Hawaii anyone...?

Old Skool Neil · Dec 9, 2013

Without getting into the coastal cruiser/bluewater cruiser debate, consider that while it's 2500 NM there, it's 4500NM to get back home. The textbook strategy to return home from Hawaii is to head due North to roughly the latitude of the Canadian border, turn right toward the mainland and pick up the jet stream influence/Humboldt current/Yokohama express that rotates clockwise in the Northern Pacific.

sunwindsea · Dec 9, 2013

My question would be, why Hawaii? All those days of open water? Then where? I would choose to go to Baja Calif, along the coast where you can stop at interesting destinations. And as you go south, the water gets warmer and the fishing gets better. You can end up in La Paz or Loreto in the Sea of Cortez, and sail to the variety of islands. The Sea of Cortez is a lot more tranquil than the open Pacific! and fish tacos for dinner almost every night!! Let the tourists have Hawaii. you can visit unique anchorages only reached by boat in the Sea of Cortez.

hvbaker · Dec 9, 2013

Seems to me water, fuel, propane and batteries are all somewhat limited for the passage. How many do you plan on passage?

Calif. Ted · Dec 9, 2013

One drifted to Hawaii unaided a few years ago, this guy started out in Santa Ana's, which would push the boat SW till it hit the current and winds. Getting back would be tough.
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?id=5880230

s/v Sweet Laraine · Dec 9, 2013

In the 30 Catalina owners articles from the 30 Catalina Association there was a article about a guy that upgraded his 30 to go to Hawaii. He strengthened some of the tabs on the bulkheads, etc. You might take a look at that.

wufibugs · Dec 9, 2013

I'm assuming the Cat 30, like my Hunter has about 18 gallon fuel tank. You could strap on another 20 gallons, but even so, you can't do too much motor sailing. Then you have to provision for at least yourself and 1 or 2 crew for 3 weeks. You have to wonder about whether the auto pilot is robust enough for that trip and what it might be like if you have to steer 24/7. Then you need a dingy and probably a life raft. Maybe a second/better anchor, and surely some foulies. 30 foot boat for 2 1/2 weeks or more? Better sail with someone you love and loves you like your dog does.

azguy · Dec 10, 2013

Calif. Ted said:
One drifted to Hawaii unaided a few years ago, this guy started out in Santa Ana's, which would push the boat SW till it hit the current and winds. Getting back would be tough.
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?id=5880230

That's one of the weirdest stories and smells fishy. Missing for months and nobody reports he's gone...Plus, how many ways can a fire start on an unmanned boat and then seemingly put itself out...

azguy · Dec 10, 2013

BTW, I think with the appropriate experience and some modifications to the boat and good weather window it could be done. But I agree, Mexico would be a nicer trip than 20-30 days at sea....

Bob4203 · Dec 10, 2013

Back in the ealry 80's when I was living and cruising on my Coronado 35, I met a young guy at the transient dock at the Titusvulle, FL marina. He sailed in that afternoon on a 28 foot wooden Herreshoff with no engine. In fact he had no radio or any electronics aside from a compass. When asked where he was heading, he simply replied, "Tahiti via the Panama Canal".

I did not ask anything more...............

I believe that passion, skill and guts are the ingredients to take on an adventure where your life is on the line and I thought he had all these. I wonder to this day if he ever made it. You read of open ocean advenures in small boats, bucking the odds with luck being more on your side in order to survive. So I say if you have the scrot to take on such a voyage regardless of how much you beef up the rigging, weigh her down with gear and fuel, drag behind several life rafts, etc, then more power to you.

Sure a Catalina 30 will do the trip if the weather is on your side, but honestly, if I were to take my Mark II on such an extended voyage I'd prefer to tow it behind a Westsail 32 just to be on the safe side!

Bob

seanshine · Dec 10, 2013

Did the Hawaii trip in '11 on C&C 40. Used zero fuel from Washington to Hawaii. Charged the batts with a Honda 1000 about 45 minutes per day. Ate fish most days. They were plentiful. Water really wasn't an issue. We used one liter bottles with holes in the top for showers. We generally made 160 miles per day an a beam reach with a couple of days over 200 miles. 17 days over and 22 days back with a total of 7000 miles. Used the auto pilot for the whole trip. We had AIS and went dark at night to conserve power. Probably the most sleep I ever got during two weeks was on that trip. It's a bit boring out there. Take an ipod..... heh heh, SS

jrowan · Dec 10, 2013

There have been a lot of discussions on this site about the merits & limitations of Catalina construction methods. At least you're talking about sailing to Hawaii in a C30 & not a C22! I have owned 3 Catalinas, C22, 25 & now a 30 & I personally don't think that the rigging, keel design & rudder post construction are beefy enough for Blue Water sailing. There is a measureable difference in how a blue water boat, such as a Valiant 40 is built versus a Catalina. Any boat can theoretically make to Hawaii & back, but is it prudent to push the limits of a coastal cruiser? Heck there is debris that floated all the way from Japan all the way to California after their earthquake. I would honestly be more concerned about a sailor's ability to sail the distances then the boat that they're on. If you ask the question, then perhaps you already know the answer. There was a decent film just released called "All Is Lost" with Robert Redford, who ship is lost at sea, even after a lot of ingenuity on the sailor's attempt to keep her floating. I would watch this before answering whether the C 30 is enough. But remember that once you're out there, its just you, your crew, & whatever you have in & on your boat. When you're out in the middle of the Pacific no one's coming to the rescue.

The Garbone · Dec 10, 2013

I don't see why not. People have gone farther in smaller boats.

Some things I would do is- Honda 2k, good solar, water maker, tiller and 2 or 3 tiller pilots, nice liferaft, satphone, epirb. Swing doors instead of boards on the companionway. Tab in a bulkhead and hatch for the quarter berth, upgrade the chainplates and rigging.....

cal20dennis · Aug 27, 2016

My personal advice( many years cruising Mexico, California coast, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Haida Gwaii...in a 36 ft ketch w/ full keel)
The Cat 30 is ok for downwind blue water sailing, a wonderful flat water coastal cruiser...and Not as bad as most fin keel, spade rudder sailboats going upwind. But cruising boats are bigger, heavier, slower, more room for water, fuel, spare parts and crew.
I doubt that my Cat30 will heave-to in a forty- knot blow? You can usually pick your weather windows in Mexico and sail to most destinations (eventually!)
More safety and comfort will be yours with a bigger, low tech cruising sailboat. Fair winds and calm seas to ya'

Jalepeno · Aug 28, 2016

Have a look at:
http://www3.telus.net/rdarcy_home/

jonelli · Sep 13, 2016

I love this guy's own documentary on sailing solo to Hawaii. It's inspiring. Not a Cat30, but pretty similar kind of boat.
32 Ericson. It's a regular guy with a regular boat and regular gear. Makes me want to do it.

Watch ““Alone Together”: Sailing Solo to Hawaii and Beyond” on Vimeo:

The Garbone · Sep 14, 2016

http://sailpanache.com/

Kings Gambit · Sep 14, 2016

In the 40th TransPac (1999) someone from ABYC sailed to Hawaii in a B25; took nearly 20 days and the boat broke down 500 n.mi. out. After that I think the TransPac committee changed its eligibility rules.

Incidentally, re: post #2, the current that runs west to east in the North Pacific is the North Pacific Current; not the Humboldt Current which runs north along the coast of Chile. There is no Yokohama Current but there is a Kuroshio Current running northeast along the coast of Japan.

http://holoholo.org/transpac/99news/tp990717p.html

Franklin · Sep 14, 2016

May be able to do it in 20 days but plan for 30. If you don't have a watermaker water on that size water will be an issue for even just one person. I used 50 gallons on my 30 day trip to Marquesas from PC. I could have used much less but I left with 190 gallons. I think I could have gotten away with 40 gallons if I was trying to. My tank holds 60 so I had 20 gallons in jugs on deck along with two 50 gallon bladders on deck as well. I also carried 120 gallons of fuel and with the stockup of food my waterline on my H376 was about 1 1/4" lower than my normal cruising waterline. I was worried it would effect my speed greatly but it didn't seem to that much....maybe .15 knots.

Not sure about the trip to Hawaii but in the South Pacific you will develop tube like sucky barnacles about halfway that will rob you of about half a knot. Next time around I will stop halfway and clean the hull if the swell isn't too bad.

I can't comment on the strength of the C30 but my impression is anything under a 33' boat needs to be a blue-water boat as they don't make production boats that strong in the smaller sizes. Also I believe the winds are stronger in the northern Pacific than the Southern Pacific in the tropics. Doubt fuel would be much of an issue as you should be able to sail the whole thing.