Cruising to Hawaii from California?

It's not just the sales folks. The only time I ever came close to running out of fuel in a boat was when I trusted the surveyor's report on tankage. Gotta trust your own eyes when life and limb is concerned.

To the OP, the Pacific Cup runs every year and a friend of mine participates. The run from San Fran to the islands typically runs 3 weeks under sail. Refueling at sea, while technically possible, is so highly unlikely to be dismissed as a function of sensible trip planning.

I strongly support the 1/3 in reserves trip planning model no matter what your tankage. IMO, if you can't carry sufficient fuel to arrive with 1/3 in reserves then you really don't have a vessel capable of the trip.

Hi,

In that case I would suggest that most of the yachts that cross the Atlantic every year are not capable of the trip.

A reserve of 10/15% is much closer to what many aim at having after a long run in my experience.

You will find that on the long voyaging displacement yachts it is easy to save fuel by dropping a knot or two, this kind of economy drive is obviously not available to planing and semi planing type boats.

I once worked for a guy who told me "You can screw up a million times, just don't make the same mistake twice". I figure I've long since passed that million mark. So if you're looking for the guy who never makes a mistake, you'll have to look elsewhere. In that particular situation we brought the boat down from Boston in a gale with intentions of going into Montauk, but were forced into Newport. So there was no way to get a good handle on the fuel burn the 1st day. Day 2 was all open ocean once we passed Montauk. So there were no second chances. within 50 miles though I knew it would be close. So I got to the Jersey shore asap (Barnegat), so we'd be able to get assistance at least. If the owner had at least given the correct tank size it wouldn't have happened. If we live, we learn. Never believe an owner.

And experience is the key, K1W1. The OP is new, has a 40-footer, and based on the postings not a lot of experience. If a seasoned professional trip plans the crossing and is comfortable with a 10-15% reserve, well done and godspeed. However, for a person seeking the counsel of the seasoned professional a conservative answer is appropriate. In addition to other factors, a complete understanding of the challenges of a long voyage (watchstanding, ocean currents, power management, good helmsmanship, etc.) is lacking.

Do as you wish; you are a professional. But, in terms of answering Stefnopolis's question? I stand by my advice.

You can also find the same fuel economy savings on a planing hull by dropping speed as well. if you're at cruise and you drop down to hull speed your range increases exponentially, you increase your range considerably. If you're at 8 knots and slow down to 7 or 6 knots in a cruising hull, you're range about doubles again. Very similar to a displacement hull.

I try to shoot for a minimum of 20% of usable fuel left over after a long voyage, even more if possible. However, I've also settled for a range figure instead of usable fuel.....for example Key West to Cancun is 350 nm, I felt comfortable with a range of 100NM extra of range on a smaller boat as a reserve.......once upon a time. The smaller yachts you need more of a reserve because large seas can increase fuel burn and decrease range greatly whereas they don't have as much of an effect on a 150' displacement yacht.

When I was down in Ft. Lauderdale a tourist family got one of those maps that are on placemats at the dinner and decided to cruise to the Bahamas. (It's only an inch or so from Ft. Lauderdale). So they rented one of those 16' boats on A1A and headed to Freeport. The CG towed 'em back in. So Hawaii is a fair question. Much less embarrassing to learn here then being towed home or worse.
Stefnopolis, if you've got a '63 woody you're learning about boating the right way. Good luck.

Looks like a nice project boat. Catalina Island in good weather sounds like a reasonable goal. Do you have a copy of Chapman's Piloting and Seamanship?
If not it might be a good idea to pick one up and read through it, several times.

I met someone at a marina that he and his wife had been all over the world in a 36 foot sail boat. and then there is this story. and I think there boat was a 40' steel sail boat. So it can be done.

intro

I think the most interesting thing to come out of this thread are the achievements of some classic sportfishers making the crossing from CA to Hawaii - even with a mid-crossing refueling, that has got to take some stones!

Imagine running most of the distance at 4 - 7 knots, overloaded with fuel bladders, etc., and taking on the risk of weather. At least you could crank it up the last 100 miles and make landfall at 20 + knots.

Zopilote was a 48 Pacemaker with a 2 foot cockpit stretch ran by the now famous Bruce Kessler. You can also add a 54 Striker to the list, I think it was named Rhumb Line (not sure of spelling) and was ran out of Long Beach, CA.

Who was that young guy who ran away from home in California and sailed in an old lifeboat with some friends to Hawai. Thought it was Jesse Martin but am not sure.

I often visit the Cape here in Massachusetts, along with our sister states, and I've seen a beauty of a yacth - Hatteras 100', fuel capacity 5,025 gallons, with MTU 16V 2000 CR Diesel.
Her Skipper and I got into a conversation once, gave me a tour - all I can say is WOW!
Can a yacth like this make a crossing from Calif to Hawaii in one shot without having the worry
about refueling?

ps
Just noticed I spelled Sailor wrong in my sign on name. Oh well, I gotta start drinking better stuff! Can I go to a place on this web site and correct the spelling of my sign on name?

Didn't do to well on the spelling of Yacht either. Sort of reminds me of when I first got my ticket and friends bought me a "Captian" T-shirt. As for your question, it's a close call and depends on how hard they run. Ask the captain what his gpm fuel burn average is and do the math. I can tell you that I doubt it's a trip an owner would make even if the fuel burn works out.
Go to the Contact Us button and drop the mods an e-mail. I'm sure they can correct your name. As you look over the threads here I'm sure you'll find many posts that would have come out a lot better had they been done sober. Welcome aboard.

Thanks for the suggestion. I’m going to the Cape in a few months so I’ll swing by the place
where that yacht is docked and I’ll ask him.

Small world – the owner is a former U.S. Navy Medical Specialist. He was stationed off in-country
at the time that I was there. He and I started a conversation when I asked him about his Veteran’s brassard on his car, then the conversation turned to his beautiful boat. In any event, that yacht of his has to be one of the most beautiful things a float that I’ve ever seen.

I wanted to have some insight about a yacht the next time I met the man, so, while flipping through the web sites about boating, I happen to come across this site and the trip to Hawaii caught my curiosity.

I wish I could do a little better on spelling and stuff – but sometimes it’s a challenge typing on a computer. I lost an eye and partial vision in my other eye – a little reminder and a forget-us-not from the NVA during my time in-country, so my typing, spelling and correct usage of the word goes a stray from time to time. I’m not complaining or looking for favors, others got far worse.

Again, thank you NYCAP123 for the suggestions and the welcome.

You have my gratitude for your service and sacrifice. Apparently you're about my age. Get in the habit of hitting that spell check button before the send one. Those young techno-turks have made it easier for us to appear smarter than we are.
Hatteras are generally considered more for coastal and island cruising than a trans-ocean passagemaker. Terrific boats, but with limitations (as have all). When they go to places like the Med or Hawaii they'll most often be transported on deck. You can find a lot more about that in these threads. Enjoy

None of you people has thought outside the box on how to do this in a 40' boat. Let me help you. You don't go from California due West.

From California, you head south and hug the coast until you reach Ecuador. Once you've topped your tanks of fuel, food and water you head West for the Galapagos (only about 750 miles).

From the Galapagos you head South West to Easter Island (about 1900 miles). This is the longest single distance.

From Easter Island you head due East to the Pitcairn islands (about 1000 miles).

From there, take your pick, you can island hop with no more than 800 miles between islands all the way to Hawaii.

You should be able to pull that off. You won't be limited by range of your vessel just TIME.

You're not the first person to think of using Ecuador as starting/ending point for trans pacific crossings. I know someone who drove a home built wooden 50' trawler from New Zealand to San Diego, CA on it's own bottom using that strategy ...thirty years ago.

That's a heck of a lot of miles. I know the easy and surefire way to get a 40' there. Put it on a freighter and be done with it.

If you have to ask....don't.