Brisbane AUS to Hawaii/Seattle USA

[mstr_cmdr]

Hi people

I am new to this fora, and would like some information.
I am about to retire, and have a Millkraft 54ft (16.48m) sloop.
I have decided to move to USA west coast (perhaps Seattle), and would like information regarding a passage from Brisbane to Hawaii and then to the west coast.
What is the best time to depart?
What would be the best route/stops, etc?
What are the known problems associated with departure times (winds, wx, currents), and routes, etc.?
ANY information will be greatly appreciated.
Regards
Jeffrey

[Free Lancer]

welcome, unfortunetly i dont have any answers for you, but i want to make the same trip but reversed.

[MarkJ]

Thats a huge amount of information! 6 months planning etc.

Jimmy Cornell's World Cruising Routes is the book you need

Welcome to the forum

[Paul L]

The Beth & Evans on Hawk wrote a set of articles on their trip from NZ to Hawaii to BC
“Pacific Passage Pleasures,” Cruising World, September 2006, pp. 132-139.
“Headin’ for Honolulu,” Cruising World, August 2006, pp. 78-84.


Paul L

[mstr_cmdr]

Thanks for the information and suggestions.
I will be purchasing the recommended reading ASAP.
Please keep the information/suggestions coming.
Jeffrey
"Southpaw"

[Amgine]

The commercial sail route is, generically, head south of New Zealand, get plenty of easting to make the northbound leg to Hawaii. From Hawaii, nearly due north to clear the Pacific High, then east as the wind begins to favour.

I believe Cornell details these routes, as well as the beat-to-weather-in-the-equatorial-counter-current-for-thousands-of-miles route. The British Admiralty Ocean Passages for the World prior to 1954 has excellent detail for these routes as well.

It might be easier and more interesting to sail the other way 'round. Cross the Indian Ocean, under Africa, up to the Carribean, down through the Panama, out to Hawaii, and then up and over the Pacific High. If you take long legs it shouldn't be dramatically longer, the weather risks would be lower.

Your primary consideration in planning your departure is to avoid regions of tropical depressions during their season. Secondly is to maximize favourable winds and currents. Cornell's books detail these very well. Pilot Charts, which show average conditions in a region during each month of the year over a long period time, are really important tools when you get the basic course laid out. It's just a steady application of research and study to build a set of goals like "cross the Tasman between date and date, and beyond the cape by date; sail east to longitude X in the vicinity of latitude Y, then begin angling to reach X, Y and thence lay a course for Papeete. Leave Papeete by date..."

Of course, financially you'd be ahead to sell your boat, fly to Seattle, and buy a boat there. But where's the adventure in that!

[mstr_cmdr]

Amgine
Thank you for the valuable information. I have ordered Cornell's book and will now wait for Amazon dot, to deliver.
My thoughts are to sail from Brisbane over to Vanuatu, and and then through the Gilbert and Marshall Islands and then to Haiwaii. However, this is all without any reference/research.
A "west-about" crossing of the Indian Ocean would mean a lot of extra miles as I am on the east coast of Australia (but I will keep an open mind).
Regards
Jeffrey

[Amgine]

Sailing upwind will result in a lot of extra miles as well. Doable? yes. Fun? not really, at least, not for me. I'd rather take a month or two longer with a few interesting stops and be able to set my coffee cup on the table. But then, I probably would have different goals for the journey and that's the most important thing: what are you trying to do, and why?

Australia to either Europe or Panama westabout is a year, and a pretty well-established route. I'm betting going eastward to Hawaii is going to be a year as well, assuming you and your boat can handle that much upwind sailing. And the run from Panama to Hawaii isn't that much longer, unless you want it to be.

[donradcliffe]

Its a tough trip, both on the crew and the boat. I watched a couple of boats leave OZ, and they were back within a month. If you don't have the time to go westabout, check into Dockwise yacht transport.