There is a huge divide between a day-sail around the channel and a planned cruise. While there are, no doubt, skills that overlap, the two have very little in common. A day-sail, to me at least, is when I head out with no objective other than to enjoy the day on the water. “Let’s go that way for a while, how about over there?” is as much as is necessary. Sure, we can practice piloting skills, use the radar, learn better how to use other tools, but the goal is simply to go there and back.
Cruising requires an itinerary. There are courses to be set from Point A to Point B. There is provisioning to be done, weather windows to be considered, sea states, currents, and wind conditions to be considered. Sailors understand what eludes lands people: the best and fastest course may not be the shortest. The quickest may not be the safest. The boat, as much as the crew, has to be prepared for the crossing. Plans become the means to diminish the chaos. Plans are a common basis for change. Plans make certain that preparation can be made.
So, let’s do a quick overview of our plan. We will fill in details of the plan in later installments to this blog.
Leg 1: Channel Islands’ Landing, our homeport, to San Diego. [Approximately 135 nautical miles] The Baja Ha-Ha has a mandatory check in to allow for crossing into Mexican waters. We have not decided whether we will stop along the way or sail directly to Cabo San Lucas. The Ha-Ha has a couple of designated stops where they will do some events for the cruisers. We are seeing this as a means to practice a longer passage before heading on to Leg 2.
Leg 2: San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. [Approximately 800 nautical miles] I see lobster, tequila, and other fun stuff in our future in Cabo. We are planning on remaining in Cabo until we have a weather window to head to Hawaii. We expect to be in Cabo by 18 November. Hurricane season ends on 30 November. Though, I’ve never known a weather system to follow my calendar.
Leg 3: Cabo San Lucas to Hilo. [Approximately 2530 nautical miles] We expect to make an average speed of 7 knots on this passage. Assuming all goes well, we should make the crossing in 15 to 17 days. Hilo is the customs port, into which we much check in as we are arriving from Mexico. We will either make our way to Honolulu or remain in Hilo (depending on availability of guest berths). We will remain there for several days and then make for Nawilliwilli on Kauai.
Leg 4: Hilo to Nawilliwilli. [Approximately 300 nautical miles]. We will make Nawilliwilli our center of operations for up to two months. We will be doing some cruising to the other islands.
Leg 5: Nawilliwilli to Victoria, BC: [Approximately 2300 nautical miles]. This does not include routing into Puget Sound. We are planning on remaining in the Sound for up to a month. We may remain longer if Tiburón requires maintenance work before returning home.
Leg 6: Victoria to CIL: [Approximately 1120 nautical miles]. This will total approximately 7185 nautical miles. Time sailing will be approximately 43 days of sailing. This, of course does not include day sailing, cruising around the Hawaiian Islands and The San Juans.
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