I think that going to Hawaii in a Mac is insane - yet fully doable.
Yeah you might die, the boat isn't made to do this in a safe way.
It is lightly built and rigged.
But compared to some of the boats that have made longer voyages the Mac is overkill.
Capt Bligh sailed to indonisia in a small open and overloaded boat with almost no food and little water. He made it.
I wouldn't want to do such an extreme adventure but if you are looking for adventure take a Mac to Hawaii and you will probably have quite a little adventure.
On sailing to Hawaii
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baldbaby2000
- Admiral
- Posts: 1382
- Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2004 8:41 am
- Location: Rapid City, SD, 2005 26M, 40hp Tohatsu
- Contact:
Brent,
If you're for real I admire you for having this dream. I think I'm too old now to consider anything like you're planning. When I was young I rode my motocycle like I was immortal but after a bad accident all I can think about now when I ride are the possible ways someone can hit me; kindof takes the fun out of it. Amazing how much more fun I had before I knew how dangerous it was!
I don't think you'll have much trouble getting to Hawaii if you're determined but rough seas can be miserable. I was in a 270 foot submarine in a storm off the East Coast when I was in the Navy. Was seasick for over 12 hours and I honestly wanted to die; not kidding, the worst feeling in my life.
Having a bladder in the ballast tank filled with fresh water seems like a good idea to me. There's a good book called Maiden Voyage you should read. A young girl (actually a brat) named Tania sailed around the world in a 26 ft sloop. I was amazed when she described putting up the sails and heading out from NY. Something to the effect, "this is the first time I've been sailing alone." She barely knew how to sail and was leaving to sail solo around the world! After her motor broke early on she wrote something like, "I came out here to sail, not to motor," and continued to Bermuda with a dead battery. She almost missed Bermuda because her cheap plastic sextant was warped. Imagine that; people actually used to navigate without a GPS. She made it around the world, not without problems but she made it.
Let us know what you end up doing.
BB
If you're for real I admire you for having this dream. I think I'm too old now to consider anything like you're planning. When I was young I rode my motocycle like I was immortal but after a bad accident all I can think about now when I ride are the possible ways someone can hit me; kindof takes the fun out of it. Amazing how much more fun I had before I knew how dangerous it was!
I don't think you'll have much trouble getting to Hawaii if you're determined but rough seas can be miserable. I was in a 270 foot submarine in a storm off the East Coast when I was in the Navy. Was seasick for over 12 hours and I honestly wanted to die; not kidding, the worst feeling in my life.
Having a bladder in the ballast tank filled with fresh water seems like a good idea to me. There's a good book called Maiden Voyage you should read. A young girl (actually a brat) named Tania sailed around the world in a 26 ft sloop. I was amazed when she described putting up the sails and heading out from NY. Something to the effect, "this is the first time I've been sailing alone." She barely knew how to sail and was leaving to sail solo around the world! After her motor broke early on she wrote something like, "I came out here to sail, not to motor," and continued to Bermuda with a dead battery. She almost missed Bermuda because her cheap plastic sextant was warped. Imagine that; people actually used to navigate without a GPS. She made it around the world, not without problems but she made it.
Let us know what you end up doing.
BB
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Sloop John B
- Captain
- Posts: 871
- Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2004 2:45 am
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
- Location: Florida 'Big Bend'. 02x Yamaha T50
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Phillip
- First Officer
- Posts: 330
- Joined: Fri Nov 26, 2004 11:49 pm
- Location: Sunshine Coast Australia 2000 26X Tohatsu 50hp
Give it a rest Brent.
I recall the fun you got going on another board, and if I recall correctly, that turned a bit nasty, although it entertained all of us there. (not the one referred to above either).
Stop arguing with yourself, stop kicking tyres and go buy yourself a boat (any boat) and start having some fun.
Dreams are great, but greater when you try them out. Take my word for it. Nothing like jumping in the deep end to see what happens.
Cheers
Phillip
PS I am sincerely sorry to hear of your wifes condition.
I recall the fun you got going on another board, and if I recall correctly, that turned a bit nasty, although it entertained all of us there. (not the one referred to above either).
Stop arguing with yourself, stop kicking tyres and go buy yourself a boat (any boat) and start having some fun.
Dreams are great, but greater when you try them out. Take my word for it. Nothing like jumping in the deep end to see what happens.
Cheers
Phillip
PS I am sincerely sorry to hear of your wifes condition.
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Mark Prouty
- Admiral
- Posts: 1723
- Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2004 8:52 am
- Location: Madison, WI Former MacGregor 26X Owner
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Terry Chiccino
- Chief Steward
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2004 12:27 pm
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
- Location: Santa Cruz, CA., '02x,w/'09 Honda,efi
I just read in "Practical Sailor" in their "Credit Wher Credit is Due" a fellow sailed his 22 foot sail boat, can't remember the type from San Diego, CA to Hilo, HI.
During his passage he encountered 30 to 40 knot tail winds in following seas, and stated the only thing that saved him was the use of his drogue which incidently a shark attacked and almost destroyed. The sea drogue manufacture was sending him a replacement for free (the reason for his entry in the magazine).
Know I don't know about the rest of you, but I find surfing down following seas with the Mac wanting to broach most discomforting.
Maybe Brent needs to come out to our Monterey bay and give this a try in our current 14 ft. swells and seven foot wind waves before he takes on 30 days in a row of that action. Brent if your reading, come enjoy the experience and you will understand what the fellows here are trying to tell you!
During his passage he encountered 30 to 40 knot tail winds in following seas, and stated the only thing that saved him was the use of his drogue which incidently a shark attacked and almost destroyed. The sea drogue manufacture was sending him a replacement for free (the reason for his entry in the magazine).
Know I don't know about the rest of you, but I find surfing down following seas with the Mac wanting to broach most discomforting.
Maybe Brent needs to come out to our Monterey bay and give this a try in our current 14 ft. swells and seven foot wind waves before he takes on 30 days in a row of that action. Brent if your reading, come enjoy the experience and you will understand what the fellows here are trying to tell you!
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Jack O'Brien
- Captain
- Posts: 564
- Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 6:28 pm
- Location: West Palm Beach, Florida, 2000X, Gostosa III
CA to Hawaii
The boat was/is a Cape Dory 25. (Practical Sailor March, 2005, Mailport page 5.) Took him 24 days downwind with 30 - 35 Knot winds and large seas - often breaking. His Para-Tech Sea Drogue saved his butt.
See the following for excellent info from the Coast Guard.
http://www.sailrite.com/droguereport.htm
See the following for excellent info from the Coast Guard.
http://www.sailrite.com/droguereport.htm
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Tony D-26X_SusieQ
- First Officer
- Posts: 306
- Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2004 7:20 am
- Location: Mayo, Maryland
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Mark Prouty
- Admiral
- Posts: 1723
- Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2004 8:52 am
- Location: Madison, WI Former MacGregor 26X Owner
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Scott
- Admiral
- Posts: 1654
- Joined: Tue May 18, 2004 12:46 pm
- Sailboat: Venture 25
- Location: 1978 Catalina 22 with all the Racing Goodies!! 4 horse fire breathing monster on the transom
Im normally not a naysayer to the group think, but Ive made the trip with my pops 2 times, Once back east.
One of my brothers, my father and I sailed a 35 footer from Cali to hawaii when i was younger than 10. I dont remember the brand or the year. A couple of years later we sailed a Columbia 27' from Hawaii to cali and back.
The trip in the Columbia was eventless except Dad ran out of the liver preservetive about 2 or 3 days out of california. He wasnt happy about that.
The trip on the 35 footer was terrible in that we ran into weather 2 or 3 times. Spent as much as a day and a night without going on deck, never rolled but got close a couple of times. spent almost a week with the drogue out. The comment regarding waves over the bow of a carrier, in heavy seas we had all the battens in and had to time opening the hatch to go topside to keep from swamping.
Granted as near as I can recall about those old boats, the rigging was around 3x as stout as the Mac, but I was around 1/2 as big as I am now. So maybe the rigging was 1.5x as stout.
Point is we made it. This was before GPS (we used a sextant) before EPIRB, (I dont even know if there were sattelites more intelligent than Sputnik at the time) before affordable Gen sets (can you say Kerosene) before reliable long range weather forecasts (3 channels on the TV) and generally before a lot of stuff.
Even after our experience on the first trip, I didnt even think twice about doing it again. I suspect that was due to my dads confidence. Perhaps he was foolhardy, but I dont think so. I just think he thought he could do it, knew it was possible and he wanted to. I wanted to too!
Peace
One of my brothers, my father and I sailed a 35 footer from Cali to hawaii when i was younger than 10. I dont remember the brand or the year. A couple of years later we sailed a Columbia 27' from Hawaii to cali and back.
The trip in the Columbia was eventless except Dad ran out of the liver preservetive about 2 or 3 days out of california. He wasnt happy about that.
The trip on the 35 footer was terrible in that we ran into weather 2 or 3 times. Spent as much as a day and a night without going on deck, never rolled but got close a couple of times. spent almost a week with the drogue out. The comment regarding waves over the bow of a carrier, in heavy seas we had all the battens in and had to time opening the hatch to go topside to keep from swamping.
Granted as near as I can recall about those old boats, the rigging was around 3x as stout as the Mac, but I was around 1/2 as big as I am now. So maybe the rigging was 1.5x as stout.
Point is we made it. This was before GPS (we used a sextant) before EPIRB, (I dont even know if there were sattelites more intelligent than Sputnik at the time) before affordable Gen sets (can you say Kerosene) before reliable long range weather forecasts (3 channels on the TV) and generally before a lot of stuff.
Even after our experience on the first trip, I didnt even think twice about doing it again. I suspect that was due to my dads confidence. Perhaps he was foolhardy, but I dont think so. I just think he thought he could do it, knew it was possible and he wanted to. I wanted to too!
Peace
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Jack O'Brien
- Captain
- Posts: 564
- Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 6:28 pm
- Location: West Palm Beach, Florida, 2000X, Gostosa III
Lady Rows Across Pacific
Associated Press 3/31/2005
Maud Fontenoy, a 26 year old French woman, completed a 4,287 mile solo voyage from Peru to Hiva Oa in the Marquesas group of French Polynesia. Her 23-foot boat has a sliding seat and oars in the middle and a small cabin on each end. She carried dried food and two water purifiers - one manual and one solar-powered.
Naturally, she is French. If she were American and had a Mac with an engine she could never get as far as Hawaii.
Maud Fontenoy, a 26 year old French woman, completed a 4,287 mile solo voyage from Peru to Hiva Oa in the Marquesas group of French Polynesia. Her 23-foot boat has a sliding seat and oars in the middle and a small cabin on each end. She carried dried food and two water purifiers - one manual and one solar-powered.
Naturally, she is French. If she were American and had a Mac with an engine she could never get as far as Hawaii.
Re: Lady Rows Across Pacific
Have you seen photos of this 'boat'? It is like a hi-tech spaceship with oars. Certainly is was designed to be able to take the rigors of offshore conditions with all precautions taking into account. This thing is not the canoe that the description makes it sound.Jack O'Brien wrote:Her 23-foot boat has a sliding seat and oars in the middle and a small cabin on each end.
