The sailing route from the continental US to the islands of Hawaii is hugely popular, and a very enjoyable trip for an avid and experienced sailor.
The journey involves hugging the North American continent before splitting off across the vast blue expanses of the North Pacific- with all of your abilities put to the test, in this trek across the featureless great unknown.
If you believe air travel has robbed all of the adventure from going to strange new places, then keep reading: we’re going on a journey.
General Sailing Route To Hawaii
In this article, we assume that you wish to sail to Hawaii from the U.S. West Coast.
Whether your boat is moored in Seattle or Los Angeles, the route is still largely the same- but this is obviously longer the further North up the coast you begin.
A good sailor on a good craft can look to average about 100 nautical miles a day.
Sailing along the accepted route to Hawaii from Seattle, Washington is roughly 3,100 nautical miles.
That means that if conditions are clear and you sail constantly, the journey will take a minimum of 31 days.
By the same logic, the journey from San Francisco, California is 2,500 nm and about 25 days long.
Higher-performance boats can drastically cut the journey time down to anything between 1-2 weeks.
You may have already noticed that the journey length in miles from either location is much longer than the direct length from either city to Hawaii- this is because of the requirement to go South along the coast of North America before setting out West across the Pacific.
The direct route to Hawaii from the West coast of the US is not the quickest or safest route across the Pacific for sailors- we explore the reasons why below.
Why Must You Go South Before Sailing The Pacific?
In the North Pacific there is a semi-permanent depression of weather known as the Pacific High.
This fixture of pressure is part of what makes sailing to Hawaii so challenging:
You need to sail South to avoid the center of the High, where weather conditions are far too extreme for comfortable sailing.
However, you also need to skirt the outside of the depression in order to take advantage of the westerly-blowing winds it provides, known as the ‘Trade Winds’.
Finding this sweet spot of weather is the key to making sure that your voyage to Hawaii is safe, fun, and timely.
The time of year should also have a bearing on when you decide to plan your journey for.
The Pacific High moves slightly depending on the time of year, meaning that you will have to adjust your course depending on when you set off.
It is generally accepted that:
- In the Winter, you should sail Southerly to 20 degrees N. before heading West.
- In April/May, you should sail Southerly to at least 30 degrees N. before heading West.
- In the Summer, you should sail Southerly to at least 35 degrees N. before heading West.
Using these directions you should reach the Southern edge of the Pacific High and be able to safely head West, but it still may be a couple of days before you encounter the Trade Winds.
From there on, the route is direct to Hilo, Hawaii.
Staying a good distance from the coast as you head South is optimal, as the waters are much smoother and you have to worry less about the perils of the coastline and other vessels.
Coastal sailing is still much more hazardous than sailing out in the open ocean, even at this distance.
You’ll want to triple-check the function of your navigational equipment- and keep clear of those shipping lanes.
When Is the Best Time To Sail To Hawaii?
The best time to sail to Hawaii is around June- this gives you the full benefit of the warm weather (both on your journey and at your destination) and also avoids the onset of hurricane season.
In the North Pacific, hurricanes will occur generally between June and November, although many sailors dispute just how much of an issue these are.
They are clearly predictable, and give you time to prepare.
These also tend to generally occur between 10 and 20 degrees N., and that pesky Pacific High actually does much to prevent them creeping any further North.
How Long Is The Journey Home?
The journey back to the continent is more lonesome. You can’t follow the same route home, as this would be against the wind.
Instead, you have to follow the cusp of the Pacific High to the North, and then once again East.
From Hilo, Hawaii, sail Northerly until you reach about 47 degrees N. This is the same latitude as Seattle, so be prepared for cooler weather.
You can then head directly East to the coast, and then follow the Coast back to your point of origin.
The sailing distance from Hilo to Seattle is about 2,600 miles.
Is Hawaii Dangerous?