SF to Seattle on a trawler

The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
B

bcarli

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2013
Messages
84
Location
usa
Vessel Name
Pandion
Vessel Make
Nordhavn 46
Hi
We have been looking for our next boat and have found a few trawlers that interest us that are located in the San Fransisco Bay Area, our home port is near Seattle so it would mean slugging up the coast if we bought one of these boats. I have done the trip twice going down from Seattle to L.A and we lived on the Oregon Coast for seven years...so I know what a hard trip coming up the coast can be. We would probably try to depart SF in early June and harbor hop waiting on weather. We would like to hear from others who have done this trip...all thoughts and feed-back are appreciated
thanks
 
How big a boat? Have you considered having it trucked up? If you buy it soon, you would need to wait for later in the season for reliable weather. If you could truck it North, you could be using the boat here in the mean time.
 
boat is in the 43 to 48 foot length and to big to truck
 
Not knowing the boat or the captain, it's hard to answer that question. However, I'd say in general with a boat that size and a captain with some reasonable boating experience and not being committed to any calendar or schedule, it's a trip one can make safely and enjoy.

One key is to anticipate on the way. Don't proceed with likelihood of bad conditions and if the forecast starts to change then get to shore before the CG decides the inlet needs to be closed. The CG coverage along the way and the ability to get information for the inlets is very good.
 
I made this trip 2+ years ago in a non trawler diesel power boat. We did average trawler like 9 knots for the trip so that should account for something. This trip in my opinion is entirely dependent on vessel condition (I would assume all maintenance and preventative work would be completed prior to departure) and the weather window.

For use we began watching the weather in May, finally departing San Francisco in early October. My research showed summer to be worse with the Fall and then Spring typically better periods to attempt the uphill run.

We did have 48 hours of weather delay that kept us in Newport, Or. other than that everything was great.

Happy to discuss further if you have any more specific questions.
 
We did this in Oct. 2012. Stopped in Crescent City and Westport. Took the better part of 7 days. Weather was perfect. Rang the bell a few times rounding Cape Menicino. Never went more than 10 miles off shore. Running at night was calmer than day.
 
You might ask Capt. Richard Rodriguez (who has the BitterEnd Blog). He's done it several times on deliveries including a boat that's in my YC. If you grovel back through his FB posts you can see several of the voyages (which he publishes via Spot).
 
Lots of good advice above (in fact, fwiw, nothing with which I have any disagreement -- probably sounds immodest but intended only to reflect my experience in having made that trip a few times). And starting from SF (rather than further south) gives you a big boost. You should be able to pick out a weather window and have an enjoyable trip. I would be a little concerned about that trip on a new (to you) boat. If it were me, I would first cruise it locally, and offshore, enough to have confidence in the engines, that the filters wouldn't clog when you hit heavy seas and churn up all the junk at the bottom of the tank, etc.
 
Doing it now would be a nice run but as soon as the north pacific high starts it will be head seas most of the way.
 
BandB said:
Not knowing the boat or the captain, it's hard to answer that question. However, I'd say in general with a boat that size and a captain with some reasonable boating experience and not being committed to any calendar or schedule, it's a trip one can make safely and enjoy.

One key is to anticipate on the way. Don't proceed with likelihood of bad conditions and if the forecast starts to change then get to shore before the CG decides the inlet needs to be closed. The CG coverage along the way and the ability to get information for the inlets is very good.
Click to expand...

I think those are the two biggest caveats to keep in mind. When I bought my current boat 6 years ago, I would have liked to sail it North, but I have to work to pay for it and can't afford indeterminate dates. If you have a schedule that you have to keep, don't go.
 
bcarli said:
boat is in the 43 to 48 foot length and to big to truck
Click to expand...

That's not too big to truck. Here's mine getting ready to leave the Detroit area headed to Portland, OR. 60' long x 15'7" wide.


img_426512_0_87b6da200be29f08fe4f51eb83d4861d.jpg
 
We similarly got our boat in SF and brought it back to Vancouver (Canada) 3 years ago.

We ran 24/7 and stopped once to refuel in Crescent City and wait out weather for 12 hours. It is all about weather windows!

Our trip was grey, foggy, and rainy. Most was running on radar, chart plotter and AIS far enough offshore to avoid all the crab pots. There were an unbelievable number of them when entering and exiting Crescent City! Can't imagine running at night close to shore.

We had the fuel polished and tanks cleaned before we left and still went through LOTS of filters!
 
If you don't plan to run way off shore, beware of crab pots too. There are some areas near shore that are designated as "crab lanes" meaning the fisherman generally don't put pots in those areas. Otherwise I agree with most of the above posts. Having a tight schedule is a real problem and can cause you to be out in weather that would be better avoided. Otherwise, it's an enjoyable trip. Cheers.......Captain Jeff
 
Wifey B: Immoral to truck boats....should be illegal. :rolleyes::rofl: Ok, just teasing, but there are places to stop and see on the way. Doesn't have to be one trip. Maybe midway you leave the boat a while in Portland and enjoy the river. You have to pick your spots and be patient but people do go up and down the coast. Some make it sound like Cape Horn. Not the place for inexperienced or an unknown, unproven boat, but do a great shakedown first. Use it a bit in the Bay area. Lots of people here would think it criminal if you didn't check out the Delta. You dudes know who you are....:)
 
We did SF to Anacortes, WA in 2014. Ran our boat up to Bodega Bay in late February and waited for a weather window. Took 3 legs of about 30 to 35 hours to complete using the inshore route. Over-nighted at Crescent City and waited out 3 days of storms in Tillamook. Like the previous comments, wait for your weather window and be ready to dodge the crab floats. For night running we installed strong LED light bars high on the radar mast. Crab floats were visible at 300 feet ahead.

We blogged about it here: m/v WILD BLUE Cruising Blog: 2014-02 Weather Watching for San Francisco to Seattle

Good luck and have an enjoyable delivery.

Alex
 
Don't forget to have whoever is on board to be "sea friendly"... and to have at least two aboard who are well experienced on/in many manner of marine doings. Make sure your "new" boat is completely ready to handle extended trip and take enough "extra" parts with installation tools... just in case.

As well as all applicable communication devices and really good personal gear that can handle any encounter... I recommend a good quality epirb... caus, ya just never know! And, you always want to be here next decade to chat about it - if shat hits really the fan! :thumb:

Happy Transport/Cruising Daze! - Art :speed boat:
 
I had our GB skippered up in 2014. As an FYI his fees were about $4.5k. He had to (or chose to I suppose) lay up twice up on the California coast. And looking at the ocean reports I didn't blame him. So total port to port was about 2.5 weeks. He returned home etc. and rushed back when the windows opened so I'm sure some time was lost but he was pretty motivated. I had heard this was pretty typical which is why I hired the trip out. My work schedule isn't quite that flexible. Trip was in late June.
 
We leave Portland in the AM and hope to be in Port Angeles early next week. Great weather window for the next 5-6 days. Will travel during the day and dock or anchor evening.
If the weather turns, we stay put. I'm such a wuss, but I am more interested in enjoying the trek. Head north to the Alaska and Canadian border, turn around and hope to be back in Portland Oct./ Nov.

Didn't mean to hijack the thread, but we have been sitting here in Portland for the last 30 some days and it's time to go!
 
refugio said:
You might ask Capt. Richard Rodriguez (who has the BitterEnd Blog). He's done it several times on deliveries including a boat that's in my YC. If you grovel back through his FB posts you can see several of the voyages (which he publishes via Spot).
Click to expand...

X 2. Exactly what i would do.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

David Hope
Bahamas- Trip Advise
Replies
8
Views
1K
HalcyonDays
H
Pmcsurf1
WA to FL Cost: Shipping boat via truck or ship or cruise
2
Replies
34
Views
6K
Pete Meisinger
Pete Meisinger
S
insuring a trawler cruising trawler
Replies
18
Views
2K
Capt Ray
C
Hydraulicjump
Best Windows for Neah Bay to Astoria and Back at 7.5 kts
Replies
7
Views
618
Hydraulicjump
Hydraulicjump
X
Cruising Upstream on the Mississippi
Replies
19
Views
4K
mickand
mickand

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom