BC Sunshine Coast

[olegreg]

Change of plans. Leaving Wednesday and going up through Gulf Islands to Desolation.
Idea is to get the better weather up north and work our way down the east side late August and then September.
Hope some of you that reached out will still be around. Thanks again for your help.
Safe travels
Greg

 

[AlaskaProf]

Change of plans. Leaving Wednesday and going up through Gulf Islands to Desolation.
Idea is to get the better weather up north and work our way down the east side late August and then September.
Safe travels
Greg

Fires in the interior are generating A LOT of smoke. We've had a week of easterlyvwinds. Got to Nanaimo and decided going further NE would only make it worse; hangin around the Islands instead. Ladysmith tonight.

 

[dhays]

Change of plans. Leaving Wednesday and going up through Gulf Islands to Desolation.
Idea is to get the better weather up north and work our way down the east side late August and then September.
Hope some of you that reached out will still be around. Thanks again for your help.
Safe travels
Greg

Greg, we are leaving Gig Harbor on Friday morning heading to Desolation. We will likely blow past you on the way as my wife really wants to spend some time up in DS. As such, we will be making a relatively "purposeful" transit through the San Juans and Gulf Islands.

Keep an eye out for us and say hello. As you can see in my profile, we are a North Pacific 43 named "Kinship".

 

[dhays]

Fires in the interior are generating A LOT of smoke. We've had a week of easterlyvwinds. Got to Nanaimo and decided going further NE would only make it worse; hangin around the Islands instead. Ladysmith tonight.

That is a concern we have as well. The last week we have been impacted by the smoke down here but it seems to be clearing up. Hopefully it will improve up in BC.

The last I heard I think there were 6000 folks evacuated due to around 130 separate fires? That is a real blow to a region. Despite my vacation, I hope they get some rain, without thunder storms, to help slow them down.

 

[micheln]

Thanks hawgwash, checked out ballet bay for our first cruise. Stayed a couple nights and checked out hidden basin with the dinghy, nice spots.

 

[Roger275]

Ditto on Sucia and Waggoner but highlight of our 2015 summer was Princess Louisa Inlet. It's a bit out of the way but worth it. Time arrival for a slack tide at Mammoth Rapids which is at the entrance. Stay 3 days at the Provincial dock. Continue on to Desolation Sound and Tebow Arm if possible.

 

[Xsbank]

Where is Tebow Arm?

 

[Sea Q]

We just got back from Ganges harbor nice weekend but the smoke is keeping the temperatures down.
We had a big talk on our favorite places to tie up--on the way back from Saltspring

Pender
Ladysmith
Gibson's
Poets cove
Thetis island

One placed missed on this posting is Chemainus Vancouver Island British Columbia

Chemainus is a tourist trap for the road traffic but it has the nicest local population of locals you can find. Short of going past Campbell river
Dock is small but new and well built Good power and right down town.
lots to check out

 

[Greg S]

We just got back from Ganges harbor nice weekend but the smoke is keeping the temperatures down.
We had a big talk on our favorite places to tie up--on the way back from Saltspring

Pender
Ladysmith
Gibson's
Poets cove
Thetis island

One placed missed on this posting is Chemainus Vancouver Island British Columbia

Chemainus is a tourist trap for the road traffic but it has the nicest local population of locals you can find. Short of going past Campbell river
Dock is small but new and well built Good power and right down town.
lots to check out

Chemainus, Shhh! Keep that quiet or there won't be any room. But, if you happen to be going there and know in advance, scoring some tickets for the live theatre should be on the top of your list of things to do in the Gulf Islands. Getting tickets for the dinner theatre would be even better.

 

[koliver]

Smoke Report:

We are presently in Desolation Sound. We spent a couple of nights at Otter Island (near Prideau Haven) but the smoke was quite discouraging, so came in to Cortez Bay yesterday. Smoke is considerably less here. It seems to be driven from the Williams Lake fires, down Toba Inlet, so affecting eastern Desolation more than the west side. The forecast for Campbell River says "local smoke", while for Powell River it says "widespread smoke".
This morning the sun came up very red, but as it rises it gets yellower, so by now, though there is nothing visible beyond about 5 miles, the smoke really isn't affecting us.
It looks like there will be a system coming through Sat and Sunday, so that should move more of the smoke out.

 

[dhays]

Thanks for the update. I hope to be in DS come Sunday or Monday. Hopefully the rain will clear out the smoke and help with the fires in the interior.

 

[micheln]

I've got two weeks end of July and trying real hard to plan avoiding any crowds. thinking Lasqueti for a couple days, harmony islands for an another couple overnights and into narrows inlet for extended stay and maybe salmon inlet if the mood strikes. Are my chances of peace and quiet decent in these area's?

 

[C lectric]

End of July. Prime boating time so you are not going to be alone.

Salmon Inlet should be quiet as many people are afraid of Skookumchuck Narrows and the rapids so that keeps many away. Storm Bay in Sechelt Inlet, on the way to Salmon should be quieter also. Do not be afraid of Skookumchuck but also be sure you enter and get through at slack. Get the current tables and use them.

Lasqueti, no way at least in my limited experience,will it be quiet. Of course you could be lucky,.
Unfortunately the other places you named are prime cruising grounds.

Near Lasqueti is Boho bay. I've never actually anchored there but have looked at it a couple times and there was no one in it. Many folk we know who loved Lasquiti itself would use Boho when the N.W. winds were causing trouble. Still had to be carefull but they went there for many years, loved it.

Just my thoughts.

 

[micheln]

Thanks C lectric, any tidbits are appreciated. Mostly trying to avoid area's known to be crowded at least, and hope for the best.

 

[Ken E.]

Very close to the southeast end of Lasqueti is Jedediah island. There are anchorages on the north end of it. The south end is exposed to Georgia strait. Jedediah has trails and some feral goats, a throwback to when it was owned privately. A nice spot. Harmony islands is beautiful, although we've been hit by willawaw winds blowing down out of the mountains.

 

[bshanafelt]

boho is a fine anchorage, but can get crowded. there is an inner harbor by the fish processing plant with room for one boat in about 15' of water. A short dinghy ride over to Jedediah for the hikes