Our trip across the Pacific from Mexico to Hawaii was quite the adventure, taking us 22 days, 23 hours, and 24 minutes, filled with unforgettable moments and lively encounters. With perfect weather on our side, we cruised along at an average of 5.5 knots, enjoying the playful antics of seabirds, dolphins, and even some whales, squids, seals and flying fish. We had fun fishing and managed to reel in a delicious albacore tuna that we savored. During the day, the sun beamed down on us, while at night, we were treated to a sky full of twinkling stars. We enjoyed hearty meals, made our own sprouts and fresh water, and tapped into solar energy to keep the autopilot, fridge, and gadgets running without a hitch. The ocean was warm, showing off stunning shades of blue. Sure, we dealt with some sail repairs and a few sleepless nights, but every moment was worth it, especially as we floated 1200 miles from the nearest land, embracing that exhilarating sense of freedom. As we got closer to Hawaii, we caught sight of the Big Island at sunset, just 88 miles away, and navigated our way into Hilo Bay in the dark. Finally dropping anchor just after 3 a.m. Hawaiian time and ready to catch up on some much-needed rest after weeks of sailing in three-hour shifts.

We set sail from La Paz at 7am on January 22nd, greeted by a stunning sunrise and the northern winds that sent waves crashing against our hull. The first seven hours were marked by considerable swells, but as the conditions calmed, we settled into a steady speed of 7 knots while gliding past Isla Jacque Cousteau. It took us an entire day to navigate out of the Sea of Cortez and into the Pacific Ocean, where we would soon make the pivotal turn towards Hawaii. The nights were pitch dark as the new moon approached, creating an eerie feeling of sailing into the unknown. We quickly adapted to a three hours on, three hours off sleep schedule, ensuring that one of us was always on watch. Our first week was slow, covering only 803 miles of the estimated 2700 to our destination. On our third day, we managed a meager 35 miles in 24 hours, which included a frustrating drift backwards of one nautical mile. Nevertheless, we remained committed to sailing whenever we could and conserving our engine for critical moments. We endured some long days and nights gently bobbing on the ocean. By day seven, however, fortune smiled upon us as we covered an impressive 166 miles in a single day, lifting our spirits significantly as we ventured into the second week of our voyage.

By week two, we had comfortably established our routines and adapted to the lack of sleep, seizing every opportunity to nap during the day. With no land in sight for days, we lost ourselves in books, crafted delightful meals, tended to sail repairs, and relished the exhilarating sense of freedom. The water sparkled in the most captivating shade of blue, while the sea temperature hovered at a pleasant 24 degrees Celsius and the air temperature at a balmy 26 degrees, all beneath gloriously sunny skies. Alex caught a stunning tuna that we thoroughly enjoyed for dinner.  We lost many other lures and a whole reel of line twice… not sure what the heck was biting but it was big. The moon grew ever larger in the night sky, illuminating our path. We indulged in stargazing, spotting the Southern Cross, Big Dipper, Orion, and more as the planets aligned above us. February 4th marked Day 14 of our passage, and at 13:18 hours, we reached the halfway point, celebrating with some bubbly.

During our journey, we saw only one other ship but were delighted to encounter sea birds, sea turtles, flying fish, dolphins, and whales, all seemingly cheering us on as we sailed across the serene expanse of the Pacific Ocean. One adventurous (or possibly lazy) boobie even accompanied us, perched on the bow for nine days and covering over 1000 miles. The latter part of the week brought us a rain shower, something we had not seen since August 2024 and we welcomed it with open arms. SV Inscrutable sure needed a fresh water bath to remove the salt that had been building up over the months.

We completed the second half of our passage in just 8 days, a remarkable improvement from the 14 days it took to cover the first 1500 miles. We cruised along at times reaching speeds of up to 9 knots over ground, with the forward sail fully raised and usually 2-3 reefs in the main. During our best 24-hour period, we logged an impressive 170 miles. Over the course of more than three weeks at sea, Alex had to replace the main yard hauling parrel and nearly every batten parrel on both the main and forward sails, which secure the sails to the mast, and we also lost a cup on our wind sensor. Overall, not too bad considering the sails were up for the entire 23 days, soaking up the sun and weathering every possible condition. We ran the diesel engine for less than 24 hours in total, produced 172.5 litres of water, and generated 76.04 kwh from the solar panels. As the sun set behind Mauna Kea, we spotted the Big Island of Hawaii 88 miles away and reached the Hilo Bay anchorage just after 3 a.m. on February 14th, marking Alex’s tenth offshore passage, my third, and both of our longest voyages in terms of distance (3043 nautical miles).

And a heartfelt thank you to all our cheerleaders… you know who you are 😉 Made the passage that much better receiving your messages and texts along the way. Thank you ❤️⛵️