Let's talk cruising in British Columbia

[NedX]

Originally Posted by Scorpius

Yes, well ocean-centric we ARE in the north east Pacific. It's a different story (as we have discussed ad nauseum) when being land-centric.

Something we share, then. I, too, am in a place called the Northeast.

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by redhead

By the time we got to Greene Point Rapids we humbly made figure 8s until slack and transited saying "Oh gee, this isn't so bad..."

Experience, the Great Teacher

Yup. NONE of the rapids are bad - even Netwatko - if you transit within the window of slack (about ten minutes at Netwatko). The most common comment I hear from anyone on board with me is "Where are the rapids?". Reply: "We just went through them". "What? I thought they were scary".

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by Uricanejack

Haven’t been through Devils hole.

Power boat or sailboat, both, I will have the engine started or ready to start.
Often need it even when you have had a steady wind, it will often die or you get headed as you come through the pass,
The wreck of the Point Gray is a nice dive, Which shows it can go wrong,

My powerboat is just a run about, with down riggers, The Green Can N of Poiler one of my favourite local spots, Usually use a cut plug, on the flood. I don’t use the down riggers there.
So I used to mooch through there with the flood quite regularly, in the Spring until it closes. Got a few nice springs there. Back in the 90’s pretty much always came home with something. Then I didn’t so I quite going.
Still go down to Collinson for pinks in late summer.

My wife complains about my boats in the drive way, I did sell the bigger one, because I wasn’t using it after I got the sail boat. But I keep the Double Eagle. Even though I don’t go out very often.

I’ve tried to explain, if I didn’t have a boat I couldn’t go fishing, If I have a boat I could go fishing.
She doesn’t understand, The therapeutic value of being able to go fishing.

Devil's Hole is interesting. If you look at the chart it's the obvious way to go - but most tugs (their skippers are my heroes ) and other commercial vessels go through Tug Boat Passage - including tugs with booms! It's a lot narrower than Devil's Hole, and a dog leg but if you are careful it's much safer. It's also quicker. I've had quite a few boats pass me (I'm fairly slow) approaching Dent from the north then go for Devil's Hole. I go through Tug Boat - then they are surprised to have to pass me again on the other side. Once though I met a tug with a big boom right in the middle of Tug Boat Pass. He stretched right across. THAT was interesting!

It's quite a common experience at Dodd's with all the mills around there. Use your radio!

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by Scorpius

It's quite a common experience at Dodd's with all the mills around there. Use your radio!

Well there's a pointless internet argument we could have. I find it mildly amusing every time a 35 foot sailboat calls a securité going through Dodds.

But I agree about the statement that slack always leaves you wondering what's the big deal. I fully intent to buy an overpowered rib when I win the lottery and go see what I have been missing...

[Kelkara]

Originally Posted by redhead

By the time we got to Greene Point Rapids we humbly made figure 8s until slack and transited saying "Oh gee, this isn't so bad..."

Experience, the Great Teacher

There's an OK little temporary anchorage just before Greene Point going eastbound where I have waited for the current to turn ... if you don't want to do the figure 8s.

And another one just before whirlpool when going westbound.

at my speed of 4 knots, taking one at slack pretty much means arriving at the other in full flow.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

Well there's a pointless internet argument we could have. I find it mildly amusing every time a 35 foot sailboat calls a securité going through Dodds.

I find it bloody annoying. Some boaters seem to think it gives them special privileges when going through.

There- that is off my chest.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by Scorpius

Devil's Hole is interesting.

A few years ago I was southbound through Dent and got there early. While I was drifting around waiting for the turn a guy in a runabout came trhough a pporached. He asked if we had problems. I said no - just waiting to go through. He repsonded, "ypu do not want to go through there. I just did; it was awful."

I responded, "I am going through, just not now."

Coming the other way is interesting. Sailing Directions has a good explanation on how to run Yuculta Rapids, Gillard Pass and Dent Rapids one right after the other. When you look at the chart, it makes perfect sense. The first time can cause some sphincter pucker, but after that it is fine.

I posted some instructions on SailNet several years ago.

https://www.sailnet.com/threads/nort...ughtons.75514/

[bcguy]

A brother in Sudbury.... are you kidding me?

[redhead]

Originally Posted by jackdale

...

Coming the other way is interesting. Sailing Directions has a good explanation on how to run Yuculta Rapids, Gillard Pass and Dent Rapids one right after the other. When you look at the chart, it makes perfect sense. The first time can cause some sphincter pucker, but after that it is fine.

I posted some instructions on SailNet several years ago.

https://www.sailnet.com/threads/nort...ughtons.75514/

I read the same directions in the "Best Anchorages of the Inside Passage" by Anne Vipond and William Kelly and had been using current/tide charts that unfortunately stopped at Desolation Sound. North of there I picked up another current chart and proceeded through Yuculta Rapids/Gillard Passage/Dent Rapids.

I assumed (yep) that the new current/tide tables would be corrected for Daylight Savings Time as had the old tables. I. Was. Wrong. There was no one around us for us to gauge against so looking at the clock we proceeded into Yuculta Rapids an hour early. I have had the privilege of looking a whirlpool at least 30 feet across square in the eye. Gillard was hard, especially the turn right in the middle, but not too bad and by the time we made it to Dent Rapids it was a mill pond. We blew the heat exchanger on the engine during this feat of stupidity and had to return to Campbell River and do it again!! I feel worse about the 29-ish foot sailboat that followed us through thinking we must know what we were doing.

So, when many people accuse me of being too nice to newbies, my explanation is to tell them the above story. You can never get too snooty with a story like that. I will always, always check to see if times are corrected or not. It would be better if they were in GST and then I would know absolutely.

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by redhead

I feel worse about the 29-ish foot sailboat that followed us through thinking we must know what we were doing.

There ought to be a warning to all visitors to BC: don't assume the person in front of you knows something. Because there are a lot of us idiots/over-confident SOBs out there just winging it

I've been caught out by this, but generally going into harbours etc.

On the other hand we were approaching Whirlpool with a buddy boat and our worried radioing back and forth caught the attention of a guy a couple miles back who told us to relax and gave us the scoop. Turns out he was right and we learned a lot from him as we toured the Broughtons and kept running into him.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by redhead

I assumed (yep) that the new current/tide tables would be corrected for Daylight Savings Time as had the old tables.

CHS Tide and Current Tables have always been in PST.

[redhead]

Originally Posted by jackdale

CHS Tide and Current Tables have always been in PST.

I'm an US East Coast transplant. Didn't do enough homework.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

Well there's a pointless internet argument we could have. I find it mildly amusing every time a 35 foot sailboat calls a securité going through Dodds.

I know it hasn't happened in some time, but the Navy has purportedly run destroyers through Dodd Narrows in the past.
BTW, I know most peeps including locals call it Dodds or Dodd's, but it's properly Dodd Narrows.

[Eder]

Most locals recall this bit of seamanship from a Mexican captain panicking while transiting Malibou Rapids

[AMCarter3]

I'm a long time sailor and power boater. I also grew up on the East coast and leaned sailing on the Chesapeak Bay. Our PDQ power catamaran has been based in Bellingham, WA. for 16 years. I totally concur with all of the positive comments about boating in the Pacific Northwest. It is boating "heaven".