Advice for San Francisco Bay to Puget Sound Passage ?

[Northern Spray]

We're a couple from the SF Bay, and have a 1990 Bruce Roberts pilot house spray. We're planning on bringing our boat to Washington. We're not able to truck it though we wish we could. We've heard the warnings. We have some experience on the coast, but not past Mendocino. We are trying to figure out what time of year is best to head up and also a good offshore route other than Hawaii. We would rather not hug the coast. Any suggestions? Thanks

[Stillraining]

Been told may to June...Hawaii is the best route.

Never done it..will next time..not interested in ever trucking a boat ever again.

[delmarrey]

Now is the time to start heading North!

You'll want to go offshore about 200 nm and then turn North. You'll mostly be dealing with headwinds. If you do a coastal route, plan on motoring most of the way. The currents will not allow you to progress tacking under sail, the farther offshore the less the current.

Be aware of shipping lanes. There is a lot of traffic between here and SF/LA. Also the tides up here are more extreme so calculate for tides and currents upon entering ports or river bars. An AIS would be beneficial.

[Charlie]

Start scanning the weather reports now. I think that after a low blows thru there are SW winds for a few days. If you have time to wait for good weather it can be a good trip otherwise it can be brutal is my understanding. On the way down we had great weather from Humboldt Bay to SF. WE were sailing hard on the wind along the rhumbline in 10 to 12 knots till Point Reyes. The weather from Astoria to Humboldt Bay was good for heading South but would have sucked coming up the coast. 25 knots with 10 to 12 foot seas.

[Randyonr3]

We've made the trip twice, both times in April going up and October comming down.. I really dont like the summer winds on the north coast and found the early spring or late fall works best for us.. everbody has there own likes and dislikes, just be carfull.. The north coast is not a place to take lightly...........

[Randyonr3]

even thou you might be going off shore for the trip, pick up a guide to the ports along the way as you never know when you might have head in.. and up the north coast, the Coast guard is really helpfull for information concerning bar crossings and local conditions.. what you might see in the morning, might be changing 50 miles up the coast..

[CharlieCobra]

Yeah, the issue up here is just how fast the systems moved through. Sunny one day and a 970 mb low the next on a nasty lee shore with bars that close when the weather is up. Did ya say ya wanted to visit Waikiki?

[SaltyMonkey]

I'm getting conflicting information. A guide on California coast reads that you should stick closer to coast - no more than 60 nm - because current is faster offshore than along coast.

You want to be far enough away from current, yet far enough away from coast storms, fog, and fishing fleets.

Any thoughts?

[delmarrey]

Maybe this will help.......

http://picsdigger.com/keyword/ocean%20currents%20map/

[FxdGrMind]

Ahhh. Looks like a perfect map to plan my trip south.... =)

Hmmmm How long would it take to get...

From the looks of that chart... getting to the PNW... might make a trip to NewGuiney...Philipinnes (sp?)... Japan... Alaska... hmmmm

[roverhi]

If you want favorable winds, January through March gives a significant preponderance of non northers. Have seen Southerlies prevail in March for almost the entire month. Of course, a lot of the time those southerlies are big winds and seas against the current caused by the lows that keep blowing through on a weekly basis.

Definitely best to have a boat that likes to go to weather in any case.

[SaltyMonkey]

CChart gives California current strongest between 10 - 300 miles offshore @.2 kts

However, pressure bet offshore high and continental low becomes very tight causing stronger seas and winds beyond 60 miles.

Inner route is considered between 15-30 miles, but traffix fog...