Quote:
Originally Posted by PYV58
Planning my first trip from Panama Canal to San Diego--would appreciate tips on where and where not to refuel (Diesel)
Thank You
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I think I understand your question, but suggest that perhaps you need to provide more information before anyone can actually answer it.
What is your propulsion's fuel burn rate?
How big is your
fuel tank?
Have you shipped additional fuel supplies?
Have you considered "normal"
wind conditions and adjusted your abilities to sail, or not to be able to, in your planning (given the time of year and prevailing
wind projections)?
What is your normal range?
What is your "reserve" in your fuel/range calculations?
Essentially, how far can YOU go WITHOUT refueling?
I sailed (motored) from SF to BC in 2016.
I planned ahead, knowing my fuel
consumption and where fueling stops were available. I found one that was supposed to be there but was essentially closed without being trucked in. Surprise! My planning said
plan ahead that one, not that particular one mind you, may be inaccessible due to
weather or other reasons. "
Whaddya do, Boyo?!?" I asked myself. Ahead of time.
We did make it.
If you're asking where you can refuel, that's one thing. One would think that the question would be more like: "Where can I be ASSURED of (secure) fuel at...[name your country here...]?
Your question is nowhere near that.
To be able to help you, you need to help us.
Here's an example: Often we are asked about "
How do I get from Cabo San Lucas to San Diego? I hear it's terrible."
Responses range from Stay There, truck the
boat, sail to
Hawaii, go to
Alaska and come south later, learn Japanese...
Holy cow!!!
I respond with:
"Cruising World magazine
published an article called The Baja Dash many years ago which explained how to get north from Cabo to San Diego by harbor hopping. The file is too big to post here, send me a pm and I'll get it to you."
And I do. And would be pleased to do so for you, or anyone else contemplating a trip north. Send me a pm.
And that's only PART of the trip. Actually a very small part from your starting point.
Somehow, this reminds me of the recurring [idiotic] questions like: "
How long will it take to sail my...from A to B?" Saw one of these just earlier today...
The real question was: "Where can I stop between A and B to make it a good trip?
Isn't this BASIC stuff?
Stuff wasn't the first word that came to mind...
Or today's "
How much to ship a 42" coast to coast?" Inch? Really?
Specificity has its advantages. [I'm an
engineer, please forgive me...
]
I'm sure that if you got this far in YOUR travels you could answer those questions for us to help you.
Please do.
For example, if you truly have LONG RANGE, the answers will be entirely different. 200 nm is vastly different than a gas/diesel guzzler or an LRC. See the difference?
I admire you for getting to the point of actually DOING this journey. I truly do. My trip from SF to BC was done for
family purposes and a permanent move, and the move was essentially unplanned and long term "look ahead" planning was not in the cards for me.
But I did my homework and
research in the short time I had available to me, and asked the same questions
of myself that I asked of you at the top. I knew how far I could go (range) and worked from that, deciding the distance between fuel availability and my boat's range. I'd spent the 18 years we'd owned this
boat and kept careful records of that. I haven't bothered with my inoperable fuel gauge (hahaha!!!) and
work off
engine hours and fuel refills to know my hours per gallon, boat speed and, therefore, range. I keep a "reserve" in mind, too.
And there were
parts of the voyage that required
anchoring because there simply were NOT harbors on certain stretches.
Sure, it's useful to ask on a forum, but without knowing what you
should know about YOUR vessel, and share those
FACTS with us to help you doesn't, uhm, help us at all.
Safe journey.
Also, in your case, are there countries that you do NOT want to even consider going to even if you "need" fuel?
Baja Dash coming to you anytime you ask.