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While sailing to Hawaii can be an exhilarating, life-changing experience, it’s also a dangerous one that requires experience, skill, and extensive knowledge. Therefore, before planning out your itinerary, it might be best to first consider whether you have what it takes to go through this journey as safely and successfully as possible.
You need at least two months of sailing experience before sailing to Hawaii, which includes classes as well as solo practice sailing in safer waters first. If you operate a vessel whose motor exceeds 10 horsepower, you’ll need to be equipped with a NASBLA certification as well.
In this guide, I’ll take you through the necessary experience and skills you’ll need to attain before sailing to Hawaii. Additionally, I’ll dive a bit more into the complexity of the journey and what you can do to facilitate the process.
How Many Sailing Courses/Experiences Do I Need to Get Before Sailing Safely to Hawaii?
It’s easy to imagine why an enthusiast would actively seek the experience of sailing to Hawaii; many consider the journey to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity whose thrill and excitement will be relieved each time you tell your loved ones the epic story of your dreamy voyage.
However, when it comes to sailing to Hawaii, romanticizing it might not be the wisest choice, as doing so can leave you oblivious to the trip’s very real practical dangers and safety hazards.
While experienced sailors can take on this challenge with a bit of planning and preparation, amateurs will want to take a few courses and gain a bit of experience before setting off on such a difficult journey.
You need at least one month of sailing courses and one month of practice before you can safely sail to Hawaii. While basic skills can be learned within a week or two, more complex abilities might take a bit longer to perfect. Additionally, you’ll want to have acquired at least a few weeks of experience before embarking.
Keep in mind that the one-month timeframe is just a ballpark and that each individual’s learning experience can widely vary. There’s a variety of factors that affect the time you’ll need to learn how to safely operate a vessel, with previous sailing experience being the most important.
I previously mentioned that experienced sailors might not need to take extensive courses at all, as a bit of planning would suffice when it comes to tailoring their skillset to fit this challenge.
However, even a childhood experience or two going sailing with your family might give you an edge when it comes to the sailing process.
On the other hand, those who’ve never set foot on a boat will understandably need more time to become comfortable controlling it.
Each person’s learning style can be different, which is why setting an arbitrary timeframe for this learning experience might be a bit unfair.
Considering the trip’s challenging geographical aspects and the level of skill it requires, I’d say that everyone who considers themselves an amateur would need at least a month of intensive training, classes, and independent sailing experience before feeling comfortable embarking on such a journey.
Do You Need a License To Sail to Hawaii?
While sometimes the number of sailing classes/amount of experience necessary before sailing to Hawaii is a decision ultimately left up to your personal judgment, other times it can be required by law. Depending on the type of vessel you’re operating, you might need to complete a boating safety course first.
You need a license to sail to Hawaii if you plan on operating a vessel whose engine power exceeds 10 horsepower. Otherwise, you won’t need to be equipped with any type of license or certification.
Keep in mind that most modern vessel engines fit the “greater than 10 horsepower criteria”. Today, even sailboats that rely on wind power to operate still use an auxiliary engine as a complementary power source. Therefore, make sure you’re certain about your boat’s parameters before deciding on whether certification is necessary.
Not to mention that certifications might be an excellent investment either way, as through their mandatory courses, you’ll inevitably become a more skilled and better-prepared sailor. This could be especially important when embarking on such a challenging journey as sailing to Hawaii.
If you decide on completing a safety course before your trip, remember that Hawaii law only recognizes certifications issued by NASBLA. If you’re interested in finding out more, you can check out their website here.
How Hard Is It To Sail to Hawaii?
Throughout this article, I’ve mentioned the dangerous and challenging nature of sailing to Hawaii, but how hard can this trip really be?
Sailing to Hawaii is very hard for amateurs. The trip requires extensive experience, knowledge, and skills, as it entails passing through difficult waters. The journey can be especially tough if you don’t have a vessel big and strong enough to endure the area’s challenging weather conditions.
Therefore, even though sailing to Hawaii is widely considered a challenging journey, this isn’t necessarily always the case. In the following section, I’ll take you through some of my best preparation tips and trick that will help you embark on a safe, enjoyable trip.
How To Prepare For Sailing To Hawaii
The first step to ensuring you’ll have a safe and enjoyable trip is to choose the right vessel. Hawaii is known for its strong winds, difficult waters, and generally unstable weather conditions.
Not only does your vessel and crew need to be strong enough to withstand the area’s challenging weather conditions, but it also needs to be well-maintained and in overall great physical and mechanical condition.
Another crucial factor to consider before sailing off to Hawaii is preparation. I already went over the importance of having adequate sailing knowledge and experience, but even sailing experts will need a bit of planning before embarking on their journey.
By researching weather forecasts, safest routes, and local laws beforehand, you’ll be able to sail off with absolute peace of mind (almost).
Knowing how to sail your vessel isn’t the only skill required for a successful journey, as you’ll also need to be familiar with the basics of maintaining and repairing it in case of an emergency.
Lastly, the experience requires some personality traits, without which you could be left in many potentially dangerous situations. To safely sail big oceans (as to Hawaii), you’ll need to first master patience, focus, courage, and resilience.
Conclusion
Sailing to Hawaii is an exhilarating but dangerous journey that requires extensive preparation, knowledge, and skill. You’ll often need at least a month of courses and experience before embarking on such a trip. Most times, you’ll also need to be equipped with a NASBLA certification.
