Caught Another One

Enroute Ladysmith, eavesdropping on Canadian Coast Guard. They're working a 36' motor vessel aground "...on a rock in Nanaimo Harbor."

Probably the one under the big yellow bouy.

The one entering anchorage to Newcastle?

A rock just east of the Newcastle park buildings, close to the drying passageway, has claimed many boats. The last one we saw there years ago put a sleeping bag over the boat name on the transom. He was WAY out of the water at low tide.

Soo-Valley said:

The one entering anchorage to Newcastle?

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Yes. I was only hearing half The conversation,but seems likely the one that is on a direct line from the SE Harbor entrance to the Floating Pub.

Under the BIG yellow bouy.

Not like I hang out in Nanaimo, but I've seen two boats aground there plus this one today. By the BIG yellow bouy.

You are on to us. That rock was placed especially there to nab American tourists so they would spend their money on shore to help with the Vancouver Island economy. Ssshhh! Don't tell your sailing buddies from down south, we need more money.

Occasionally we move the rock when we think to many are catching on.

rsn48 said:

You are on to us. That rock was placed especially there to nab American tourists so they would spend their money on shore to help with the Vancouver Island economy. Ssshhh! Don't tell your sailing buddies from down south, we need more money.

Occasionally we move the rock when we think to many are catching on.

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Americans, not familiar with fiendishly clever Canadian bouyage think yellow bouy means "Come over here."

That also explains the Moneymaker Rock in Ganges Harbor.

AlaskaProf said:

......

That also explains the Moneymaker Rock in Ganges Harbor.

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Salt Spring Marina expansion is underway and will build on top of that rock. Should be done by Christmas.

First time I was in Nanaimo, it was very busy over at Newcastle and I was patrolling the anchorage for a spot to shoehorn into. At one point I went “behind” a string of boats at the north end of the basin, just between them and the shore. After all, going behind them I did not have to worry about snagging an anchor. Luckily I decided to keep it fairly close quarters to the boats. I happened to glance over the side and just about had a heart attack. I was within two feet of the rock shelf. Got a couple knowing stares from a couple locals chuckling on their sun deck. Never repeated that one again.

And people think forward looking sonar is stupid...sheeesh!

rsn48 said:

And people think forward looking sonar is stupid...sheeesh!

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I submit that anyone incapable of noticing the BIG YELLOW BOUY probably can't find the on/off switch for his sonar...or his chart plotter.

Soo-Valley said:

Salt Spring Marina expansion is underway and will build on top of that rock. Should be done by Christmas.

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Dredging is finished. Pile Driving has not yet begun. Their website gives an updated look at progress. https://saltspringmarina.com/

Money Maker reef, about a mile away, remains available to the unwary.

koliver said:

....

Money Maker reef, about a mile away, remains available to the unwary.

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we need to be on the same page in this discussion.

Another good reason to approve the new marina as quickly as possible is that it will be built over Moneymaker Rocks, eliminating a boating hazard that has caused many boats per year to go aground just outside the old footprint of Salt Spring Marina.
from article
https://saltspringexchange.com/2019/03/05/salt-spring-marina-expansion/

the islet/reef a mile away is another money maker

Anyone care to post a picture of where this offending rock is? Would be nice to know where not to float over when visiting Nanaimo. Thanks

I believe they are speaking of the west cardinal bouy approximately 500m south of the dinghy dock pub and Northeast of the harbour entrance.

Buoy PS off of Satellite Reef.


It truly is big.

And if one doesn't know what a west cardinal bouy is, a trip to the east side of it will be a learning experience.

w8n4sun said:

Anyone care to post a picture of where this offending rock is? Would be nice to know where not to float over when visiting Nanaimo. Thanks

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Even if one were an inexperienced foreigner from South of 49, I have to think any half-sentient being seeing a large unfamiliar mark would look at a chart...or screen for an explanation...and notice that it says quite clearly, "Satellite Reef"

Bill, who is safety docked at Newcastle island.

There is a place you can go in Nanaimo over by the seaplane float and see all four cardinal markers around an old chunk of concrete. A pretty good training aid actually.

It is to the right of the heeled boat

Soo-Valley said:

we need to be on the same page in this discussion.

Another good reason to approve the new marina as quickly as possible is that it will be built over Moneymaker Rocks, eliminating a boating hazard that has caused many boats per year to go aground just outside the old footprint of Salt Spring Marina.
from article
https://saltspringexchange.com/2019/03/05/salt-spring-marina-expansion/

the islet/reef a mile away is another money maker

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Sorry if there is confusion. Apparently no imagination shown by the namers, as the rock close in to Saltspring Marina is "Moneymaker" and the reef, about a mile away is also "moneymaker". Up at Silva Bay is "Shipyard rock" and elsewhere are similarly named disaster awaiting the unwary.

rsn48 said:

You are on to us. That rock was placed especially there to nab American tourists so they would spend their money on shore to help with the Vancouver Island economy. Ssshhh! Don't tell your sailing buddies from down south, we need more money.

Occasionally we move the rock when we think to many are catching on.

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Give me a hint. Where ya moving the rock next?

koliver said:

Sorry if there is confusion. Apparently no imagination shown by the namers, as the rock close in to Saltspring Marina is "Moneymaker" and the reef, about a mile away is also "moneymaker". Up at Silva Bay is "Shipyard rock" and elsewhere are similarly named disaster awaiting the unwary.

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I have seen all. transiting around a marina one does not expect to hit bottom.
At least there have been private buoys attached which some may mistake for crab floats.
The other one a mile away however is unmarked and it does get covered by higher tide. It is also in the zone where most travel, as in the middle between shores. With any water movement you can see the location.
Silva Bay shipyard rock, in the channel to silva bay marina, that one needs to be better marked using the red-right returning buoys IMO, one on either shore. The black over yellow over black is not recognised by most and not seen often enough.

Why doesn't some agency place markers directly onto the submerged obstacle. Like big poles with a sign on it, "This way to Davey Jone's locker".

ben2go said:

Why doesn't some agency place markers directly onto the submerged obstacle. Like big poles with a sign on it, "This way to Davey Jone's locker".

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That would spoil the beauty of the cruising areas having signs everywhere.
They make charts instead.

Canada believes in Darwinism, USA feels they can fix stupid.

Silva Bay is a nightmare. Buoys everywhere and nowhere to anchor. When my kids were little we went there lots, now its a wasteland.

Its all our fault, US boats can be moored in Canada with no financial penalty and with our cheap dollar its a bargain. So many customers here the locals have been putting out buoys to avoid the marinas which are stupidly expensive and locals pay with local currency so no advantage for the home team. Therefore buoys, which, imho, have spoiled all the local anchorages and encouraged the proliferation of derelict boats, which are now not the owner’s problem any more but the taxpayer’s (me!). Unintended consequences as our useless politicians doze away with their expense accounts.

I love boating.

Sometimes hitting the obvious isn't just done by stupid folks.

Imagine a clear full moon night, stars in the sky glittering away, the water as flat as flat can be. And I and my buddy in a 26 Tanzer sailboat, motoring into Gibsons on the Sunshine coast of BC. No problems with night vision as the full moon illuminated everything.

And I had lady luck and serendipity on my side, the rare occasion that has happened. A few years prior I had taken navigation at Fleet School in Esquimalt, a place to prepare junior officers for the Navy, watch keeping, seamanship, and all the pusser stuff. During one of the navigation lectures, the instructor talked about navigation using charts and ocean bottom as markers. This lecture was for some reason echoing in my head as I made my way to the marina in Gibson, bc.

So I looked at the chart and made a mental note of the bottom depth and decided that if the depth sounder began to go below 12 feet, I didn't know where I was. You would have thought this thinking ridiculous as Gibson is pretty obvious, so is Keats Island across from it, hard to get lost. But I clung to this notion of 12 feet, I do not know why. My buddy took over the helm and I went below to get a quick drink of pop as it had been a hot day and to relax a bit.

When I went back up, I took back the helm and looked forward at the harbour. What I didn't realize was the mast was blocking a navigation light on a rock directly in front of me. Since the water was dead calm the boat was not bouncing around and the mast hid the light. I had no idea what I was heading for.

But.......thank god.......... I looked down at the depth sounder and the bottom depth was rising quickly, very quickly, too quickly. At 8 feet, I pushed the tiller over hard realizing the situation was out of hand, even though everything appeared calm and normal.

As the boat swung around, I could have almost reached out and slapped the rock. After my heart stopped pounding so hard and I thought...thank you..thank you... thank you... that I had played the depth sounder game, I realized had we hit the rock everyone and their dog would have wondered how "that" boat hit a well marked rock with a light on it, on the perfect night. And who was skippering it?

And that some one would have been me.

tiltrider1 said:

Canada believes in Darwinism, USA feels they can fix stupid.

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I like it. And from an American!

In the US side of the PNW, pretty much every rock and shallows is marked.

On the Canadian side, not every rock or shallows is marked. The danger appear on charts.

The marking of rocks diminish as you travel further north. Granted, Canada has a lot more rocks than the US but the Canadian government must feel that their boaters are more experienced and careful.

tiltrider1 said:

Canada believes in Darwinism, USA feels they can fix stupid.

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...and in Mexico there must be no liability lawyers. I was amazed at how dangerous areas in public spaces weren't marked at all and/or had no fences, handrails, etc.

The area around Haida Gaii is especially bad for uncharted shoals. Again, thank god for forward looking sonar.

Ken E. said:

A rock just east of the Newcastle park buildings, close to the drying passageway, has claimed many boats. The last one we saw there years ago put a sleeping bag over the boat name on the transom. He was WAY out of the water at low tide.

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I believe the drying passageway you refer to is on the south east end of Newcastle Island. Between Newcastle and Protection Island, which is the island that the Dingy Dock Pub is on. Right in that area is the dock for Newcastle and an area of mooring buoys rented by the natives. Just to the west of there is the main Vancouver Island, where all the marinas are located. Between there and Newcastle island is Newcastle Channel which runs parallel to the main island and connects Nanaimo Harbour on the south and Departure Bay (ferry terminal) on the north. Just into the channel from the south is Oregon Rock which claims many boats every year. And appropriately adjacent to Oregon Rock on Vancouver Island is the old Nanaimo Shipyard. Oregon Rock is marked with the red and green signs and lights to get by this huge rock in Newcastle Channel but this is where the confusion starts. RED RIGHT RETURN is established from the south, from Nanaimo Harbour. But you can also enter the channel from the north end via Departure Bay which makes the signs and lights wrong. Very confusing!