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Originally Posted by lindenorr
Thanks for the reply. Have you sailed from Mexico to Alaska? Wonder how long it would take and what time of the year is best to start that journey? Time is not necessarily an issue once we start this journey.
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Ah. You could have a good adventure. Have I sailed from Mexico to AK? Nope. But I personally know folks who have done so. Hubby and I are slowly migrating North on the US West coast so it is only a matter of time before we end up knocking on your door in Alaska
With a cruising vessel well-fitted for bluewater, you could travel from Mexico to HI and then to AK. Or, I've recently heard of a couple boats doing Mexico-Marshall Islands-AK as a circle route. Either of these would take advantage of the more natural circulation wind/currents than heading straight for your goal of AK. There's a wide window for getting to HI from Mexico--early, early spring through until late summer would work. Getting from HI to Anchorage AK would be the more important leg of the trip. Numerous folks make the trip in late summer. I'm not sure how early in summer you could make the trip north how late in fall.
With a smaller vessel or one not so well fitted for bluewater but that has a good motor, a sailor might prefer to beat to windward up the coast of North America. Numerous folks have made the bash up Baja--that's one of the hard parts. Compared to that bash, it is a cakewalk to get from So. Cal to San Francisco (this I've done twice) and it takes some good decision making to get from SFB to southern BC. From there, getting to southern AK isn't so bad. Getting to Anchorage...a bit more in the way of good timing and skill and far fewer people that I could point you in the direction of to discuss it. But, there are a few.
If you're comfortable with bluewater with your particular boat (I don't know your boat but that's a small Hunter and is it a vessel marketed for bluewater sailing?), take the offshore route--it will be technically easier IMHO. If not (on the boat or your comfort level), I wouldn't hesitate to get to at least BC before considering what I have to do with a truck!
People who have done all or part of your trip include SV Sea Ya, a 30' boat. The husband solo sailed the vessel from San Diego to southern AK. He was "late" on starting the trip (in August) and completed it sometime in October (burrrrr!) and that included about a month waiting for a part for his autopilot to show up. I posted about them once they were in AK
here
Also, SV Misty (a 32' boat) sailed from SFB to Alaska and spent a good bit of time up there. The first leg of the trip is mentioned
here in a letter to L38 and a .pdf report of more of the Alaska trip is found
here I met the owner of Misty in 2010 in SFB. He and I talked quite a bit about his various travels north from SFB on his own vessel and other cruising boats. From those discussions (and with other folks) I have the impression that what it takes the most is patience in waiting for the right weather windows.
Most of the folks I know who have done this trip (coastal or via HI or via the Marshalls) are in larger boats than the two mentioned above.
I do know many more people who have sailed South from AK to Mexico
That's the "easy way" to go.
How long it would take--depends on time of year and route takend. I would expect the Mexico-HI-AK route to take no less than 70 days at sea--that's just a wag given the size of your vessel and how long it takes to do the two legs. If time isn't a problem for you, perhaps you could enjoy the sort of "explore the West Coast" sail North that is really worthwhile. Meaning--you'd likely do it over many months or cut it up for two years.
Tell us more about you sailing experiences, your plans, your boat and desire to get it to your home in AK.
Fair winds,