Hawaii to SE Alaska ?

[sv_amber]

Has anyone made a passage from Hawaii to southeast Alaska or other areas of the Pacific NW? When is the best time of year to depart, and how many total days might be expected if under sail only? Also, what would be the best route to catch favorable winds and currents? Any other advice would be wecome. Thanks!

[jrd22]

Never done it but have researched it a bit. Advice I got was to go straight north to about 50N, then take a right. Another guy I read about went north to the Aleutians then down the coast of Alaska, kind of depends on where you want to hit the continent. It's usually a rough go to weather most of the way North, if you head East to Juan de Fuca at about 50N hopefully you'll be on a reach for that leg.

[SkiprJohn]

jrd22 is close. You need to start at Hanalei in late June, early July and and not later than 1 August. 350 deg magnetic or on a close reach starboard tack until you can do true North and continue to Latitude 45 to 47 and keep going North until the wind is steadily on your port quarter then head East until you hit land. Your course will look like a big hook with the straight part being your northing out of Hawaii.
Don't be so concerned about your course as about the wind directions you encounter. If you turn toward the coast too early you'll run into the North Pacific High and be becalmed. That's ok if you have 200 gallons of fuel but not if you are sailing. Once you start your course East you'll have the wind behind you. Pay attention to the currents when you start heading into the coast. They will push you off course a bit unless you copensate with a bit extra northing.
Kind regards,
JohnL

[dana-tenacity]

Left Ala Wai in June, 21 days to Sitka in a 32ft Cav. without pushing very hard. Go north till the wind shifts, pretty easy trip. But it does get colder!