08/12 - 08/14 - Powell River BC, Canadian CBGT

We would be there in a heartbeat, we love Canadian gatherings! But this one is just too close to Bellingham for us, since we are hosting and have stuff to attend to! But all you cruisers, you can go right from Powell River to Bellingham!
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Pat,
You certainly have it right with this statement. (With substituting US for Canadian LOL) We'd be at Bellingham if we didn't need to organize Powell River. I do hope one or two folks manage to bookend these gatherings. Thats in part, why I suggested a "Strait Shot" for at least one way.

Anyway I encourage folks to sign up for either or both of PRCBGT or Bellingham is Back. It really helps us organizers with logistics and planning to have some numbers of attendees well in advance.
Cheers
Ron
 
Well here I go again. Another not so detailed, not so accurate routing guide to the PRCBGT. This time its a west side route starting in Friday Harbor. Why Friday Harbor? Cause its a fun place, and a whole bunch of you C-Brats will have found your way there for this upcoming weekend. The biggest, bestest, badest C-Brat gathering on the west coast. Wish I could have made it.
Anyway a couple of points about a Strait Shot West.
1) You will have to navigate tidal passes. Most of us have done that and with our C-Dory's we really don't have to hit slack water exactly (or at all) to transit safely. Slack would always be the safest but I'll leave it up to you to decide when to shoot through.
2) North of Nanaimo there is a military area called "Whisky Golf". It is a torpedo test range. You will have to check to see if it is active and if it is you have to go around. It is only active maybe once or twice a month or so but don't cross if active. Otherwise, the best outcome will be a dressing down over the VHF and maybe a visit by a large low flying helicopter accompanied by a fast rib with unsmiling armed fellows in it. Worst case, you may not get a chance to call Mayday!
Its easy to find out if its active, just monitor the continuous marine weather broadcast on either weather 1 or 3.
For more info check these sites:

http://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/Pacific/MCTS/Notice-of-Hazardous-Area

http://waggonerguide.com/whiskey-golf-the-reality/

Now that we have that out of the way lets get cruising!
Use that chart plotter to get out of FH and in to San Juan channel heading pretty well north. You are transiting some pretty spectacular cruising grounds so don't get too side tracked. Keep your eyes pealed though. Just north of Stuart Is you should see the dotted black line of the border. Just kidding. Its actually a red dotted line.LOL At about 18 N Miles and just over 1 hour after you left you should be approaching your first & only needed stop on the Strait Shot West. Bedwell Harbour on South Pender Island is where you will clear customs by phone at the dock at Poets Cove Resort. (Did you notice the spelling change. Harbor to Harbour. now you know you are in Canada EH?)

Now you have that done that customs thing you just have to choose the route for our next leg. You could go east, or go west or even go north through the Pender Canal. Decisions, decisions. I think we'll go the west side of the Penders. So head south back the way you came for a mile or so than head west a bit until you clear the point and start your northerly course. Follow N. Pender around until your trusty charts tell you its safe to change your heading for Trincomali Channel on the west side of Galiano Isl. Oh yeah, once you get north of N. Pender look out for ferries. No, not the ones with wings, the ones that carry cars, trucks and people. They are big, and moving as fast as a cruising C-Dory. This is the main route for BC Ferries between Vancouver and Victoria.
OK now that you've dodged those ferries and are safely in Trincomali Channel just keep on cruising up along Galiano and then Valdez Is. When your chart plotter says you are reaching the north end of Valdez (somewhere around the 50 NM mark) you will want to be thinking about your transit of Gabriola passage. Well, maybe you should have thought of this a bit earlier. LOL Actually Gabriola passage is one of the tamer ones. I think it peaks at about 7 or 8 knots at a big tide. It will be less than that most of the time. Shouldn't be any trouble. Just pay attention to the channel markers and your plotter. There are a couple of routes through here so you can choose which works for you. I usually use the most direct route out into Georgia Strait.

Hey you made it through. Well done! Now that you are out in the Strait you just need to get far enough east to clear Gabriola Isl and than set a slightly west of north course for the southern tip of Texada Island. Only 30 or so N Miles of open strait on this Strait Shot. Not bad. Less than 2 hours of "big water". Weather good? Go for it. Just don't forget about Whiskey Golf. You've checked to be sure its not active right? When you turn north out of Gabriola passage Whiskey Golf is only about 10 miles to the north so be sure to plan a route around it if its active.
Once you've reached Texada the Strait Shot West and East become the same. Just head for Texada's East point, than Grief Point, (don't forget to wave) than the PRCBGT in the South Harbour. Hey you made it. Again about 105 N miles from the start. Cool. Lets get the PRCBGT started.

In the coming weeks I'll suggest a couple of my favourite stops on each of the Strait Shots to make for a more relaxing itinerary. Until then enjoy your planning and don't forget to sign up.

Cheers
Ron
 
Thanks for this info Ron. This will be very helpful for us, as We plan to take this route. Two questions about Whiskey Gulf. When active, is it usually just one day. Can we assume that if it is active we could lay over for a day and then expect it to not be active the next to avoid going further north? What is the earliest warning that it will be active on any given day?
OK, one more question. Can anyone recommend best places to get fuel along the way?

Thanks

Doug & Susan
 
drbridge":srn4ud0v said:
Thanks for this info Ron. This will be very helpful for us, as We plan to take this route. Two questions about Whiskey Gulf. When active, is it usually just one day. Can we assume that if it is active we could lay over for a day and then expect it to not be active the next to avoid going further north? What is the earliest warning that it will be active on any given day?
OK, one more question. Can anyone recommend best places to get fuel along the way?

Thanks

Doug & Susan
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Hi Doug & Susan,

Ron's route is very straight forward, does leave you a tad more exposed to the Georgia Straight if the weather does not co-operate. I always prefer going up through Dodd Narrows, then if you don't like the look of GS you can duck into Nanaimo or Newcastle Island and wait. Just my preference.
For fuel, my fav stops are Poet's Cove, Montague Harbour, Telegraph Harbour, in the Gulf Islands. Nanaimo is ok but gets busy.
Whiskey Gulf is not very active but they give plenty of notice on the weather channel when active. I have known it to be active on consecutive days, but not often.
I cross the GS a ton of times. You have to be unlucky to get real crappy weather in the summer. So don't sweat it. As in all long distance cruising, allow yourself a couple of extra days for any unforeseen circumstances.

Martin.
 
Doug & Susan,
Martin is right on with his comments. Whiskey Golf can be active for consecutive days but it isn't active often. It is just another item to be aware of. Even if its active its easy enough to go around the WG area to the east or to the west. As Martin also said, the route I proposed is just one choice. It happens to be the route I chose the last time I was south last september. On the way home again I did choose to go through Dodd narrows and spend a night at New Castle Island just as Martin suggested. Once you get up into the Gulf Islands you'll see you have many choices as to routes to take. Pick one to enjoy on the way up and a different one for the way back.
Can't add anything to the fuel suggestions. They seem right on.
Here's an online source for marinas and such in BC. You might find it helpful
http://www.boatersbluepages.com/Marinas/areas/GulfIslands/areamap
Have fun planning.
Thanks for the help Martin.
Cheers
Ron
 
Thanks again Ron and Martin and Island Explorer for this info. We are really looking forward to this trip. It should be quite an adventure. Also looking forward to meeting you at Powell River. Probably will come up with more questions later.

Doug & Susan
 
So I'm trying to come up with a game plan for getting up to PR. My requirements are a good ramp with dock to launch with safe, secure parking. I would prefer not to have to cross the big water (Georgia Strait) twice but will if I have to, especially if the alternative of going up the east side via ferry is too much of a hassle. Here are my alternatives with pros and cons, please feel free to chime in.

1) Tswassen to Nanaimo - Cross directly from Nanaimo to Welcome Passage and beyond. Pros: Easy ferry ride, very little trailer time. Return trip very close to Bellingham for CBGT. Cons: Crossing big water (Georgia Strait) twice, longer time on water through possibly bad water in Malaspina Strait

2) Tswassen to Nanaimo - drive up to Comox, cross directly over. Pros: More direct crossing. Easy ferry ride, return trip very close to Bellingham for CBGT Cons: Again crossing big water twice albeit shorter. More time on trailer. Finding good truck/trailer parking

3) Ferry from Vancouver to Gibsons. Pros: Closer to PR, no crossing of strait. Cons: driving through Vancouver TWICE and finding good launch and truck/trailer parking in either Sechelt, Secret Cove, Pender Harbour or Madeira Park

4) Two ferries to Powell River. Pros: In PR, no crossing of strait Cons: Two ferries, twice as much $. Plus see 3 above.

So what do you think?

Peter
 
Peter, consider a Blaine launch and running all the way up to PR along the mainland. Depends on the Strait of Georgia of course, but more often than not, it is able to be done. Consider, I have to run in or cross the Strait of Georgia every time I launch Daydream! It should be respected, but not feared. Check wind and wave height and if moderate, it will not be a problem!
 
Pat Anderson":md5aaejk said:
Peter, consider a Blaine launch and running all the way up to PR along the mainland. Depends on the Strait of Georgia of course, but more often than not, it is able to be done. Consider, I have to run in or cross the Strait of Georgia every time I launch Daydream! It should be respected, but not feared. Check wind and wave height and if moderate, it will not be a problem!
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Thanks for the quick response Pat. If you recall, we ran all the way from PLI to Bellingham 2 years ago in one long day so been there, done that. Although Blaine would've been better than going all the way to Bellingham, I'm looking for a little less time on the water. No I don't fear the Strait, I just have some time constraints. You know that dirty word starting with a W and ending with a K. Something to consider though.

Keep em coming.
 
Peter,
I wish I had a way to shrink the size of the Georgia Strait for the PRCBGT but no joy. For some it will be part of the adventure of getting here. I hear you when you mention time constraints and work. The only way to avoid the larger crossing is to trailer. As far a getting through Vancouver, use the truck crossing just a little east of the main Peace Arch border crossing. This will avoid much of the stop and go city driving of getting through Vancouver. It will be mainly two lanes each way with few traffic lights and take you directly to Hiway 1 to Horseshoe Bay ferry. You could choose to launch at Sunset Marina just a few kilometres north of HB and boat up from there.http://www.sunsetmarinaltd.com/en/ That way you'd avoid the ferries and the majority of the big water.
I have not had any real challenges (knock on wood) with Malaspina Strait but I have also been able to pick my times. It is calm right now and has been for much of the month of May. I hope it will also be in August.

If you do decide to take the ferries to Powell River my offer of free launching and free parking should help to offset some of the cost.
Looking forward to seeing you.
Cheers
Ron
 
Jazzmanic":3ju94vx7 said:
[
Thanks for the quick response Pat. If you recall, we ran all the way from PLI to Bellingham 2 years ago in one long day so been there, done that. Although Blaine would've been better than going all the way to Bellingham, I'm looking for a little less time on the water. No I don't fear the Strait, I just have some time constraints. You know that dirty word starting with a W and ending with a K. Something to consider though.

Keep em coming.
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I do remember that day! We should have - and could have - stayed in Smuggler's Cove one more day. We did not need to leave and get our fillings knocked out! Certainly the "W" word does complicate things a bit!
 
Thanks Ron, that's good information. That's exactly the kind of local knowledge I was looking for. I didn't know about the alternate route around Vancouver. That may change everything. I guess what I'm trying to accomplish is to try to stay on the east side rather than crossing over then crossing back. I guess because it just seems more logical to me. As much as we love the Gulf islands, we don't really have a lot of time to spend on that side. We did cross over from Nanaimo 2 years ago and it was an easy crossing and I'm not adverse to doing it again. But this option gets us north of Vancouver and keeps us on the east side. Hmmm...
 
Peter,

If you chose your option #2, You may have company in the GS crossing. I may be launching from Comox area for that CBGT. As Island Gyspy (I think) noted it isn't a long crossing, and I guess I look at it compared to Juan de Fuca, a 25 mile trip to the San Juans.

And a note regarding the "WG area" activity. Another place to confirm activity there is to call Victoria Vessel Traffic on VHF chan 11 and confirm with them. I don't know, but it would be worth a check, they might know the schedule for the next day. During my last trip up into the islands, WG was active 3 days in a row.

Sure hope there is some interest in a Princes Louisa trip after the official CBGT.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon

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It takes a boat! :P Hah. Just funnin with you. Not many requirements. You just have to clear customs, a passport is best to have, but I do not believe it is mandatory. Boat directly to one of the marine customs locations, clear customs and once that is done you are free to travel wherever your boat will take you within Canada. Probably best to check the Canada Border Services Agency websitehttp://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/ivc-rnc-eng.html as a reference.
As far as fishing goes, you just have to buy a non resident fishing license, plus any tags needed for species you are targeting I.E. salmon, then you are good to go.

Be aware you must also clear US customs when you return to the states. There are probably some US brats who can speak to whats involved from a US citizen's point of view.
 
Wood Zeppelin":342d3ss4 said:
What does it take for a US citizen to cruise up into Canadian waters?

And, what does it take to fish for Salmon?
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To get into Canada (and more importantly) to get back into the US, you need to have either a Pass Port or and Enhanced Drivers license. You need to have your boat registration and it's a good idea to look through the Customs requirements as far as food items, alcohol and tobacco items and you need to be sure you do not have any firearms, or a DUI on your record. I have crossed both on the trailer and on the water. Both easy and usually quick.

If you are trailering, it is a good idea to ask to have your Pass Port stamped, because the land crossing will not automatically issue a Customs Crossing number. (That number is provided by the Canadian Customs and goes into your log book and posted in a window so it is visible.) On a land crossing, not getting that number leaves you vulnerable if you were to have a "contact" with the Canadian Coast Guard, as to whether you came into the country legally. Having your Pass Port stamped eliminates that problem.

Have a great trip.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Peter,

Ron's info on driving "around" Vancouver by staying east, is good advice. When I launched at Sunset, that is the way we went up and it was pretty easy. Sunset was a good secure place to park. The launch ramp is a "back around a corner, backing 90 degrees to the right" launch ramp. But that was a few years ago, and it may have changed. It is doable, and there is a dock to starboard alongside the concrete ramp.

It was a pretty hellasious ride up Georgia on my trip then, but I was new, and trusted the folks I was with, (my bad, they were running a big B-boat, deep Vee, and they learned as they went for years, so I figured, if they were still alive and boating they must have been doing some things right.) It was doable, and we did from Sunset all the way to Princes Louisa on one day, 2 tanks of gas. Coming home, all the way from Chatterbox Falls to Sequim on the same long day. The waves were only half the size as on the trip up to the falls.

Sure hope we see you up there. Of the three basic choices, I think the Sunset Marina launch is probably the best , coming from your side of the water. I'd run up with you, but I will be on Vancouver Island already.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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