Sailing across the Pacific along the United States: Hawaii to Alaska

YOUR SAILING AREA

Hawaii to Alaska

Join Tecla on the beautiful island of Oahu in Hawaii. We suggest arriving a few days ahead if you want to explore the island before we set sail. Once everyone is aboard, we will embark on a journey into open waters and travel 2000 miles to reach Dutch Harbour in Alaska.

We will sail into the North East trade winds, heading as far North as possible. During summertime, we will quickly lose the trade winds and be influenced by a high-pressure area. This will make for an exciting ocean sailing experience, with sail changes, keeping up with weather reports, and all hands on deck to set the topsails or reef down all sails. It truly is an all-hands-on-deck experience.

The initial leg of this journey is expected to last for approximately 14 to 16 days. During this time, we will establish a daily routine including steering on watch, night watches, teamwork, and navigating various weather conditions. Keep an eye out for northern right whales, humpbacks, and orcas, as they are known to frequent these waters during the summertime.

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Once we have reached the shores of Alaska, we’ll head for the Aleutian Islands and hope to spend about 5 days sailing and exploring the islands. 

The Aleutian Islands are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands that stretch over 1,200 miles across the northern Pacific Ocean. Located in the U.S. state of Alaska, these islands are known for their rugged beauty and unique ecosystems. The Aleutian Islands are home to various wildlife, including sea otters, seals, whales, and bird species. The islands have also played a significant role in the history of Alaska and the United States, with military bases and outposts established during World War II. Today, the Aleutian Islands remain a remote and fascinating destination for adventure travellers and nature enthusiasts.

Below is a rough itinerary of what to expect, but please note that this will be subject to the weather.

Day 1: Welcome on board in Honolulu, Oahu. 

Day 2-18: Set sail for Alaska

Day 19-23: Explore the Aleutian Islands

Day 24: arrive in Dutch Harbor

Day 25: Disembark in Dutch Harbor

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Sailing across the Pacific along the United States: Hawaii to Alaska

Guest berths: Rig:

Life on board

Sailing with expedition vessel Tecla is a true authentic adventure where every voyage promises to create life-long memories. Join her seafaring family where guests are welcomed to learn the ropes alongside the knowledgeable crew and share experiences with fellow guests in awe-inspiring destinations.

Getting Involved

Setting the sails on Tecla is a beautiful challenge. This lady is over 100 years old and has two masts, 6 sails and some heavy spars that need to go up! The crew of Tecla has worked on her rigging for years to perfect her sailing qualities. She can sail close hauled or down wind, she can sail in very light weather and she handles well in rough weather. 

Guests are encouraged to actively participate in every aspect of Tecla’s sailing journey. From raising all the sails to trying their hand at the helm, participants can fully engage in this adventure by immersing themselves in the elements, revelling in the experience. The ship provides a warm and humbling atmosphere, allowing guests to embrace life aboard a traditionally rigged vessel while exploring some of the world’s most breathtaking destinations. 

Typically operated by a dedicated crew of 3-4 members, Tecla accommodates a maximum of 12 guests. The deliberately small group size fosters an intimate experience, enabling genuine connections to form between the crew and guests.

Keeping Watch

It is not always necessary to start a voyage with watches. On many voyages Tecla sets sail in the morning to be at anchor or moored somewhere new every evening. This way, all guests can be part of the sailing and the anchor watches are done by the professional crew.

It only becomes necessary to ‘do’ watches as soon as one or more nights are to be sailed through and more than 24 hours are spent out at sea. This way, there are always enough people on the deck to handle the sails and keep a lookout. Tecla works a three watch schedule, this means you will be on watch for 4 hours, have 8 hours of rest and then again you will be on watch for 4 hours. So within 24 hours you will be on watch for 8 hours.

The watches are divided into the Red, White and Blue watch.

Red: 00:00 – 04:00 and 12:00 – 16:00 hours
White: 04:00 – 08:00 and 16:00 – 20:00 hours
Blue: 08:00 – 12:00 and 20:00 – 24:00 hours

Each watch has a watch leader, one of the permanent crew. The crew will give you instructions during your watch. For example: your first watch might be filled with instructions on what watch keeping is. You will be told what is expected and you will be informed about the navigational equipment on board. 

Watch keeping means being out on deck, awake and helping out where necessary. You will sit on the aft relaxing, being on the lookout or with bad visibility you will be on the front of the Tecla on the lookout. You will be steering the vessel in turns. Three watches means that the watches are never bigger than 6 people. 

For the comfort of all those on board a schedule will be decided with everyone and we will try and stick to it. While watches are in progress, breakfast will be at 08:00, lunch will be at 12:00 and dinner at 18:00. 

Dining at Sea

An important part of the day on Tecla, the food is always influenced by her surroundings. The dynamic menu remains flexible, adapting to the unique flavours of each locale. Whenever possible, food is sourced locally so you could be eating tapas, peppers and plantain in the Canary Islands and fresh fruit, beef and rice in Brazil. 

For colder climates and around the North Sea, you will find a Dutch specialty of “stamppot” – mashed potatoes and smoked sausages! Our cooks have a passion for food and make sure that her meals look and taste amazing. Our favourites are lasagne, Lamb curry’s and fresh fish on the BBQ or from our smoker.

During a longer stay on board you will hardly ever see the same dish come by. Most of our meals are served with a salad or fruit on the side. On longer trips we take good care of our vegetables and fruit to ensure that you will enjoy fresh food as long as possible.

A Typical Day

When we are underway, breakfast is at 08.00. This is usually a buffet where you will find fresh baked bread with cereals and porridge. When we are anchored or in harbour, breakfast time is a little more flexible and we’ll be outside if the weather is nice! Sometimes we’ll have eggs, or ‘wentelteefjes’ (French toast), or a fresh fruit salad.

Lunch is almost always served with something warm or special from soup, sausage rolls, fresh fruit or special bread.

Dinner is at 18:00 when we are sailing. When the weather is good and it is still nice and light outside we will serve dinner in a buffet style outside. If this is not possible you will find a buffet downstairs with the possibility to eat inside or outside. When we are not sailing and eating inside, you can find a set table where we can enjoy the meal together.

Below Decks

Recently refurbished, there are six twin bunk, ensuite cabins on Tecla. Nestled into the mid-ship, they’re spacious, comfortable and steady whilst underway. All beds are at least 80cm wide and over 2meters long, thoughtfully equipped with a dedicated reading light for personalised comfort.. All cabins are ensuite with a wet cell shower and plenty of hot water! Ample storage space for clothes and conveniently located storage beneath the beds cater to the needs of longer voyages and travellers with soft suitcases or rucksacks.

The communal area at the front of the ship has cosy cushioned seating and two tables for meal times and evening entertainment with a warm and inviting atmosphere..There’s a little nook tucked opposite the dining area that’s perfect for some relaxation while reading a book.

Kit list

Tecla has limited space for possessions so please be considerate and travel as light as possible. There is no storage for rigid cases – please bring your items in a soft bag.

1. Dress in layers.
2. Don’t overdress.
3. Use natural materials such as wool. Avoid cotton. Synthetic fabrics designed for cold weather are also good.
4. Be careful with the down; when it gets wet, it loses all its insulation value.
5. Wear loose layers.

We recommend a travelling light principal with lots of lightweight, easy-drying layers. Below is a list of recommended items, these are not mandatory and those that have sailed before may have their own preferences!

CLOTHES

• T-shirts/tops to wear inside the vessel, as temperatures are comfortably warm 
• Warm pants which can be worn over long underwear. 
• Waterproof trousers, such as Gore-Tex, to be worn over regular pants.  
• Waterproof/windproof jacket (waterproof above all) with an attached hood that can be worn over your under-layers with reasonable comfort 

• Walking boots for onshore
• Light shoes/slippers (for on the boat)
• Waterproof rubber boots

• Small personal first aid kit and any medication you may need
• Camera/binoculars 
• Personal wash kit (please use reef-safe, eco products where possible)
• Charging cables for personal devices (there are 12v USB sockets to charge devices in each bunk)
• A good book to read!
• We advise sleep masks and/or earplugs!
• Consider a small backpack/bag for onshore exploring

Travel Documents

•  Please assume full responsibility for checking and verifying any and all passport, visa, vaccination, or other entry requirements to the country if/as required.

What’s included

• Full Board meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and hot drinks)
• All bedding (pillow, sheets, duvet & towels)
• Full crew plus tuition
• Marina and fuel fees
• All tender trips to and fro the boat
• Lifejacket

What’s not included

• Alcohol
• Any flights
• Transit hotels
• Travel to and from the boat on the day of joining/leaving
• Travel insurance
• Sailing Insurance (Please read our Sailing Insurance page for more information)
• Crew tips
• Personal expenses
• Visa/passport

Travel insurance notes

As this is an active adventure holiday, we advise that everyone has the appropriate personal accident travel insurance whilst onboard in addition to standard travel insurance which would cover you in the time between making your booking and departing for your adventure. These policies can sometimes be combined so please check with your travel insurance provider.

Please read more information on our Insurance guidelines page.

This voyage will be more than 12 miles offshore.

FAQ

Travel Planning

From: Oahu, Honolulu, Hawaii

To: Dutch Harbour, Alaska

To see where the ports are, along with your likely sailing area, please view the sail area & highlights.