NZ to Vancouver...

[boatman61]

A question for Pacific Ocean sailors...
What suggestions have you lot for this trip, considering Covid restrictions closing many ports as to feasible routes with minimum stops.. even non stop..???
I have considered sailing E a fair way before curving N at a suitable Longtitude to get up to Hawaii then across to Vancouver but.. what looks feasible on pilot charts can often be different in reality..
So.. any views on possible routes and best times of year welcomed...
Under 40ft boat...
Cheers folks..

[fxykty]

Yup, that’s the standard windward shortcut route, which a few boats have done recently. How far east you go depends on your boat and the year, but generally cut between Tonga and Fiji and head roughly for Johnston Atoll (if you don’t want to/can’t stop at Hawaii). Otherwise, leave Tonga to port and head for Hawaii. Leave not earlier than mid April - with the La Niña it may be necessary to wait a bit longer before heading N.

A more pleasant and lengthy route is to sail to French Polynesia, enjoy some time there, then head up to Hawaii. We did that many years ago on a 10m mono, leaving NZ in May and getting to BC in August.

[HeywoodJ]

We did the French Polynesia method in 2017. Left NZ, dropped down as far as the Chathams (the weather was right for it that year), then made easting between 35 and 40S, playing the systems. Turned north and made the Australs in one tack.

The path French Polynesia - Hawaii is a bit easier than from Tonga, depends on how weatherly your craft. Have done it several times, heading NNE out of FP, then NNW in the northern hemisphere to Hawaii. Makes a beam reach out of the whole thing and some really fun sailing.

Hawaii-PNW is a pretty well trodden path, exact route depends on the location of the high. In 2019 we sailed rhumb line Hawaii-Sitka, the high was so low and so far east we didn’t have to go around.

Going that route the only place we had to work for it was playing the systems making the easting, but even then it wasn’t too bad. As fxykty says, end of summer out of NZ, which for a quick trip puts you into summer heading Hawaii-PNW, which is a good time of year for that effort.

[JPA Cate]

When Jeanne Socrates was completing her most recent circumnavigation, she left the island of Hawai'i to starboard, maybe the whole chain, sorry, don't remember the details. She had turned north after she passed Stewart Is., NZ.

Ann

[Breaking Waves]

Originally Posted by boatman61

A
I have considered sailing E a fair way before curving N at a suitable Longtitude to get up to Hawaii then across to Vancouver but.. what looks feasible on pilot charts can often be different in reality..

Yea, we have done east from Duneden, turn north when (roughly) south of Ra'ivāvae, make some easting while it is easy ( aimed to pass near Marquesas), pass by Hawaii, and turn east when you get westerlies. It was reasonably pleasant. You are probably making a delivery and this is not the shortest possible route, but an easy one that gives you regular places for potential stops (IDK about covid situations).