06/13 - 06/14 - Pender Harbour 2014

Sitting here in Kona and planning this seasons cruising. It'll be great ! We'll move back aboard in March and plan to haul out for bottom paint mid April. Then Gulf Islands heading south for Friday Harbour CBGT. And another week or so in the SJ's. Then back to Nanaimo to visit kids etc Then cross Georgia Strait to Sunshine Coast.
This is the year we'll go to Princess Louisa. After Pender Harbour gathering in June , we'll take some time to go up Jervis to the head of the inlet. Anyone want to come along is welcome.
After this we'll be heading for an extensive tour of the Broughton area. Much to see there. Maybe 6 weeks or so. Whale and bear watching our priority.
Late summer and fall are likely to be spent cruising thru the Cariboo/Chilcotin/ Kootenay areas of BC. A lot of prime lakes and rivers there.
Winter may be a return to Kona.
We'll see.
Enjoying the water and heat in Kona Hi
Carolyn and George
 
Sounds great George. Hope you and Carolyn are managing to survive the terrible cold winter in Hawaii. Must be tough.

We are definitely planning on doing the Pender Harbour Gathering and would love to tag along to Princess Louisa afterwards.

Sorry to hear Mike and Melinda won't make it.... work sure gets in the way of having fun sometimes.

Take care,
Dan, Tanya, and Hannah on C-Renity
 
George and Dan,

I hope the plans for Pinder work out. If I can swing the time I would like to tag along to PLI too. I'm hoping to be able to make that trip on the water from here this time. It could add up to a couple of weeks. Dan, how long are you planning on taking and which way are you going? If you have that figured out yet. It would be nice to be able to go up together if the timing works out.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

PLI_and_SB_CBGT_2_170.thumb.jpg
 
Less than 4 months to go to the Great Canadian Gathering. Nine of us signed up so far, the list is growing :D
I'm hoping that a plan can be formed over the next few weeks as to who is taking in PLI and or Desolation before Pender or after Pender? Helps for us poor working stiffs who have to book off holidays.

Martin.

PS. My Canadian passport arrived yesterday. Looking forward to attending Friday Harbor with out the grief US Custom's gave me last year.
 
Two Bears just signed up for both Friday Harbor and for Pender. Our plan is to attend Friday Harbor and then spend another week or so in the San Juans. No firm plans. Then return to our truck/ trailer in Bellingham and drive / ferry to Pender Hbr. We'll get there some time between May 25 & June 1st. Then do P.L.I. & Desolation & return for the gathering at Pender. We will then trailer out on Monday after the gathering as Penny is teaching a quilting class on Thursday & Friday and wants some time to prepare (what a spoil-sport).
Chuck
 
I think Lori and I would be interested in trailering up to your place and launching there. We haven't done it that way before and would be a fun alternative.

Warren
 
I just found out about this gathering and had never heard of pender harbour before, but looking at the pictures online it looks like a great spot. after reading the comments it looks like giving 3 days each way from sequim would work I too don't know about work as now its getting closer but i will see what i can swing. also We have been wanting to make a trip to nanimo so that way appeals more to us.
having never gone into BC by our own boat before how does it go clearing customs just have passport? and I am assuming only certain marinas can do this. same as victoria and some other spots we want to check out this summer.
 
Assuming that you want to be in the Gulf Islands area when entering Canada, it is easy to clear customs at Sidney after crossing Haro Straight. The customs dock is well marked and there is a phone there. Just pick it up and tell the customs guy who you are and what you are planning on doing. Have your passport and boat registration numbers ready for when they ask for them. Customs will either clear you over the phone and give you an entry number, so have pen and paper ready, or tell you to stay where you are and they will come along and see you. Its all very easy.

Martin.
 
Come on you Vancouver Island brats, surely there are more than three of us capable of crossing the Georgia Straight to the Pender Harbour gathering? Lets get signed up and back Ian & Jackie with our support. We will show our American friends good 'ol Canuck hospitality and that we really know how to party.

Martin.
 
We'er hoping to head up to the Broughtons after the Friday Harbor Gathering & will attend the Pender Gathering & join the group to PLI if we make it back to there in time.

Jay
 
When the Pender Harbour gathering wraps up, we are heading for Princess Louisa Inlet. We went there for the first time last year, it is so beautiful we just have to go again. Looking at the slack tides for Malibu Rapids, we have a couple of options.

(1) Leave Pender about 0800 to 0830 sunday morning and head straight for PLI to hit the 1351 slack at Malibu.

(2) Leave Pender after lunch Sunday, a leisurely jaunt to Egmont for an over nighter and a pub supper. Monday depart Egmont to hit the 1439 slack at Malibu.

I prefer option #2 as I am not a fan of rushing anywhere on a tight schedule. What say the pub?

For those of you who are on a tight schedule but have deep pockets, my offer still stands, trailer your boat to Comox, leave your rig at my house. We then have less than a 2 hr run to Pender. This would give you more time in Desolation and the Discovery Islands for those of you heading north.

Martin.
 
I visited Dave at Fishermans Marina Resort yesterday. He is in the process of rebuilding some of his docks which will be completed well before our gathering.

There is limited boat trailer parking and a launch ramp at Fisherman's. If the trailer parking is full arrangements can be made for storage at the Petro Canada station which has a secure storage lot.

If anyone wants to trailer their boat up, the route is through Vancouver to the ferry at Horseshoe Bay. Take the ferry to Langdale and then follow the highway through Gibsons, Sechelt and past Maderia Park till you see Garden Bay road, at the Petro Canada station. Turn left and follow Garden Bay road all the way around the lagoon and past John Henry's store into Fisherman's.

The ferry ride is about 45 minutes and you only pay one way. The return trip is free. The drive from Langdale to Garden Bay is between an hour and a quarter and an hour and a half.

There is also an option to put in at Sunset Marina in West Vancouver and leave your rig there. This avoids the ferry cost. I would contact them first to make arrangements.

For anyone boating up, the crossing from Nanaimo through Whiskey Gulf is about 30 nm. It usually takes us about 90 minutes. For those of you who were at the gathering in Comox Pender Harbour is 20 nm closer to Nanaimo than Comox.

The Garden Bay Pub just sold in March but it will be open so we can plan on eating there on Friday night for anyone who is interested. There is also the Painted Boat Restaurant, which is higher end and is a short boat ride away.

There are kayaks for rent at Fisherman's and also kayaks for rent at the pub dock.

Please give Fisherman's a call at 604-883-2336 to secure your spot at the marina.

http://www.fishermansresortmarina.com/
 
We'll be launching at Blaine and cruising up to Pender Harbour over two days (maybe to Newcastle Island first and then to Comox to cruise over to Pender Harbour with Martin and Andrea?), and maybe doing PLI on the way back down, we shall see! Looking forward to this one a LOT!
 
We really like Smuggler's Cove, that is a good overnight spot before or after doing PLI, plus we like Ian Tyson's song Smuggler's Cove! A lifelong addiction to Ian and Sylvia and then Ian Tyson! If you hear their music across the waters, you know we are anchored nearby!
 
Elizabeth and I are now planning to go to Pender Harbor... had such a great time at Friday Harbor , can't wait to do it again. Soooo, look out here we come.
 
Pat, Thanks for the link to Ian's song. I just spent an hour listening to him and Sylvia. Been a long time, but they were favorites back then. Good music, shared from good friends. Thank you.

Oh, and Pender........ still holding my breath.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
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