Anyone cruising in BC now ?

We are Americans, and took possession of our new boat on March 7 in Sidney, BC. Our permanent moorage is in Sidney, and our plans were to spend the two weeks after our closing doing some work getting the boat ready for a three month cruise beginning in mid-May.

After a brief shakedown cruise to Princess Louisa Inlet in mid-March where we had no communications or news from the outside, we returned to Sidney to learn that the US/Canada border would be closing imminently. After much consideration of the various circumstances, we decided to remain on the Canadian side of the border with our boat.

I know that the topic of cruising during the COVID-19 era has been discussed ad nauseum. For us (and not necessarily for you), the approach we’ve adopted has been to leave Sidney ONLY to visit islands/places that are unpopulated. Local communities in the surrounding area and further north — including communities in the Gulf Islands that ordinarily rely on tourist income — have requested that all transient boaters stay away, and we believe that it is important to comply with that very reasonable request.

Here, around Sidney, there is a tremendous amount of ambiguity with respect to the status of parks. In my anecdotal experience over the last few weeks, the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve — which contains some gems like Cabbage Island and Portland Island — remains open to visitors, though all developed facilities and improvements are closed. I have heard that some boaters were cited and fined (heavily) over Easter Weekend for rafting at Bedwell Harbor (also in the national park reserve), but boaters who were moored or anchored individually were left undisturbed.

I’m wondering what conditions are like now at those provincial parks in BC that have a surrounding human population of ZERO. Are people cruising around Jedediah Island? Still cruising in Princess Louisa Inlet? Anyone in Desolation Sound?

Just curious.

Thanks, and stay safe.

Kawini said:

We are Americans, and took possession of our new boat on March 7 in Sidney, BC. Our permanent moorage is in Sidney, and our plans were to spend the two weeks after our closing doing some work getting the boat ready for a three month cruise beginning in mid-May.

After a brief shakedown cruise to Princess Louisa Inlet in mid-March where we had no communications or news from the outside, we returned to Sidney to learn that the US/Canada border would be closing imminently. After much consideration of the various circumstances, we decided to remain on the Canadian side of the border with our boat.

I know that the topic of cruising during the COVID-19 era has been discussed ad nauseum. For us (and not necessarily for you), the approach we’ve adopted has been to leave Sidney ONLY to visit islands/places that are unpopulated. Local communities in the surrounding area and further north — including communities in the Gulf Islands that ordinarily rely on tourist income — have requested that all transient boaters stay away, and we believe that it is important to comply with that very reasonable request.

Here, around Sidney, there is a tremendous amount of ambiguity with respect to the status of parks. In my anecdotal experience over the last few weeks, the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve — which contains some gems like Cabbage Island and Portland Island — remains open to visitors, though all developed facilities and improvements are closed. I have heard that some boaters were cited and fined (heavily) over Easter Weekend for rafting at Bedwell Harbor (also in the national park reserve), but boaters who were moored or anchored individually were left undisturbed.

I’m wondering what conditions are like now at those provincial parks in BC that have a surrounding human population of ZERO. Are people cruising around Jedediah Island? Still cruising in Princess Louisa Inlet? Anyone in Desolation Sound?

Just curious.

Thanks, and stay safe.

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According to AIS data there seems to be a few boats transmitting in BC, although .. if I was out there I wouldn't be transmitting just to keep a lower profile.
I imagine there are others doing the same right now.

HOLLYWOOD

Yup,
Cabbage Is. would be a good one for solitude. We went there once and there were 3 or 4 sailboats lined up.
We approached from the west and crossed the rock ridge (submerged) in slopy conditions and was surprised at finding the other boats.
I think I was planning to run north in the Strait on the good weather forecast.
You could experience the same and where would you go from there w a low profile?
I think you should’a come back. But I have few details.

What part of “stay home” are you having difficulty with? Parks are “closed.” If you go boating, it means you are putting police, Coast Guard, tow agencies, fellow boaters who are required to assist and our volunteer search and rescue people at risk. Yes, a new boat is exciting but surprise! We are all missing out on something we love to do.

You are an American, you can go home. You can even take your boat home with you and cruise in Washington State. Does that work for you and the US rules in place?

Think about it.

Xsbank said:

What part of “stay home” are you having difficulty with? Parks are “closed.” If you go boating, it means you are putting police, Coast Guard, tow agencies, fellow boaters who are required to assist and our volunteer search and rescue people at risk. Yes, a new boat is exciting but surprise! We are all missing out on something we love to do.

You are an American, you can go home. You can even take your boat home with you and cruise in Washington State. Does that work for you and the US rules in place?

Think about it.

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Well said! Normally, I’m the kind of guy who likes to “bend” the rules, but these are not normal times.

If you are now in the US, I wouldn't worry about it. Unless of course you can convince them that it is essential you go across the border.

nwboater said:

Well said! Normally, I’m the kind of guy who likes to “bend” the rules, but these are not normal times.

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Given these times I prefer to bend over backwards in the opposite direction and definitely not to look for loopholes in the rules. People are dying. Families are suffering. How can I be upset that I can't go boating?

Other than the photo, I guess I'm the stateside mirror of XSBANK! You are clearly not welcome here either! Here are a few clues:
The border is closed to recreational boating.
San Juan County is closed to recreational boating.
WA state parks are closed to recreational boating.
Marinas are closed to recreational boating.
There's a trend here. We would all enjoy our usual spring and summer cruising, but for the good of us all, we comply with the mandates of these exceptional times. Stay home please.

Given the choice of Washington state, i'd say you are on the preferable side of the border for now
Wash. as many know started out as a "hot zone" in this crisis, plus even though it is closed, I bet the Washington authorities would open up long enough to nail you for their massive boat taxation if you linger there too long...
Sidney is a great home base and you have access to the gulf islands and so many great places to visit like Salt Spring Island and Bowen island, etc.
I get that people should be cautious but as we speak, states are beginning to carefully open back up semi-essential services and businesses. within a couple weeks I'd bet it will be okay to cruise a bit. Where you'd have to be careful is visiting a fuel dock or chandlery, but seems like anchoring in remote areas should be okay.

Kawini,
I live and moor in Nanaimo. I would love to go boating, but have not left the dock. I cancelled my previously scheduled haulout due to my concerns with Covid. However, the lift is still fairly busy as is the yard. I guess others did not see it the same way?
So, I cannot inform you as to what is actually happening in the various anchorages right now. However, I agree with Xsbank. Go home, at least for now. At my home, I look out over the Salish Sea and I have seen very, very few pleasure boats out there, with the exception of a much smaller number than normal smaller "runabouts" that are still occasionally sport fishing. Down at the Port of Nanaimo docks, where I moor, I have seen only a couple of transient moorage boats in the last couple of months even though the marina is still "technically" open. I do go down to my boat to check on it and conduct some maintenance, but where I am moored, I can easily avoid any contact whatsoever with anyone else and I sterilize anything "public" that I touch. Park mooring balls are closed. Park docks are closed. Most marinas are closed or are discouraging transients with limited access to their normal facilities. Smaller locations (islands) don't want visitors potentially cutting into limited supplies, maybe bringing in the disease, or requiring use of the very limited medical and other facilities.
Others have already discussed other reasons like needing the Coast Guard, Tow service, mechanic, etc. It is NOT a good idea at this time to go boating! I would expect you would not be welcomed anywhere right now. JMHO.

sledge said:

I get that people should be cautious but as we speak, states are beginning to carefully open back up semi-essential services and businesses. within a couple weeks I'd bet it will be okay to cruise a bit. Where you'd have to be careful is visiting a fuel dock or chandlery, but seems like anchoring in remote areas should be okay.

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Yes, opening against the advice of all medical professionals and scientists, the President's task force and even the President. Georgia is doing today what Denver did in November 2018. Sure hope they have better results.

My front window (my house, not my boat) looks out on Wallace Island, a Provincial Park, and I have a good view of boats going into Conover Cove and Princess cove. Traffic has diminished to a trickle. Several times in the past week I have seen small boats go into Conover and within minutes, leave again. I haven't been over myself, but I suspect there is a convincing sign that, once read, has convinced those boaters to leave.
Princess, not so much, though the number of boats going in is very small.
I am hopeful that this great reduction in traffic is an indication that boaters generally are getting the message.

Some posters here have artfully articulated the message, but none have been as bluntly convincing as the Heiltsuk from Bella Bella, who cautioned way back in March, that though tourists by recreational boat will be welcome eventually, they don't want a repeat of the epidemic conditions that almost wiped them out 150 yrs ago, so STAY HOME.

At Seattle Yacht Club we have been working with the local BC governments. Both SYC and Royal Vancouver Yacht Club have closed all our out stations. The Islanders are very concerned about transients coming too their islands. I believe you will be looked at as part of the problem not part of the solution.

I follow James and Jennifer Hamilton aboard Dirona, the Nordhavn 52 that they've lived aboard and cruised extensively for a decade. They're anchored in the UK, quarantining onboard, and have twice reported locals checking in to see if they needed anything. Quite a different experience than seems common in Washington and BC.

Our situation sounds a bit like the original poster. We bought a new-to-us boat just before the stay at home order was issued. We were aboard when the order was issued. Traveling home would have required walking on a ferry, taking a taxi, and then driving to downtown Seattle. We made the choice to stay on the boat, thinking it was the lowest impact option.

FWIW, When I look out my window, I see mostly local boats out for a day cruise. On occasion, I'll see a recreational boat transiting North. Sometimes I check them on Marine Traffic to see if they have AIS on. Some do, some don't, but that is the norm, anyways.

Most of them are CDN, But saw a NL boat in Tenedos Bay yesterday (on Marine Traffic). Also saw a big (~100') US flagged Ocean Alexander heading South yesterday.

Mandatory AIS would be a good tool to manage the opening of recreational boating. I doubt that any of that is even on anyone's radar right now as it is not a priority.

Our harbour (Westview) is not closed to transients, but I haven't seen any when I walk the dog down there. Nor is there any signage.

I suppose we will see a bunch of prawn boats soon, and that might wake up the local government. We haven't had any cases to date in town. If we, do, that also may cause the torches and pitchforks to come out.

I would not go to any Provincial Parks. They are being monitored and you will be asked to leave.

Canadians are polite. They are asking you to stay home. Not legislating it.

Kawini

US Documented vessel or Canadian registry? In any event, don't go to WA until border re-opens for cruisers. If you go to WA now and then find you can't re-enter Canada the WA tax guys will hound you to death.

I appreciate ALL the comments made in response to my original post.

My interest was in knowing the extent to which boating is continuing to occur in BC. As I wrote, I know from my own experience that federal authorities are still allowing boaters to use anchorages, moorings, and trails in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve -- so long as they practice social distancing. From my slip here in Sidney, I can see that there are now boats at the moorings at Sidney Spit which is also part of the national park reserve.

I especially appreciate the comments that were made specifically in response to my question. I had heard through the grapevine that boaters who had anchored in Princess Cove on Wallace Island were rousted out of the anchorage by provincial park authorities. This seems entirely reasonable in light of the fact the island is inhabited.

I'm surprised that Westview in PR is still open. Down here in Sidney, all the marinas are closed to transient boaters though it is still possible to take on fuel.

sunchaser said:

Kawini

US Documented vessel or Canadian registry? In any event, don't go to WA until border re-opens for cruisers. If you go to WA now and then find you can't re-enter Canada the WA tax guys will hound you to death.

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Our boat is US documented.

Yes, it is because of the potential tax trap that we did not bring the boat back to Washington. The reckoning would have been very significant. Ouch!

Kawini said:

I'm surprised that Westview in PR is still open. Down here in Sidney, all the marinas are closed to transient boaters though it is still possible to take on fuel.

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It could be because it is a "red rail" marina. Meaning that technically, it is a federal small craft harbour, designated as a core fishing harbour (well half of it is; it's complicated) but managed by the city.

Most, if not all down, in the Victoria area would be private, or if federal, designated, recreational.

https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/sch-ppb/maps-cartes-eng.html

Not sure how it would work at Mansons Landing, which is both a red rail harbour and a provincial park.

I'd just stay away...

Seems clear enough to me. Just because law enforcement doesn’t kick you out, doesn’t mean it isn’t closed.

https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/voyage-travel/securite-safety/covid-19-info

Kawini;

You now know the local sentiment.

On this very topic, I have had dialogue with BC Parks, GI National Parks Reserve, BC Public Health Office, Island Health, Vancouver Coastal Health and Environment Canada.

These are official responses:
ALL BC parks are closed, including the marine parks. Enforcement is a challenge. (BCP)

GINPR are operating under winter conditions, allowing use of unmaintained mooring buoys at your own risk. They prefer no land use. May 1, will likely bring full closure. (GINPR)

There is a 30day restriction of any visitors from other countries. (VIHA)

My personal pet peeve is; no locals can walk the trail in to Smugglers Cove Marine Park, but a dozen big buck yachts from Vancouver, can sneak in undetected. I’ve suggested to BC Parks, maybe RCMSAR can help with enforcement.

Keith???

A good source of marine activity/closures:https://salishseapilot.com/covid-19-closures/

I would go for it. Depending on where you are, there is a lot of boating activity. I see it out of French Creek everyday, I'm there routinely. In fact, there was a news item on Victoria CHECK TV of the chandlery/crappy food store out of French Creek. The guy has his store open and is selling via a window, much like a drive up window. You can place an order with him, he goes (actually his wife goes) and picks up said item and gives it to you. Much of his business is from commercial fisherman, some from sports fisherman, and a lot, more than I realized, from residents of Lasqueti Island.

The issue is re-supplying and refueling. If you are to go and just gunkhole, you will be more isolated than most in North America. Gunkholing is what you should plan on doing on not visiting any of the small towns and villages, most have requested you don't. So for example, Squirrels Cove on Cortes Island has an outer bay with a public dock and a smattering of stores is off limits, but there is an inner bay which is far from the maddening crowd so to speak. I don't see any reason not to go there, for example as long as you stay away from the town. And there are places all around Desolation, et. al.

As you are aware, living here temporarily, the numbers for the flu on Vancouver Island are extremely low compared to elsewhere. There have been three deaths so far, and less than three new cases daily, but often less than that. Yesterday there was one new case of the flu on the Island.

rsn48 said:

I would go for it…Gunkholing is what you should plan on doing…So for example, Squirrels Cove on Cortes Island…there are places all around Desolation, et. al.

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That is irresponsible and here is why:

Xsbank said:

If you go boating, it means you are putting police, Coast Guard, tow agencies, fellow boaters who are required to assist and our volunteer search and rescue people at risk. Think about it.

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So, worst case scenario in Squirrel Cove; you suffer a serious injury or, let’s say a heart attack.

For starters there is no cell service and limited VHF in the back end of that cove. If you can connect with the outside world…
First responders; JRCC, CCG, RCMSAR, maybe 442 Comox, land ambulance at Lund, multiple highly stressed hospital staff. How about a medivac?

That’s part one. Part two, who goes with the victim? Who stays with the boat? If the victim is skipper, who gets the boat back to Sidney. How does the victim get from Powell River to Sidney?

Xsbank said:

What part of “stay home” are you having difficulty with?

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Retriever said:

I follow James and Jennifer Hamilton aboard Dirona, the Nordhavn 52 that they've lived aboard and cruised extensively for a decade. They're anchored in the UK, quarantining onboard, and have twice reported locals checking in to see if they needed anything. Quite a different experience than seems common in Washington and BC.

Our situation sounds a bit like the original poster. We bought a new-to-us boat just before the stay at home order was issued. We were aboard when the order was issued. Traveling home would have required walking on a ferry, taking a taxi, and then driving to downtown Seattle. We made the choice to stay on the boat, thinking it was the lowest impact option.

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Did I read this right? You have replaced the N50? Do tell more, your old Shilshoe neighbor. David

tiltrider1 said:

Did I read this right? You have replaced the N50? Do tell more, your old Shilshoe neighbor. David

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Will send you a PM...

The hospitals on the Island are being under utilized and staff are basically very bored. My son is a cop in greater Victoria, called him about this very issue. A buddy in London E sent me a pic of his daughter, firefighter, in London being reassigned to ambulance duty for the next two months. The system there was being so over utilized they had to bring extra help for the ambulance service (and people not able to work due to the flu). So he asked me if it was the same on the Island. So I talked to my son to see what the overall situation in the hospitals, ambulance service and police was like. His partner does the radiation treatments for cancer patients in Victoria. The reverse has occurred, people are reluctant to go to the hospital so when they do arrive, whatever they have (not the flu) is worse than pre-flu.

A number of departments stats are very reduced compared to pre-flu and that includes emergency. Numbers are down significantly in emergency.

And do you think people aren't driving so folks like my son don't have to deal with them, nope, think again. What you say is true about emergency response, but I have worked in hospitals in the past, including working with folks with all kinds of wretched catchy stuff. You just put on proper head attire, mask, gown, gloves, pants, and shoe covering, go in and deal with them, then dump the stuff worn into a special hamper.

Based on the first responders argument, almost no one should be on the roads so that if the vehicle gets into an accident fire, ambulance and police don't have to respond.

And as for my son, thank you for asking, when this whole thing began, his hands skin was substantially cracked from all the hand washings and alcohol rubs he carried out in one shift, now multiply that by multiple shifts. And as for his partner, the hospital didn't have enough masks for all the staff so she had to work with patients, the patients and her not masked as she carried out treatments which meant she had to get close to the patients at times.

And I worked at Vancouver General Hospital, St. Paul's, and UBC hospital. At VGH, I worked in the ER as an orderly, then social worker, then hospital chaplain. So yes, I do have an idea of what's going on. And as an orderly at two of the above hospitals, I was the one who prepared and took the male bodies down to the morgue. In one flu back in the 70's, I was taking multiple bodies down to the morgues. Being an orderly was how I paid my way through university.

I get that you bought a Canadian boat with US dollars and saved a lot of dosh, paying no import duty or taxes by keeping it here and dodging taxes in Washington. Our stupid, feckless government allows this so you are perfectly within your rights to do so. The result for locals is that moorage is in short supply and way more expensive than it should be because of lots of many US boats doing exactly the same and staying here. You get the advantage of relatively cheap boating, more lax rules on holding tanks and free use of our Provincial and Federal park system. Last year I pried a plaque off a rock in Desolation that had been glued next to a mooring ring in a popular anchorage that said “San Diego Yacht Club blah blah.”

One of our local boats is registered in Boseman Montana. I also get that boating to Boseman would present some difficulties.

I don’t blame any boater for coming up here to get away from the San Juan zoo but for heaven’s sake treat our goofy country with some respect, act like guests and don’t rub our noses in the great deal that stupid Canadians are giving you.

soin2la said:

maybe RCMSAR can help with enforcement.

Keith???

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Not going to happen. The mandate is to save lives, not to enforce rules.
That would be unnecessary contact. I am only speaking as a boater, not as RCMSAR.

Screaming04 said:

Seems clear enough to me. Just because law enforcement doesn’t kick you out, doesn’t mean it isn’t closed.

https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/voyage-travel/securite-safety/covid-19-info

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Actually either they didn't complete close all access, or the group that wrote it is inept.


This is and excerpt of the order:

• All visitor services, including reception, information, lockage and mooring are suspended until further notice;
• All visitor facilities, including parking lots, washrooms, day use areas and visitor centres are closed until further notice.

This says "moorage" not anchoring is closed. Many of the parks have docks and buoy's thay typically call "moorage"


It also says "facilities", you are not using any facility when anchoring, and your social distancing. Washington's order is equally vague.. and there are folks anchoring in the San Juans also.
While it is true the "facilities" are closed I cannot see anywhere that doesn't allow anchoring.
In the San Juans I have heard of nobody being run off while anchoring and following proper social distancing protocol. Another irony is parking lots at parks are closed but you can still walk through parks. Both probably have some legal thing to do with denying public access to publicly funded areas.. not sure.



HOLLYWOOD