Voyage Subic to Dutch Harbor Alaska

[Crusty Joker]

Glad you were ready for the voyage. I assume your vessel did have a steel sail (without canvas) and could also glide below rough seas. I wonder if you made some calls along the Kamchatka area?
Uncle Ben

[foojin]

We left Subic Bay on April 25 in our previous boat, a Vancouver 27. Friends had urged us to wait a bit longer, but the negatives begin to outweigh positives timing-wise. We anchored at Bolinao, just up the coast of Luzon, on the anniversary of when a friends' boat was wrecked there by a typhoon.

Sailed to Ishigaki, where we met sailors from all around Japan, as well as Canadian friends we knew from Subic Bay. Loved the place. Sailed up the island chain, stopping at Zamami (amazing), Kagoshima and Yakushima, which is one of the loveliest places I've ever been and I've been to a lot of places.

We parted company with our Canadian friends, who sailed from Yakushima up to Tokyo and from there to Vancouver. We sailed up the west coast of Kyushu and stayed a year in Japan and Korea (fabulous cruising). I set off alone the following June 19 from Osaka to Victoria.

If we did it again, I would sail a bit further north of the track I took. Better wind. Would also love to visit the Aleutians.

[sailcrazy]

Being from MN, we've seen our share of cold wx. and while we had some friends who sailed from Subic towards Alaska, every one we know had either bad experiences, or took 1-2 years to make the trip, or had bad and cold wx to contend with. That's why, when we left Subic in 2010 after being there over 10 years, we sailed the other way! We spent a year in Thailand, Somalie pirates helped us decide to use Seven Star Freighting to get to the Medd-where we spent 4 great seasons-and then to the Caribb. And we're still here! I'd highly recommend you reconsider, and sail the opposite way-and stay warm!!!

[roland stockham]

Interesting comments on the Hawaii route. Pandemic permitting I am hoping to get my boat out of storage in Panama ad head north next year. My plan is to do the Hawaii route. From the passage charts it looks like you can follow the edge of the trades most of the way to Hawaii and break north when conditions are favorable. From Hawaii with the right season you should be able to head north (or even a bit NE) until above the pacific high then swing round towards the BC coast. Do you recko I am reading this wrong? Means leaving Panama at the end of winter then a layover in Hawaii till summer is well set.

[TJ D]

Hello, sorry that I haven't logged on a for a bit-I'll keep a better eye on the thread.


There is a bit of cruising about as far west as Kodiak, I reckon, beyond that it's people returning from Asia or NWP boats passing through.



I'm at sea now, but will look in from time to time.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by roland stockham

Interesting comments on the Hawaii route. Pandemic permitting I am hoping to get my boat out of storage in Panama ad head north next year. My plan is to do the Hawaii route. From the passage charts it looks like you can follow the edge of the trades most of the way to Hawaii and break north when conditions are favorable. From Hawaii with the right season you should be able to head north (or even a bit NE) until above the pacific high then swing round towards the BC coast. Do you recko I am reading this wrong? Means leaving Panama at the end of winter then a layover in Hawaii till summer is well set.

That is an excellent and most logical route, well documented in Video by Swedish couple Ran who
Left Panama via the Pearl Islands to Costa Rica, then Hawaii, where they prepped for sail to Kodiak...
You can follow it here

https://youtu.be/3f7eJHn1A4M

[250224]

(a bit offtopic) Would such a voyage also be feasible for smaller boats (~30, GRP)? Are there such boats in the Aleutian area?

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by foojin

We left Subic Bay on April 25 in our previous boat, a Vancouver 27. Friends had urged us to wait a bit longer, but the negatives begin to outweigh positives timing-wise. We anchored at Bolinao, just up the coast of Luzon, on the anniversary of when a friends' boat was wrecked there by a typhoon.

Sailed to Ishigaki, where we met sailors from all around Japan, as well as Canadian friends we knew from Subic Bay. Loved the place. Sailed up the island chain, stopping at Zamami (amazing), Kagoshima and Yakushima, which is one of the loveliest places I've ever been and I've been to a lot of places.

We parted company with our Canadian friends, who sailed from Yakushima up to Tokyo and from there to Vancouver. We sailed up the west coast of Kyushu and stayed a year in Japan and Korea (fabulous cruising). I set off alone the following June 19 from Osaka to Victoria.

If we did it again, I would sail a bit further north of the track I took. Better wind. Would also love to visit the Aleutians.

Yes, that’s the dilemma…. You cannot really get comfortably out of the Philippines while the NE Monsoon is surging and by then, it leaves you little time to enjoy Japan.

You did it right, by spending the additional year wintering in Japan and South Korea, before heading across the Pacific.

I was fortunate to cruise through Japan twice in the 80’s and 90’s with an American Trade Publisher who had offices in Japan and a huge list of strange and iconic places, not known to outsiders then.

From a small island museum with 7 of Japan’s top 15 national art treasures, to touring the Japanese Naval Academy I am tempted to spend the extra winter revisiting… but I know it will not be the same as mass tourism and time has diluted the magic.

Still, perhaps a small detour to the Flying Squirrel Temple in Uwajima, where an old Yoda like Buddhist priest, thrilled us with his post WW2 inventions and an incredible museum collection of old cameras

https://uwajima-tourism.org/en/spot/detail/place_id/9/

The cheeky fellow not to be outdone by another priest in town who had created a Porn museum, would flip over his museum photos over to display ribald photos he had taken with those cameras.
He was a special guy, now long gone!
https://japancheapo.com/entertainmen...m-taga-shrine/

[pbmaise]

Pelagic,
The route I didn't see you mention is Subic to Guam and then North. This will add some sea miles, however, it places you in a much better position to take advantage of winds that will be more to your beam early in the year. If you wait for the headwinds from Japan to decrease, you might miss your window in May.

Since you have already been to Japan, you may even skip it if the winds are advantageous.

The tough part is getting to Guam. If possible...I would consider going in September to Palau first, then Yap, and then Guam.

You have to time these very carefully with the weather. The typhoons should be heading North of Palau and Yap in September but be careful.

The goal I think should be to be in Guam in April. Have a look at the WindRose for Andersen Airforce Base in April. Perfect sailing beam on. You won't get that if you head to Japan.

https://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/si...twork=GU__ASOS

mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/sites/dyn_windrose.phtml?station=PGUA&network=GU__ASOS

This customized windrose tool allows you to create a windrose like the one below for hundreds of locations around the globe. So you can be pretty darn sure what winds you will see.

[atoll]

as to your route have you considered heading to bismark archepelago, PNG during the NW monsoon,then hopping off from there to hawaii?

also.you might want to take some "anti aircraft" guns next year if going past china!
donald has some other ideas for the region

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnRR...ature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPaYbYZIt88

[Pelagic]

Thanks for the suggestions and I had looked at those routes and weather patterns, when we first conceived of this passage last April.

Little did we think that the lockdown would still be in effect mid July with continued uncertainty of open borders .

Unless things change dramatically for the better in fighting the pandemic, we have resigned ourselves to staying in Asia Pacific for 2021 as we have residential rights for the Philippines.

I would be just happy to be permittef to leave our berth in Subic, but the local Coast Guard has deemed it unsafe.

[mako]

Good thread as I may be taking a boat from Qingdao back to America. I figured departing Japan in June, but it was interesting to hear the comment about an early May departure instead. Thanks

[Methersgate]

Equatorial counter current, as per WA Robinson?

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Methersgate

Equatorial counter current, as per WA Robinson?

Even though a positive current, mostly contrary and fickle winds more suitable for a power boat

[Methersgate]

Having just got a text friend from a friend, a native of Subic, who is home on leave (she’s a superyacht deck hand) who tells me she is enjoying racing with a bunch of Kiwis in Busuaga, I assume you are now allowed to leave your berth?