Winter Cruising in the PNW

[20dauntless]

One of the great things about our C-Dory boats is that we can stay warm and dry in the comfort of the pilothouse when cruising. We never winterize the C-Dory since it normally sees some use throughout the winter to get to the San Juans, but in the past skiing has been the top priority in the winter. Unfortunately I won't be able to ski this year because of a back injury and possible surgery, so I'm thinking of options for short cruises instead. I've seen pictures and read stories of people cruising up Princess Louisa in the snow. The pictures look spectacular and the stories make it sound like a real adventure. Keep in mind that these trips have all been on much larger boats, with greater range and seaworthiness.

Has anyone done a winter trip to Princess Louisa? I'm thinking new years there would be pretty special. My biggest concerns would be weather and fuel availability. Once you are in PLI, you can't get the VHF weather reports and cell phones don't work, so a sat phone would be the only way to get weather reports. Anyone know if the Egmont marinas sell fuel in the winter?

Additionally, since there are far fewer boats out in the winter, help would probably be further away if something went seriously wrong. The solitude is one of the draws to winter cruising, though.

Has anyone here done much cruising in the winter?

Just thinking out loud here. In all likelihood I'll opt for the more sane approach of just taking day trips around the San Juans from the cabin when the weather is good. But it's always fun to daydream...

 

[Ron on Meander]

We cruise year round up here in Powell River. The weather is much the same as it would be cruising Puget Sound. I think a trip to PL during the winter would be safely doable and enjoyable as long as a person watched the weather and had the time to wait out a storm (like the one that blew for the last couple of days) for 2-3 days. My only trip to PL was a early November trip and we had a fair mix of weather during the 4 days. From sunny breaks to heavy rain and some wind. You know, "normal" weather for that time of year. There were only three boats total at the dock during the time we were there. Maybe late December there would only be one! Fuel is available year round in Secret Cove, Pender Harbour and, I think, Egmont but the hours any of them are open are greatly reduced. If you had to fuel in Pender or Secret Cove you would still have plenty of range to get to PL and back. The safest way to visit late in the year is with a buddy boat or two. We are probably booked over the Xmas/New Years time frame, but if you were going earlier or later we'd be up to joining in for 3 or 4 days.
Cheers
Ron