cruising From Maine To Hawaii.

[frozenhawaiian]

Hey all. so I'm going to relocate by boat and also my life back home to hawaii from maine. the plan as it stands is to leave maine in mid to late october of this year, run down the eastern seaboard as quick as weather will allow, that run I've done countless times. then planning to spend some time in the bahamas, then around to jamaica. from there down to colombia, then over to the san blas islands. sit in the dump of colon panama until we make our transit through the canal.

after that I have a rough itinerary put together but I'd like some input from people who have spent some time along the pacific coast of central america and in baja. places to stop, places to avoid or be careful of from both a weather standpoint and also a "people issues" standpoint. I've already been warned to stay well offshore from Honduras and El salvador and I've been warned to hug close to shore transiting the gulf of tulantepec and to be wary of the papagayo winds along the while of the central american coastline. It looks like we'll use either Puerto Vallarta or cabo as our departure point to head to hawaii.

I'm thinking I'll skip honduras and el salvador entirely. wait for a good weather window and then run 100 miles or so offshore with the idea being to avoid any pirate issues and then come back inshore to check out Guatemala and then go the coastal route up the coast of mexico. thoughts on this?

the run from socal to hawaii I've done a few times so no real questions there, usually I've left out of southern california this time it will be mexic, so another 2-3 days added to the voyage, not a big deal. I'm budgeting 5-6 months to make the trip.

[Nicholas_nolte]

Definitely visit Costa Rica. If you've got the funds Galapagos is close and so is the island from Jurassic park.

[Celestialsailor]

I'm wondering if you know the slip situation in Hawaii. I lived there for 7 years and i'm not sure that I have ever seen a less boater friendly place than Hawaii.

[snort]

I counted 14 slips for Manele Harbor on Lanai yesterday.
On Maui, there's a handful in Lahaina and the same for Maalaea. I assume there are some in Kahului, but that's mostly cargo shipments going in and out.
It ain't California for boaters out here.

[frozenhawaiian]

I was born and raised on oahu I'm painfully aware of how unfriendly the state government is to boaters. I'm getting slip arrangements sorted out with ko olina currently, we're working on commercial permissions from them to charter as well.

[Benz]

Unless something has changed recently, there's no reason to avoid Honduras on the Pacific side or El Salvador. Nicaragua is sketchy, but not with pirates coming out to get you--just with burglary while anchored inside. Skip Corinto for sure. The Pacific coast of Panama is really nice cruising--Gobernadora and Cebaco islands are remote stops to break up the journey; Pedregal, Panama is worth a look into, and a last good re-supply spot before Costa Rica which is pretty bare on supplies.
Golfito is a good harbor, though; next decent anchorage is all the way north in Santa Elena, just before the Nicaraguan border. Everything else is rolly or really far up a long, tidal bay.
Past Nicaragua, the Gulf of Fonseca is pretty neat--you can go up to San Lorenzo for supplies; Isla del Tigre is worth seeing; Conchagua is pretty cool.
Only two choices in El Salvador: Barillas and Bahia del Sol, both with frightful breaking bars to cross which require pilotage. El Salvador is a nice place to explore by bus, but I'd give it a miss if you're in a hurry.
There's only one Guatemalan port on the Pacific, and I haven't been there--it's not far from Fonseca to Puerto Madero (or Cortez, I think it's called now), where you enter the glories of Mexico.
The Sail Sarana cruising guide was newly minted when we sailed those waters--it was worth getting then. I hope they've continued updating it till now.
Which of the boats in your profile are you taking?

[frozenhawaiian]

Originally Posted by Benz

Unless something has changed recently, there's no reason to avoid Honduras on the Pacific side or El Salvador. Nicaragua is sketchy, but not with pirates coming out to get you--just with burglary while anchored inside. Skip Corinto for sure. The Pacific coast of Panama is really nice cruising--Gobernadora and Cebaco islands are remote stops to break up the journey; Pedregal, Panama is worth a look into, and a last good re-supply spot before Costa Rica which is pretty bare on supplies.
Golfito is a good harbor, though; next decent anchorage is all the way north in Santa Elena, just before the Nicaraguan border. Everything else is rolly or really far up a long, tidal bay.
Past Nicaragua, the Gulf of Fonseca is pretty neat--you can go up to San Lorenzo for supplies; Isla del Tigre is worth seeing; Conchagua is pretty cool.
Only two choices in El Salvador: Barillas and Bahia del Sol, both with frightful breaking bars to cross which require pilotage. El Salvador is a nice place to explore by bus, but I'd give it a miss if you're in a hurry.
There's only one Guatemalan port on the Pacific, and I haven't been there--it's not far from Fonseca to Puerto Madero (or Cortez, I think it's called now), where you enter the glories of Mexico.
The Sail Sarana cruising guide was newly minted when we sailed those waters--it was worth getting then. I hope they've continued updating it till now.
Which of the boats in your profile are you taking?

thanks for all the information, I was scared off El Salvador and Honduras simply because of the piracy concerns which apparently have gotten worse during covid as more people have found themselves in financially desperate situations. I'm definitely still doing lot of research! on the subject of provisioning, after I leave panama city where along the way up central america can I expect to be able to find good provisions? We'll be taking the alden boothbay challenger 58.

[Benz]

Originally Posted by frozenhawaiian

thanks for all the information, I was scared off El Salvador and Honduras simply because of the piracy concerns which apparently have gotten worse during covid as more people have found themselves in financially desperate situations. I'm definitely still doing lot of research! on the subject of provisioning, after I leave panama city where along the way up central america can I expect to be able to find good provisions? We'll be taking the alden boothbay challenger 58.

Provisions are to be found at David, Panama, just before crossing into Costa Rica; next decent spot is Mexico. Sure, there's grocery stores and bodegas and mercados and what-all, but no real bulk provisioning, the sort where you take a couple of taxi-loads back to the boat and feel like you're good for a couple months.
As for stories, rumors, and reports: my advice is to listen to nothing from anyone who didn't JUST come from there. Rumors have a way of getting out of hand. Example: until we arrived at the Panama canal, we were assured by everyone who hadn't been there that a minimum of 8 knots was the required speed or no transit would be allowed.
"We've been there before and it wasn't like that," we answered.
"Well, I heard it just changed this year."
It hadn't.