Let's talk cruising in British Columbia

[Leee]

The Pacific NW is a beautiful place to sail BUT you do have to be able to handle the damp and the cold and the mildew and the condesation. I've sailed in the Gulf Islands and points north for years, the East coast of Canada for a couple of seasons where it is also cold but not quite as wet but since 2010, I have been sailing in the Mediterranean and is it ever a hard place to leave. Warmth, sunshine, warm water, low humidity, good winds if you don't want to sail north in the summer, and tremendous and numerous anchorages the further east you go. It is going to take a few years to get back here to the Pacific NW and a few after that to get used to the cold and damp. But worth it.

[NedX]

Originally Posted by Eder

When I hear someone use the term PNW I immediately think of Seattle.
btw it may have previously been mentioned but the Dreamspeaker guides


https://www.dreamspeakerguides.com/


are valuable for the first couple years for any sailor newer to the Left Coast.

Bookmarked! Thank you!

[NedX]

Originally Posted by redhead

You know, after reading all the wonderful descriptions I really think we ought to stop. We will be inundated with sailors from gawd knows where thinking they can come here and put up with "a little rain" in order to see the rest of this spectacular stuff.

Ned X promise you won't tell anyone else.

Redhead, better than that. I'll tell all my friends there to leave.

[NedX]

Originally Posted by Leee

The Pacific NW is a beautiful place to sail BUT you do have to be able to handle the damp and the cold and the mildew and the condesation. I've sailed in the Gulf Islands and points north for years, the East coast of Canada for a couple of seasons where it is also cold but not quite as wet but since 2010, I have been sailing in the Mediterranean and is it ever a hard place to leave. Warmth, sunshine, warm water, low humidity, good winds if you don't want to sail north in the summer, and tremendous and numerous anchorages the further east you go. It is going to take a few years to get back here to the Pacific NW and a few after that to get used to the cold and damp. But worth it.

Leee one of the other two finalists for my next place of residence is Sicily. I will be posting a "Let's talk cruising in the Mediterranean" thread soon.

[Thepipedreamer]

I live on my 36' steel Roberts all year round with a few months on the dock during the winter months and off sailing the rest of the year. I base in Heriot Bay, Quadra Island, on the cusp of cruising in Desolation sound, and for the route north to the central coast and beyond, or south to The Gulf Islands and further. I'm a British import, having immigrated 8 yrs ago so I choose to be here, sailing these waters. The shoulder seasons provide most of the good winds and quieter anchorages, it rains less here than in the UK so a bonus for me though there are usually a couple of good snowfalls each season. I could go further afield but I love it here, and have family locally.
I recommend that you first of all consider an insulated boat and secondly that you have heat. We have a sea chock-full of drifting logs, especially with the king tides, so consider that when you buy too. (I was raised as a cruising kid and travelled/lived on a boat for 17 years between the UK, Med and Caribbean so do have some experience of sailing in other regions). Happy living to you!

[NedX]

Originally Posted by Thepipedreamer

I live on my 36' steel Roberts all year round with a few months on the dock during the winter months and off sailing the rest of the year. I base in Heriot Bay, Quadra Island, on the cusp of cruising in Desolation sound, and for the route north to the central coast and beyond, or south to The Gulf Islands and further. I'm a British import, having immigrated 8 yrs ago so I choose to be here, sailing these waters. The shoulder seasons provide most of the good winds and quieter anchorages, it rains less here than in the UK so a bonus for me though there are usually a couple of good snowfalls each season. I could go further afield but I love it here, and have family locally.
I recommend that you first of all consider an insulated boat and secondly that you have heat. We have a sea chock-full of drifting logs, especially with the king tides, so consider that when you buy too. (I was raised as a cruising kid and travelled/lived on a boat for 17 years between the UK, Med and Caribbean so do have some experience of sailing in other regions). Happy living to you!

Thanks, Pipe. Good stuff. Yes, another poster warned me about the "deadheads."
Maybe I'll bump into y....oh, bad choice of words. See you on the water!

[Mithril Bham]

No lack of information here. My favorite place on earth including a few years in the Caribbean and some time in the Med. Peaceful. Grew up here. Over a half century of sailing. Cornet Bay. Love the seafood, wildlife, people and scenery. The mountains are spectacular. So many different anchorages. You can even find relatively warm water if you know where to look. You can also find water that will make your teeth crack. Lots of fun currents. Ran boats around Deception Pass when I was 13. 1961. Lots more salmon then but you can still find them. Some of the best crab on earth.

You get lots of great sailing in the winter. You have to pick your days. January can be beautiful. September is the best. November can kick your ass. Might just be me but the Indian summers seem to last longer now. Well into October.
You get far less rain (half) in the rain shadow. Anacortes area. You can usually find wind if you go out in the Straights.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by Scorpius

Vancouver, and particularly Victoria, are in the PSW (never heard it before. Just invented it) of Canada.

Sorry, but Van and Vic are NW of Toronto - the official centre of the universe Canada

[Macblaze]

If you are bookmarking books then make sure you look at Waggoners https://www.waggonerguidebooks.com/

In fact I would recommend even if you are even 60% sure you are coming out west to go ahead an buy one. I use my 6 year old copy to keep from despair on the cold snowy nights. A great overview of the whole PNW (PSE, Washington to Alaska, whatever...) experience/area. Also available as ebooks but not as useful that way...

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by Lodesman

Sorry, but Van and Vic are NW of Toronto - the official centre of the universe Canada [emoji3]

To be clear (and correct), Toronto is nowhere near the (geographic) centre of Canada.

Different ways of measuring, but longitudinal centre is near Winnipeg, whereas the midpoint up in Nunavut.

[sv_pelagia]

"Some of the best crab on earth."

Unfortunately, way overfished (in BC) and becoming hard to catch. We had very poor luck in 2020.


PS To OP: Cornet Bay and Deception Pass are not in British Columbia (they are in Washington state). Maybe more crab there as apparently the crab fishery is better managed in Washington.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

To be clear (and correct), Toronto is nowhere near the (geographic) centre of Canada.

Don't tell Torontonians that .

[MicHughV]

BC can be summed up in two words..."stunningly beautiful" !!!

[NedX]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

If you are bookmarking books then make sure you look at Waggoners https://www.waggonerguidebooks.com/

In fact I would recommend even if you are even 60% sure you are coming out west to go ahead an buy one. I use my 6 year old copy to keep from despair on the cold snowy nights. A great overview of the whole PNW (PSE, Washington to Alaska, whatever...) experience/area. Also available as ebooks but not as useful that way...

Ohh ports and passages! Gold! Thank you!!

Now, let me see if I can find someone who wants to buy me this Waggoners ($55 for the combo cruising guide/ports & passages) for Xmas. Maybe I'll create a YouTube channel of me reading chart books and do one of those Patreon things. "Send Ned to BC."

I still can't believe it's legal to just drop a trap and catch crabs. Around here, you need a license to lobster. Sounds very Wild (don't call it Pacific north) West to me.

Is there a Canadian spelling of "straits" that I need to know about? Or am I seeing autocorrect when I read "straights." When I move, I do plan to assimilate and be a good citizen.

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by NedX

Ohh ports and passages! Gold! Now, let me see if I can find someone who wants to buy me this Waggoners ($55 for the combo cruising guide/ports & passages for Xmas. Thanks. Maybe I'll create a YouTube channel of me reading chart books and do one of those Patreon things. "Send Ned to BC."

I still can't believe it's legal to just drop a trap and catch crabs. Around here, you need a license to lobster. Sounds very Wild (don't call it Pacific north) West to me.

Is there a Canadian spelling of "straits" that I need to know about? Or am I seeing autocorrect when I read "straights." When I move, I do plan to assimilate and be a good citizen.

Ports and Passes is just a glorified Tide/current chart. You need to buy a new one every year. I use it but I wouldn't get one until I am actually on the boat.

You do need an appropriate fishing license for crab.

Straits... stupid autocorrect