Hawaii Sailing - Sailing Charters and Tours on All Islands
Sailing in Hawaii is a popular activity in the islands. View all your sailing choices and options here at Tom Barefoot’s Tours!
Sailing in Hawaii is a Way of Life
Sailing in Hawaii whether it be on a Hawaii sailboat charter, a Hawaii boat tour or a Hawaii yacht charter is simply a way of life in the islands. Keep in mind that the very first people to come to these islands came by virtue of a sail boat and so the sailing heritage runs deep in the waters surrounding Hawaii. For that matter keep in mind that each and every one of the Hawaiian Islands is completely surrounded by water and so it is natural for Hawaii sailing to be such a big portion of the culture here.
Ocean water is one thing we have plenty of in Hawaii but the other ingredient necessary for a good sailing experience is wind, and we have been blessed here in Hawaii with plenty of that as well. The trade winds will blow from the northeast in Hawaii about 300 days a year. A typical day will have the wind blowing between 8 and 12 mph but it can get much windier than that. Even on normal trade wind days wind gusts can be much greater than the average of that days wind velocity. The trade winds will generally blow strongest in the afternoon and will begin to come up in the late morning hours so sailing conditions for most Hawaii boat tours are usually best in the afternoon if you are truly looking for a strong sail.
The Time of Year Can Affect Sailing in Hawaii
Sailing in Hawaii during the winter months can be affected by the wind which can often reverse itself and come from the south. We refer to these days as having Kona weather conditions. This is the time of the year when we can have big storms and of course those days are not ideal for sailing but moderate Kona conditions can be just fine for Hawaii sailing adventures.
Where you are on an island can also play an important part in determining if it is a good place to launch from to enjoy some sailing fun. The heaviest winds will most often be effecting the 'windward' sides of the islands which are the north and east coastlines. These are the areas that will get wind first but quite often the wind will wrap around to the 'leeward' coastlines later in the day. Many sailing charters prefer to leave from a location on the leeward side of an island and work their way up to the wind line as it wraps around. This method allows for the beginning of a sail in calmer waters and also a return to calmer waters when coming back to port.
The Strongest Sailing Breezes in Hawaii are Usaually in the Afternoon
Stiff winds are not the only type of winds that are ideal for Hawaii sailing tours as late afternoon or sunset sails usually occur at a time when the wind has died down and what light wind is occurring is caused by the "temperature differential' caused by the cooling of the island mass. These gentle conditions are ideal for romantic sunset sails and dinner cruises when too much wind would have an adverse affect upon the serving of cocktails and the enjoyment of Hawaiian "pupu's".
If you are looking to find wind for your sailing tour when you are visiting the islands the highest annual wind velocity is usually found in July however it should be mentioned that the wind speeds for each month are usually pretty consistent. Rainfall might be something that would affect a beautiful Hawaii sailing charter and rain is something you could expect to be happening during the winter months.
Sailing charters on the Big Island of Hawaii generally depart from the Kona side of the island. Because Kona is usually protected from the stiff tradewinds by the enormous volcanoes behind, these sails are often gentle in nature and are a great way to experience the beauty of Hawaii's ocean and sealife.
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Kauai sailing, with its sailing boats offering snorkeling trips, snuba adventures, snorkeling from shore, family snorkeling activities and various other tours involving sailing off Kauai are among the most interesting tours that Kauai has to offer.
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On a windy day in mid-July, my son Jake and I set out on an afternoon sail that turned out to be one of the most exciting events of our whole summer.
On board the catamaran was a handful of other folks who, like us, were in the mood for adventure. We asked the captain to see how fast he could persuade our vessel to go. Within minutes we were flying along the ocean's surface. Everyone was charged up as we screamed out our excitement. I checked the gauge recording our speed; we were hitting twenty-one
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Oahu sailing tours and charters will likely include Mai Tai's and other beverages as a part of your Oahu sailing adventure. If you plan to get out in the stiff Hawaiian tradewinds for an invigorating sail the best time to go would generally be mid-afternoon.
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