Summer BC Cruising Itinerary - Need advice

[stevemitchell]

Hi Steve!

Sounds like a great trip! We've done a similar itinerary the past couple of years which is why we're trying to change things up this time. If if would be helpful I would be happy to share our previous itineraries?

Please do look for us out there! We have AIS and you should be able to find our boat "Sea Bear". We're at EBM on H dock. Where are you?

Thanks!

Sandy

Always love seeing itineraries. I'll PM you my email details.

Strangely enough, the other boat on my trip, and close friend, is named Sea Bear

I'm on B dock.

 

[sdupleich]

Always love seeing itineraries. I'll PM you my email details.

Strangely enough, the other boat on my trip, and close friend, is named Sea Bear

I'm on B dock.

Happy to share! Huh - I haven't met another Sea Bear yet. We inherited the name and we feel like it suits our Beneteau.

 

[sdupleich]

From Vancouver to DS, once past Secret Cove area you will have little exposure to Georgia Straits. Suggest Coal Hatbour to Powell River or Lund. Especially at 12 knots or so, easy trip provided less tha 25 knots of wind.

We can run at 17 knots quite easily (which might help?) and we're familiar with the Northern part of that run - it's the portion from Coal harbour to the South end of Texada that worries me.

 

[sunchaser]

We can run at 17 knots quite easily (which might help?) and we're familiar with the Northern part of that run - it's the portion from Coal harbour to the South end of Texada that worries me.

Honestly, in your vessel that stretch that worries you shouldn't. If the weather shuts down that portion ( seldom in the early AM) it would shut down Nanaimo to south end of Texada as well. With your cruising speed, your itinerary is doable. Much more so than 95% of us could do. I'd say you husband has it figured out.

 

[firehoser75]

Sdupleich,
I concur with what most of the others are saying...... slow down a bit and "smell the roses" (not your boat speed necessarily).
As far as marinas in the Broughtons, that landscape is changing almost as we speak. Several have recently closed down, and more are currently up for sale. The future is very uncertain! I for one, like to patronize the marinas up there. They have a very short time frame to "make a go of it" out in the middle of nowhere. If we don't (at least occasionally tie up and pay), then we should not be surprised if we are left with only anchorages. Don't get me wrong, I like anchorages and do mostly anchor.
My favourite marinas in the Broughtons are:
Pierre's - don't miss the Prime Rib dinner
Sullivan Bay - has fuel and limited groceries and alcohol

Kwatsi Bay - quaint and rustic but good people
Port McNeill for provisioning, fuel, water, and some good restaurants.
Port Harvey - but one of the owners (George) passed away last summer and his wife is operating it on a limited basis this summer. We will probably be there for a few days trying to help out. The future for Port Harvey is uncertain.

Plan on transiting Johnstone Strait in the morning. The winds (and seas) usually build in the early afternoon, but still check the weather, it can be nasty. I would also recommend going the "back way" to limit your exposure (time) on Johnstone Strait.

Compared to Desolation Sound, it is cooler and sometimes wetter in the Broughtons. We have been lucky, and usually had pretty good weather the numerous times we have gone.
Please be aware that your plans need to be "adaptable" as you could easily be "waylayed" by bad weather. It is no fun to be "beat up" in bad seas.
Enjoy your trip, you won't regret it,
Tom

 

[koliver]

I will try convincing my husband but I think this time he has his heart set on including Vancouver in our trip. Is it realistic to run up the coast from Vancouver directly to Desolation when we leave or are we too exposed for too long? The Strait can be scary!

Exactly what we used to do, Vancouver to Garden Bay at 8 knots, 1st day, GB to Desolation Sound second day. On a few trips, on the nose to Merry Island, some on the nose from GB on, never the same year after year. Only once did we falter, heading home from Lasqueti with a starter down, so the GPS in the standing waves of a strong ebb against a strong SEer was telling us "arrival time-Never". A quick left turn, left the boat in Secret Cove for a week, returned with a rebuilt starter and headed out in flat calm.

Mostly an easy trip, as a strong NW wind is a rare thing and if you use "windy" you will know what time the wind will get up to your discomfort level, so can plan to be up to Merry by then, and the same for Malaspina and the rest of the way up.

Scary will go away once you have been out in the worst Georgia Strait can throw at you. You have a big, capable boat, so trust it to get you there safely. If you don't like the rolling, go up 15°. If you still don't like it, go up another 15°. Pitching only gets your wipers some exercise. Adjust your speed if you are having trouble with the size of the waves. You will find a comfortable, non-scary spot in any conditions you can find in these sheltered waters. This isn't the outside of Vancouver Island.

 

[Nomad Willy]

I agree ...
17 knots changes the whole situation.
Start very early and go.
But you may spend hours in the afternoon in port or at anchor. There’s where you learn the fine art of hanging out waiting for weather. I’m usually not very good at that. Always want to stick my nose out there and see how it is.
Having lots of activities aboard is important to safety. We drink tea and read books. Works OK for a day but then? It may blow for two more days. We need to expand.

 

[dhays]

A couple years ago we were trying to get to to Desolation Sound and the weather in Georgia Strait was not cooperating. Too rough to cross from Nanaimo but since it was a NW wind I figured I could hug Vancouver Island and sneak up to Comox for the night. Turned out to be a big mistake. The ride was rough, long, and unpleasant until we could get behind Denman Island. The area around Qualicum Beach was particularly unfortunate.

So, while my boat will certainly handle those seas, it isn’t fun. If it isn’t fun, my wife isn’t happy. If she isn’t happy, I’m miserable.

 

[porman]

dhays, we will be at the Peninsula Yacht Basin Saturday. Going to the GHYC Commodore ball Sat night. Drop by if you're out and about.

 

[AlaskaProf]

I will try convincing my husband but I think this time he has his heart set on including Vancouver in our trip. Is it realistic to run up the coast from Vancouver directly to Desolation when we leave or are we too exposed for too long? The Strait can be scary!

Good. Dont let them talk you out of Vancouver. It is always a high point of my Canada cruise. Anchor in False Creek, dinghy over to Granville Market. If you have reciprocity, and a little luck, the Rowing Club adjacent to Stanley Park is a great overnight. We like Bowen Island too.


The Strait can be uncomfortable, but an early start at your speed should be workable, and there are several agreeable refuges should you need

 

[dhays]

dhays, we will be at the Peninsula Yacht Basin Saturday. Going to the GHYC Commodore ball Sat night. Drop by if you're out and about.

I would but my Mom’s birthday is today so am tied up. Not every day you turn 85.

 

[rsn48]

I have posted this tutorial on crossing the Strait of Georgia and you will get plenty of resources from it. I'll give the link below.

The last time I crossed the Strait of Georgia, I was coming home from the Vancouver International Boat show and I was on a BC Ferry. The beam sea and winds were nasty and the Ferry was getting slammed. Everyone walking around inside the ferry looked like drunken sailors, kind of staggering everywhere. It was also snowing out so hard we ended up in white out conditions.

Now having said the above, the most common problem in the Strait in the summer for sailors is no wind. In fact many joke that the wind dies at around 4:30 PM so that happy hour can proceed smoothly.

In the video, you will hear them talk about Qualicum Beach which is where I live. Yes it can get nasty out there, I love to sit in my car reading a book listening to the waves pound down at the beach. But it is also sometimes glass flat. As the webinar hosts say in many of their other videos, many locations in BC are not to be feared but to be respected. I would say you are wasting too much energy worrying about Georgia Strait.

If it were me personally with your time frame and your home port, I'd only go as high as Desolation and take a more relaxed cruise. One great way to get into trouble is trying to stick to an agenda.

I have edited this in. False Creek is a great place to anchor, you are literally in downtown Vancouver and great areas to eat and increase your girth, but you need to know about permits. I have just done a copy and paste for you:


A boat anchored in False Creek

Anchoring in False Creek is a great way to explore the city. You will be close to downtown Vancouver, Granville Island market, and some of Vancouver's best shopping, theatres, and restaurants.

Anchoring permits
Boaters need to get a permit to anchor in False Creek when they are:

Anchoring more than 8 hours during the day (9:00am to 11:00pm), or
Anchoring anytime between 11:00pm and 9:00am the following day.
Permits are available at Heather Civic Marina. They are free of charge.

The permit will allow boaters to anchor a maximum of 14 full or partial days of 30 days during high season (April 1 to September 30) and 21 days of 40 days in low season (October 1 to March 31).

Boaters may extend their stay in False Creek by moving to a marina after their allowable anchoring time has expired.

 

[dhays]

In the video, you will hear them talk about Qualicum Beach which is where I live. Yes it can get nasty out there, I love to sit in my car reading a book listening to the waves pound down at the beach. But it is also sometimes glass flat. As the webinar hosts say in many of their other videos, many locations in BC are not to be feared but to be respected. I would say you are wasting too much energy worrying about Georgia Strait.

I wish I had paid more attention to that video when I tried to sneak around Qualicum Beach in poor conditions.

 

[rsn48]

So since I live just houses away from the beach at Qualicum, I paid attention to the wave conditions and they have just been ripples the last few days. But in another thread, I remembered the bathtub races from Nanaimo to Vancouver every year. If they could do it in their small vessel, you can do it in yours.

The route has changed and they don't come over to Vancouver any more but for years that race ran across the Strait of Georgia from Nanaimo. It still is run to this day, below is a link, watch the short video:

https://www.bathtubbing.com/

 

[nmuir]

You have got lots of good feedback so far. A few points - some may be duplicate
* Agree you should skip Princess Louisa. It is beautiful but a long way there and back, and you have a lot of ground to cover
* the Broughtons are a different world from Desolation. I have run the boat heaters there in July. Far colder as it is north of the tide rips but far more sea life.
* Port NcNeill is a great provisioning spot once you are up that way.
* If you are near Echo Bay definitely go by Billy Proctors. He is getting really old now so I hope he is still around. Quite a legend. His book 'Full Moon, Flood Tide' is a great history of the area and worth adding to the boat library. Great anchorage in Shoal Harbour right near Echo Bay if they are full or you want to stay on the hook.
* We have always found Johnstone Strait better earlier in the day. At that time of year you can easily get away in the light before 6:00 am.
* Radar is good to have. Otherwise you may get stuck for a few days waiting for fog to lift.

 

[nmuir]

I will try convincing my husband but I think this time he has his heart set on including Vancouver in our trip. Is it realistic to run up the coast from Vancouver directly to Desolation when we leave or are we too exposed for too long? The Strait can be scary!

Our standard run is from Vancouver to Desolation in a day (and at 8 knots - far slower than you). We always leave early 5:30/6:00, and the worst is the first 25 miles. Once behind Thomanby it is far better. Unless it is calm we go through Welcome Passage and up Malaspina Strait. There are many places to stop if you need (Smuggler Cove, Secret Cove, Pender Harbor, etc).

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

When we crossed last week it was like this and yes WG was active! If you were stupid (as a few sail boats) They had the delightful experience of having a chopper hover above them.

 

[sdupleich]

Thank you to everyone for your feedback. We have retooled our itinerary and decided to break out Vancouver as a separate trip (maybe Labor Day weekend?). I hope to have some time tomorrow to work on refining it a bit. There is so much to consider! Many thanks.

 

[Greg S]

Thank you to everyone for your feedback. We have retooled our itinerary and decided to break out Vancouver as a separate trip (maybe Labor Day weekend?). I hope to have some time tomorrow to work on refining it a bit. There is so much to consider! Many thanks.

You original itinerary included Brentwood Bay. Make sure it includes the Saturday night for the fireworks.
You already know this! Right?

 

[sdupleich]

You original itinerary included Brentwood Bay. Make sure it includes the Saturday night for the fireworks.
You already know this! Right?

I've heard of the fireworks but we have a small dog who is absolutely terrified of fireworks shows plus we need to be back in Roche Harbor by August 9th to meet our yacht club group.

Good idea though!

 

[sdupleich]

First I want to thank everyone for such great feedback! I'm pretty new to the forum and I'm really impressed with the level of support provided by other members.

This is the itinerary that we're considering - all is subject to change, weather, and there is still a possibility that we may just bounce around Desolation and skip the Broughtons this year altogether in favor of enjoying our time on the water cruising slowly at 12 knots or 9 or ?? We hope to have some time this weekend to sit down and really make some decisions.

Again - thank you all!

Sandy



Date Destination
Friday, July 19, 2019 Kingston
Saturday, July 20, 2019 Princess Cove
Sunday, July 21, 2019 Nanaimo (refuel)/Hornby Island
Monday, July 22, 2019 Hornby Island (Jedediah island?)
Tuesday, July 23, 2019 Grace Harbour
Wednesday, July 24, 2019 Grace Harbour
Thursday, July 25, 2019 Teakerne Arm
Friday, July 26, 2019 Teakerne Arm
Saturday, July 27, 2019 Laura Cove
Sunday, July 28, 2019 Laura Cove
Monday, July 29, 2019 Laura Cove/Refuge Cove
Tuesday, July 30, 2019 Blind Channel
Wednesday, July 31, 2019 Sullivan Bay
Thursday, August 1, 2019 Sullivan Bay
Friday, August 2, 2019 Echo Bay
Saturday, August 3, 2019 Echo Bay
Sunday, August 4, 2019 Matilpi
Monday, August 5, 2019 Blind Channel
Tuesday, August 6, 2019 Comox
Wednesday, August 7, 2019 Brentwood Bay
Thursday, August 8, 2019 Brentwood Bay
Friday, August 9, 2019 Roche Harbor
Saturday, August 10, 2019 Roche Harbor
Sunday, August 11, 2019 Home

 

[Ken E.]

Sandy, your pace looks more realistic and enjoyable in this iteration. Hornby island, though, jumped out at me. In high pressure weather and NW winds you might get away with anchoring there but there is no protection from south winds and lots of fetch. Jededia is close to there, a cool spot, feral goats great trails to walk.

 

[sdupleich]

Sandy, your pace looks more realistic and enjoyable in this iteration. Hornby island, though, jumped out at me. In high pressure weather and NW winds you might get away with anchoring there but there is no protection from south winds and lots of fetch. Jededia is close to there, a cool spot, feral goats great trails to walk.

Jedediah is my fall-back plan. It will definitely depend on the winds when we go. I just don’t know the weather well enough in that area to know whether or not Hornby is a possibility. A Canadian friend of mine said it’s an anchorage that we want to visit at some point.

 

[rsn48]

If you stay on the East side of Texada instead of Hornby, I would stay at the Texada Boat Club. Its a little further up than your Hornby destination, but quite protected in nasty weather. The boat club has a visitors section and the price is quite reasonable.

I do know I suggested this before but it really is a nice spot to be.