Sailing NORTH along California coast

[Don C L]

I've been compiling threads regarding the west coast of U.S., B.C. and Mexico in this social group:
https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...t+sailors.html

some good info and resources in there.

[Stu Jackson]

A RESURRECTED THREAD


Since my two posts on page 1 of this thread, I actually made the trip and have posted my log on many other topics of this subject. Might as well add it to this one, since it's come up again.


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I've posted our log (with charts & photos) here:

Travels with Aquavite: San Francsico Bay to British Columbia 2016

Photos are under some of the later months' tabs, click on the month to expand to see the photo listings.


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Tacoma, there are places to stop between your selections. I used them and made one day hops. Westport to Neah Bay can be broken at Lapush, a lively entrance, though, and often filled with tuna boats; we were lucky in 2016 that because of the change to fishing that year the tuna boats weren't there since their fuel wouldn't allow them to get out and back after they moved the fishing line further west. Call ahead, still a long day from Grays.


Those places in between are in my log, like Crescent City, Salmon River,Ilwaco (Columbia River), and others. There are charts of our track and stops, too.



gamayun is right about tacking angles, so noted by George Benson. His book is OK, his narrative was much better, but has been removed from his website. I downloaded it years ago, pm me if you want a copy. But it can be done in daily hops, no over-nighters.

Originally Posted by TacomaSailor

A couple observations:

Noyo River to Eureka 95 NM
Eureka to Brookings 76 NM
Brookings to Coos Bay 99 NM
Coos Bay to Newport 78 NM
Newport to Westport 140 NM
Westport to Neah Bay 114 NM

Assume you can make 4 knots into the swell and wind waves (if you can't you probably should not be out there!) the only legs that are more than 24-hours are the northern two at 35 hours and 29 hours.

The NE Pacific weather forecasting is good enough that you can have a lot of confidence in a 48-hour forecast. So, wait in port till you get a good 2-day forecast and head out with due haste.

Patience and attention to forecasts it key to a safe and not-too-miserable trip up the coast.

Originally Posted by gamayun

I'd motor the whole way unless you had really strong southerlies. Tacking to windward and any kind of sea state allow almost no forward progress when sailing north, and those port tacks will be toward a lee shore unless you're a ways offshore, which would then take a long time to run for shelter, if that was desired. As others have said, I suggest choosing wisely on your weather windows, making sure you have a solid motor with sufficient fuel, and making long (2-day) hops between ports to reassess weather and refuel/recover, if needed.

[Bowdrie]

I've made the trip from Newport Beach to Astoria, (and back again,) almost entirely single-handed in the late Summer/early Fall.
Spent 6 weeks on the trip North, but 3 weeks of that were waiting in 3 different ports for a weather window, (Bodega, Newport, and Coos Bay).
Yes, you can day-sail that trip, stopping each day, and leaving at such times that will give you a reasonable assurance of reaching your next port/anchorage before nightfall.
I had no electronics except for hand-held GPS and an ancient Sat-Nav, (which worked perfectly, and in some cases was more accurate than my early GPS units were,) oh, a VHF too.
Spent one night at the little-known, (less well known?) anchorage of Pfeiffer Cove, (and got the Pfeiffer Cove Yacht Club tee-shirt).
Humbolt Bay was a very "exciting" ride in, wrong tide and smallish breakers but not bad enough to close the bar.
The Columbia bar gets all the notoriety, but the Humbolt bar is considered by many to be more dangerous because the entrance is so narrow, no room for error.
Note: when SHTF the Coos Bay bar is usually the last to close.
Was hove-too outside Newport for a night, the CG had closed the bar and by morning there were several vessels waiting to get in.
The CG escorted groups of 3>4 in at a time, huge swells, but not breaking.
If you've got the time, you can have a decent trip, but the periods of good weather get fewer and further apart between from ~Oct. > ~March.
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"

[JPA Cate]

For people new to the idea of coastal cruising in Calif., I'd like to underscore some things.

Delivery skippers tend to think in terms of looking for light winds or winds from astern, which facilitate a motoring trip north, and being able to deliver the vessel in undisturbed condition.

Those of us who were using their boats for sailing vacations, generally would sail south, straight through (to take advantage of the South setting current and prevailing wind directions.) Our northbound trips both took the inshore route where the seas are not as steep, and allowed an overnight sleep--in a 30 ft. boat with a 25 ft. waterline,

It is very doable, and it is all sailable in a well found, weatherly boat. Expect to be tired by the end of the day. In the dark hours we stayed outside, seawards, of all hazards. [This was before GPS and Satnav.] For helping with sleeping, we would only tack once during someone's off watch, and if the onshore tack was the preferred tack, we wouldn't tack inshore till well past the middle of their off watch. It is import to stay rested because it is when you're most tired you make poorer decisions.

I guess it was about 2 yrs. ago that mvweebles and I had a long going argument in one of these northbound between SD and SF threads, here [use the CF Custom Google search under the Search button] because the strategies he proposed that worked well for him for going north, were so very far from my own experiences. It's not just "horses for courses", but it is also that being on a cruising and sailing vacation has different goals from earning a living, too!

Ann

[davefromoregon]

Travels with Aquavite: San Francsico Bay to British Columbia 2016

San Francisco to British Columbia.

[Lepke]

I've run north and south in northern coastal waters for many years in a fishing boat. As swells get close to shore they get bigger and closer together because of the shallow water.

Going north, if you stay 25 miles offshore and in 1000 fathoms or more you get a better ride in smaller swells, and you go faster for the same amount of power. If you're going a long distance, is better to just stay at sea and not close the coast until your destination. Stay 25 miles from major headlands like Point Arena, Mendocino, etc. Summer is the only time it's easy to plan port to port jumps.

[schiehser]

I’ve sailed the trip north from San Francisco to Seattle 4 times in winter. Most times I’m able to ride behind a storm which often bring nice southerly winds. Biggest challenge is avoiding the crab traps at night. You have to go way out in water over 600 feet (often many miles) to avoid. I usually just keep close watch and steer around them. Many great harbors to stop in (Crescent City, Bandon, Newport and Westport are my favorites). Be aware that if the swell is above about 8 feet (depending on direction) most of the harbor entrances are deadly, closed by USCG and they don’t let people in or out. I agree with others that you really don’t want to sail straight into the northerly winds on this trip, the current along with wind and the slamming make it brutal and unforgiving. Wait for the right wind/swell combo and you’re fine.
Mike
2016 Leopard 44