Hawaii to mainland US

[Akka]

We're about to sail from Hawaii to either San Francisco or Seattle, this month (August). We're hoping not to motor too much. I understand that the standard approach to this passage is to go north on a starboard-tack close reach, sail over the top of the West Pacific High until the wind vears, then turn right. Then as one gets further east, one is reaching toward the mainland in westerlies or south-westerlies. Is that correct? If so, how far north to sailboats ordinarily go? Which destination is easier (or faster) to get to, under sail? How long should the trip take?

[Montanan]

FYI:

https://www.cruisingworld.com/pacific-passage-planning/

Bon voyage!

[wholybee]

It will be different with every passage. You need to look at where the high is(if it is there) and how strong it is. It isn't uncommon to motor north for days before there is wind you can sail in. Other times, you can sail and not go north much at all.

[JPA Cate]

Best to leave before the end of September. There is some risk of a hurricane coming off Mexico, headed west. If it does, it may suck the high south and you can sail the NW'lies. We have done the trip, leaving from Kauai for SF only twice. The later in the year you wait, the more likely you are to ride in the NW gales. The motion was not to my liking, however, the boats we did it in were considerably shorter water line length than yours, so the motion will be different for you. The long term wind forecasts are your friend.

Ann

[carstenb]

We made the trip a few years ago - 25 days Honolulu to Port Angeles WA. Ran out of wind a couple of times- motored for 4 days through calm then ran out of fuel and laid ahull for two days

The pacific high can tease - sometimes it will spread and extend clear to japan.

[Sunsetslim]

We did that route June 2021. We got as far as 48°N before turning. Bring cold weather gear. We talked about motoring through it, at the time it would have been 100-120 hours of motoring. It was unanimous to go around and I think we put a total of 20 hours on the motor in 21 days. I'm sure you're aware it can get rowdy off the coast of CA. We were in 35kts/20' waves for the last couple days.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by carstenb

...
The pacific high can tease - sometimes it will spread and extend clear to japan.

The Great Pacific Wandering Parking Lot:
"... Day after day, day after day,
We stuck, nor breath nor motion;
As idle as a painted ship ..."
Upon a painted ocean.
~ by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’