Winter Cruising PNW ?

B

bridma

New member
I have been reading the posts about boating and following the sun. Quite understandable, it is hard to beat a hot day, a cold beer, shorts and bare feet. How about the other side of the coin, winter cruising in the PNW? I have often thought about it but have not managed it yet. I know I will one day. I have read articles in the yachty mags and it all sounds romantic. Toasty cabin, glass of wine, good book, deserted anchorages, log fire on the beach, etc. Anyone love winter cruising? How was the boat, everything work ok? Anyone try it once and then said never again? In your experience, what are the pros & cons? Any Brats have some stories they would like to share?

Martin.
 
The very first trip that Susan and I took in the 22 was in winter. We picked up the boat from Les at EQ marina and head straight out to the San Juans in Febuary or March. It was clear and sunny and balmy 34 out. That night at Blakely island it snowed on us all night. We had a blast. Cruised to friday harbor and walked town. Great not to have the crowds. We love winter cruising and fishing when we get the chance. You just have to prepare for it and have the right state of mind. Just know that its going to be cold and dress for it.

Two years a go I spent the day duck hunting by standing waste deep in frozen sea water for 5 hours. You know how cold it has to be for skagit bay to freeze? I do, dam cold. But I was dressed for it and had a great day. Biggest mistake is to not dress correctly for the weather.

Other big mistake in winter boating is to not watch the weather enough. Followed by not just canceling if the weather is going to turn bad. I will not give a GO order for a fishing trip until the morning of the trip. I have called friends and told then no a hour before meeting them at the ramp or even at the ramp if I think its not going to be a safe.

All that a side we have had some of our best days on the water in the winter. Even had orcas under the boat in feb thru April. And the best part is that there was not another boat anywhere around, just us and the whales. Yeah if you have the time and know the area go out in winter. thats what a cabin boat with heat is for.
 
I agree with Tom. We boat all year long. Winter cruising is sometimes the best. No crowds and with the Wallas going it can be very, very cozy. That's what a c- dory is for.
 
Patti and I enjoy winter cruising very much and try to do it often. Tom mentioned the real keys: Think safety-watch the weather-be willing to not start or to turn back. Those are rules for all cruising but just a little more important in the winter. Some destinations such as marine state or provincial parks remove docks over the winter so be sure you check before getting there just before dark. We have cruised the Gulf Islands often in the winter, few boats, beautiful sights, proprietors who are happy to see us. We have also gone south to Olympia and Puget Sound, a whole other good experience. We recommend it.
 
I've done some winter boating the last several years. This winter has mostly been too busy, but hopefully I'll get out on the boat in the next month or so.

Last winter my Wallas died at Sucia Island. It wasn't too cold (low around 40 I think) and I had plenty of warm clothing. It was blowing a gale, though, with sideways rain, and it would have been awfully nice to be able to cook a warm meal and keep the boat warm.

I've dealt with lots of wind in the winter. 40 knots right on the bow in Padilla Bay is not fun. It's best to have a flexible schedule.

With fewer boats and people around and colder temperatures, going overboard can be deadly (it can in the summer, too, especially since the water temperature in many areas doesn't seem to change much seasonally). Use extra caution, especially since docks and decks can accumulate ice.

Filling up with fresh water can be problematic since many spigots are turned off for the winter, or at least they are during the coldest periods.

Plan on extra electrical usage. Between the short days and cold/wet weather, you'll spend extra time inside.

The weather we're having right now is great for boating. Cold, yes, but clear with light winds. If I weren't swamped with work commitments I'd be out on the water!

Here's a few posts on my blog from last winter about winter cruising:

http://samlandsman.blogspot.com/2012/01/sunny.html
http://samlandsman.blogspot.com/2012/01/wind-rain-and-heat.html
http://samlandsman.blogspot.com/2011/12/whered-heat-go.html
http://samlandsman.blogspot.com/2011/12/winter-boating.html
 
I like just wearing warm boots and layered cloths with a quality rain jacket and pants. Wind proof and breathable is always good even if its not raining. A really good warn hat is a nice thing to have in your pocket. other then that we always have a inflatable life jacket on. Mustang suits are not comfortable and very hard to put on. Here in the islands I dont think they are needed unless the weather is really bad and if it is I just dont go.

We do a lot of day hikes around here in the winter and you just have to have enough warn cloths to make it thru the day and a very warm dry jacket encase/when the weather changes. Just last week a Man and his two boys died on a day hike that lasted into the night. They did not have heavy jackets for the night time temps they got caught in. Never hike with out a day pack with a few days of gear in it.
 
With our Webasto forced air heater and C-Dory cabins we have no need for foul weather gear as such. When we are in remote areas such as the Broughtons Islands we might take Mustang suits but not as a rule.
 
Sea Angel":1q4h8fqx said:
What kind of foul WX gear do you folks wear?
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I have foul-weather gear I used to wear quite often when I was sailing. Full bib overalls and a big jacket with a fuzzy collar, a hood, and wrist and ankle cuffs that velcro'd tight. Dubarry sailing boots from Ireland were a nice touch. Some of the best racing of the year is during the winter, and upwind we were all "rail meat", hanging our legs off the side of the boat and getting splashed.

But in a C-Dory? You don't need foul weather gear at all. You operate the boat from inside the cabin. What a luxury that is! A good sweater, a raincoat or a rain hat seems like plenty. Just remember: "Layers"!
 
Winter cruising in the PNW is not only doable it can be fantastic. Because the marine weather was predicted to be settled Anne & I decided that we'd celebrate new years on Meander this year. Our plan was to leave Powell River BC early on Dec 31 cruise across Georgia Strait to Hornby Island. (Northern Gulf Islands). As Tom said, in winter be even more careful of the weather so our decision to leave was made on the morning we left after checking the forecast one last time. Meander is well equipped for winter cruising. She has the standard wallas cooker as well as a ducted wallas 1800 furnace, mascoat insulating paint in the cabin and v-berth, opening v-berth port lights, hyper vent material under the mattress in the bunk. The heaters keep the boat cabin in the 70's when cruising and the mascoat, hyper vent, and opening ports help combat any problems with condensation. The boat remains warm and dry and we usually wear shirts and or a sweater inside. Out side good breathable raingear is all we have. (other than floater jackets)
Any way back to this New Years trip. The trip across the strait to Hornby is about 20 NM. Water was flat calm. The amount of bird life was incredible. There were hundreds of diving birds out in the strait. Some of the islets near Hornby had hundreds of sea lions on them. We stopped and watched them for probably about an hour. Others had dozens of seals. We saw Eagles, Herons, and Otters on our way into Ford Cove Marina on Hornby. We arrived in early afternoon, after we docked we went for a walk along trails, Anne checked out a craft shop and I made a roast beef dinner using the wallas and our Cobb. With shore power we kept a small electric heater going and did not have to worry about using too much battery power during the hours of darkness. We welcomed 2013 in with a champagne toast and a late night stroll under the stars. Yep it actually was clear enough to see a few of them.
New Years day we decided to boat around Denman Island and then come back to Fords Cove for the night. We left the dock around noon and headed slowly out towards the Chrome Island Light house. Just after we left I noticed and huge splash about a NM or so further out in our direction of travel. The binoculars confirmed it was Orca's. We quickly came up on plane and as we got closer we realized that this pod was in the process of hunting a large sea lion. During the next hour we witnessed nature at its most incredible. The pod of orcas (6-8) had isolated the sea lion and were in the process of tiring it to exhaustion and drowning it. They were coming at the sea lion from every direction, leaping out of the water and trying to land on it, pummelling it with their tails, and smacking it with their heads. They worked in co-ordination and took turns attacking the poor beast. Anne was trying her best to get the action with her camera and managed to get some great shots, but missed many others. Prior to this I had never seen orcas breach or jump out of the water. While I wouldn't call what they were doing a breach, at least ten times I saw a orca jump clear of the water trying to strike the sea lion. While I couldn't help but feel sorry for the sea lion, I was absolutely awestruck by the show put on by the orcas.


punted_Sealion_close_to_end.sized.jpg

Finally the ordeal was over for the sea lion and the orcas settled down to feed on him. They fed below the surface so we didn't see anything other than the orcas coming up to breathe. We left shortly later and completed our cruise around Denman Island. Spent another night at Fords Cove and returned home on Jan 2nd, with a detour around Lasqueti Island. Again with perfectly calm seas. Just before we got back to Powell River we saw another small pod of Orca. Three adults and a new born calf. This winter trip turned out to be the most wildlife we have ever seen on a three day cruise. So is cruising in the winter in the PNW possible? I'd say its not only possible but can be absolutely amazing. More pictures in Meander's album.
Cheers
Ron
 
I too love winter cruising. In the southern part of Puget Sound most boaters have put their boats away for the winter. Today in Commencement Bay, near downtown Tacoma, I saw only three pleasure boaters out enjoying the calm and sunny afternoon.

Ron, Thanks for sharing your New Years cruise experience. What a wonderful trip. Two weeks ago I was out near McNeil Island and a small pod of killer whales passed me on their way south. Their feeding behavior was not as spectacular as what you saw, but it was exciting to watch them pass by.

I have a Wallas 1300 heater in my 16 Cruiser and it keeps the boat nice and warm and dry, even during this cold weather that we are having. I keep my boat moored in the water all year, and yesterday I went down to do some work in the boat. It was about 34 degrees outside. The Wallas had the cabin temperature up to 60 degrees in about 15 minutes.

The only con for me is that the days are too short in the winter. We have 16 hours of daylight in June, but today, there were less than 9. Lots of time to read, indeed!

Robbi
 
Sea Angel":241hbule said:
What kind of foul WX gear do you folks wear? Art
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Nothing like being able to wear a tank top and shorts while cruising the waters of Puget Sound in the winter in the C-Dory with the Wallas cranked up on high. :lol:

In reality, a pair of jeans, T-Shirt, flannel shirt (although wool would be better choice) and my always worn PFD. Like others have mentioned, "layered clothing".

There are enough crystal clear days with flat seas, bright sunshine, the snow covered Cascade Mountains to the East, the Olympic Mountains to the West, Mt. Rainier to the South and Mt. Baker to the North....absolutely gorgeous!

Plenty of transient slips available in the marinas (if you don't choose to anchor out).

When moored in a slip, the shoreline is secured to power, my electric heater is plugged in and cranked up, my electric blanket is part of the bedding in the v-berth and I am toasty warm.

The only drawback to winter boating here is if the roads are so icy that you don't want to tow your boat to the launch ramp and worse yet....if the launch ramp is a sheet of ice and there is the possibility of launching not only your boat, but your trailer and tow rig as well. :shock: (A plus on the boat ramps is they are NOT CROWDED!)

If you have the need to take on fuel, know that fueling stations on the water observe limited hours, therfore they cease operations earlier than during the summer.

Another huge plus in winter time boating is that the only other boaters out there are the "commercial boaters" and that the recreational boaters that you share the water with are "usually" the experienced and knowledgeable boaters.
 
My take on the weather. People keep making commits about where has the best weather. In you live in the north you go south in the winter and if you live in the south you go north in the summer. We live here in the PNW as a choice not as a accident of birth. We moved here for the weather both winter and summer. We get cold here. low 20's sometimes but not often. A little snow once in a while but not for more then a few days at a time. Are winters are as comfortable as you can get and not have to suffer all summer with heat and bugs. I dont like the dry heat of the west if its over 90 and I dont like the wet heat of the south and east if its over 85 if that. Just not my thing and I have lived far to long in both. I also dont have any need to live where the lakes and the land freeze solid for half the year and you still get bugs all summer. Been there done that no thank you.

Yes by my calculations western Washington is the best place to boat, cruise and fish any where in the USA. Glad I could straighten that out for all of you. :wink:
 
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