from Honolulu to Oakland only and truck if from there. The 30K was for the freighter only. Yeah the money adds up quick for sure. Ken

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Ken of KC

Skipmac, sorry I did not make it totally clear, the 30K was to take it from Honolulu to Oakland only and truck if from there. The 30K was for the freighter only. Yeah the money adds up quick for sure. Ken

Wow. $30K just Hawaii to Oakland. I think I'm in the wrong business.

[Ken of KC]

Well, in addition, just for grins I got a couple of bids to sail it the same distance, they start at 20K, so the 30K looks cheap, add another 12 for a haul to NJ and the suggestions of selling the boat and re-buying start to look even more attractive, since after reviewing the survey it's not like it's a one in a million show room condition boat. Ken