Let's talk cruising in British Columbia

[capnorv]

Oh, and for the record, my favorite narrows, so far, is Hole in the Wall, hit it right and cruise on through.

[NedX]

Originally Posted by tgradyv7m

God's country 2.5 months out of the year. The rest we take on faith.

It rains a lot.

Tides are what we live with almost as much as the wind (or lack there of). I was racing with a guy that came up from Florida and he just could not get a grasp on the tidal current going around a mark. Tidal gates are to be respected and you need to know how to read the tables and adjust for DST as well as location. Everything takes a bit more time, knowledge and patient.

Did I say it rains a lot? It does. Some people get so frustrated the rain and lack of winter sun they just leave. Real-estate is sky high, roads are awful, traffic is worse.

And it rains a lot. A deep soaking, cold, penetrating and constant rain. Don't let anyone fool you. And it is also hard to get anywhere other than this area. Going down the west coast is a chore. Coming back up can be worse. And a cruiser that circumnavigated said the two hardest sailing areas he had the whole trip was Juan de Fuca west bound and Juan de Fuca east bound.

Did I say it rains a lot? It does.

Not that I don't like more people to come up here....

One thing I was wondering about was the rain, and I can't tell from your post where you stand. Could you weigh in on that?

[NedX]

Originally Posted by waltknowles

I've cruised out of Anacortes for 30+ years, most of it in an Ericson 27, now in a Moody 46. First some climate data:

• West side of Olympic Mountains and West side of Vancouver Island can expect 25-40" precip per year--less than New York or Boston, in most years. You may get as many as 3 days/year when you will get more than 1" in 24 hours, and lots and lots of days where you will have continuous precip for a total of 0.1" in 24. You may not see a single drop of rain from July 1 to November 1 (that's a Mediterranean climate pattern, like most of the west coast)
• Lows seldom below 40ºF in the dead of winter, but you may get one or two snow days on your boat. Highs seldom above 80º, but there are days when really good ventilation makes for a much more enjoyable boat.
• Winds are challenging. In the middle of summer, expect to be a power boat with a stick--or to really pay close attention to local weather patterns. You could probably sail from Anacortes to Comox without touching your engine--in August--by leaving at 0700, dropping hook at 1100, leaving at 1600, and dropping hook at 2000.

This is drop-dead gorgeous cruising country. There aren't very many places in the world where you can, in a single day, fly the kite and go 10kt, engage in a tacking duel up a mile wide (and 1000' deep) channel, drop hook in/near a tidal lagoon so it's dead quiet in the boat, row your dinghy to a pebble beach, skinny dip in salt water (because there's no one around and because the water is 75ºF) and pick yourself a dozen oysters off the rocks for supper on the way home. And that's not a composite. That's where we have anchored our E27 several times (and the Moody once).


Your Bavaria is close to an ideal boat for these waters. The only thing I'd complain about is its draft, which makes gunkholing a bit more difficult. It's light enough to sail in the summer, and heavy enough to make the trip to Haida Gwai without blinking. I know it seems expensive for trucking, but bring it with you. At least by Yacht World, boats are 20-30% more expensive in Seattle than in Boston.


And take the suggestion of chartering seriously. There are a number of charter agencies that cover the San Juans. We have our Moody, Braesail, in charter with Anacortes Yacht Charters (Anacortes Yacht Charters), becuase people want to pay us money to use our boat in the summer, which then helps to pay for our use the other three seasons!


Walt Knowles
Moody 46: Braesail

Thanks, Walt. This is great intel.
The Bavaria is not going. No pilothouse/deck saloon, not amazingly great for soloing. So I have a few models in mind, and ready to pay the markup.

[Tillikum]

Cruising BC waters? Start with the first guy.

[svmargi]

[QUOTE=Stu Jackson;3298178]You need heat on your boat. Almost year round.

This is a fact. I've got a Dickinson Antarctic diesel heater and it's great.

[NedX]

Originally Posted by svmargi

Lived here since I was twelve (1956). Family had an old 24' navy officer's gig and we cruised all of Puget Sound, Hood Canal and the San Juan Islands at a breathtaking 4.5 knots for 8 years. Enjoyed every bit of it and never found a lack of delightful anchorages and cruising weather. (There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes) In 1972 I bought my first "boat" (other than a hand made kayak), an Hascall designed, Tregonning built 32" bridge deck, tri-cabin classic "WINIKIN" (https://classicyacht.org/boats/winikin). Lived aboard her and cruised all of Puget Sound, Hood Canal, San Juan Islands and Canadian Gulf Island at a shattering 6 knots for 3years. Enjoyed every bit of it and never found a lack of delightful anchorages and cruising weather. (There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes). In 1975 I bought my first sailboat BLUE WATER, a Hanson designed 50' ketch (https://whatcommuseum.org/virtual_ex...9675425460.htm). I lived on and sailed/cruised her throughout Puget Sound, Hood Canal, San Juan Islands, Gulf Islands and the inside passage as far north as the Broughton Islands. Enjoyed every bit of it and never found a lack of delightful anchorages and cruising/sailing weather. (There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes). In 1986 I bought my first plastic boat REBA (now AHMEEK https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...s.g-60861.html), a brand new Celestial 48 ketch that I sailed/cruised throughout all of the above waters as well as the Columbia River Estuary. Enjoyed every bit of it and never found a lack of delightful anchorages and cruising/sailing weather. (There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes).
From 1996 until 2006 I retreated to the mountains to ski and cruise Lake Chelan in my 27' Uniflite diesel cruiser where there was a dearth of delightful anchorages and cruising weather but good skiing. In 2006 I moved to Florida and bought a sweet little Bristol 34 that I refurbished, renamed MARGI (formerly AGROUND AGAIN, a 5.5' draft is a bit much for my new boating venue) and for 7 years sailed/cruised throughout the 10,000 Islands from Cape Ramano to Key West as much as I could and still avoid the bugs, heat, electric storms and shifting sand in the ever changing shoal draft, poorly marked and charted southwest Florida coastline. I enjoyed none of it. It was too hot to wear clothes, the bugs would chew your naked body to shreds and the constant concern for grounding, lightning and squalls was debilitating to the point of distraction.

Throughout the years between 1974 and 2014 I crewed aboard JOLI (a C & C 61, all over Puget Sound, Canadian waters and south to San Francisco), INCA (an S & S 39 in Hawaiian waters), LIGHTNING (an S & S 60 throughout Puget Sound and Canadian waters), TINMAN (a Barnett 48 throughout Puget Sound, Oregon, Canadian, San Francisco Bay and Hawaiian waters) and TIPPECANOE, a Farr 39 in SW Florida waters). Enjoyed none of it, busted my bottom, found a dearth of decent sailing weather but had to sail anyway, learned a great deal and taxed the best of clothing with the worst of weather.

I have now settled on Days Island (colloquially: Day Island) at the south end of the Tacoma Narrows where I can moor my Valiant 40 and sail/cruise all of Puget Sound, San Juan Islands, Gulf Islands and points north, south and west. From Olympia, Washington to Ketchikan, Alaska there is everything a sailor/cruiser could ever want. The weather is varied but not extreme, the number of good marinas is unlimited (I recommend Elliott Bay Marina for all the factors that make a great marina my having developed it notwithstanding) you can always find a delightful anchorage even if it requires sailing/cruising a little farther during July and August. The only thing I would say about your considering southern B.C. is that Victoria is on the corner of Juan de Fuca Straight and Haro Straight and Vancouver is on Georgia Straight all of which can blow up a bit which you might find limits the opportunity for spontaneously heading out for a sail/cruise, particularly during the winter months.

Thank you for this excellent review, and the suggestions. Knowing full well that the mighty Pacific is not the Atlantic, I am used to the problem of going out/coming back in conditions. The entrance to Boston Harbor is unprotected to the east, which is where the weather (none is bad; only clothes are bad. Wouldn't you agree?) comes from. Definitely currents and charts will be at the top of my list; I have procured Waggoners, and bookmarked many links posted by helpful contributors to this thread!

[NedX]

Originally Posted by capnorv

HI have to give my two cents worth. I'll start by saying I was probably conceived on a Fall sail through the San Juans in 1955. I spent my summers through mid teens with a two weeks to one month cruise there and the Gulf Islands in our little ChrisCraft, occasionally island hopping on my 6 1/2' dinghy (I have movies), and looking back, am amazed I survived, and thrived. During my time with Uncle Sam the San Francisco Bay was my home with my little Guppy sailboat. Want to sail daily, that's a good place to start, but destinations for cruising are few and far between. I got out and headed to my property on the Yakima River of Central Washington, another kind of paradise. Another fifteen ears, a failed marriage and a smart dad, and I have a 22' Reinell sailboat, good at downwind and cruising acommadations, and nothing else. I spent many great weeks cruising on 25 mile long Riffe Lake and the upper Columbia 110 miles of Lake Roosevelt. Almost always windy in the afternoons, only occasionally...too windy. In the mid ninties I moored a 27' Newport down in Olympia, South Puget Sound, the area with almost as many marine parks as the San Juans, without the people. Six, seven years later I meet my wife, we get a Hans Christian 34' and live aboard for five years. Since then, we've raised adopted kids and graduated to a Hardin 45' Voyager, about ten years ago. Currently we live on Bainbridge Island, a place that gets 30" rain a year, and our boat is on the next door neighbors dock.
I've been cruising this area for sixty five years, and to me it is paradise. Where else can you cruise and anchor next to waterfalls dropping from glaciers 9000'-10000 feet above. Anchor in all weather anchorages that have eighty degree water temperatures a couple of months in the summer, and sixty degree in February. If you moor in Victoria, one of those places is less than twenty miles away. That said, I would recommend Van Isles or Marina Park marinas, just a short bus ride in Sydney to the North. Do we have great sailing, but I don't think you'll find a better cruising ground in the world. 2500 miles of island and fiord paradise. That said, have we had good sails, yes, nothing like catching a rising tide/wind conditions up the Straights of Georgia to Desolation or up the 35 miles to Queens Reach or Chatterbox Falls, or snuggling into a creek fall in Toba Inlet for a three day gale. Then again, finding a weather window through Johnstone Straight that's not wind against tide and pea soup can be a challenge. I could go on forever, but...Disclaimer, my wife says don't talk it up too much, it's our paradise.

Hahah Cap no worries, I plan to buy off five people to leave before I arrive.
As I have read these posts I can see the charm of the eastern coast of Vancouver Island as a better place to be based than either of the two large cities...

[svmargi]

The research and documentation is great but at my age I'm good with an IPAD and NAVIONICS. With it mounted on my binnacle I can track my location on fully pictured waters with contour line represented bottoms and can switch to a graph of the local tide height or current. That combined with a large quantity of local knowledge only somewhat hazily obscured leaves me pretty comfortable upon these very deep and pretty well marked waters.

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by svmargi

The research and documentation is great but at my age I'm good with an IPAD and NAVIONICS. With it mounted on my binnacle I can track my location on fully pictured waters with contour line represented bottoms and can switch to a graph of the local tide height or current. That combined with a large quantity of local knowledge only somewhat hazily obscured leaves me pretty comfortable upon these very deep and pretty well marked waters.

That island I am headed towards? Doesn't exist...

(Hmmm, uploading images isn't working well...)

[desodave]

Here's another site for you to bookmark - Canadian marine weather for the south and mid coast.

https://weather.gc.ca/marine/region_e.html?mapID=02
The forecast areas are quite big and, for example, the Georgia Strait N often (but not always) has the biggest winds in its southern portion - the wind station is Sisters Islets off the end of Lasqueti Island. Have a look at an app like Windy to see some of the wind patterns graphically

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

That island I am headed towards? Doesn't exist...

(Hmmm, uploading images isn't working well...)

It does not show on my Navionics.

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by Lightwave99

Desolation Sound is magnificent: It is a national park, so no building allowed. It is beautiful, picturesque, and--excuse me--the water is definitely swimmable from June through to early September. What kind of wussy are you? (referring to the person who said the water was too cold to swim). It is a very big area and you can find your own little nook everywhere, unless it is (in normal times) July to August, when THE AMERICANS ARRIVE and the kids get out of school so there are many more boats some very large (prior source) vying for an anchorage spot. But most anchorages are big enough to accommodate everyone.

Note that only a small fraction of the geographic area "Desolation Sound" is park. The rest of it is either private land or crown land (equivalent to federal lands or National Forests in the US) and subject to logging.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

That island I am headed towards? Doesn't exist...

(Hmmm, uploading images isn't working well...)

That's hilarious

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by jackdale

It does not show on my Navionics.

I admit, its an older Navionics package on my chartplotter but I stand by my insinuation that you should trust electronics only with a bit of a grain of salt.

[dmkkeng]

Originally Posted by NedX

Hi there!

I have a two-year plan to leave Massachusetts to base myself in another place, and Vancouver/Victoria is on the short list. (I've read the thread comparing the two.)

On this forum, informed posters have given diametrically opposed assessments of cruising in the Pacific Northwest.

Some say best cruising ever.

Others say rains all the time, no wind in summer.

A sailing club in Victoria says "nearly Mediterranean climate in summer." (?!)

What say you?

About me, to handle the inevitable "depends on what you want" responses: I'll be solo most of the time, just like I am now; I like gunkholing and being surrounded by nothing but water equally. What looks great about this region is that you have it all. Looks like there are lots of intense currents; then again there's a reason ASA 105 is taught using the charts from places where I sail.

I think a voyage around Vancouver Island sounds like a great project. But so does exploring every island, town, city and harbor. I have U.S. and Canada citizenship, assuming that matters. I sail a Bavaria 37, which I will be leaving behind. Shopping for something sturdier and easier to solo is part of the plan; this query is not about which boat to buy. I have a short list of those, too.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Vancouver is a larger city than Victoria, I would say that, on average, moorage is more expensive and harder to find. The climate in Victoria is slightly better in terms of rain fail and temperature. I also think Victoria is closer to prime sailing areas. If you are moored in Vancouver you have to cross the Georgia strait or go a fair ways north or south to get to the prime sailing areas. If you look beyond Victoria, there are numerous locations on Vancouver Island where moorage is significantly less expensive. Regardless of where you end up you will want to check out the location of the marina to ensure that you are within a reasonable distance of various amenities if that is of concern.

Living on the boat during the winter months is not much fun, yes we get lots of rain during the winter months and yes we do not see the sun much. You will need a good heater. ventilation and a dehumidifier to deal with the condensation. You will likely also need to do other modifications such as install a moisture barrier under and behind mattresses and cushions. Most boat are not well insulated so keeping the boat warm usually requires electric heaters to supplement and existing system currently on the boat. I would not recommend staying on the boat over the winter however lots do!

I think the pacific northwest is one the prime sailing areas in the world. the San Juan and Gulf Islands, and Desolation Sound are great however can be extremely busy July and August. However, if you go further north to the Broughton's and further west to the West Coast of Vancouver Island there is significantly less boating traffic.

The summer months can be dry as can the spring and fall seasons of course that can vary from year to year, winds are typically better during spring and fall. Having said that be prepared for extended periods of rain during any season, we do live in a rain forest. Plan your trips/passages based on the weather, more importantly the wind, pay attention to the currents/ tides to maximize your sailing experience. If you are always in a hurry you will motor more often.

Hope that helps!