Offshore Trawlering

As I'm sitting here this morning enjoying my coffee and looking out over the warm ocean from the balcony here in Kona, the urge to go home, cast aside all worldly goods and go offshore trawling is very strong.
So I know it has been discussed many times here, but I'm wondering: has anyone on this forum done a real offshore trawler trip to Hawaii?

Conrad,

Considerable discussions on offshore activity Can be found on the Willard Boat Owners Group on Yahoo Groups. I'm sure you'll find lots of other things to read about too.

Left coast TO Hawaii a milk run,

FROM Hawaii to the continent is a whole different concept.

There are*less than*a ½ dozen boat on this forum that might be capable of crossing to Hawaii, but I dont think anybody has the inclination to*make*the crossing?
*
There are two member that I remember that have/might have done: 1) A Samoa chief that bought a commercial fishing trawler, live in Idaho, was planning on taking the trawler down the coast and then across the Pacific to Samoa.* I don't know if he ever did*and *2) John, I met at a Passagemaker get together, he bought a 90 ft Delta and cross to Hawaii, up to Dutch Harbor, and down the coast.*John calls me every 6 month or so to caught up, asked when are we going to throw off the lines and meet him.*NOT!
*
I have met and talk to a*several boater that have made the crossing and you are either bored to death, or scared to death.* Anyway DEATH seems to be the common thread!**I can maybe understand*cruising up and*down the coast?****

" I have met and talk to a*several boater that have made the crossing and you are either bored to death, or scared to death.*"

That sounds like Offshore to me....

Phil Fill wrote:There are*less than*a ½ dozen boat on this forum that might be capable of crossing to Hawaii, but I dont think anybody has the inclination to*make*the crossing?
*
There are two member that I remember that have/might have done: 1) A Samoa chief that bought a commercial fishing trawler, live in Idaho, was planning on taking the trawler down the coast and then across the Pacific to Samoa.* I don't know if he ever did*and *2) John, I met at a Passagemaker get together, he bought a 90 ft Delta and cross to Hawaii, up to Dutch Harbor, and down the coast.*John calls me every 6 month or so to caught up, asked when are we going to throw off the lines and meet him.*NOT!
*
I have met and talk to a*several boater that have made the crossing and you are either bored to death, or scared to death.* Anyway DEATH seems to be the common thread!**I can maybe understand*cruising up and*down the coast?****

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Been there, done that, that bored to death or scared to death open water thing, both in the military and in recreational boating. Coastal cruising in conditions and at times picked by me is the way I prefer it now. My testosterone level must, indeed, be decreasing with age. Funny thing that.

dwhatty wrote:

Been there, done that, that bored to death or scared to death open water thing, both in the military and in recreational boating. Coastal cruising in conditions and at times picked by me is the way I prefer it now.

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*My opinion also except for the boring part.

I leave ocean crossings to the professionals on large ships carrying lots of boats.


-- Edited by markpierce on Tuesday 25th of October 2011 04:34:33 PM

Phil Fill wrote:There are*less than*a ½ dozen boat on this forum that might be capable of crossing to Hawaii, but I dont think anybody has the inclination to*make*the crossing?

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*I have met a surprising number of people who have crossed between the west coast and Hawaii (and many of them on to the soutwestern Pacific).* All them have been sailboaters.* And not always big sailboats.* A few had 32 and 36 foot sailboats (double-enders).

While living in Hawaii I met some tug crew members*who made the barge runs between Hawaii and the west coast (usually Seattle) on a regular schedule.* Next week I'm meeing a friend of a friend who just brought a big aluminum power cat from Hawaii to Seattle for drydock work. Then the boat wll be going back to Alaksa to be a passenger ferry.

But I have not met anyone who has taken a recreational*powerboat between the west coast and Hawaii.* There was a fellow who made the trip from Hawaii to the mainland in a Grand Banks 42 some time ago.* He made half the trip on one engine and prop, then dove on the boat midway across, removed the prop he'd been running on, installed the other prop on the other shaft and made the second half of the voyage on the other engine.* But he was very, very lucky and encountered no bad weather during the trip.* Likewise someone took a Great Harbor 37 from the manufacturer on the east coast to Hawaii.* Again, it was primarily a publicity stunt and they had very, very good weather the whole way.

I personally have zero desire to boat in the open Pacific as I did plenty of that in Hawaii when I lived there, both power and sail.* It's great for fishing, and the interisland sailing was fun, but I wouldn't want slog across 3,000 miles of the stuff.* It's not particularly dangerous if the weather cooperates, and I wouldn't say it's boring as there is more life out there than one might think.* But I much prefer the inside salt water environment of the PNW, BC coast, and SE Alaska.* That environment is perfectly in tune with what I want out of life.


-- Edited by Marin on Tuesday 25th of October 2011 06:17:57 PM

These sailors gave up mid-ocean on their West Coast to Hawaii adventure.

Mark,

Gave up what?

Conrad wrote:
As I'm sitting here this morning enjoying my coffee and looking out over the warm ocean from the balcony here in Kona, the urge to go home, cast aside all worldly goods and go offshore trawling is very strong. So I know it has been discussed many times here, but I'm wondering: has anyone on this forum done a real offshore trawler trip to Hawaii?

Click to expand...

*Only sailing there and back a few years ago. *In a sailboat, it is something of an atheletic event (well, sort of), but in a trawler, not so much. *I thought a lot about what I wanted in a trawler based on that experience, and am looking forward to making the trip again.

On our last boat we traveled to 35 different countries with our longest passage at 24 days and*with many over 10.* What we found was that we were*better travelers than sailors.* Don't get me wrong there was nothing quite as special as being many days from land,*on watch and having horizon to horizon stars.* We used the boat as the mechanism to get us to where we wanted to go.* When we bought Hobo we said we're done crossing oceans.* The idea of doing a 10-20 day passage under power just doesn't' sound appealing.* In the last 12,000 plus miles and 6 more contries our longest passage has been just under 50 hours and that's just about right for us.

Passage Making on trawlers is done much more than a lot of people think, spend some time on the Nordhavn web site on the owners pages and you will find some. Most of the trawlers on here are not " true" passage makers, but a few are. You need a nominal 3000 mile range and a boat that can really ride out bad weather. When we bought Volunteer she had the range and most of the gear to be a " real " passage maker, but needed modifications to be a safe passage maker.* The Admiral has expressed that she has no desire to cross big oceans again ( we did that on our sail boat in the early 90's ). She has expressed some interest in cruising again on a sailboat ( cat ) as she feels more comfortable with the redundancy of a sailboat. I for one consider myself a mariner... I don't have and real preference.. power or sail.* I did for years really enjoy cruising here in the Northwest with the autopilot steering, sometimes watching a dvd, sitting in the pilot house when it was raining... all toasty with my slippers on.. while passing sailboats with the soaked crew hunkered behind their dodgers!.* I do believe that offshore passage making can be done very safely on a well found power boat. My perfect passage maker in this forum would be Delfin without question.. if cost was of no concern.. it is a remarkable vessel.

HOLLYWOOD

nomadwilly wrote:
Mark,

Gave up what?

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*They abandoned their boat*so they could continue their passage to Hawaii on the cruise ship Staatendam.

That was on my first ocean cruise, fifteen days from San Diego to Hawaii and return spending time visiting four of the Hawaiian Islands during January 2003.* Rescued three people mid-ocean, and lost one passenger jumping overboard.* Boy, cruising is exciting! *Since then, have missed scheduled ports due to bad weather, have been in a couple of Hurricanes, had mechanical breakdowns, a collision, and so on.* I'm sure it was a lot easier on 900-foot-long ships rather than our little boats.


-- Edited by markpierce on Thursday 27th of October 2011 12:54:44 AM

I'm with you guys , all my long ocean passages are done on larger vessels whislt makin a living.
I don't wish to spend 10/12 days crossing oceans in a small boat.
I don't mind 2/3 days open ocean travelling to the GBR or hopefully from Cairns to the Louiseades in the Pacific or even up to Indo.
These places are pretty clos eto Aus and very doable. A set of ocean window covers (polycarbonate)are required for this.


-- Edited by Tidahapah on Thursday 27th of October 2011 04:19:51 AM

markpierce wrote:nomadwilly wrote:
Mark,

Gave up what?

Click to expand...

*They abandoned their boat*so they could continue their passage to Hawaii on the cruise ship Staatendam.

That was on my first ocean cruise, fifteen days from San Diego to Hawaii and return spending time visiting four of the Hawaiian Islands during January 2003.* Rescued three people mid-ocean, and lost one passenger jumping overboard.* Boy, cruising is exciting! *Since then, have missed scheduled ports due to bad weather, have been in a couple of Hurricanes, had mechanical breakdowns, a collision, and so on.* I'm sure it was a lot easier on 900-foot-long ships rather than our little boats.



-- Edited by markpierce on Thursday 27th of October 2011 12:54:44 AM

*Seems lots of people "jump" overboard from cruise ships, 165 since 1995 according to British news sources.

Must be the food or something I guess.

weebobby wrote:
*Seems lots of people "jump" overboard from cruise ships, 165 since 1995 according to British news sources.

Must be the food or something I guess.

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Might even be more people than that.* I've been told that a lot of people jump off the Chesapeake Bay Bridge every year but it's generally downplayed in order to not glamorize it and encourage copy cats.*

I'd bet the cruise industry does everything possible to minimize the spread of information of people disappearing off their ships.

weebobby wrote:
Must be the food or something I guess.

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*Might be boredom or the lemming factor.

Yup.* Another "boring" day "at sea."


-- Edited by markpierce on Friday 28th of October 2011 12:28:54 PM

Hmm... looks like the view from Anthony's restaurant out over Bellingham Bay on a windy day.

markpierce wrote:Yup.* Another "boring" day "at sea."

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Looks like another day at sea to me. Take the great circle from Seattle to Japan a few times in the winter then get back to us.

A rainy day on a floatel hardly counts as a seagoing adventure.

On our cruise from Vancouver to the Hawaiian Islands last October the seas were dead flat and the skies sunny but you could spend all day looking at the horizon 360 degrees and not see another vessel. It certainly made one realize just how damned big the ocean is and just how little our boats are. I could easily have cruised Penta (had she been in the water) to Hawaii at that time but there is no way I had any desire to do so.
There was a trio of older gents here in Victoria a few years back who annually sailed their 45 foot ex commercial fish boat to Hawaii and back, just for the fun of the trip so they said. They carried extra fuel in drums on deck lashed to very sturdy rails and apparently had great crossings but I would think they must have gotten very bored by the time they completed a crossing as it took the Statendam 5 days with us last year.
This is the one place where the expression "Leave the driving to us" applies to boating in my mind.
Now cruising up the coast along Vancouver Island and the BC Mainland inlets is my "cup of tea"!

John Tones MV Penta
Sidney, BC

Rick was talking about a great circle route*with vessels typically transiting Unimak Pass near Dutch Harbor, AK.

It's a different ocean up north,*especially in the winter.

Back in the 1970s when I was a kid working in commercial television in Hawaii, there was a news story one day about a group of "hippies' for want of a better word, who sailed a nasty-looking black schooner of about 70' or so from Seattle to Hawaii. They loaded the boat down with row after row of car batteries to power the monster stereo system they had on board, bought some food and pot*and headed out.

Their navigation system consisted of..... lining the boat up with the jet contrails btween Seattle and Hawaii.

About 100 miles from Oahu they radioed the USCG that they were out of food and fuel. This was back in the days when the Coast Guard responded to calls like this with something more substantial than, "Bummer," and they went out and towed the schooner into Kaneohe Bay, which is where I saw it. Our news reporter interviewed some of the schooner's "crew" and they said the worst thing about the whole voyage had happened several days earlier when their batteries had finally died and they couldn't play their stereo anymore.

The USCG spokesman interviewed said that if the ocean conditions hadn't been super mild for the several weeks it took them to make the trip, and had there been any substantial cloud cover to mask the jet contrails, they would have ended up as box lunches for sharks.

i don't know what happened to the schooner's crew. They probably drifted away to one place or another. The schooner, I seem to recall, was finally declared derelict and was hauled out of the water and broken up.


-- Edited by Marin on Friday 28th of October 2011 06:16:11 PM

Now that was a ship of fools.

That's why my long-range, open-water cruises include stage shows, parlor games, movies, drinks at the piano bar, and four-course meals.

markpierce wrote:
That's why my long-range, open-water cruises include stage shows, parlor games, movies, drinks at the piano bar, and four-course meals.

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*Yes, but Mark, are you going for the ride or the destination at the end?

Larry, the ship/voyage is the primary "destination."* I've become so jaded I don't get off at most intermediate ports of call (been there).

Post Cape Horn "baptism":


-- Edited by markpierce on Saturday 29th of October 2011 04:40:47 PM