Wife and I want a life on a boat - how can we do this fairly efficient

[Graysonthegreat]

Hello everyone

This is my first time posting on here.
My name is Grayson ,I currently live in Ontario Canada.
My wife and I are looking to buy a boat and move to British Columbia to basically go around Vancouver Island and take some time off to see some nature relax at a very slow pace.

I’ve lived on the island before in Nanaimo so I have a knowledge about the area and being on a boat, she is Very used to camping and in quite enjoys the type of setting a boat would bring.

However, we are not sure how long we want to do this for possibly one year or two years we intend to have a child however back in Ontario after we are done this part of our life or who knows maybe we enjoy it and stay.

We’re not really looking into a sailboat but more live aboard trawler or something or the sort, how would you guys go about buying a boat from another province before seeing it.?

We have decent jobs and can currently work from anywhere we are just basically wondering what type of boat would be suited to our lifestyle for space but to go in the ocean around the island at a slow pace?

[Steelhands]

For me, the cost of traveling to see the boat would be money well spent. Photos lie. Statements in an ad are often optimistic or from a owners memory. You will likely hear that you can get a survey report but how are you going to perform sea trials? How a boat feels underway is to me a huge deal.

Trawlers are fine boats for some people. But if I'm going to be going slow, I'd as soon have a mast, keel, and sail to keep the boat nice and stiff. Plus, you have more interior room without all that engine room. Sailboats can be harder to manage but only if sailing vs motoring. I do whichever one that works best for the conditions.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Grayson.

[fxykty]

Inside Vancouver Island, especially in the summer, is generally light winds and a number of tidal gates. A trawler type, say a Grand Banks, would be ideal if you’re not a dyed in the wool sailor type. Much more living space than a sailboat and more deck level living space than even a catamaran. Many trawlers have small steadying sails to reduce rolling. Or get outriggers and flopper stoppers - you’ll need them on the outside.

On the outside you’ll have lots of wind and swell, both from the NW or W predominantly. A sailboat would definitely be more fun and comfortable in the typical conditions, but again a decent trawler will do just fine. I’ve spent 4 seasons salmon fishing on trollers all around Vancouver Island, primarily the northern half on both coasts, and there’s no problems for a sea going trawler type.

You’ll want heating, a large freezer and big fuel tanks. Once you’re north and west of Port Hardy you won’t get anything beyond fuel and real basics until Tofino. And if you go off season many of the service centres will be coded even for fuel.

West coast of Vancouver Island from Port Hardy to Sooke is a summer only deal unless you like discomfort and bad weather. And dangerous weather. Say that’s May to September. The east side of the island is most pleasant in the summer, but other than hiding out during storms and biblical amounts of rain can be done throughout the year, with the advantage and challenge of few boats and mostly closed service centres from mid-Island and north. Water will be cold but not freezing.

You can probably buy a boat cheaper in the fall, prepare through Christmas, then head north. Spend 5 months, then wait for decent weather to get around Cape Scott. Spend the summer exploring the west coast of the island and get back to the Lower Mainland in the fall. There’s a year for you at a slow pace.

Enjoy, and keep us posted.

[cherylchecheryl]

Can you rent a boat for a year?

Right now, it sounds like you don't know for sure exactly what type of boat you want or what features exactly you want on the boat. Acquiring all the electronics and gear can be expensive. Since it can take a long time to buy a boat and a long time to sell a boat, with a lot of expense related to both buying and selling, maybe long-term rental (if there is such a thing in your area) is the way to go.

[Woodland Hills]

Originally Posted by Steelhands

For me, the cost of traveling to see the boat would be money well spent. Photos lie. Statements in an ad are often optimistic or from a owners memory. You will likely hear that you can get a survey report but how are you going to perform sea trials? How a boat feels underway is to me a huge deal.

Trawlers are fine boats for some people. But if I'm going to be going slow, I'd as soon have a mast, keel, and sail to keep the boat nice and stiff. Plus, you have more interior room without all that engine room. Sailboats can be harder to manage but only if sailing vs motoring. I do whichever one that works best for the conditions.

Sailboats are also dark and dreary below decks with windows that you have to stand up to see out of. They also often lack any sort of enclosed, weather protected place to run the boat in bad weather. And there will be bad weather.......

[KTP]

Originally Posted by Woodland Hills

Sailboats are also dark and dreary below decks with windows that you have to stand up to see out of. They also often lack any sort of enclosed, weather protected place to run the boat in bad weather. And there will be bad weather.......

Sailboats are warm and cozy below decks

[pcmm]

My wife and I spent 5 years being liveaboards in Toronto between 1997-2002 and Its much harder to do it here than in B.C. If I had the opportunity I think I would have moved to B.C. first. the winters are much less effort and stay there. We moved off to have kids, If I were to do it again, I would have stayed onboard even with kids. Being land bound just doesn't suit my Wife and I. Why do you want to move to Ontario to have kids ( family?) Ontario (Toronto) is not a place you want to move to for quality of life. Its now the most expensive housing market in Canada (more expensive than Vancouver)

For livingaboard Trawlers I think offer more "ground level" living than a sailboat unless you find a Decksalon style sailboat.

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by pcmm

For livingaboard Trawlers I think offer more "ground level" living than a sailboat unless you find a Decksalon style sailboat.

As a data point, I know of dozens and dozens of people who have moved from sail to power. I can think of only one who decided to go back to sail. Personally, the hot setup would be a trawler large enough to carry one or two Lasers on deck.

[category4jay]

How about a compromise. Check out a Nordhaven 56MS.

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by Graysonthegreat

Hello everyone

This is my first time posting on here.
My name is Grayson ,I currently live in Ontario Canada.
My wife and I are looking to buy a boat and move to British Columbia to basically go around Vancouver Island and take some time off to see some nature relax at a very slow pace.

I’ve lived on the island before in Nanaimo so I have a knowledge about the area and being on a boat, she is Very used to camping and in quite enjoys the type of setting a boat would bring.

However, we are not sure how long we want to do this for possibly one year or two years we intend to have a child however back in Ontario after we are done this part of our life or who knows maybe we enjoy it and stay.

We’re not really looking into a sailboat but more live aboard trawler or something or the sort, how would you guys go about buying a boat from another province before seeing it.?

We have decent jobs and can currently work from anywhere we are just basically wondering what type of boat would be suited to our lifestyle for space but to go in the ocean around the island at a slow pace?

Count on at least one trip out (for the sea trail and survey) and if possible quite a few more. Really, the more the better, especially if your budget is for more affordable boats. We managed, through a bunch of serendipitous factors, two do it in two trips: one for the survey and one to accept transfer of the boat "offshore" to avoid BC taxes (actually it was just south in Point Roberts).

Find some blogs of people going through the same process as you. When we were shopping I came across 4 or 5 other who were doing the same thing and I've even managed to become "internet friends" with some of them. See how others approached the process helps.

Spend a lot of time on Yachtworld, Kijiji, boats.com and even individual broker's sites and make lists of what you want vs what you can afford. Eventually a picture will emerge on where you should be concentrating you energies. You might be surprised—I have known people looking for trawlers who bought sailboats and vice versa.

We eventually bought through a broker (although we hadn't intended to), who treated us well. He had experience in out-of-town buyers and facilitated everything or us. My only complaint was the moorage rate at his dock while he worked on the boat and speed at which that work was done. In the end I think I would probably recommend a broker for the actual purchase (it costs you nothing) but still do your own searching.

Also take a look at GVHA's winter mooring program (Victoria Harbour) — the rates are pretty good, you are right downtown and it has some of the best winter weather on the coast. It makes a nice place to wait out worst of the winter and a good take off/arrival spot for a circumnavigation.

Good luck, our year on the coast was one of the best decisions in our lives.

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by category4jay

How about a compromise. Check out a Nordhaven 56MS.

There's a guy on youtube that just bought one. Made me drool. But its so far out of my range I can't even consider it a dream boat

[Steelhands]

Originally Posted by KTP

Sailboats are warm and cozy below decks

Yeah, I guess my canvas underwear is showing. ( Is that still in style?) Plus, I spoke based on maybe a few dozen hours on a trawler vs ??? under sail.

I live on a hill overlooking the two ways of starting the inside passage, where the Haro straight and Rosario (north south) straight connect to the Straight of Juan deFuca (east west) at their southern ends.

And yes, light and fluky wind. Tidal gates and overfalls like you have in a very bad dream. Evil looking water my wife calls it.

I was puzzeled the other day. Somebody said they were going in Cattle Pass, (the entrance to the San Juan channel, leading to the islands) based on when they wanted to be there. I base my crossing time on slack to very low flow tidal conditions. Pretty much everything else becomes a secondary factor. It would be much less difficult on a powerful boat.

I have been both careful and lucky. Several friends have not. In one case his boat is still broke and he was scared out of his mind. Another full timer said the pass was the worst conditions he had experienced in his life. It was an opposite tide/wind. A two hundred horse power boat would have made that much less scary.

And yes, the view is much better on a power boat of most any sort at maindeck level.

So, in general I'll keep my opinions limited to mild sailing.

[Cadence]

If a trawler tickles your fancy, insure it is a trawler hull not just labeled trawler. The advertisements are loaded with such mislabeling, planning hulls and mile high superstructures.
As suggested a M/S might be a good option.

[desodave]

Welcome aboard the CF Grayson.


We have a beautiful cruising area on the BC coast that is also relatively isolated, much more so as you head north or around the outside of Vancouver Island. I'm not sure I'd want to head straight out into that isolation with a new to me boat. Reference other posts re the lack of services.



The Salish Sea is relatively protected but the gales start at the end of September - and the hurricane level winds start off the N end of the Island at the same time. Keep your own watch on the conditions;

https://weather.gc.ca/marine/region_e.html?mapID=02





Like most of my dockmates at our Campbell River marina, I have begun to winterize our boat. Nothing like an east coast winterization, but I won't have it back in use until April. I think a number of marinas outside the lower mainland could provide you with winter moorage and something in the southern Gulf Islands (or Victoria) might be more comfortable - less big wind and a little warmer. Could also get a bit of winter sailing in the Gulf Islands.



Cell service gets really sketchy N of here so you need to plan your communications if you're going to work remotely. Lots of anchorages in dead spots around Desolation Sound and the Discovery Islands.




Not sure what your west coast boating experience is but we have 16ft tides that produce some incredible currents on big water exchanges in my area. Seymour Narrows is 16kn on a big flood and other pass options going north only slightly less. These are navigated safely only around slack water. Moving water means you've also got wind against current situations to deal with and they're NOT just a matter of just having more power to deal with it. I use this site for planning purposes;
Current table for Seymour Narrows, British Columbia



Personally I'd plan on a season largely on the inside with a new to you boat, wintering in a locale of your choice and then getting more adventurous in the 2nd season.



We own a sailboat so that would be my choice. But we've had to upgrade our electrical system (solar, alternator, external reg) to allow us to sit at anchor for periods of time, and fully enjoy some of the peace and tranquility. Water capacity will also be important to you if you're going north as sources can be scarce (consider a watermaker?).



Hope your dream becomes reality ... but I cannot comprehend living out here on this coast for a couple of years then wanting to return to Ontario???