Pacific NW to Los Angeles - ADVICE!

[aussiesailorboy]

Hi! We are (finally) purchasing an Irwin 65 ft ketch. Big boat. 78k displacement. She is in the pacific NW. we were thinking of doing some cruising up to BC.

We will need to bring her south and I hear all kinds of conflicting advise about whether to hug the coast or go far off shore.

I also am very well aware that this is not for the faint hearted.

Any advice on bringing our new baby down from the PNW to SoCal would be welcomed!

(And thoughts and advice on cruising Puget and British Columbia at’ the same time is welcomed!)

Thank you !

[Calif.Ted]

I used a pair of maps that provide waypoints for 3 routes, a harbor hopper, nearshore and offshore.
https://www.captainsnautical.com/col...-north-portion
When I've been hammered on the nearshore a friend said "Oh, you should have been offshore in those conditions". A friend got hammered bringing a PSC down offshore and his crew bailed before he got to Oregon so we had to fly a guy up to finish. I don't know the best route, never seemed to be the one I was on. It's easier to offload sick crew from nearshore instead of 200 miles off, I know that one from personal experience.

Big boat, skilled crew, fastest route is generally considered to be offshore.

[Stu Jackson]

They have written books about this stuff.

Charlies Charts and the Douglass' are good ones.

These are choices YOU have to make. No right answer.

Your boat, your choice.

What you can get here are other folks experiences. Some will be mellow, some challenging, some benign, some frightening. Just like real sailing.

Safe journey.

PS - I sailed from SF to BC in Aug-Sept 2016. All motoring. Harbor hopped. Used those books. One week each in Ft. Bragg & Lapush due to weather.