Diesel Duck Pacific Crossing - 22

[MV La Costa]

MV La Costa is safe and secure in Meyers Chuck, AK after our 2876 mile pacific crossing from Oahu to our new cruising grounds in SE Alaska.
As with all ocean passages, some amazing weather, and a few days of up to Force 8 conditions requiring our storm windows to be installed and the storm Anchor to be prepped for possible deployment. Luckily our Diesel Duck was built for these types of conditions, and even in 35' seas, she handled it wonderfully.
The normal challenges / repairs, major and minor failures, and even a shut down mid ocean, and a large ball of netting caught in the prop that had to be dove on, 650 miles from shore! We will be updating our pages and doing a full trip report shortly.

Diesel Duck 462
Ave speed 6.2k
18 days straight
MV La Costa

 

[twistedtree]

Awesome. Congratulations!

 

[Crusty Chief]

Awesome passage, look forward to more on this trip.

Cheers

 

[Dwk]

WOW, the 35 ft seas got my attention! Excited to learn more

 

[ScottC]

Wow! Congrats on the successful voyage!

 

[Mako]

That's fantastic, La Costa. Interested to learn more about the details of how you got caught in an F8 with 35 footers. Given today's weather forecasting technology, was it a low that you had been tracking which turned for the worst, or a system you were just hoping to push through, or something completely unexpected, etc.?

 

[Fletcher500]

Wow, what an adventure. Nice job!

 

[KnotYet]

Great to hear about it!

 

[trihartsfield]

35 foot seas would have given me a F8 pucker factor. Wow. Any video of that? The seas, not the pucker factor.

 

[Airstream345]

35 foot seas would have given me a F8 pucker factor. Wow. Any video of that? The seas, not the pucker factor.

The air draft on our KK54 is 37’. Yikes!

PF = wave height X mast height

 

[Comodave]

Incredible adventure.

 

[SeaMaster101]

I'm planning the trip back home to BC on my motor vessel SeaWitch currently on the hard in NZ, after crossing the south pacific in 2018.

would you please elaborate on the route you choose, time of the year, your destination? Did you do any course corrections for weather avoidance?

 

[MV La Costa]

I'm planning the trip back home to BC on my motor vessel SeaWitch currently on the hard in NZ, after crossing the south pacific in 2018.
would you please elaborate on the route you choose, time of the year, your destination? Did you do any course corrections for weather avoidance?

We used Jimmy Cornell's books as a base for recommended Oahu to AK timing which was June. I've used his routes now several times.
We used Bob Cook @ Weather Pros as our weather routing / forecaster service, which turned out to be worth its weight in gold, as we encountered 3 large lows that with his help we missed the worst of, at one point staying nearly dead in the water @ idle while it blew by us. We did encounter some bad weather, but all good overall as we missed the worst of it due to his redirecting.

 

[SeaMaster101]

We used Jimmy Cornell's books as a base for recommended Oahu to AK timing which was June. I've used his routes now several times.
We used Bob Cook @ Weather Pros as our weather routing / forecaster service, which turned out to be worth its weight in gold, as we encountered 3 large lows that with his help we missed the worst of, at one point staying nearly dead in the water @ idle while it blew by us. We did encounter some bad weather, but all good overall as we missed the worst of it due to his redirecting.

I plan to make it via few segments. First NZ to Fiji about 1,200 NM, then Fiji to the Samoas with stop for refuelling if i remember correct this was about 700 or so NM. From there to Hawaii about 2,200NM and finally Hawaii to Vancouver about another 2,300NM. It will be challenging trip, all the way uphill...

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

very impressive ocean passage!

 

[MV La Costa]

I plan to make it via few segments. First NZ to Fiji about 1,200 NM, then Fiji to the Samoas with stop for refuelling if i remember correct this was about 700 or so NM. From there to Hawaii about 2,200NM and finally Hawaii to Vancouver about another 2,300NM. It will be challenging trip, all the way uphill...

Id recommend Oahu, Kewalo Basin marina as your stop, safe, security, and close to most everything.

 

[MV La Costa]

I don't know if this is against group rules, but my wife just made a blog of the trip:
www.mvlacosta.com/blog/

 

[markpierce]

What? No photos of the 35-foot seas? Perhaps everyone was holding onto dear life? ... While able to take photos of 45-foot waves (northern Atlantic) from a ship, found that wasn't possible when bucking into five-foot vertical waves (eastern Suisun Bay) on my "little sister" 35-foot boat.

 

[SeaMaster101]

Id recommend Oahu, Kewalo Basin marina as your stop, safe, security, and close to most everything.

Is fuel available? Hawaii will be point for refuelling for me. Also do they usually have slips available and what was the cost per month?
I might have to stay 4-6 months in Hawaii to wait for best time to cross to NA as the best time to travel from the south pacific to Hawaii if I remember correct is around Dec - Feb

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

What? No photos of the 35-foot seas? Perhaps everyone was holding onto dear life? ... While able to take photos of 45-foot waves (northern Atlantic) from a ship, found that wasn't possible when bucking into five-foot vertical waves (eastern Suisun Bay) on my "little sister" 35-foot boat.

Big seas don't translate in pics or videos... Oh yes, you can tell its rough but not actual conditions...

 

[Slider70]

Thanks for the blog. Extremely interesting!

 

[MV La Costa]

Is fuel available? Hawaii will be point for refuelling for me. Also do they usually have slips available and what was the cost per month?
I might have to stay 4-6 months in Hawaii to wait for best time to cross to NA as the best time to travel from the south pacific to Hawaii if I remember correct is around Dec - Feb

Yes, I just took on 1200 gallons, marina has largest fuel dock on the island. Talk to The office manager Julia.
"Julia York" <jyork@kewaloharbor.com>

 

[MV La Costa]

What? No photos of the 35-foot seas? Perhaps everyone was holding onto dear life? ... While able to take photos of 45-foot waves (northern Atlantic) from a ship, found that wasn't possible when bucking into five-foot vertical waves (eastern Suisun Bay) on my "little sister" 35-foot boat.

Nope...and when pics / video were attempted the camera makes everything smaller!

 

[Delta Riverat]

Yeah, amazing boat ride, my credits to the Captain & Crew!

Inspiration for me, just need a few more years experience before we do any long distance ocean trips.

 

[indy]

Great blog! Thank you.

Just finished reading your blog. Fantastic reading and a great adventure story for all us boaters. One thing it sure illustrates is the value of your preparations for the boat and the crew. Thanks again!

 

[Larry M]

What a great blog post. Thanks for posting!

 

[Dwk]

Most enjoyable blog!

 

[Adopo]

Just wow. Thank you for sharing this, sure would have been a cool reality series! You've done what few have done and I am envious as I am sure I will never experience this. And your blog proved you had well better be mechanically handy!

Question about the fins, did I read that one of them failed/broke off? How did the boat do with one fish in the water? I would have thought it might unbalance the boat but I could see where it would still steady the boat.

And I had no idea anyone was actually born in Myers Chuck! How cool is that and how fortunate. To be from a small place of approximately 21 full time people would be amazing. Remote and intimate. When we were there in August 2021 we unfortunately could not stop due to no dock space and I could not convince the NW Exploration captain to anchor out by rafting up. I really wanted the cinnamon buns the postmistress prepares for new arrivals, something to add to the unique experience of visiting Myers Chuck. Coolest little place in AK.

https://www.npr.org/2017/06/24/531617584/meyers-chuck-ak-99903

BTW, sad story, one less at Myers Chuck...Peavey had lived in the community of Meyers Chuck nearly his whole life, having moved there in 1949 at the age of seven. That’s according to a profile in Alaska Magazine.

He and his wife, Cassy, who works as Meyers Chuck’s postmistress, were also featured in a National Public Radio profile of the small community in 2017.

https://www.kstk.org/2022/02/17/meyers-chuck-man-confirmed-dead-after-going-missing-in-skiff/

 

[cardude01]

Awesome post.

Thanks for reminding me why I don’t want to cross an ocean. ?

 

[RedRascal]

Thanks for posting the blog www.mvlacosta.com/blog/ it reads like a passage maker article. I enjoyed reading about your voyage.