Pacific Crossing

[DefinitelyMe]

Originally Posted by Neale

Damn, I thought I was allowing plenty of time. OK, since time will not be an issue for us, how long would suggest (give us time to "meander")?

How long is a piece of string? :-)

Something like cyclone season 1 in FP. Cyclone season 2 in NZ having come down from Tonga. Cyclone season 3 in OZ having visited Fiji, Vanuatu, New Cal etc. Tonga is big, Fiji is bigger and Vanuatu is up there too. Could easily spend a season in each. We tried to get from FP to Cooks, Niue, Tonga, Fiji and then down to NZ in one season. Ended up skipping Fiji for lack of time and still felt a bit rushed. Each to his or her own though. The ARC boats do it super-fast and they have a good time doing it. Depends on the experience you’re going for I suppose.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Neale

Well, after much badgering, pleading, encouraging and persistence, my wife is starting to warm to the idea of a Pacific crossing. I am thinking of the following route:

California to Hawaii
Hawaii to Marquesas
Marquesas to Tahiti
Tahiti to Cook Islands
Cook Islands to New Zealand
Spend cyclone season in NZL
NZL to Tonga
Tonga to Fiji
Fiji to Vanuatu
Vanuatu to Australia (probably Gold Coast)

This we'd plan to complete in around 18 months.

Does anyone have any suggestions for alternatives to that route? May be must sees that I've missed or places to skip.

Regards,

Neale

Well, we did that, sort of. There are a lot of routes you can take and stops you can make. You need to decide whether your focus is on getting to all these places or staying a while and seeing the culture and sights.

Washington to Mexico (via Vancouver Island)
Stay a year in Mexico
Mexico to Marquesas
Marquesas to Tahiti via Tuamotus
Cruise ALL of the Societies
Tahiti to Samoa
Samoa to Fiji
Cruise ALL of Fiji
Fiji to New Zealand
Stay 18 mos in New Zealand
NZL to Tonga
Cruise ALL of Tonga
Tonga to Fiji
Cruise ALL of Fiji, again
Fiji to Vanuatu
Vanuatu to New Caledonia
New Caledonia to Australia, Townsville
28 months

We hurried to Fiji for a race, and could have stopped at some more places. after that we slowed down. During our circumnavigating we stayed several places for over a year. Took 18 years to circumnavigate. Still didn't get everywhere.

Go slow.

[roverhi]

There are very few boats that can lay the Marquesas from Hawaii. Would do Hawaii on the way back. SD to the Marquesas is fair wind sail just a bit long. Stayed in the Marquesas for six months and would've stayed a year if we'd had the visa. Tuamotus have super diving and and a ton of atolls so could've spent a bunch of time there. Wasn't impressed with a Tahiti and the Isle Sous le Vent, too many cruisers, but a lot of boats spend months there. .

A lot of cruisers hit Mexico in November after the hurricane season and leave for the Marquesas at the end of the Southern Ocean Cyclone season in April. Spend a year in French Polynesia and either head north to Hawaii or west to Tonga/Fiji in April/May then south to NZ in late October. You can bounce back and forth between Tonga/Fiji or farther west or head north back home from NZ.

Unless the cruise is only to punch tickets in your bucket list wouldn't try to do half your itinerary in 18 months.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by Discovery 15797

If you are heading to the SoPac islands I would recommend skipping HI and go

California --> Mexico / Panama
Mexico/Panama --> Marquesas

I think you'll find sailing conditions a bit better compared to a CA to HI to Marquesas route.

Unless they want to go to Mexico & Panama there’s no reason to go those routes.

Jumping off from Cabo’s shortens the passage by about 200nm compared to San Diego but involves an extra 700nm to get there.

Jumping from Panama adds about 1000nm plus the distance from San Diego.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Adelie

Unless they want to go to Mexico & Panama there’s no reason to go those routes.

Jumping off from Cabo’s shortens the passage by about 200nm compared to San Diego but involves an extra 700nm to get there.

Jumping from Panama adds about 1000nm plus the distance from San Diego.

In my experience sailing west from Panama is tough. It is below the trade wind belt and getting south to the SE trades can be either a slog or several days (or weeks) light wind conditions. Unless you want to go to the Galapagos, I'd say don't bother. Getting to the trades is quicker from Mexico (from CA you're going to go south anyhow) and the ITCZ is usually narrower out at about 125 degrees or west of there.

[barnakiel]

It is 100% OK to stop in Hawaii before crossing S to FP. No problem from the winds and currents point of view. Not difficult if your boat sails fine.


b.

[JPA Cate]

^^^^^

We have only left California for the So. Pacific twice. Both times we went to Mexico, the first time, left in the beginning of April; the second, in early March. Straight from Cabo to the Marquesas.

The route from Hawaii, from Oahu, usually is better to Tahiti than to the Marquesas, due to the SE trade winds, and I would sail to HI another time, and not take the time out of the journey to the Marquesas, Tuamotus, and the Iles Sous Le Vent. All are worth stopping at, and having a look-see. We took our departures from BoraBora both times. The first, was back to HI and then CA. The next was off past Maupiti, towards the Cook Is, Beveredge Reefs, then Tonga. Tonga to NZ is easy. Can also do Fiji and New Caledonia to NZ.

I would say if you want to go to Vanuatu, then New Caledonia, it is easier in a boat with good capability for sailing to windward, and ditto the NC to NZ leg.