Blue Skies

Dusty,
The trip from Panama up the West Coast is a long upwing slog...  As long as you're going offshore on the Atlantic side, do the Pacific side right and go to Hawaii, then run north until you pick up the westerlies to take you home to Alaska.  There's a reason sailing ships did it this way for centuries...  I did a similar trip north to BC about 15 years ago and we were rarely close hauled that whole leg of the trip.  The only danger is that once out in the Pacific, you might like it and head south for the Marquesas instead! 
Bill