Having mastered the process of preparing a sailing vessel for coastal cruising and sailed to the Channel Islands, you may find yourself pondering an ocean crossing. Before heading for Tahiti and Australia, why not try a much shorter cruise to Hawaii to hone your offshore sailing skills?
The sailing distance from Southern California to Hilo, Hawaii, is roughly 2,100 nautical miles, which can be traversed by a 30- to 50-foot sailing vessel in roughly three weeks. By leaving in April or early May, you can reach the Aloha State with enough time to sail back to the Pacific Coast of North America well before the onset of hurricane season.
To begin, sailing from SoCal to Hawaii is fairly straightforward. The prevailing ocean and wind currents along the west coast gradually curve west by southwest as you follow the southeast section of the North Pacific current, ultimately delivering you to the Hawaiian Islands. The more challenging part of the journey is returning to the West Coast, which will require you to sail north and then east over the “Northern High” back to the mainland. Study the navigation and pilot charts covering the North Pacific, and make sure that you, your vessel and crew are properly equipped for the journey.
Navigation and Communication
Navigating by GPS and chartplotter has become a routine practice among today’s ocean passagemakers. Especially within 100 miles of shore, a chartplotter mounted in the cockpit makes coastal navigation easy, even for novice boaters. For extra caution, consider adding a forward-sensing, graphic depth sounder, such as those offered by Garmin, Lowrance, Simrad and others. You can network the sounder with the vessel’s chartplotter for easy viewing and cross-referencing in shallow coastal areas.
A satphone system from Starlink, IridumGO!, Inmarsat, or other provider not only enables you to talk with friends and family back home but also permits you to download GRIB weather files to keep you apprised of weather updates. If there’s a storm headed your way, you want to have time to prepare for, or even avoid, rough weather if possible.
If you have a HAM radio, you can download voice-modulated, binary GRIB files via Winlink, using a modem with your laptop computer. A similar service is available for marine SSB radios via Sailmail.
Take time to learn how to read GRIB files before throwing off the dock lines and heading for the open ocean. The stick symbols spread across the chart indicate wind direction and force level within the square or rectangle you define by entering two latitudes and longitudes into the weather program on your laptop. Before heading offshore, practice requesting, receiving and reading GRIB files in local waters away from the aluminum mast orchard at your marina so you can communicate easily by radio.
Safety Equipment
Take an inventory of all safety equipment currently on your vessel before embarking on your passage to Hawaii. Although very few coastal or offshore cruisers ever encounter serious problems necessitating emergency equipment, there is always that thin chance the vessel can be damaged or capsized in a horrific storm, necessitating emergency equipment to save the crew.
As a bare minimum, a vessel should carry flares, along with a waterproof handheld VHF radio, to call for assistance from surrounding vessels. Make sure you have an appropriately rated personal flotation device (PFD) for each crew member, along with a whistle for each PFD. Also recommendable is a personal locator beacon (PLB), which can be attached to each crew member’s PFD. ACR Electronics produces several vessel and personal EPIRBs and 406 MHz GPS signal devices, while Ocean Signal and Weatherdock both offer AIS-capable PLBs.
If your vessel has enough deck space, a liferaft can greatly enhance your chances of survival. The Viking RescYou Pro liferaft can fit up to six crew members and is constructed of lightweight, natural rubber fabric, which ensures a waterproof vessel that’s easy to pack and deploy.
The Revere Offshore Commander 4.0 features a self-erecting, polyurethane-coated polyester structure and canopy with a weatherproof, double-zippered door and rainwater collector, all mounted on buoyancy tubes measuring nine inches in diameter.
The Plastimo line of cruiser life rafts offers four-person and six-person models for offshore yachts in addition to its line of professional, inflatable, life-saving craft. Both the four-person and six-person models feature a roof canopy, three 8-gallon ballast pockets, an automatic inflation tube, bright yellow buoyancy bags, a fluorescent orange canopy, and a rope boarding ladder to ensure everyone in the water has a chance of climbing aboard.
Food and Clothing
Ensure your vessel has enough dry and canned food, along with plenty of water, to last at least two months each way. Also take a couple of deep-sea fishing rods and reels to catch large game fish, such as tuna and barracuda, which will help keep your food stores intact just in case your voyage lasts longer than you expected.
Clothing will shift from swimwear to winterwear as you sail to at least 38 degrees north, gradually turning east toward the West Coast. An insulated face mask and thick gloves will help make your watch at the helm a lot more comfortable.
Emergency Back-Ups
On a long ocean crossing, deck gear and other systems can break down at the worst possible moment. Among the most common items to fail are the autopilot, refrigeration, old sails, toilet plumbing and electrical panels. Take along enough spares and repair equipment to keep these vital systems in proper condition.
Instead of an autopilot, consider installing a windvane self-steering system, such as the Aries, Hydrovane, Monitor or Sailomat, all of which are designed to keep your sailing yacht on course anywhere on the world’s oceans.
Refrigeration may seem like an absolute necessity, but many of us old salts have sailed for decades without that luxury. If you do have refrigeration, ensure the whole condenser unit is operating properly before you pack it full of raw meat and ice cream. If you have any doubt, hire a refrigeration technician to go over the unit and ensure it’s in proper working order. Canned and dry goods can last a long time at sea, so make sure you have plenty of these items as back-ups in case of fridge failure.
The better prepared your vessel is for comfort, navigation and safety, the more you can count on an enjoyable cruise to Hawaii and beyond. Enjoy your voyage!
