Alright, who has really done Seymour Narrows in a sailboat?

[s/v Beth]

I must admit I am a bit intimidated. When did you start (with respect to tide did you leave Campbell river? What was your strategy coming south? 17 kn current scares the crap out of me.

[Pelagic]

Always a bit scary the first time.....

Basic plan going either way is to time your transit enjoying the last of a positive current so as to make sure you clear the pass before it turns against you.

Tidal currents are accurate to within 40 minutes... so predicted navigation to time this is important.

If you time it wrong, there are bays to pull into to wait for the next set.

The alternate route via Dent Island offers more pit stops and the beauty of Desolation Sound


Edit. Sorry missed your specific location..... Leave at slack to enjoy the Ebb heading south as it opens up into Georgia Straight.

[Cavalier MK2]

We do Seymor Narrows fairly often. Going through is easy at slack, no different from any other narrows but you want to be within the 1/2 hour mark. What is hard is to go through or come back without the against current slogging on one of the stretches. This year we rode the tide up to the bay just before the narrows to port. There is great anchorage on the NW side but you have to go around a shoal that is marked by pilings.

We anchored there during the flood south then 20 minutes before the tide switch up anchor and go.

I always get the beginning of the ebb going North, this push will last up to Race and Current passage if you are sailing, Helmken Island is a interesting stop.Coming back we usually ride the last of the flood going south but try to be an hour early to get some push to the next anchorage down. Leaving Campbell river before the ebb change figure on bumping against a 2-3 knot current ant time to hit slack going North.

I love Johnstone Straight but if you are getting pasted the Northern routes are worth exploring. Turning at the Broken Islands and going up through Chatham is nice.

This year we came back through Okisolo and Lower Rapids then jogged through Hole in Wall to get in some Desolation Sound time.

Remember your BC tide books are all in standard time.

[s/v Beth]

I am down here at CR, 7 miles below the narrows. Would a good plan be to leave 1.5 hous before ebb, then wait right below race rocks? Then shoot the whole thing up to blind?

[Cavalier MK2]

That should work though you'll most likely be powering to make the time table. Since we mainly sail we mix and match routes according to how far we get. There is great scenery every way you go. If you run up to Race and Current you can jog around the point to skip Race to get towards Whirlpool and skip Blind. We came back that way this year and made better time because of the wind. Always different so keep all your options on the table. Last year I was tying in the second reef in Johnstone heading North as the wind went past 30 and had 2 Orcas come over to say hello. I wound up hiking in Knox Bay as things settled down which turned out to be fun....I'm still trying to figure out the avocado shack but a bear was there......

[AndrewB]

We messed up our timings and went through 1½ hours before slack, with about 9kts of current. A bit of a white-knuckle ride, but I doubt it was really dangerous. Have any sailboats been lost there in recent years?

I'd rate the Dent route (which I've also done) as more difficult as there are two separate rapids to shoot. Dent Narrows sets up a terrific whirlpool at peak flow.

[Cavalier MK2]

Good question, you'd have to ask the Canadians. The danger in many of the narrows/rapids after getting run into the rocks is in getting rolled by the current, a full keel hitting sudden current changes can get knocked down, a modern fin is probably a bit easier here. A powerboat that is top heavy can go all the way over.....It is easier in a multihull as they have less underwater, more roll stability etc....Our tri straddles overfalls and rips much better than the mono ever did. I notice the fishing trawlers putting their booms out when pushing the envelope for the tightrope style roll stability.

[Seadoc777]

Does anyone recall the site of the greatest non-nuclear explosion, it was around 1954? It was in the Seymour Narrows. I recall hearing it in Seattle. It cleared a large rock dome just below the surface that had claimed numerous ships.

[DeepFrz]

That was Ripple Rock.

[Seadoc777]

Thanks

[Cheechako]

Just be sure to know the canadian tide/current/time tables well and double check, as I remember they can be quite confusing.