Mexico to Washington

[Trueblue22]

I am new to sailing and I see numerous YouTube videos on adventurous people who sail south down the Pacific coast to Mexico. My question is - what is the return north to Washington like? I can't find any videos on that. Does everyone just continue to sail around the world?

[HeywoodJ]

Originally Posted by Trueblue22

… Does everyone just continue to sail around the world?

It’s a lot easier that way

Both current and wind flow down the coast, so the trip back is a lot less pleasant and doesn’t make for wonderful videos. Have done it several times, but given the chance I prefer the return by way of Hawaii.

[fxykty]

The conventional and easier, though longer, way of returning from Southern California or Mexico to Washington State/British Columbia is via Hawaii.

However, you certainly can sail (or motor sail or motor) north up the coast. The worst part is probably the Baha Bash from Mexico to San Diego. Once In California, if you’ve got time, simply wait for a weather window with non-northerly winds and get to the next shelter - sometimes a day sail and sometimes an overnight. Definitely a summer time of early fall exercise - it’s starting to get late if you haven’t left the south yet.

There was a CF thread about going north a while ago so do try a search for that. Also, on YT the channel Alluring Arctic cruised their boat from Southern California to Alaska last year.

[Trueblue22]

I know I am very green but ... Via Hawaii? Why would that be? Isn't that going against the Tradewinds?

[Don C L]

Welcome aboard, Trueblue22

Yeah, no one ever makes movies of going back up, do they? (Unless they have a really powerful... and comfortable... upwind sailing machine.)
There are threads in this social group that may help answer your question:
https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...t+sailors.html

As far as the California coast most folks opt for motoring up as much as possible especially around the points in the wee hours (less wind) during good weather windows and then hanging out in anchorages or harbors until another good weather window opens up. And this would generally be from July, maybe June, to October.

Oh, and going to Hawaii is actually going with the (Northeast) tradewinds and then once there you have to climb upwind to the westerlies and get pushed by them back across.

[Don C L]

There is an article in here about going outside to go north. Page 68.
https://www.latitude38.com/issues/march-2021/

[cal40john]

My friends opted to truck or ship back up. I think they used something like this -https://www.yacht-transport.com/

[Bowdrie]

I've done the SoCal to Astoria trip, almost all singlehanded, but treated it like a long vacation, took six weeks.
Spent most nights at anchor, generally only tied up for the night at the places I stopped for fuel.
It's now getting a bit late as you get further north, each point/cape you get around brings on changes in the weather, once you're around Mendicino all bets are off as we move thru Sept, it's a day-to-day thing.
I had left SoCal the middle of Aug and ended up spending three of the six weeks holed-up in a few places due to weather.
You can't set any schedule, but when you get a window you can't dally, you go.
The prevailing winds generally come up/increase in the afternoon, so best times are made by getting underway at whatever time necessary to get that days run over before late afternoon.
Of course, with a crew things can loosen up a bit, but no one can be in a hurry.