Hawaii to West Coast in Jan?

[Sand crab]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

One thing I would say is find out when crabbing season is and try to go before or after it, I was lucky and missed it but apparently it's a nightmare.

Washington commercial crab season runs between Dec 1 thru Sept 15 although these dates can change. Recreational crab season is year round in the Pacific. In Puget Sound there are seasons and/or closures depending on the area.

[Dauntlessny]

"
If I average around 7.5kts, quite doable on this boat, motor sailing when necessary, should be able to do in around 12 days or less.
7-day forecast can accurately predict the weather about 80% of the time, 5-day 90%, 10-day 50%"

This is your problem. Those numbers are NOT for the mid-oceans.

I wouldn't trust any forecast past 3 days on the open ocean.
Lows can move 500nm a day. Unless you can outrun them, you are at thier mercy.

[Michael Pope]

One more quick piece of advice. You have mentioned the size of the boat and it being able to maintain 10 knots. The Matson boats the most frequent travellers out there cruise at 22 knots and they try and dodge the storm centres. Most of the North Pacific winter lows I have tracked were moving at 12 to 18 knots but not all. To effectively dodge a low you need at least 1.5 times their speed as they are hundreds of miles wide. Most Auto pilots give up in large (Wave height = LWL) wave conditions and your crew gets too cold and too tired to be safe at the wheel. Ahmen

[imacad]

Originally Posted by ryantrollip

I laid out my rational, was hoping you would punch holes in it
Mostly agree with you it's the worst time of year
But there does seem to be enough of a forecast window to make a run for it, unless I'm missing something?

Preparing your will and last testament.

[Red Sky]

Ryan, Win, lose or draw...come back and let us know what happens.

Good luck.

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by ryantrollip

Starting to get the feeling you guys don't like the idea

Ya think?
Here's the current East Pacific Satellite Loop.
I'm posting this in the nicest stretch of weather the PNW for October and early November I can remember.
I have lived in Western Washington for 70 years.



http://images.intellicast.com/WxImag..._None_anim.gif

[Rex Delay]

If you proceed with this plan, do the honorable thing and disable all communications such as radio and EPIRB so as not to endanger any others when things go very bad.

[Yoty]

Perfect planing prevents piss poor performance.
We set forth from The Sounds to Wellington, forecast 25kts western Straits. 25 miles to sail. A doddle in summer.
Night crossing, wind rose to 40+ kts with gusts to 75 !!
The yacht, a 40 x 30 ft trimaran (Majando).
Leeward hull playing submarine, windward hull flying waaay too high!
We were at the ready to loose the ship.
The weather piped up, not forseen by Met Service.
Attended a talk given by then Director of Met Service. He said we can accurately forecast half a day ahead. One day out, yer takes ya chances,
four days out, you're on your own. This is winter he's talking about.
I suggest you take some experienced crew with you to stave off fatigue and sleeplessness.

[carstenb]

Well we don't have the wild plan this fellow does. We're lying Nuku Hiva and planning to leave on tuesday for hawaii. The season is right and the forecasts seem ok, although there are some monster lows heading across the pacific and getting as far south as hawaii. I do know that weather forecasting a couple of weeks out si a crap shoot - but it looks like there might be a break in the lows about the time we get close to hawaii.

If not, we'll have to and wait for a window to get in.

Our planning to make the run to Sitka in June next year.

Anybody have any comments on these plans?

we're known as old sailors, not bold sailors and we certainly are going to continue to be that way

[HansChristian33]

Have you guys need to recognise a Troll when you see one. This guy has no Trimaran and isn't sailing anywhere he is sitting behind a keyboard somewhere dreaming.