# Sailing from British Colombia to Fiji - advice needed



## Hiroshimasunset (Jun 21, 2012)

Hi Everyone,

I'm thinking of taking a crew position on a 47ft sloop sailing from British Colombia to Fiji via the Marquesas Islands, leaving mid-may-june. I'd love to hear from anyone with experience sailing this route regarding difficulties, highlights, trip duration, considerations or suggestions.

The planned return leg from Fiji to Hawaii is planned Sep-Nov.

Thank in advance for any comments.


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## [email protected] (Jan 23, 2012)

I crewed on a 47 Fomosa Porta Vallarta to Hilo Hawaii. Boats of this size are very stable. We had force 7/8 at one point, 30-40 knots 12 foot breaking sea's. The 36 footer near us had to turn down wind and run with it, we took it out quarter no problem but a little unnerving at the time. Bring lot's books and ear plugs. We went through 60lb's of floor baking bread,cookies,cakes etc. It's boring out there most of the time. The most exciting thing each day is what's coming out of the oven! Cheers and Good Luck Dave


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## debbiedragonfly (Apr 11, 2013)

Sorry Hiro.. you'll find people on here who don't have anything relevant to your posting love to put "their experience" up for everyone to see even if it's not valid to your problem... just so they can see their name in print so to speak.


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## delite (Nov 2, 2009)

Debbie after reading your other posts on your crew thread I can say your fiance must be happy he's half a world away. Wish I was with him


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## debbiedragonfly (Apr 11, 2013)

yes.. thankyou for the shot, guess you're as "mature" as others are calling me. I'll be sure to let him know when I see him next week... oh yea.. along with the two crew whom we're NOT paying.. and will be joining us.. so I guess you're not all that smart after all and should keep your "opininons" to yourself unless ASKED.


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## delite (Nov 2, 2009)

You may want to check the attitude before boarding. 2 weeks in a confined space can be problematic if people cant get along. You dont know the crew and they may take exception to your clearly stellar interpersonal and conflict resolution skills and accidentally jibe while your lecturing them from the wrong position on the boat and your fiance is sleeping.


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## Dog Ship (Sep 23, 2011)

Attitude is everything Debbie. 
I would rather have inexperienced crew that I get along with rather than someone who has experience and has a bad attitude. 
With the attitude you have expressed here you will be at best, lucky to find crew, and if you do find crew you are in for a huge learning curve about attitude and dealing with people. With what I have read in your posts I am going to predict that you and your fiance' will find yourselves alone or dead.
May I suggest paying your crew then you will have some right to maintain your bitchiness towards them. 
Good luck with that.


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## Omatako (Sep 14, 2003)

Hiroshimasunset said:


> I'm thinking of taking a crew position on a 47ft sloop sailing from British Colombia to Fiji via the Marquesas Islands, leaving mid-may-june. I'd love to hear from anyone with experience sailing this route regarding difficulties, highlights, trip duration, considerations or suggestions.


I haven't sailed from BC but I did the trip from San Diego to Marquesas, that took me 24 days. It's a whole lot further from BC (about 1000nm further) so expect a long time at sea assuming you're sailing direct - be sure you get along with the other folks on the boat. If you're not sailing direct and have stops in the US and/or Mexico, then you don't have enough time for this trip.

From Marquesas to Fiji is milk-run stuff with lots of opportunities to stop in beautiful places. Discuss this with the boat owner because most of the fun of this trip is in the stops and if the owner is planning a whistle-stop trip then for me, the extended trip from BC to the Marquesas is not worth it.

On our trip we left San Diego 2nd June stopped only three places for short breathers (Marquesas, Bora Bora, Raratonga) and made New Zealand 10th August. So leaving BC for Fiji in June and sailing back Fiji to Hawaii in September doesn't leave a whole lot of time for R&R stops along the way. But I guess if you enjoy the ocean passages more than the stops (some folks do ) then that's OK.



Hiroshimasunset said:


> The planned return leg from Fiji to Hawaii is planned Sep-Nov.


Again my opinion only but any trip from the west Pacific back to the US (assuming that's the overall return trip strategy) is going to be tough. It is against all the natural systems (trades, current, etc) and few cruisers do it - many sell their boats in Australasia or the wealthy ship boats back to the US. Most continue on their way westwards.

And the Pacific is not a place for sissies from November to April.


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## delite (Nov 2, 2009)

Sorry but Debbie dumbass was just trolling for crew, not actually looking. Nobody could stand to spend 15 minutes with her, never mind 2-3 weeks


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## mark2gmtrans (May 14, 2013)

well I would not have figured she would be on this thread too, but I would have figured that the attitude would not have gotten better haha


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