San Diego to Hawaii...Anyone made the trip?

[watersofdiego]

Looking at the possibility of making a Southern California to Hawaii voyage in the near future. Wondering what to be concerned with, i.e. best time of the year, prevailing winds, shipping lanes, sea conditions.....I don't know if it's a popular trip, so any info from experienced Hawaii sailors would be helpful.
Thanks.

[donradcliffe]

Search on the Transpac race for typical conditions. They leave about the first of July. Once you get past the close reaching off the coast of California its an easy off-the-wind run, but you should be prepared for sqalls at night.

Getting back is another story, making boats cheaper in Hawaii.

[Charlie]

Race Tips: The Book | Pacific Cup Is a link to the pacific cup site. Some good tips on sailing to Hawaii.

[watersofdiego]

I just found an excellant video about this....

YouTube - How to Sail a Sailboat : Tips on Sailing to hawaii

[Roy M]

I've done it once, and my friend, Bob Dixon has done it a number of times. Depending on your boat (length, multi/mono, condition, etc.), your crew (Bob has done it solo a couple times), and the weather/season, it will take you from just over a week (8 1/2 days for Bob and I) to a couple weeks or so. The first few days out from the West Coast are cool, grey, and sometimes strange wind directions. One morning you come out on deck, the sun is shining, the wind is coming over your shoulder, the water is blue, and the air is warm. The winds get stronger and more consistent, the ocean gets bluer, more stars come out at night, and there are no fish to speak of, if you're towing a feather. Occasional clouds or squalls may come past you, forcing you to peel off clothes and grab the shampoo. Just when you think you could really become accustomed to this much fun, you sight the high clouds over the islands, start picking up AM radio, and start to see more birds. Coming back isn't that bad, if you can handle a few days of sailing into the wind, and pay attention to where the Pacific High is settled in. It does get much colder, though, as you move into the northeast, so keep the foulies and sweaters handy. Hmm, now you've got me hankering to go again.

[Greenman]

Thanks waters, that was a good video. I actually liked hearing him talk about his spinnaker as more than the info on the trip.

[ronniesimpson]

i am planning this exact trip in November. Hurricane season is said to be from about May 15 to mid-end of October. Jimmy Cornell's book says that the best time is either April-May or October-November. From talking to people who have sailed there many times, they said that the trades don't blow until you're about 600 miles west of California, so it's a crap shoot if you want to start heading west immediately, or go south to about 20-25 degrees north, (SD is 33) and then head west. Whoever said they made it in 8.5 days, that is super super fast. The multihull record from SF to Hawaii is 7.x days multihull and 10.x days mono hull, according to Latitude 38. Most trips are said to be around the 2 week to 20 day range, depending on wind, amount of time under power, and of course, the boat. Hope this helps.

i have attempted to add a map showing the pacific hurricanes for last year, so i hope it is viewable.

[Roy M]

The 8 1/2 day passage was on the Gino Morelli designed POWER trimaran, YANMAR ENDEAVOR, which was powered by twin diesel outboards. It established the world record. No one has been crazy enough to try it since then in an outboard powered vessel.

[pakmat]

Power boat to Hawaii? These people must be richer than god.
World records are no basis for travel advice to Hawaii. Look on the transpac web site and see how long it took comparable vessels.

[pakmat]

BTW monohull record is <7 days now.

[pakmat]

They won't sell us those diesels outboard here in US, They are available in NZ. Yanmar diesel outboards are reportedly awesome.

[pakmat]

If you have a 110' multi then go for it
4 days, 19 hours, 31 minutes and 37 seconds after crossing the start line off Los Angeles, USA, Capgemini and Schneider Electric’s maxi trimaran Geronimo has broken the Transpacific Los Angeles to Honolulu record by over 13 hours, subject to ratification by the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC).

November 18, 2005
Link to record info on Lat38

[Roy M]

Let's see now, that is almost twenty knots, average speed, day and night, visibility or not. At that speed you hope everyone asleep has their heels pointed forward in case there is something lurking above or below the surface. It's a good recommendation for radar and forward scanning sonar, don't you agree? It certainly was on our minds when we did it, way back when.