Let's talk cruising in British Columbia

[sv_pelagia]

I too am DEFINITELY not a fan of Navionics ("hard" experience... plus more) but that island is not there on current Navionics.

I DO rely on electronic charts. Many copies (more than CHS TOC...) and other versions on different electronics - - ie multiple (3-4) backups. Using OpenCPN on PC and Android, plus chartplotter.

In B.C., I am partial to the CHS raster charts, just like paper. Also have the o-charts oesenc, but not enamored. Have up-to-date C-Map in Furuno chartplotter. Since we go to uncharted areas, we have a lot of satellite-image "charts".

Navionics is absolutely LAST on our list.

[Toaster]

Regarding the danger of narrows, and Seymour Narrows in particular, one year we were anchored in a staging spot next to Gowland Island about 5nm S of the narrows, waiting to run them the next morning.

As it was getting dark, we were watching the channel, and into view floated a huge cruise ship - lit up like a Christmas tree, really pretty.

And then we realized it was going downstream sideways, and slowly rotating as it went.

[hallejj]

But for a few issues, the PNW would be by far the most popular coastal sailing venue on earth. The trip from Olympia, WA in the south to a bit north of Anchorage in the north it is just over 1,000 miles of which about 30 are exposed to the Pacific with no island to westward. The southern end has Seattle, Victoria and Vancouver (all wonderful cities) along with a variety of islands ranging from deserted to Trip Advisor Heaven. Further north are endless expanses of islands and fjords where you can get far enough away from humanity that it seems almost non-existent. The sheer geographic extent of the place dwarfs any comparable geography anywhere else. There is something for everyone and absolutely no way to cover even a tiny fraction of it in a lifetime.

So why doesn't it put the Caribbean out of business?

1. The water is too cold in most places for most people to swim. If you like shocks to your system, you can jump in anyway but the warmer climate drill of getting the hook down and jumping off the transom is not so much here. We don't dive our anchors much either. Strangely, about halfway to Alaska is an exception and the water is very swimmable in and around a place called Desolation Sound. Has to do with tides.

2. The wind is indeed fickle in Summer. There are going to be days when you just can't sail and there can be weeks. When you get in amongst the islands, wind conditions can shift every 100 meters. If you have to be heeled way over all the time, the PNW is not your place. Oh, and, it has been known to blow over 80 kts., mostly in Winter but during the shoulders as well. On the other hand, when there is a nice breeze, the relatively flat water makes sailing a true delight.

3. The season is basically April-October. You can sail the rest of the time too but be prepared for rain. Contrary to some of the posts, rain is uncommon in full summer and episodic during the shoulders. Not all that different from many other sailing venues. It gets cold in Winter but nothing like Boston. With an enclosed cockpit and some warm woolies, life can be quite comfortable even in January.

4. The terrain is quite rugged both above and below the waterline. You can go from 400' of depth to 0 in a couple hundred yards. Tidal range can exceed 10' with corresponding currents. As long as you pay attention to what you are doing, it's not problem but if you want to cruise around with a few painkillers under your belt, you might be better off somewhere else.

We have sailed in Australia, Croatia, the Caribbean and Thailand and liked them all but we absolutely love our home area. You will too.

[sv_pelagia]

Gotta say it again: British Columbia is NOT the "Pacific Northwest" ... grrrrrrr!

Only Americans think this. Not BCers.



Sorry, a bee up my bonnet [emoji51]

[NedX]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

Gotta say it again: British Columbia is NOT the "Pacific Northwest" ... grrrrrrr!

Sorry, a bee up my bonnet [emoji51]

I'm at the point where I can tell who is from where by how they call province of Canada that borders the Salish Sea.

I appreciated the information in hallejj's post, geopolitical disputes aside

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by NedX

geopolitical disputes aside

Aye Laddie, you have no idea... [emoji6]

[NedX]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

Aye Laddie, you have no idea... [emoji6]

Though a citizen of both countries, I definitely have a lot to learn about Pacific norms and cultures.

[MalteseFalcon]

Try these vloggers sailing the between Vancouver and Vancouver island plus Desolation sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gohdkHjvnVg

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by MalteseFalcon

Try these vloggers sailing the between Vancouver and Vancouver island plus Desolation sound.

Catching/keeping Lingcod when Areas 13 & 15 closed to Lingcod fishing.

[EngNate]

Rocks are something you'll need to get used to. We have them in abundance, and a great many are "further out from the shore than they ought to be". Charts will be a much bigger part of your life here, and in my opinion, chartplotting is essential, and I ditto thumbs down to Navionics charts, not to say they don't have their place in the market.
And floating, and semi-floating, debris, up to huge whole trees. As the higher high tide rises in the cycle all this stuff is picked up off the beaches and circulated around then deposited again as the peak tide level falls. Huge steep heavily forested banks provide a steady supply. Avoid the worst by planning travel during the periods of lower max tides and avoid it during and following the highest max tides. Currents can be a major factor, and wind/current situations in various places. There's a lot to consider and plan around, it is a more adventuresome place than many. Planning and executing your first run to/from the north island or central coast will have more points of adventure than say, sailing to Bermuda.

Your good wilderness gunkholing is mostly going to be to the north, where the character of the climate changes significantly. The spectacular scenes and great weather likely will not be occurring together much of the time (but they do). I have been 12 summers boating on the central coast, and some year round, and the average that I would qualify myself as summer season is 5 to 6 weeks long. The very first year here it was amazing, May to September. This year the longest continuous stretch of summer like weather was 15 days and that was in September. Much more varied, fickle weather the more north you go.

If you're going to liveaboard in the winter you're going to want an insulated boat and good heat and attention to prevent condensation. No matter its a mild winter climate, it does get cold. In BC, electric heat at metered rates costs less than diesel heat. In WA its close enough for a toss up. But you'll want diesel heat if the power goes out, I sure do, and on the central coast it gets some exercise all summer.

Hope you enjoy BC... All the places with scary reputations are smooth as silk on the right days. Cape Caution on a late November day:

[Slovak]

Highly recommended reading: https://slowboat.com - no affiliation, I just enjoy their local knowledge of the area.

[Eder]

Originally Posted by LeighWebber

The point of all this is you should consider getting a boat with a full keel, or at least a full skeg. You will lose some upwind performance, of course. Another advantage of a full keel is the large tidal range. If when you wake up at 1:00 am to the unmistakable feeling of the earth beneath your boat, you will have less to worry about as the tide drops several feet if you have a full keel. Not that I have ever gone aground. Heh heh.

You can say that again....here's me "checking my zincs" at Mansons landing Cortes Island.

[hallejj]

Sorry to have struck a nerve. Unintentional though. BC is, or was last time I was allowed to go there, on the Pacific and it is further north and just as far west as the area to which you seem to think the term is limited. We have had more than enough politics lately. Let's just take a geographic approach. I can assure you that, once we are able once again to turn to port while sailing north up the Haro Strait, there will not be any way to tell that we are leaving the Pacific Northwest.

[NedX]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

Catching/keeping Lingcod when Areas 13 & 15 closed to Lingcod fishing.

Bookmarked; fishing violation noted.

Honestly, I just don't see myself doing tons of fishing. There are a lot of compact ways to get a steady diet of protein that are less work.

[sv_pelagia]

Geographically... Pacific Northeast
(after all, we are seafaring folks...)