Planning Phase for the Delivery Run of the New Alaskan Sea-Duction

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

OK, we are in the very early stages of planning this run from Oakley CA (Near Stockton) to Longview WA (Columbia River). It will be about a 680 mile run near the middle to end of September. I am told that any run after the fall equinox can be rough due to weather. I plan to run during daylight hours. That being said I need some help determining/gathering equipment and I am on somewhat a budget. Here is what I have so far.

1. Six-man lift raft. I need to beg, borrow or rent one.
2. The boat has Cat 3208s. I plan to take a case of filters. NAPA? Part number?
3. Best place to get paper charts?
4. I will be installing my HDS 7 Chart/fish plotter with an updated chart chip. Any specials on this $200 chip?
5. I will be buying a "Spot", any good deals?
6. Weather? I know about NOAA, weather service. What else?
7. For those who have made this trip, suggestions on how far from shore to run? I hear crab pot are at 300+ feet with steel cables.
All the above is for the trip after I have taken delivery of the boat and all issue with the survey reports are cleared.
What am I missing?

 

[Boydski]

6. Weather? I know about NOAA, weather service. What else?

Buoy Weather is excellent for predictions offshore. It is a paid service, but very, very easy to understand what is ahead of you. Passageweather is also an excellent site for long range forecasting.

7. For those who have made this trip, suggestions on how far from shore to run? I hear crab pot are at 300+ feet with steel cables.

We just made the trip from San Francisco to Tacoma in June. If you stay outside of the 50 fathom line (west of 300'), you won't see any crab pots. The only pots I saw the entire trip were between San Francisco and Point Arena, while we were heading offshore.

Most of our trip was run ~ 12-14 miles offshore. Close enough to get a cell signal, far enough to get clear of the pots, but not so far offshore that you run into the big commercial traffic (they run 125° West).

Good Luck with your trip. We had a blast on ours!

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Thanks Scott

 

[Boydski]

I'm sure that you already thought of this, but be sure you are familiar with the boat's radar. September tends to be foggy offshore when the winds calm down.

 

[psneeld]

Don't waste your money on the paper charts...get a laptop and download EVERY one for free at NOAA...buy a $30 USB GPS and have a second chartplotter for backup.

Take a second tablet/laptop if you can or at least download the charts onto an external drive of some sort. If you lose all power as some would have you believe...you probably don't have a lot of other stuff too....make a list of sea buoys and points to go around with coordinates so all you need is a gps to safely get you there.

If you are in a situation where you can't get a battery to power a small inverter to give you the charts...then as I said you got bigger issues and can get charts at the first layover to get all the electrical stuff fixed that brought you in if you don't like the electronic chart format.

If thinking SPOT over EPIRB or even PLB ...don't....SPOT as a backup but not primary. While it has gotten good reviews there is no official collection of "failures" that I know of like the EPIRB/PLB system. Too many times that constellation of satellites has given different comms systems issues...I wouldn't trust my life to it yet. Less than $300 will get you a decent PLB...the cost of 3 good dinners out is what your life would be equated to.

As far as oil filters go...really need to know if on engine or remoted.

 

[Larry M]

We've done the trip twice. Sometimes the bar entances can be be a problem based on the tides and weather. Remember, flood is fine, ebb is evil. The USCG is great resource for bar condtions along this coast.

Charlie"s Charts is a good reference for the coast. I second what Psneeld said about charts. Whith a good cruising guide and electronics, you're good to go.

And don't forget Newport, OR. Rouge River Brewery has a great tasting room.

Charlie's Charts U.S. Pacific Coast - 6th Ed.

 

[CPseudonym]

I just PM'd you my contact info if you need anything as I live somewhat nearby your purchase location.

 

[Pineapple Girl]

If you pay to re certify my 8 man givens life raft you can keep it. It's at sals in alameda, ca. It is a hard shell. We have a cradle, a grey sunbrella cover and a hydrostatic release.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

Hey.. Thats a very generous offer Pineapple Girl. You better take her up on that ASD!

 

[Pineapple Girl]

Hopefully Sal still has it!!

 

[FlyWright]

ASD, Let us know when you're heading this way. We'll put together a Delta Force to help you out on this end. Oakley is just down the road a spell near Antioch.

 

[Scary]

Where's the boat

I'm local Walnut Grove, If you need help let me know. Anytime after August before January should be good. Winds can still be a problem allow extra time. Rent a raft and Epirb for the trip. Servicing a raft will cost more than renting. I like the route planning and charting with a lap top with good nav software as back up. The laptop is good for internet weather as well, you'll have internet most of the way with exception of the gate north to Bodega Bay. At least for me. Coast guard will broadcast bar information on 16/22 on regular schedule. Fuel prices are best at Village West in Stockton (near Lodi ). Pittsburg Marina is usually next best, on the way out of the delta.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Thanks everyone. I agree with PSNEELD. I will have a six-man life raft w/EPIRB and an additional EPIRB. The SPOT will be used in place of AIS. Will add AIS later.

Moving the boat to Stockton on Sept. 6th, surveys on the 9th. If all is acceptable on the 18th, it’s a trip of at least 3 miles offshore to take care of the sale, then back to Oakley to prepare for the trip.

A friend of mine has a fuel polisher and I plan to clean the fuel and pump some fuel in the back two 50gal tanks as they have not been used and I want to clean those tanks.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Well heading done to CA on Thursday and on Friday taking the boat up to Stockton for surveys and haul out on Monday. An interesting development. This boat hold 600gal of fuel in two-250gal and two-50gal tanks. The two small tanks have never had fuel in them according to the owner. This is a great concern to me as I will need that 100gal. So once I get the thumbs up from the surveyors, I have hired Duke from http://www.cssifuelfiltration.com/ to come in and install inspection access in each tank (he has done a preliminary inspection and no inspection access holes), clean each tank and dry them to include the fuel manifold. Then he will be polishing the fuel before putting it back in the tank. This will be a 4 day job, but the risks of not doing it with tanks that have never been inspected or had fuel in two them, makes this a must do project. Too late to think about it when I am out going around Cape Mendocino and I start clogging filters. Money well spent or at least I keep telling myself that.

 

[FlyWright]

Tom, Duke is doing the same work on my boat this morning. I'll document it on the fuel contamination thread.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Thanks Al. Post the thread link please.

 

[Codger2]

Duke is doing the same work on my boat this morning. I'll document it on the fuel contamination thread.

I'm really interested on how this comes out......

 

[FlyWright]

Thanks Al. Post the thread link please.

Fuel Contamination Thread

 

[ksanders]

Well heading done to CA on Thursday and on Friday taking the boat up to Stockton for surveys and haul out on Monday. An interesting development. This boat hold 600gal of fuel in two-250gal and two-50gal tanks. The two small tanks have never had fuel in them according to the owner. This is a great concern to me as I will need that 100gal. .

So Why do you need to hold 600 gallons of fuel for a run up the coast?

I've not been on the Northern California coast, but I know for a fact that there is fuel available.

I'm going to answer my own question with a theory that you are planning on running offshore, all the way, or much of the way. That would be the only reason to need that much fuel.

If I can offer a little advice, why dont you harbor hop up the coast?
That seems like a much safer, much funner trip. I know you've probably made long cruises yourself, but I find that after a long day cruising its really nice to tie up, stretch your legs and relax.

If I guessed wrong about your intentions, please share your route planning. I'm very curious. I cannot for the life of me figure out why you need that much fuel, with your main tanks holding 500 gallons by themselves.

I read your first post where you indicated that you are planning on running daylight hours, and that the total trip is 680 miles. What am I missing?

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Hey Kevin,

Things changed a little. I will have a great crew with me that has lots of experiance on the west coast. They have convinced me to run day and night, weather permitting. The object is to get the boat up to NewPort for fuel, then tackle the timing for the Columbia River Bar.

 

[FlyWright]

Oh...I thought it was to cover the navigation errors associated with making a left turn out the gate to go north!

 

[ksanders]

Hey Kevin,

Things changed a little. I will have a great crew with me that has lots of experiance on the west coast. They have convinced me to run day and night, weather permitting. The object is to get the boat up to NewPort for fuel, then tackle the timing for the Columbia River Bar.

OK, I guess we all do things our own way.

Its not how I'd make the trip, but its doable.

680 miles at 8 knots is 85 hours.

To me, it sounds like you're on a schedule. We have all pushed our limits when on a schedule.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Not so much pushing as just getting the boat delivered to the Columbia, however safety is #1 with me, so if we have to seek a port and sit awhile, that is fine too.

Al, that is just plain mean man, just mean!!!!!

 

[sunchaser]

Hey Kevin,

Things changed a little. I will have a great crew with me that has lots of experiance on the west coast. They have convinced me to run day and night, weather permitting. The object is to get the boat up to NewPort for fuel, then tackle the timing for the Columbia River Bar.

This is how I have and would do it. Especially with West coast fall weather approaching. Kevin, have you taken the opportunity to have by the book engine and genset maintenance performed?