Vancouver Island

TiggerToo

TiggerToo

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We are booked to go for a holiday on Vancouver Island next summer. I'd like to go sailing for a week or so (charter). Does anyone have any experience of these waters, and would be willing to share tips, must sees, dos and don'ts etc?
 
TiggerToo said:
We are booked to go for a holiday on Vancouver Island next summer. I'd like to go sailing for a week or so (charter). Does anyone have any experience of these waters, and would be willing to share tips, must sees, dos and don'ts etc?
Click to expand...

Not sailed there but have canoed. Our boat is named after an orca from there.
Suggest a shoal draft essential.
Perfect sheltered waters. Includes the San Juan islands.
Beware! Lots of logging trees in the water. And whales!
 
Sybarite started a thread " chartering in British Columbia " . if you search it, it may give you some answers.
By the way, its a world class cruising ground, but I could be bias having lived and sailed there.
 
Rhyddid said:
Sybarite started a thread " chartering in British Columbia " . if you search it, it may give you some answers.
By the way, its a world class cruising ground, but I could be bias having lived and sailed there.
Click to expand...


First Mate and I sailed off Seattle-Widby Island, and Vancouver Island . As you say, world class cruising grounds.

Ruffles suggested shoal draught essential. Not in my experience, its normaly very deep except around river mouths and beaches.

We came up with a good way to avoid the really long lines of cars trying to get back into the USA from Canada.

We took the ferry from Vancouver Island to Annacortis via Friday Harbour.

Not expensive, lovely short cruise through the San Juan's and a pleasant lady checking passports at departure.

Whales are common. I asked my friend about a sandbank I could see about half a mile off the dock. He said that it was all deep water-no sandbanks. He got the chart-sure enough, 45 metres.

Then the sandbank dissapeared-it was the back of a resting grey whale-the barnacles on its back made it look like a sandbank......................
 
Lovely area.

My wife's Uncle used to live near Seattle, and he had a boat he kept in Puget Sound.

while visiting him, we had a few days on board his boat, sailed via the San Juan Islands to Victoria on Vancouver Island and back. It's what got us interested in sailing in the first place.
 
Rhyddid said:
Sybarite started a thread " chartering in British Columbia " . if you search it, it may give you some answers.
By the way, its a world class cruising ground, but I could be bias having lived and sailed there.
Click to expand...

I was due to cruise there this summer with a cousin. Unfortunately he died in August.
 
I live on Vancouver Island and I sail here every day. (Ok, at least twice a week). So I guess I know it better than most of the visitors here. I was out both days this weekend- about 12 hours on the water in total.

Shoal draft???? Simply not needed and I have certainly never heard it mentioned by anyone before. You just need to know how to read tide tables to know when you can get in and out of certain bays, but otherwise not a problem - really.

Logging trees in the water??? Yes, a few, but not so much that you'd worry. I sail at night often - and as we all know the trees sink at night.

The best, and most current books on cruising in the area are the Dreamspeaker series: http://www.dreamspeakerguides.com/ You can buy them anywhere around here, and on the internet too. They will tell you absolutely everything you need to know. EVERYTHING! Just choose the area of the Island that you want to visit and choose the appropriate guide.

Otherwise, what can I say. This is simply one of the most beautiful places to sail in the world.

If you have specific questions I'd be happy to answer.
 
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As a perhaps unhelpful aside...

Jonathan Raban wrote a great book 'Passage to Juneau' on his trip from Seattle to Juneau by way of Vancouver Island...a great read. I have a copy if you want to have a read TiggerToo!

When I was in Alaska I really wanted to go sailing in that area and down to Vancouver, never did get the chance...you're very lucky!
 
semisimple said:
As a perhaps unhelpful aside...

Jonathan Raban wrote a great book 'Passage to Juneau' on his trip from Seattle to Juneau by way of Vancouver Island...a great read. I have a copy if you want to have a read TiggerToo!

When I was in Alaska I really wanted to go sailing in that area and down to Vancouver, never did get the chance...you're very lucky!
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Humm, interesting aside about those logs, well really in the UK we might say logs, but from some experience of various hols on Vancouver Island them really are whole or really big trees. I asked about the clearance of them from the shores, was informed that they are essential for ecology, bloody hell, they must got big big weevils or something.
But as for the ones washed up on the shorelines I suppose they are washed up to the highest tide lines so not in much danger of floating away, hopefully.
 
We've sailed in Vancouver Island. Very much like the Baltic except for fewer boats and friendlier marinas.
I don't recall any significant hazards (except for the odd seaplane)
 
Snooks did an article on it in YM a few years back. Pacific Yachting has a charter article in t this month that covers Desolation Sound. I second the dreamspeaker guides and the shoal draft stuff.

You can charter out of Comox, Nanaimo and Vancouver, plus Bellingham if memory serves. Depends where you want to go really.

I would add The Curve of Time to your reading list and possibly Sailing Home.
 
Get used to anchoring - Not many marinas, but stunning scenery. Generally light winds so motoring is inevitable. Once away from Victoria is a bit "banjo" territory but the Canadians are lovely people and very friendly. Have fun.
 
TiggerToo said:
We are booked to go for a holiday on Vancouver Island next summer. I'd like to go sailing for a week or so (charter). Does anyone have any experience of these waters, and would be willing to share tips, must sees, dos and don'ts etc?
Click to expand...
Six of us chartered for a week this summer with Desolation Sound Yacht Charters out of Comox on V.I. They have a good range of boats at reasonable prices and we found them a thoroughly pro outfit.
The sailing in Desolation Sound ( a comfortable day sail north east) is, when measured by ant standard, incredible.
There are so many highlights it's difficult to know where to begin; someone described it as, 'the west coast of Scotland on steroids'.
Prior to going, I bought the Dreamspeaker Cruising Guide, 'Desolation Sound and the Discovery Islands' (Google it) and found it very useful for a bit of pre planning.
If I had to pick a highlight, it'd be sitting eating lunch at anchor in Toba Inlet, a sort of Lord of the Ringsesque fjord, in complete isolation apart from a Grizzly Bear turning rocks over looking for crabs.
The only downside were the horseflies which clearly have teeth like Ken Dodd.
If you have any specific questions, I'll answer if I can.
 
If for a week I would recommend chartering out of Nanaimo and going down and back up through the Gulf Islands.

You need to be aware of the currents. There are a lot of passes and it is simply impossible to buck the tide. In some of the passes it can be "sporty" to go through in full flow.
 
Vancouver Island. Lots of great sailing.
I live right in the middle of the Southern Gulf Islands and keep my boat here. Its a wonderful sailing area. navigation is easy not many sand banks. Lots of rocks so if you get it wrong its a hard bang.
Depending upon what you want. A trip to desolation sound is beautiful. There are few services so expect remote anchorage's. The anchorages are not necessarily quiet in the summer. It's a very popular destination.
If you want, Lots more options for restaurants and or pubs within walking distance. Shops for fresh foods. still with some lovely anchorages. The Southern Gulf Islands is a great area to sail.
Where on Vancouver Island will you be visiting?
Boats can be Chartered from.
Victoria, Sydney BC.
Nanaimo.
Comox.
Or Vancouver.
Most have restrictions on sailing area, night sailing and crossing the border.
I like Waggoner's Guide. Dream Speaker has already been mentioned. Evergreen publish a Chart Atlas. Which you can probably order on line. The Evergreen Atlas. Is not approved for navigation. Its American and has courses and waypoint on some pages which I find annoying. Very handy size for use in the cockpit.
The tide and Current tables are easy to use the instructions are at the back. The Current atlas is bit more complicated but again the instructions are in the back.
PAC 201 Sailing Directions. Is the official Canadian Publication for The Approaches to Juan De Fuca Right up to Desolation Sound.
There are also two official Canadian chart Atlas's. Cant remember the numbers they are on the boat.
If you want ideas I might be able to give some.
Snooks article hit some of the high points for Desolation Sound.
 
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Been living on east side of Vancouver Island since 1973

High pressure = NW winds

Low pressure = SE winds



Sailing at night is not considered a good idea

(1) tugs towing rafts of logs, often difficult to negotiate around at night.

(2) logs (dead heads) often standing vertically in the water are difficult to see.

Tides and tidal races

current and tide tables are studied before transiting.

(not all narrow passages have the minimum current at high or low tide, minutes before or after.

Flood tide is from the north down to Campbell River,

flood tide is from the south up to Campbell River.

May not seem important

BUT tidal flow can be up to 15 knots,

tide tables are a must.

Some serious hazard including this one

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...les-feeding-frenzy-caught-on-camera-1.2995089
 
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Foolish Muse said:
I live on Vancouver Island and I sail here every day. (Ok, at least twice a week). So I guess I know it better than most of the visitors here. I was out both days this weekend- about 12 hours on the water in total.

Shoal draft???? Simply not needed and I have certainly never heard it mentioned by anyone before. You just need to know how to read tide tables to know when you can get in and out of certain bays, but otherwise not a problem - really.

Logging trees in the water??? Yes, a few, but not so much that you'd worry. I sail at night often - and as we all know the trees sink at night.

The best, and most current books on cruising in the area are the Dreamspeaker series: http://www.dreamspeakerguides.com/ You can buy them anywhere around here, and on the internet too. They will tell you absolutely everything you need to know. EVERYTHING! Just choose the area of the Island that you want to visit and choose the appropriate guide.

Otherwise, what can I say. This is simply one of the most beautiful places to sail in the world.

If you have specific questions I'd be happy to answer.
Click to expand...

where do you sail from on Vancouver Island?
 
ianabc said:
Been living on east side of Vancouver Island since 1973

High pressure = NW winds

Low pressure = SE winds



Sailing at night is not considered a good idea

(1) tugs towing rafts of logs, often difficult to negotiate around at night.

(2) logs (dead heads) often standing vertically in the water are difficult to see.

Tides and tidal races

current and tide tables are studied before transiting.

(not all narrow passages have the minimum current at high or low tide, minutes before or after.

Flood tide is from the north down to Campbell River,

flood tide is from the south up to Campbell River.

May not seem important

BUT tidal flow can be up to 15 knots,

tide tables are a must.

Some serious hazard including this one

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...les-feeding-frenzy-caught-on-camera-1.2995089
Click to expand...

Some friends were kayaking this summer out of Telegraph Cove and they have videos of a pod passing within a few yards.

One thing to remember is that the red/green buoyage is the opposite to that in Europe (red = starboard...)
 
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