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sailing from california to hawaii on 25-27 footer

31K views 62 replies 37 participants last post by  Agri 
#1 ·
is this possible? would this be a really scary thing to do? im seriously considering it..but have never sailed before.
 
#2 ·
Yes, it is possible. It has been done countless times on boats that size and smaller ... the right boat and an experienced crew. Someone with no sailing experience? Scary is only one adjective I would use. Foolhardy and possibly suicidal come to mind unless you're just talking about hitching a ride on a well found boat with an experienced crew.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Heard the one about the three best friend computer nerds who bought a 22-foot Catalina and sailed to Hawaii? A few days along the voyage the beer ran out. When they got to Oahu they hated each others' guts, sold the boat, and flew home.

Seriously... a much shorter test voyage is extremely recommended, along with learning all you can. Consider that only a minority of experienced sailors have completed a voyage this ambitious.
 
#5 ·
sailing for months

if i were to sail for several months straight, maybe 6 months, and learn as much as possible through the internet and other sailors i run into, do you think i may be good enough to voyage to hawaii by then?...i know theres many sailors who sail but im talking about living on the boat so 7 months straight sailing or 6 months i think would be good enough practice, but i could be wrong, thats why im asking you guys
 
#6 ·
Sailing experience does not work like that. You could sailing every day for six months and have a nice every day and not learn a fraction of the things you would need to know to head offshore. You learn when things go wrong, not when they go right.

Find someone to crew for to Hawaii or somewhere else (Mexico?). There is so much to learn and it can't be speeded up that much - that is one of the joys of sailing. I have been doing it for more than 40 years and still am constantly learning. Did not go offshore (NYC to Bermuda which is less than 700 miles) until I had about 20 years under the belt.
 
#7 ·
Heard the one about the three best friend computer nerds who bought a 22-foot Catalina and sailed to Hawaii? A few days along the voyage the beer ran out. When they got to Oahu they hated each others' guts, sold the boat, and flew home.
That's why this is such a hard trip. You need a lot of beer to make a long trip like that. If you can shorten the amount of time it takes to get there then you don't have to carry so much beer. But beer is heavy and lighter sailboats go faster so if you carry enough beer you are too heavy to go fast so you need even more beer. It's a vicious cycle
 
#9 ·
Our club is nearing 50 years old... in the formative years when there were perhaps 20-24 members near half of them were crossing oceans in boats that today many wouldn't take across a large lake.

Yes it can be done.. today's sailors are not nearly as hardy a bunch, as a rule, as the 'old days' of wooden ships and iron sailors. Robin Graham did it in the 60s as a teenager, but most of the people tackling that trip will have had decades if not years of coastal sailing prior to making that leap.

From your own description of the 'space' you're in right now, I'd say you're a long way from ready... but there's always a 'but'......
 
#11 ·
Seriously, the carrying capacity of a boat is one of the reasons that it is hard to do this trip in a boat that small. The amount of water that the average American uses in a few days would swamp a boat that size. Food, water, motor and cooking fuel, tools, spare parts... can quickly lower a small boat's waterline to where it's dangerously low in the water in rough conditions.
Another concern is the crew's ability to rough it while being bounced around in a boisterous ocean for a few weeks, and knowing their realistic limits and abilities. Another is knowing the crew's self-sufficiency, ability to improvise, ability to stay mentally focused and upbeat in an alien environment far far from help when things go wrong -- and things do go wrong unexpectedly at sea.
 
#12 ·
A lot depends upon the boat, as well as the crew. Some boats will take care of even a less experienced sailor - other boats are simply not up to the task.

With the right boat, you then need to look at experience. You will need some - things will break, scary things will happen, you need to know how to deal with them When you have the boat, start sailing it - in all sorts of weather. Initially inshore, then cautiously a few overnight offshore trips. Make sure you have the right safety equipment. Be cautious, take it slow, get advice from experienced sailors...as you build experience, you'll understand better what it will take - and when you will be ready.

Boats are expensive to own and maintain, a lot of work to sail, but a well-found boat and reasonable experience will take you anywhere.
 
#13 ·
A catamaran sailing cruising adventure, isn't it time for yours?

This couple did it in a 28' catamaran, and they don't seem like "iron sailors" with decades of experience. My understanding is that that particular part of the Pacific is relatively "pacific". You may know that a 28' catamaran has the carrying capacity of a significantly smaller monohull (one of the disadvantages of a multihull)...

Although I dream about doing these kinds of things, in practice I think I'd go nuts if I were confined to a small boat for 30 days or more. I think I could do it, but it would be a truly un-romantic, boring, prison-like experience I think. Others may see this differently of course, but I know my self.

If you were serious about it, you can pick up a 25' cape dory for about $3500 and with a few mods it would be seaworthy enough for the trip, or so say people with much more experience than I.
 
#14 ·
This couple did it in an Albin Vega (27'); Hawaii to Washington a few years ago, and SF to Hawaii this summer. They are also on SN from time to time.

voyaging under sail, Cruising Lealea Home

As mentioned above, others have made the trip in small boats, including several participants in the Singlehanded Transpac. As I recall, one guy did the SHTP in a West Wight Potter (19'?) several years ago.
 
#17 ·
Anything is possible, but that doesn't make it practical. 6 months may seem like an eternity to you (although, as I age, it starts to feel like minutes), but unless you're talking about spending all 180+ days learning to sail, you're biting off a pretty big chunk. 3,000 (learned something, btw) is a long, long, long way. Did I mention that's a long way?

Again, anything is possible, but it may be a little more involved than you think. Do like others have suggested and spend some serious time on the water first, then decide for yourself. But....when you're "gaining that experience", make sure it's far enough away from shore that you can't see land. That feeling is a little spooky the very first time. Good luck and keep us posted.
 
#20 ·
California to HI? Never sailed before?

Good grief! I'm an itchy trigger finger away from buying my first boat - a 28ft pearson triton - and just the thought spring launch and moving her from the marina where she is to where I want her is almost enough to give me hives. And that is literally just a 2 hour motor.

Get on some boats, sail them. See if you like it. See how prone you are to motion sickness. See if you can take the cramped cabin. Start to learn what moving a boat from point a to point b requires. There are so many little critical details.

The biggest problem you have right now is that you don't even know what you don't know. I'd suspect after 6 months of sailing you'll start to have an inkling of the right questions to ask. ;)

Good luck! and fair winds!
 
#21 · (Edited)
There are 2 issues presented by your post:

1. Is a 25-27 foot boat sufficiently large and seaworthy to make it from California to Hawaii?

Answer: Yes, of course, many smaller boats have even circumnavigated when well-prepared with an experienced captain.

2. Can someone who has never even sailed before make it from California to Hawaii on a small boat?

Answer: Probably not. Rent an EPIRB from Boat/US and a liferaft, try not to hit any stationary or moving objects.

I will save you time by writing your next 2 posts for you: "Do you think __________ (fill in the blank with your random choice of a production, lightly-built, designed-for-inland-cruising, known-to-have-structural-issues-as-it-ages, foolish-choice-for-a-blue-water-vessel) is a good sailboat to sail to Hawaii from Calif.?

Your third post: "I was out sailing yesterday and the deck separated from the hull, leaving a gaping 2 foot hole from stern to bow, while my bulkheads collapsed onto the cabin floor, the keel fell off, and the mast collapsed. Is this normal?"
 
#27 ·
I will save you time by writing your next 2 posts for you: "Do you think __________ (fill in the blank with your random choice of a production, lightly-built, designed-for-inland-cruising, known-to-have-structural-issues-as-it-ages, foolish-choice-for-a-blue-water-vessel) is a good sailboat to sail to Hawaii from Calif.?

Your third post: "I was out sailing yesterday and the deck separated from the hull, leaving a gaping 2 foot hole from stern to bow, while my bulkheads collapsed onto the cabin floor, the keel fell off, and the mast collapsed. Is this normal?"
:rolleyes: this is pretty rare even in cheap production boats
 
#22 ·
#23 ·
I say do it...tommorrow...

Win or lose, NewsReader will be posting your story here. Then the only question is "what will the head line be?"
Inexperienced Sailor Makes It From CA To HI.

Or...

Foolish Young Man Dies At Sea.

I know which one the odds are on...

I have been sailing for about as long as your talking...6 months or so nearly everyday that there is enough wind. I live on a lake and I can see my boat from where I'm sitting as I type.
I drag race cars, Mt. Bike, snorkel, wakeboard, run my Ski boat up to 70mph, ride motorcycles(street&dirt) and I go wheelin...but...I have never been as heart pumpingly terrified as I am when I'm single handing, my Cal21 is well heeled, doing 5knots and a gust hits...I will get over it but I'm going to tell you 6months of casual sailing won't do it.
 
#26 ·
I drag race cars, Mt. Bike, snorkel, wakeboard, run my Ski boat up to 70mph, ride motorcycles(street&dirt) and I go wheelin...but...I have never been as heart pumpingly terrified as I am when I'm single handing, my Cal21 is well heeled, doing 5knots and a gust hits...I will get over it but I'm going to tell you 6months of casual sailing won't do it.
lol so true.
 
#24 ·
Make sure you outfit the boat for the voyage, watermaker is important on small boat but takes up valuable space, food consideration ( will be more dried style) due to smaller storage, cloths will take up more then anything, suitcases are a PITA and stowage is a concern. Electronics a must, plus a spare handheld gps/vhf as well. You really need to know your boat and its condition, spares will be needed but your boat will decide which spares are needed, tools, fuel, extra sails, all add up very quickly.
Then you have added electronics, AIS, Radar, SSB this takes up wall mounted space so you can kiss the quaterberth goodbye, may as well place the water mater in there as well so its filled up with minimal wasted space.
Then you need the route books, crusing guides for along the way, lets not forget charts both paper and electronic, basic plotters tools, maybe sextant ( you can learn this yourself as you passage) now you need to replenish power, solar, wind, motor, this takes space and maintenance too.
Can you do it, not sure only you can decide. Can it be done yup.
preperation and knowledge will be your best guide pre passage, post passage will tell you where you figured wrong and the expense to re fit to make it right back home.

Play hard, Stay safe
 
#25 ·
First try -

SF Bay to Santa Cruz ( an easy 1 day sail )

and/or

Newport Harbor to San Diego (also an easy 1 day sail)

and work up from 1-2 day overnight voyages to a 20 day overnight voyage of coastal cruising - after a couple of 20 day coastal cruising voyages, you'll have enough experience to risk a 2,200 mile passage.
 
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#31 ·
yeah that's just being snarky :rolleyes:

then again, nothing will take the romance out of the head of someone dreaming of "going offshore" like taking out a small sailboat in 30 knot winds and 6' confused seas, then imagining doing that for days, hundreds of miles from land and any chance of getting help if conditions got worse... it sure got my head out of the clouds :D
 
#29 ·
WOW!! Harsh I can understand, but the condescension in some of these posts is unbelievable.

Here's my perspective:
People have done worse with less.
Luck plays a part in any voyage, but how much of it you'll need depends on many things.

Look into the "Bumfuzzles". Interesting similarities, and differences.

Can it be done? Absolutely
Should it be done? Well.....
 
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