09/06 - 09/08 - Vancouver Island Gathering 2013
- Thread starter bridma
- Start date
Pat Anderson
New member
On to Pender Harbour in 2014!
Hi c brats. Any photos yet of the gathering? There are quite a few boats still cruising the Gulf Islands, but anyone who has wifi loading a few? We left a 6 boat pod at Conover Cove and spent the night in beautiful, quiet Annette Inlet on Prevost. Some great weather now. Cheers. George
What a nice time we had at Sidney. Friday dinner at Fish on Fifth was great, considering the reservation was for 28 and 40 people showed up.
We are sitting in the shade, here in Ladysmith, drinking an adult beverage with Chuck & Penny from Two Bears. Last night at Pirates cove & the night before with a group of six other C-Dorys at Conover Cove. What a BLAST we had. The best part of being a C-Brat is the community, Ann & I call you family.
Thanks to Mike for all the work putting together the Sidney CBGT.
Hope to see you all at the Tap Room in Jan.
Terry & Ann
We are sitting in the shade, here in Ladysmith, drinking an adult beverage with Chuck & Penny from Two Bears. Last night at Pirates cove & the night before with a group of six other C-Dorys at Conover Cove. What a BLAST we had. The best part of being a C-Brat is the community, Ann & I call you family.
Thanks to Mike for all the work putting together the Sidney CBGT.
Hope to see you all at the Tap Room in Jan.
Terry & Ann
Pat Anderson
New member
Wow, Terry, how jealous we are! This is the LAST TIME we will have had to go home to be back at work! Looking forward to hosting everyone at the Taproom in January!!!
Another fantastic gathering under our belts. It was great to see old faces and meet new ones. The C-Brat camaraderie is amazing. We had a super time. Special thanks to Mike and Monica for putting it all together, and Monica's home baked C-Brat cake was yummy, thank you.
The mini gulf islands cruise following the gathering was also lots of fun. A real bonus.
Take care everyone, see you next time.
Martin and Andrea.
The mini gulf islands cruise following the gathering was also lots of fun. A real bonus.
Take care everyone, see you next time.
Martin and Andrea.
Thanks to Mike and Monica for hosting this event. It was great and for those who missed it the Thai restaurant had the best Thai food we have had outside of Thailand. Meeting up with boats in Montague, Tommy Transit and his famous bus ride to the pub and then on to Wallace Island where seven boats met. A great time.
I have posted a few pictures at the end of our album.
I will be talking to our local marinas to see if we can host the next one in Pender Harbour next year.
I have posted a few pictures at the end of our album.
I will be talking to our local marinas to see if we can host the next one in Pender Harbour next year.
Paddle-2tc
New member
We've posted a few photos in our album.
Bill and Dorothy
Blue Skies
Nanaimo
Bill and Dorothy
Blue Skies
Nanaimo
WOW....WOW wow. It has been almost a month since I have been here (C-Brat site) and that has a lot to do with taking some time off work and spending 10 days on my boat (the longest time ever so far). Spent most of the time in the San Juans and much of the time in the fog. Great. I have been really honing some radar, AIS, GPS navigating skills. Some of the time in fog so thick I could hardly see the water from the helm window, with it open and me hanging out and looking (AND Listening for foghorns.)
The whole goal for the time was to wind up in Sidney for my most looked forward to CBGT ever, (well pretty much almost anyway.) OF course, that was one of the more challenging parts of the trip. Not hard, or dangerous, but interesting and requiring some pretty interactive navigation. (Generally, my choice is not to go out in the fog, but with the proper equipment, it is possible to do, reasonably safely, and with success.)
Leaving from Prevost Harbor on Stuart Island, early on Friday, it was pleasant cruising, with about a mile of visibility. That changed after I refueled at Roche and went out through Mosquito Pass into Harro Strait. Visibility dropped to less than 50 feet and at times less than that. After confirming that it was about the same farther out (Called a container ship heading out at 18 knots and was told by that captain that he could only see about the aft 1/4 of his ship and it had not changed for the last hour,) I decided to give up on the whale watch trip and go back to meet the group at Prevost. Meeting 2 Bears just around Turn Point we elected to go on across to Sidney.
More radar, AIS and plotter work, and continuing to monitor Victoria Traffic, (which was a very helpful, useful and accommodating service.) This was my first on the water crossing of the International boarder. Navigation was a mater of picking the points to work between, watching the radar and plotter, and keeping in touch with 2 Bears, and maintaining awareness of the surroundings, something that we do as a matter of practice, each time we turn the key and venture from the dock.
It was so good to see Sidney, first in the close up view on the plotter and then through the fog. Sneaking into the harbor around the big rock wall, felt like coming home. The Customs entry was comfortable, bordering on cordial, and the C-Brat reception was like a family reunion.
It was so good to get to meet some new (to me) friends from the Island. Mike and Monica really did a great job of lining things up for a great weekend. From the instrument approach drill, to the perfect weather, the good excuse for the exercise we needed, and the Fish on Fifth experience. What a super treat. Getting to meet folks (neighbors) from my home from above the border, Terry and Valerie and learning about some of the changes in Sidney and some of the things that are still the same.
Always good to see the Brats, and to get caught up some. Kerri On, C Rinity, C-Dancer, Daydream, C-Cakes, RockC, Retriever, InCahoots, SusanE, KnottyC, and the others that I can't name at the moment. You all are wonderful, and it was a very good time. Thanks for sharing.
And, By The Way Tom, on my way home, after the Prince of Whales out of Victoria, crossed my bow about 200 yards out, in the fog, and I decided not to give chase to go see whales, as I was approaching Hein Bank, I had 2 Orca cross my bow less than 50 yards out at first sighting. Two females, I got to see for a couple of times and then on another 6-8 minutes, another sighting, 2 females and a male, and with the lighter fog at the time, I got to see several surfacings as they traveled east across the bank.
The long and the short. It was absolutely worth the trip on every level. It was rewarding to get to do the increased technical level navigation, and return home safe and sound. It was a pleasure to meet and make new friends, and to rebuild old friendships. And I am looking forward to another CBGT in Sidney, and maybe also in Pender, along with looking froward to another chance to spend more time on the boat.
Thanks to all for their part in making this a really great success.
Harvey
SleepyC:moon
The whole goal for the time was to wind up in Sidney for my most looked forward to CBGT ever, (well pretty much almost anyway.) OF course, that was one of the more challenging parts of the trip. Not hard, or dangerous, but interesting and requiring some pretty interactive navigation. (Generally, my choice is not to go out in the fog, but with the proper equipment, it is possible to do, reasonably safely, and with success.)
Leaving from Prevost Harbor on Stuart Island, early on Friday, it was pleasant cruising, with about a mile of visibility. That changed after I refueled at Roche and went out through Mosquito Pass into Harro Strait. Visibility dropped to less than 50 feet and at times less than that. After confirming that it was about the same farther out (Called a container ship heading out at 18 knots and was told by that captain that he could only see about the aft 1/4 of his ship and it had not changed for the last hour,) I decided to give up on the whale watch trip and go back to meet the group at Prevost. Meeting 2 Bears just around Turn Point we elected to go on across to Sidney.
More radar, AIS and plotter work, and continuing to monitor Victoria Traffic, (which was a very helpful, useful and accommodating service.) This was my first on the water crossing of the International boarder. Navigation was a mater of picking the points to work between, watching the radar and plotter, and keeping in touch with 2 Bears, and maintaining awareness of the surroundings, something that we do as a matter of practice, each time we turn the key and venture from the dock.
It was so good to see Sidney, first in the close up view on the plotter and then through the fog. Sneaking into the harbor around the big rock wall, felt like coming home. The Customs entry was comfortable, bordering on cordial, and the C-Brat reception was like a family reunion.
It was so good to get to meet some new (to me) friends from the Island. Mike and Monica really did a great job of lining things up for a great weekend. From the instrument approach drill, to the perfect weather, the good excuse for the exercise we needed, and the Fish on Fifth experience. What a super treat. Getting to meet folks (neighbors) from my home from above the border, Terry and Valerie and learning about some of the changes in Sidney and some of the things that are still the same.
Always good to see the Brats, and to get caught up some. Kerri On, C Rinity, C-Dancer, Daydream, C-Cakes, RockC, Retriever, InCahoots, SusanE, KnottyC, and the others that I can't name at the moment. You all are wonderful, and it was a very good time. Thanks for sharing.
And, By The Way Tom, on my way home, after the Prince of Whales out of Victoria, crossed my bow about 200 yards out, in the fog, and I decided not to give chase to go see whales, as I was approaching Hein Bank, I had 2 Orca cross my bow less than 50 yards out at first sighting. Two females, I got to see for a couple of times and then on another 6-8 minutes, another sighting, 2 females and a male, and with the lighter fog at the time, I got to see several surfacings as they traveled east across the bank.
The long and the short. It was absolutely worth the trip on every level. It was rewarding to get to do the increased technical level navigation, and return home safe and sound. It was a pleasure to meet and make new friends, and to rebuild old friendships. And I am looking forward to another CBGT in Sidney, and maybe also in Pender, along with looking froward to another chance to spend more time on the boat.
Thanks to all for their part in making this a really great success.
Harvey
SleepyC:moon
Great post Harvey. That fog was thick. We had two radios going one on 16 the other on Victoria traffic 9 both plotters on Ipad navionics and Garmin and AIS Shipfinder on Iphone. Blowing the horn was fun! Keeping to a compass course was good practice The c dory has a big boat sounding horn. We only ran a few miles in really heavy fog like 50 ft viz and the red bouy at Sidney marina showed up about 2 seconds after I said "we should see the red bouy in a moment". Carolyn was some impressed. I give credit to Senor Garmin. Hey who else has photos to post? George
When we were coming in 3 or 4 miles off Sidney, the fog turned into a real thick 'pea souper', couldn't see 50 yds. I had my head hanging out the window looking and listening, and sounding my horn every minute. I only heard one other horn and that was unmistakable the BC ferry.
Two large sailboats loomed out of the fog, they were lost, both tucked on to my tail and followed me in to Sidney marina.
I saw several other boats in the fog with no lights on. Or if they were on, they were not visible.
Just got home from a weekend out, lots more fog. I'm getting good at this now
We have some pics to add to the Sidney gathering album. Will post soon.
Martin.
Two large sailboats loomed out of the fog, they were lost, both tucked on to my tail and followed me in to Sidney marina.
I saw several other boats in the fog with no lights on. Or if they were on, they were not visible.
Just got home from a weekend out, lots more fog. I'm getting good at this now
We have some pics to add to the Sidney gathering album. Will post soon.
Martin.
It was a great trip, and fun, challenging navigation. G;ad everyone made it in and out OK.
Yes George, I had both VHF's and a hand held running. I was very interested in the responses of Victoria Traffic, and who called in. Considerable more "non parts" (non participating traffic), - pleasure craft that did check in on conditions, routes and traffic.
I was not surprised at the few fog horns I heard. (Very few, compared to the radar blips.) One guy I was close enough to see, when mine went off, picked up a canned air horn and pointed at me and blew that. Hearing them and then deciding direction in the comfort of the C-Dory pilot house, which direction the sound originated was not real easy. Generally made for running with both side windows and the front open. That was cool. :wink:
For anyone considering one. the RayMarine VHF 218, allows monitoring a VHF channel and still operate the Auto Fog function. Either pushing the 16 button or the transmit PTT on the mic will disengage the auto fog, requiring a reset for the function.
Harvey
SleepyC:moon
Yes George, I had both VHF's and a hand held running. I was very interested in the responses of Victoria Traffic, and who called in. Considerable more "non parts" (non participating traffic), - pleasure craft that did check in on conditions, routes and traffic.
I was not surprised at the few fog horns I heard. (Very few, compared to the radar blips.) One guy I was close enough to see, when mine went off, picked up a canned air horn and pointed at me and blew that. Hearing them and then deciding direction in the comfort of the C-Dory pilot house, which direction the sound originated was not real easy. Generally made for running with both side windows and the front open. That was cool. :wink:
For anyone considering one. the RayMarine VHF 218, allows monitoring a VHF channel and still operate the Auto Fog function. Either pushing the 16 button or the transmit PTT on the mic will disengage the auto fog, requiring a reset for the function.
Harvey
SleepyC:moon
I also finally got around to updating my blog: http://naturalc-lection.blogspot.ca/2013/09/september-6-8-sidney-c-brat-gathering-22.html