# Honolulu to Seattle- when?



## jrd22 (Nov 14, 2000)

Hi, we are buying a boat in Honolulu and need to get it to Seattle at some point. I'm wondering if anyone that has done the trip could give me some advice about what time of year is best, and more importantly if now(1st Nov.) is out of the question. We have options as far as leaving it there until April or later and then making the trip, but it will be expensive to leave it there. Any advice is appreciated, also about moorage or dry storage options in HI. Thanks in advance, John


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## RandyonR3 (Oct 2, 2005)

*Up And Over*

Done the trip, a few years ago, The best time is in late summer or early fall when you can predict the Pacific High but this year it seams It really has'nt settled in for any length of time.. This has been an odd season. 
Another waty to get it back is to ship it. I've known many that have done the Single Handed Trans Pac and most have the boats brought back on a boat. I do know that you have to provide a trailer or a cradle for the boat.. one woman I know had borrowed a trailer here in the San Francisco area and had the trailer brought over and the boat brought back on the trailer. 
You may find someone in the Seattle area to loan you a cradle..


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## CharlieCobra (May 23, 2006)

It's a beat and I mean BEAT from Hawaii to Seattle, no fun at all. Many folks go to Alaska first and then down the inside passage instead. Now is definately not the time of year to go and Randy's right. This year's been strange already and the bad weather is here earlier than normal this year. There's currently a standing watch for an overdue, singlhanded Aquarius 21 enroute from Hawaii to Ketchikan with Seattle as an alternate. Not the time of year to be mucking about off the PNW coast.


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## jrd22 (Nov 14, 2000)

Thanks for the replies and info. 
Randy- when did you go and how was it? Would you do it again? I know it will likely be upwind all the way, but I'm wondering if going about due N from Hawaii for about 1000NM and then cutting E would make it a better, if not shorter, trip? I'm looking into having it shipped but I think will be very expensive(25K?) Thanks again, John


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## CharlieCobra (May 23, 2006)

You could always hire a professional delivery captain.


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## jrd22 (Nov 14, 2000)

Charlie- If I don't have it shipped this winter I will probably wait until late spring and bring it over myself (hopefully). At this time I hate the idea of not doing the trip myself, I might feel differently after I do it. I'm just getting familiar with the different options available and respective costs and time involved. I'm torn between getting the boat home soon and having a sailboat in Hawaii for the winter to go and use. Life is hard, eh? John


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## CharlieCobra (May 23, 2006)

Yeah, it could be worse.


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## Slooptattoo (Aug 4, 2007)

Your estimate for shipping seems extremely high unless you are quoting a service like dock express which is a drive on drive off fast transport. If you have a cradle built at a local carpentry shop and the boat shipped as deck cargo it should become much more reasonable. The return trip from HI is a total windward bore. I'd check on the cargo ships myself, but I'm not very adventurous anymore, nor do I like to slam and slam and slam to windward for that many miles. Good luck with your boat, it should be a ball.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

jrd22 said:


> Hi, we are buying a boat in Honolulu and need to get it to Seattle at some point. I'm wondering if anyone that has done the trip could give me some advice about what time of year is best, and more importantly if now(1st Nov.) is out of the question. We have options as far as leaving it there until April or later and then making the trip, but it will be expensive to leave it there. Any advice is appreciated, also about moorage or dry storage options in HI. Thanks in advance, John


I have done this trip and lived and sailed in hawaiian waters for 12 years. You do no want to leave at this time. You want to leave in summeras a previous stated email. If you cannot get the time off you can hire a qualified skipper to sail the boat to Seattle for you. Shipping is an option but that is very expensive. You need to get this boat ready to sail the open ocean if you have not sailed the ocean before or the boat is new to you. You may want to store it in dry dock. Took me 3 months and more to plan the crossing. Not sure if Keehi has a dry dock any more. You may be able to get temporary moorage in Keehi, Waianae, Kaneohe Marinas. 
Good Luck and fair winds and stay off the coast this time of year.
Annie


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Haven't done this trip myself, but have discussed it with many who have. Most seem to take your suggested track, basically 17-18 days on stbd tack due north, tack on the 49th parallel and head for Juan de Fuca. It's a long slog to be sure.

Definitely not a november december thing.

You giving up on your beloved NS 34????


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## jrd22 (Nov 14, 2000)

Faster- we put an offer in on a Brewer 40 PH (I've been looking for a long time) and it was accepted, so we are going over to be there when the survey is done next week. If all goes well we'll be cruising in your beautiful BC next summer with it. I'm partners with my brother in the Northsea, so it will stay in the family at least. Thanks for the info. on the trip home, I have a lot of homework to do! Sounds easy though, two tacks, remember to turn East at 49, and I'm home) John


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

From now until late spring is dangerous weather along the Northern Pacific coast. Do not come now. A Canadian couple died off the Oregon coast a year or two ago taking their boat down to California, they left at the wrong time and were caught in some nasty weather.

Google the Victoria (BC) to Maui race to figure out a good time in terms of weather - I think it is the last week in June they leave. You might even go to their site and see if you can come up with an email or two of the skippers that are in it and ask for a recommendation of how to sail your boat up here. Remember if they sailed their boat to Maui, they have to get it back.

http://holoholo.org/waterway/ww980711.html

http://www.bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=16316

Choose a boat name on this web site, then you will see its plot in the Vic to Maui race:

http://www.fistracking.com/vic/2006/

The Oriole, a Canadian Forces Navy training vessel has usually entered this race; I lived on this boat for a week in my Navy Officer Training days&#8230; back&#8230;ah&#8230; a few decades or more:

http://www.navy.forces.gc.ca/cms_news/news_e.asp?category=7&id=145


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## GeorgeB (Dec 30, 2004)

What shipping lines ship between Hawaii and the mainland? I know that APL and Matson do it through the Ports of Oakland and Richmond Ca. What shippers go to Seattle and Los Angeles? APL/Matson are containerized carriers and you will need to lease an open frame container for shipment. I know of several boats shipped that way after the '05 Pacific Cup so there is probably loads of experience in Hawaii in prepping a boat for shipment. The costs are a bit pricey and a slightly (cheaper?) alternative is to hire a delivery skipper and crew.


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## jrd22 (Nov 14, 2000)

rsn48 & GeorgeB- thanks for the info. and suggestions. After I was intitially told by the broker that a delivery crew could take it now I checked NOAA weather. Having lived in Seattle forever, I seriously questioned who in their right mind would attempt it now. NOAA reported a storm with hurricane force winds several hunderd miles off the WA coast, 55-65K with swells of 24'(at 12 seconds!) and wind waves of 10'-12'. Needless to say I've pretty much discounted any thought of my sailing the boat (or anyone else) until at least May and preferably June. I have talked to Northland Sevices here in Seattle and it looks like the total cost would be around $15-20K and a delivery crew would be about 12K or so. Surveys and sea trial are this Thursday/Friday, so we'll see what happens after that. I would really like to bring it over myself if I can find the time next year. Thanks for the links to the Vic-Maui boats, good idea. John


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

John, I know very little about what I am going to describe to you, so you know what that makes me....? Yep, an expert. So I want you to help out in the visual display by acquiring one pencil, one sheet of paper and one quarter. Now on the paper draw two vertical lines rough three inches tall and about two inches across from each other. In the middle of these two lines, insert the quarter.

As you turn the quarter, slowly clockwise pay attention to the winds the edge of the quarter generates. The quarter represents the Pacific High, also known as the "parking lot" in this excellent (lol!) illustration. You will notice the winds going down the North American side, represented by the right vertical line, and up the other Western Coast on the other side.

In the Victoria to Maui race, the winner is the one who usually best anticipates where the high (your quarter) is going to be as it moves around a wee bit. So you will see that a straight line run from Victoria to Maui will take you right through the "parking lot" - the middle of the quarter. So the racers will try to stay on the edge of the high, swinging over to Hawaii at the appropriate time.

Your problem is the reverse. Now the "parking lot" is good for a) ending a marriage b) learning a new language c) learning a new musical instrument - this one might lead to (a). Assuming you don't wish to accomplish a, b, or c, you are perhaps best served by avoiding the Pacific High if you can (and you may not for a day or two, as you will see if you watch the crappy video I have included at the end of this link).

So again looking at the winds created by the slowing moving quarter, you will quickly appreciate that if you sail back to the North American side, you will be beating into the wind. The only good thing about "beating" is scarring the crap out of newbies, beating can ruin a perfectly good drink.

So looking at the quarter, you are best to go up the left side of the quarter (as you stare at it). This means the winds will roughly be coming over the ass end of your boat as you go up. But as you get to the "top" you will making a right hand turn (turn to starboard) and following along the top of the quarter. Once you roughly hit Alaska, you will be following the quarter downward to your beloved Seattle (which gets more rain than Vancouver I have been told - I feel sorry for you).

So your sail plan will be a roughly inverted (upside down) J, flipped over. This route will be more comfortable, keep your marriage in tact, deny you the opportunity to learn a new language or musical instrument. When you get back to Seattle, you can go to your yacht club and say - "I'm the man, I sailed all over the frigging Pacific." You can regale the club members with your sailing adventures.

I included this video in the Oregon coast thread; it is a crappy (poor visually) but good video on one of the boats racing from Victoria to Maui; its about 40 minutes long. For you, a good 40 minutes as it will raise all the issues you will need to face, except in reverse. You will note they tried to avoid the parking lot and I think they get caught in it for 24 hours or so, memory fails me. There is talking in this video as they get into strategy etc, but it doesn't occur for about ten minutes, be patient.


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## jrd22 (Nov 14, 2000)

rsn- are you using a Canadian quarter or American? Will it make it a shorter trip if I use a Loony(larger diameter=stronger winds?), I have one left from my last trip to your great country? ) Now seriously, thanks for the illustration and the link to the video, I'm going to watch it now. I emailed the Vic-Maui race site and asked for some email addresses, waiting for reply. I guess how far north you go depends on where the high is and how large it is? I want to go to Alaska but I was kind of planning that as another trip! We leave for Honolulu in the morning, can't wait to see the boat. Thanks very much for the explanation, I appreciate it. John


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

You get twice the value in my explanation if you use a toonie!


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I tried to do the trip in February (not my choice, on military orders). About 2 days out I got smacked but 50-55kt winds out of the north, which after about 12 hours caused damage beyond repair to my vanes mounts, therefore decided pass on the sailing back thing. There is a reasons boats are cheap in Hawaii. First is it is easy to get too, but hard to get back. Another reason is there are less and less slips as the state keeps condemning docks.

The preparations for my trip added up to around $5000. Shipping via US Navy cost another $5000, which incidentally $10,000 is about how much a 30 foot boat cost to ship to Long Beach by Matson.

I would recommend shipping if you are not into the adventure aspect of it. Ship it to Long Beach for cheaper rates with Matson, or ship on Barge to Seattle. Either way the boat will be much better off and the shipping company will pay for damages. Delivery will add a lot of wear you dont want on your new boat, as will sailing it yourself, but at least you have stories to tell. On the flip wide, hiring a captain and going with can be a good way if your aren't the 'alpha' type. Friends of mine did that route on a 40ft boat, and made it to LA in 25 days or so in April, they were happy.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I thought I would throw this in, dated 19th of October. I was listening to my marine weather band radio as part of my car radio while driving today. Two Pan Pans had been issued, one by the Canadian Coast Guard and the other my the American Coast Guard.

The Canadian Coast Guard we requesting all vessels be on the look out for an over due Tahiti Ketch 30 sailboat, due into Victoria three days ago from Hawaii.

The American Coast Guard were asking all vessels to keep an eye out for a 21 foot sloop out of Hawaii going to Ketchikan Alaska (and this time of year.... wow!) or alternately Seattle; it hasn't been heard from in a while and is over due.

I actually put this in for others, not just the original poster, to consider when timing your trip North from Hawaii.

The heavy winds have started along our coast but it feels earlier than in the past.


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## CharlieCobra (May 23, 2006)

About a month early this year.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Even though this thread has "died" I couldn't resist inserting this youtube of one of our Canadian Navy Frigates in a Pacific Storm. See what you missed:


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Nice video. Interestingly enough about that same time in '06 I was sailing between Oahu and Molokai and clocked 55knot steady wind from the north.

Anybody hear any news on the guy sailing his dingy (Aquarius 21) from Hawaii to Ketchikan?? About a week ago we can hurricane forcewinds in the Gulf of Alaska, so I'm assuming he won't be pulling in.


Latt 38 story

At least he had... um... I don't know why anyone would do this.. just dont know.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Sailboy21, if you look back a few posts in this thread, you'll see a Pan Pan was issued by the American Coast Guard 19 October; no had seen or heard from them and were concerned so a Pan Pan for all to be on the look out and report was posted. 

Another vessel out of Hawaii, 30 tahiti Ketch, was also overdue and a Canadian Coast Guard Pan Pan was issued for it on the same day, all to be on lookout and report.

I haven't heard anything since.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I just read the Lat 38 story and the 21 foot boat would probably be okay if it had left about 6 weeks earlier, but the weather has been bad earlier this year.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

rsn48 said:


> I just read the Lat 38 story and the 21 foot boat would probably be okay if it had left about 6 weeks earlier, but the weather has been bad earlier this year.


This has been a bad year. I can speak to this as I completed a voyage from San Diego to SE Alaska. Winds where almost exclusively N, NW or NE from point conception North. The few ports I visited in OR and WA had dozens Calif. tuna boats (which are notorious for not pulling in). I met fellow cruisers who had waited months for weather windows and some that were trying to sell their boats in frustration. I encountered northerly gales in the channel islands, cape flattery, point conception, and chattam sound. In '05 and '06 I spent hundreds of days at sea on ships in this area. In march '05 we lost propulsion and lay abeam for about 12 hours. We repeatedly took 40 degree rolls. the entire off watch crew were ordered to remain in the mess decks for safety. The name "Pacific" means "peaceful sea".


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## CharlieCobra (May 23, 2006)

Not up here it don't.


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## jrd22 (Nov 14, 2000)

rsn- great video, thanks. Just got back from Honolulu, proud owner of new (to us) boat. There are many "issues" that were not mentioned prior to us getting over there so our only option is to have it shipped since moving there for several months and working on it is out of the question(unfortunately). There is a company called Kevco that does a lot of shipping out of Hawaii (most of the TransPac boats I've been told) and we are waiting to hear from them. Hope they hear from those two boats out there. John


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Congrats on your new boat, any pics?


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

jrd22 said:


> rsn- great video, thanks. Just got back from Honolulu, proud owner of new (to us) boat. There are many "issues" that were not mentioned prior to us getting over there so our only option is to have it shipped since moving there for several months and working on it is out of the question(unfortunately). There is a company called Kevco that does a lot of shipping out of Hawaii (most of the TransPac boats I've been told) and we are waiting to hear from them. Hope they hear from those two boats out there. John


Congrats, John!

Are you going to share the issues?.... curious if you think it was information that should have been disclosed to you prior to your trip... would you have made the trip had you known of these "issues" in advance?

A friend of mine, in the course of his long distance boat shopping, made 2 trips on a brokers "word" that the boat was in pristine condition... only to discover 5 minutes after arrival that it was BS. In the meantime he was out the flight costs and time with no real recourse.

Since you bought the boat, I suppose the issues were addressable and "minor?" - or did the deal compensate for them?


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## jrd22 (Nov 14, 2000)

rsn48- thanks, I've posted pics on a new thread "Bought a Brewer 40"

Faster- It's a long story but, yes, there are a lot of things that should have been disclosed before we went to look at it. The basic problem was that the owner told the brokerage that he had gone through the boat prior to sailing from CA to HI and "meticulously" gone through every system on the boat and upgraded everything so it was ready to just load your groceries on and head out to sea. HA! The jib he left on deck to use for the sea trial was a rag, one seam completely ripped out (there are several very good sails onboard?). The propane sniffer system has been disabled and the burner in the oven is disassembled. The head needs replacing or at least rebuilding. The refrigeration does not work, although it is almost new and high quality. The batteries need replacing. There are a couple of thru hulls that need replacing. The freshwater system needs a new pump and some new hoses. There are numerous small items that need attention, which I expected, but overall it was not the boat that I thought we were going to see. It's a hell of a boat overall though, the surveyor and I were really impressed with how well it was oringally built, and it is generally in great shape for a boat of it's age. We renegotiated the price (signifigantly) and now we have a project boat, but it should be ready by spring and I've already got it scheduled to go into a shop in Anacortes around the first of the year. Now I just want to get it here, don't like having a boat in the water 2700NM away!
John


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

That's great, John... checked out the pics and she's an impressive vessel to be sure.

Best of luck with your shipping plans and will keep an eye out (let us know if you repaint her... though I can't see why you would)


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