Vancouver to Mexico

[webejammin]

I sailed from San Diego to the pre Baha HaHa party at 2 Harbors on Caralina Island last Oct, put on by Latts and Att's magizine and the Port Royal Yacht Club and talking with some folks that just had sailed south from the Oregon coast. One storm had such high winds it over spun a brand new wind generator because it came on so quickly he could not turn it off, also his wind stearing was damaged by big waves and the guy was sailing a 50 foot ketch. I would recomend leaving in late August or first of Sept. for a more plesent trip. Good luck

[zeehag]

would not recommend sailing here in aug thru oct-- hurrycames are more then than at this part of year, according to the fishermen of this region..... i would either wait until 2 weeks post baja haha or go when i did----early april..lol-- and i was told i left at wrong time--i caught 60 kt winds north of cabo-- made our sail great at 8+ kts..LOL.. after cabo was no wind at all-- northers didnt happen this year....we also caught prefrontals and used to our advantage from sd to ensenada--- the storm was not a good one-- we went into ensenada for that-- was better inside at a dock-- had hail and high winds....

[cwyckham]

Originally Posted by cruisincanucks

We are getting the vessel prepped and ready for the trip. Our loose plan is to be in and around the PV for Xmas time. If anyone has some paper charts of the trip from Vancouver to Mexico we are interested in purchasing as we like to have paper charts for back-up and route planning.

You can download free PDF booklet charts from NOAA and print them out. I just did the trip and that's what we used for backup to the gazillion gps and chartplotters on board.

[AquaticUrsidae]

See you out there cruisin canuks, we are hoping to slip the lines early september, making the same journey. The excitement is building as is the pile of stuff on our livingroom floor.
Seabear

[SalishCraig]

We'll be sailing south from Seattle to San Diego starting Sept 4th. We plan to sail offshore about 50 miles from Cape Flattery, then south paralleling the coast to San Francisco with no stops.

Storm season begins Oct 1st in the Pacific Northwest. Dangerous wind storms have rolled into Seattle as early as Oct. 12th (Columbus Day Storm). If you can head out sooner you'll have a better chance of missing the start of storm season.

[Paul L]

Leaving earlier than Oct is good advice. The problem with leaving that late is that if you get hung up waiting for a weather window or for mechanical issues, it is easy to see Oct drift into mid Oct and then slide into late Oct. This puts you in a situation of then having to really wait out weather windows --- circular reasoning.
I've gone down 4 times leaving from early Aug to mid-Sept. Last trip we left the third week of Aug. It is pretty easy to break the trip into 3 two day passages. Neah Bay to Newport, Newport to Eureka or Crescent City, then onto a Drakes Bay and into San Fran.

[senormechanico]

I've done the trip twice. First in late August, second time in mid Sept.
Oct is pushing it. You don't want Southerlies.

[zeehag]

leaving san diego for mexico is best in late oct to early feb, as hurrycame season here in mexico doesnt end until nov, and worst of it is sept-oct.

[Geoduck]

Howdy!
I was a commercial fisherman - salmon and tuna troller - up and down the coast from Calif to Alaska for 25 years or so.
I've sailed up from Mexico several times (wrong direction!) Nobody seems to want to do it so they paid me to do it when I was in my youth.
I guess you could say I've been there - done that.
Sept 15 is as late as I would want to go down because of the chance of getting nailed by southerlies. If you have to go late - wait untill feb. Usually a calm stretch during feb.
I would suggest you go out off the 100 fath edge to avoid crad pots.
I also recomend you spend $250.00 for an I-phone and down load NavX. You will get every coast chart there is for $50!!! Hell of a deal!! GPS plotter, phone, weather maps, compass, ship locator, etc., etc. and you can plug the phone into your Mac laptop.
Best money I ever spent!
Have a good trip-
Geoduck

[Cheechako]

Oct is pushing it. Depends on the year. You can do final outfitting in San Diego. Leave earlier...

[Livia]

Hello from fellow Canucks - hope to see you in Mexico.

One bit of advice we've picked up from people harbour hopping down the coast is that you might plan for a lot of motoring (and the consequent diesel) because you usually want light winds for crossing the bar and thus you have...light winds with your swell between harbours.

We're leaving from Tofino on the next weather window we like.

Cheers, Livia

[rubyjean]

Making the trip from the Columbia River tomorrow at noon. Good Luck, see ya down south...Michael & Wayward Wench

[Caribsailors]

If you are a Yacht Club member in CDN keep it if you are cruising! I had more doors open around the world from my inland Yacht Club membership than I could imagine. We got free moorage at Long Beach YC for 2 days before 2000, and were most welcomed. Barcelona and the Cruising Sailors of Australia welcomed us. To me it just a nice comfort zone in a foreign land to regroup if you need it.....

Cheers

If your B&R from VYC I'm Destiny's former owner PM me if you want

[zeehag]

anyone coming to mazatlan-- stop by --we go for cheepo tacos or something and compare trip stories...i should be in old harbor by the time ye get here-- unless ye all go to sea of cortez....

[zeehag]

sailing at sea with winds over 35 kts is a fact not a potential, especially on pacific. heavy boats can handle it-- figure out how to handle it --i made it alive thru up to 80 kts at sea--in different places and different boats--is far easier in a heavy boat than in a performance cruiser.
north of cabo can be windy--we got 60 kts --was a good ride and we hit 8+ kts of boat speed. under jib n jigger, both reefed , was a gas.
lightning wont hit ye unless you invite it to do so, as far as i can see--i sailed in it for a yr and didnt die or get hit--yet.... and isnt much of that nonsense on west coast until you get to southern waters which are warm and so is air. a lil cold air comes into mix and boom-- tstorms. free light show and tympany music nightly. is a great relief to the heavy humidity and hot sunny days.
i do not dock if i can help it unless i am hiding from named storms--i dont like those much--prefer to hide from em.
wine or a beer helps to rid one of the shamefulness felt when making fool of self in public--a great sense of humor also helps...laugh with em and have a great time.
\after all, everyone has been there and done that by the second anchorage on the trip.
have fun and smoooooooth sailing!
come join me for a taco or something if ye make it to mazatlan before i leave this fall

before named storm season ends is still safe to go as far as turtle bay as storms with names do not like cold water. cold water lasts until almost mag bay. watch your window for weather and have fun. if you do not wish to provision in sd, ensenada is a decent place to do that-- there is costco and walmart and all those as well as soriana and mega, two good mexican supermarkets.
\
if you need meds with sudafed in--buy them in usa as mexico does not have those anywhere--is illegal to sell in mexico anything with sudafed in it.
also fancy feast and some other pet foods donot make it to mexico.