Marshall Islands

[Kapena]

Savior...The other boat left at the same time I did, he doing the north route, over the high pressure, to Seattle, me doing the equator route to Hawaii. I took 60 days to Hawai'i. I own a catamaran, sailed 200+ miles each day but averaged only 45 miles a day towards destination. Note the disparity in time is for a stop in Fanning Island.
The other boat (monohull) passed the Longitude for Hawai'i after 75 days at sea (no stops).
This is not an easy sail, and very few people have done it. El MeloNiso will never find a boat in Majuro doing this.

[savoir]

There has to be a story behind that 75 days. Something is wrong.

[daddle]

Originally Posted by Kapena

...a catamaran, sailed 200+ miles each day but averaged only 45 miles a day towards destination....monohull passed the Longitude for Hawai'i after 75 days at sea....very few people have done it. El MeloNiso will never find a boat in Majuro doing this.

I can understand the catamaran only making 45 mile per day good. The current, seas (tired cruiser sails) and headwinds conspire with a fat pointing angle (70 degrees?). But the monohull taking 75 days the cross the longitude of Hawaii from the Marshalls. Hard to believe. One could reach the Aleutians sailing only 35 miles per day for 75 days. The top of the high is always closer than that.

Never?...I'll be doing it in a few months...stay tuned...

[savoir]

Well daddle I still think it's doable. Maybe the 75 day boat was a shallow draft, long keeled thingy that can only point 55 on a good day. Maybe he sailed into the high which can sit directly North of Hawaii. Maybe he tried it off season and got pounded. During summer a voyage of 40 - 60 days to Seattle is quite realistic.

I was in Majuro in May 2007 and the trades were blowing 080 at 15 - nnnnniice ! The swells in Hawaii were around 10ft but by Majuro they were down to 4ft. The easiest passage of my life was Hawaii - Majuro, 14 days of all downhill interspersed only with the occasional gybe. 1 day of no wind + 1 day of high wind, which was only 25. Eeeezzzzeeee ! ! !

Leave Majuro in May or June, set a nice comfy close reach angle of 50 or so and head North on a lonnngg starboard dig ( Majuro is 7N ). The breeze should start to change around 35 - 40N allowing you to ease a little. By 45N you should be able to ease a lot and sail downhill for 20 -25 days aaallll the way to Seattle.

While I do not dispute your 75 day story kapena, there is an important piece missing from the puzzle. I agree that you might sit in Majuro for 2 months waiting for a ride in that direction.

[daddle]

Originally Posted by savoir

Well daddle I still think it's doable.

You are correct. Sailing really slow, sailing into the center of the high, could certainly make a long trip.

The skipper I know who has sailed Hawaii to North America maybe 50 times says to follow the top of the high around primarily on wind speed. As the wind fades sail north, as it builds ease west. Doesn't even use GRIBs. If the unseen high jogs northwest he gets bit though since it's hard to sail out of a fading breeze. That's when the diesel gets burned.