Difficult to find annual moorage on Vancouver Island

[LakeMJim]

Dreaming a little

rsn48: Well I have put a deposit down on one, but I bet if I talked to the dealer and said I wanted to spend a lot more on something else they had, they'd be ok with that.

I said before I wanted reliability as I don't know much about mechanical things, but I do need a project to keep me busy, so my thinking is evolving.

If I really want to dream, and start to think about a boat I could liveaboard for 2 or 3 years, and instead of buying a condo or some other property I put a lot more into my boat budget...

What could I get in a 38 footer (I really don't think I need bigger) for, say, $500,000 to $600,000 USD?

I'd go for newer over bigger, since I would be alone much of the time.

And I really do much prefer the look of a traditional trawler over a 'fast' trawler.

I see some guys here mention a particular boat isn't that good looking and I usually think it looks great.

But I am pretty sure I don't want a wooden boat, beautiful as they are.

Any ideas?

 

[LakeMJim]

I do like the look of the aluminum trawler, but I feel like for cold weather cruising where I want to be most of the time it would be uncomfortable

 

[rsn48]

Depends on the heater in the aluminum trawler, how efficient and how well installed it is. I'm not especially an aluminum boat fancier, by the way I have hit a log with my boat at 20 knots, but for some reason the linked boat I showed you really interested me.

I also liked the Kadey Krogen and the 42 Salon Cruiser. You might get moorage with the Salon Cruiser. Its an older design interior layout but for BC coastal rains, I love how you can move around out of the rain with it.

 

[LakeMJim]

I like aluminum in general, and on my sailboat cruise with friends around Howe sound we saw a LOT of logs. I mean they were everywhere. I would be pretty concerned about hitting one.

But I have some experience with very cold weather boating, and frozen dock lines, and I am just thinking an aluminum boat would transfer the cold. If I was to spend that kind of money I would plan to be going to Alaska, and I imagine it's going to get cool there.

But it sure does look good and practical in every other way.

I love the Kadey Krogen and the Monk is gorgeous (but too much work!)

What about a newish Helmsman trawler or maybe like a 10 year old Grand Banks? They both look really good to my untrained eye.

 

[LakeMJim]

I'm also thinking (day dreaming) about putting in my own private mooring buoy in some protected bay, and having a really good tender. Is that crazy? I guess I'd have to have a really good generator or solar to keep things powered up.

 

[Jeff F]

I'm also thinking (day dreaming) about putting in my own private mooring buoy in some protected bay, and having a really good tender. Is that crazy? I guess I'd have to have a really good generator or solar to keep things powered up.

That's what I'd strive for. I'm hanging on a friend's mooring right now in eastern Nova Scotia. Very common here, he has a small fiberglass dinghy hauled up on shore about 100 feet away.

It's not that hard to set up for life without shore power, and very liberating.

 

[LakeMJim]

Very interesting Jeff, both the private mooring buoy and the way to be able to spend a lot of time without being hooked up to shore power.

It's basically off the grid living on a boat. I know a fair bit about off the grid houses, but this never occurred to me before now.

 

[Jeff F]

Very interesting Jeff, both the private mooring buoy and the way to be able to spend a lot of time without being hooked up to shore power.

It's basically off the grid living on a boat. I know a fair bit about off the grid houses, but this never occurred to me before now.

Right. Not to everybody's taste, obviously, but perfectly practical.

I live on my boat, and I haven't plugged in to shore power since I left my winter dock in May.

 

[rsn48]

Out on a mooring ball, lots of batteries - probably lithium.
Lots of solar, but not so efficient in winter cloudy days, we get lots of them.
Also think wind in the winter months, sometimes quite nasty.
We don't get hurricanes, we do get cyclones..
Remember all the commercial fishing trawlers are aluminum and they are out full time in all kinds of nasty cold weather - don't think its an issue if the heat is done right.

For the money, I really like the Kadey Krogen, here is a nice right up about this class of boat:

https://www.boats.com/reviews/go-anywhere/

 

[LakeMJim]

Are there any threads or other resources on how that might be done Jeff?

I'd be very interested in reading up on that.

I'm guessing lots of solar and maybe diesel generator? But I'd love to know more details.

 

[Jeff F]

I should add too that my friend recently bought this undeveloped waterfront property in a gorgeous and protected deep inlet surrounded by uninhabited islands and pristine beaches. He payed less than $50k and his property taxes are $800/yr. On a road and power at the lot.

Maybe you should have headed east instead of west!

 

[LakeMJim]

Kadey Krogen

The Kadey Krogen sounds pretty ideal. Looks like they make a 39 footer that would be easily big enough for me, and well within my 'liveaboard' budget.

I'll do some more research on those.

 

[LakeMJim]

I have family out here and was hoping the climate would be mild enough to allow a much longer boating season.

But boy do you pay for the privilege.

 

[Jeff F]

Are there any threads or other resources on how that might be done Jeff?

I'd be very interested in reading up on that.

I'm guessing lots of solar and maybe diesel generator? But I'd love to know more details.

You'll see lots of threads here regarding power management and living at anchor. Lots of folks here spend time in the Bahamas cruising essentially off grid. And PNW as well. Also lots of off-grid boat living discussion on Cruisers Forum.

Maybe start your own thread. You've been doing well so far in articulating your needs and generating good discussion. I'm happy to talk about my particulars, but a lot of what I've done to get set up has been based on the experience of others here.

 

[gsholz]

Regarding moorage and property, Vancouver Island is a big place. You might consider looking at the west coast of the island. Lots of deep inlets with islands and sparsely populated. A beautiful area. Most of the inlets have road access.

 

[soin2la]

You might consider looking at the west coast of the island. Lots of deep inlets with islands and sparsely populated. A beautiful area. Most of the inlets have road access.

Before rushing to the local real estate office, one should take a very close look at all that road access.

It simply does not exist for “most” and many of those roads are only suited to the seasoned locals. That's why they are "sparsely populated."
https://goo.gl/maps/mi3PcWms84koX2NA6

Besides, LakeMJim has clearly stated he wants an extended season.

 

[LakeMJim]

West side of the island

I was planning on checking out Ucluelet and Tofino in a few weeks. I have zero knowledge of the boating on that side but it did seem from maps that there were lots of inlets to explore.

But if the season is much shorter, I wouldn't be too happy.

However, I might consider living in Ucluelet and keeping a boat in Nanaimo perhaps.

I still have lots of time. Something will fall into place.

 

[soin2la]

However, I might consider living in Ucluelet and keeping a boat in Nanaimo perhaps.

You are getting really sidetracked here.
The west coast is great if you choose to live there, with your eyes wide open.

Boating season is short; wind, rain and fog seasons are long. July and August are not the time to check it out if you want it to be a year round adventure.

In a few more years when they get the road finished, those 5 hour commutes to Nanaimo might shorten up.
https://www.pqbnews.com/news/five-1...VNCalMPi4jKgBdEgUPjIUm4ybj6awrsxnG_0HzeyBaltg

https://drivebc.ca/mobile/pub/events/id/DBC-25822.html

https://tourismtofino.com/bulletins/updated-highway-4-road-closure-schedule-at-kennedy-hill/

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/...n-infrastructure/projects/highway4kennedyhill

 

[Portage_Bay]

I was planning on checking out Ucluelet and Tofino in a few weeks. I have zero knowledge of the boating on that side but it did seem from maps that there were lots of inlets to explore.



But if the season is much shorter, I wouldn't be too happy.



However, I might consider living in Ucluelet and keeping a boat in Nanaimo perhaps.



I still have lots of time. Something will fall into place.

Uclulet annual rainfall can be measured in whole meters. Put living in such a wet climate into your decision matrix.

https://en.climate-data.org/north-america/canada/british-columbia/ucluelet-986980/

 

[LakeMJim]

Ucluelet/Tofino

Having never been to either place I have no idea if I would like either one, but there are people who rave about them.

A quick visit might not convince they are a place to relocate permanently, but they might take them off my list of places to consider, as has been the case with about 90% of the places I have visited so far.

I just want to explore all my options and try to make an informed choice, which is why all the information I am getting is so useful.

The shorter boating season is a huge strike against, and I really don't want to be a 2 1/2 hour drive away from my boat, so that 'thinking aloud' idea is put to rest. I used to do that kind of commute every weekend in Ontario, but I really don't want to do that anymore.

As for rain, well I am nearly allergic to the sun (had a few close encounters with skin cancer already) and I might not love the rain, but at least it won't kill me. That's why I am here in the North and not down South.

Of course, if I can find a climate that is mild but doesn't rain every day, that would be preferable.

Since arriving here 6 weeks ago I have seen exactly 2 hours of light rain, so I am really starting to think you guys are just trying to keep others from coming.

I'm kidding, everyone tells me 'just wait 'til the 59 days in a row of rain in winter'.

All of which leads me back to my original plan: rent, don't buy a home and get a trailerable trawler so I can bail out and go back to freshwater lakes with my boat if I find I really can't handle the rain.

But millions seem to manage it, and pay a very high price for the privilege, and I am the rare person who cannot stand too much sun, so it theoretically is a perfect fit for me.

Now I just need both the housing and boat markets to come down to reality and I'll be all set.

 

[SteveK]

I recently went by boat to Butchart Gardens. Brentwood Bay (marina there) surprised me with the number of live aboard boats at anchor or mooring buoy.

 

[soin2la]

Having never been to either place I have no idea if I would like either one, but there are people who rave about them.

Absolutely they are raved about, but I'd bet a dozen fresh crabs those people were visitors.

West coast reality;

Highway 4 is one of those routes Google Maps gets wrong, almost always. 2.5 hours Nanaimo to Tofino is a rarity. As I type this, Google says 3 hours, wheels turning, no delays. Call it 4 and that is boating season reality.

Tofino and Ucluelet are 30-40 minutes apart, at either end of a peninsula.

Ucluelet is the quieter fishing village. Tofino is a very busy, very expensive, destination tourist town, where most folks make plans and reservations months, even years, in advance. Those tourists drop 240 million dollars, mostly from June through September, on mostly outdoor activities. Whistler reports slightly higher numbers, over 12 months, not 4 and probably 50% of those are day trippers.

Like everywhere on the island the past number of years, 80% of the visitors are Europeans, on a multi week, multi destination vacation. 7 to 30 of their vacation days are spent on Vancouver Island; 5-10 in Tofino/Ucluelet, all via highway 4.

In October, folks start to show up for storm watching, but the numbers are extremely small for the ensuing eight months, compared peak summer season.

The combined year round population is about 4,000. The locals like Alaskans in cruise ports, relax when the taillights of that last rental motorhome makes the turn east.

 

[LakeMJim]

That's great info about Ucluelet/Tofino. I was specifically going to look at Ucluelet as a less expensive option to Tofino, but again, I left the area off my most recent exploration of the island as they are on what I assumed was the 'wrong' side.

Having lived for years in the Tofino of Ontario (Lake Muskoka) I am aware of what that entails. I didn't mind the crowds for 2 months, and was very happy to see everyone leave just after Labour Day.

My plans still lean heavily to living North of Nanaimo or possibly on the 'Sunshine' coast.

But I will at some point visit Ucluelet and see what I think.

Insane property prices everywhere are making a liveaboard an interesting proposition, although I wonder if I am rationalizing a way to justify buying a bigger, better boat.

 

[soin2la]

Insane property prices everywhere are making a liveaboard an interesting proposition, although I wonder if I am rationalizing a way to justify buying a bigger, better boat.

That adds another question to your quest; availability of liveaboard moorage. Some have it, some don't, many are maxed out.

 

[LakeMJim]

Nothing is easy!

Not the best timing to be looking for boats, property and slips in BC.

Think I'll hop on a plane and go on vacation for a while!

 

[Jeff F]

Insane property prices everywhere are making a liveaboard an interesting proposition, although I wonder if I am rationalizing a way to justify buying a bigger, better boat.

You may be. But if it's ever been a dream and you want to sit out the current real estate mania this is your chance. And boats are dirt cheap vs real estate by historical standards. I've used that to rationalize buying a bigger, better boat

I'm only egging you on because of your back story. Moving from a freshwater island onto a boat seems to me to be a natural progression in many ways. Many of the same hardships and challenges keep people away from that life.

 

[LakeMJim]

Oh you are going to get me into trouble Jeff!

I wouldn't say it's been a dream, but sort of a constant thought in the back of my mind "one day, if I could ever afford it..."

I'm a big YOLO guy, and have done some things differently, and never regretted it.

It's probably good that there just aren't many boats available right now. But if the right one comes along...

 

[Tiffany]

What?! You mean there is no room at the Desolation Sound Parking Lot/ Say it ain't so!