Seattle -> Tofino -> Victoria -> Seattle

[andrewembassy]

Hey all -

Thanks to the advice in > this thread < I've come up with an itinerary for a trip to Tofino & Victoria in early June. The timing of the overall trip is dictated by tidal currents in the Strait; there's a fairly narrow window of outgoing tides in June. The stay in Tofino could be shortened if we have to wait a day or two to cross the strait; same with the day in Victoria.

Boat: 1977 C&C 34 MK1
Crew: 3-6, varying levels of experience (different folks on different legs)

OUTWARD LEG
Sat June 11 4am - Seattle to Port Angeles
Sun June 12 6am - Port Angeles to Neah Bay
Mon June 13 6am - Neah Bay to Uculet (Canadian Customs) to Effingham Island in Barkley Sound
Tues June 14 - Effingham Island to Tofino

TOFINO STAY
Wed June 15 - Fri June 17 - stay in Tofino, bumming around, working remotely, maybe surfing?

BARKLEY SOUND & RETURN LEG
Fri June 17 - Tofino to Some Island in Barkley Sound
Sat June 18 - Some Island in Barkley Sound to Another Island in Barkley Sound
Sun June 19 - Barkely Sound to Port Renfrew (if we have to), Beecher Bay (would require night sailing)
Mon June 20 - Port Renfrew/Beecher Bay to Victoria

VICTORIA, ROCHE HARBOR, HOMEWARD LEG
Tues June 21 - Bum around in Victoria
Wed June 22 - Victoria to Roche Harbor (visit/possibly stay with my Aunt & Uncle who live there)
Thurs June 23 - Roche Harbor to Port Townsend
Fri June 24 - Port Townsend to Seattle

Questions:
Are we just asking for trouble with the length of the initial legs? We could split the first leg into two days and do Seattle->Port Townsend->Port Angeles; I was thinking mostly that I wanted to get to Tofino as soon as possible, and it's no big deal to make it to Port Townsend in half a day.

I've been warned off Port Renfrew pretty strongly, so I think we'll be aiming to sail from Barkley sound all the way to Beecher Bay (or even Victoria). Hopefully with a tail wind and the current we'll be able to make it without too much trouble. For those who have taken the trip before, what was your experience?

[Panope]

It will depend on whether or not the prevailing westerlies are blowing in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. If they are, westward progress from PT will be very slow and uncomfortable. Favorable current may help with speed but the chop may be unbearable to beat against. That West wind usually picks up in the afternoon so an overnight in PT, and a very early a.m. departure might be a good strategy.

Certainly, do not squander ANY opportunity to make westward progress when winds are light. So if you arrive at PT, and conditions allow, KEEP GOING.

If you cannot make it to PA due to increasing westerly wind, an overnight on the hook near the end of Dungeness Spit (near the lighthouse) would be doable. I have not done it. It would probably be a rolly (but safe) night.

On the return, Barkley Sound to Beecher Bay should not be a problem as the wind is very seldom from the east. When I did that leg, I started from Bamfield at dawn and made Beecher Bay well before sunset.

Steve

[Stu Jackson]

It's a nice plan. First thing to do is to get rid of the specific dates. Work on a "window" or range of dates. You should know the old saw about schedules being dangerous for sailors.

[andrewembassy]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

It's a nice plan. First thing to do is to get rid of the specific dates. Work on a "window" or range of dates. You should know the old saw about schedules being dangerous for sailors.

While we will obviously take our cues from the weather, most of the crew won't be able to join for the whole trip, so we'll be picking people up and dropping them off at various places, which means we need the dates. I've built in flexibility at Tofino and Victoria, so we could show up earlier or later to either of those places and still be where we need to be.

[andrewembassy]

Originally Posted by Panope

It will depend on whether or not the prevailing westerlies are blowing in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. If they are, westward progress from PT will be very slow and uncomfortable. Favorable current may help with speed but the chop may be unbearable to beat against. That West wind usually picks up in the afternoon so an overnight in PT, and a very early a.m. departure might be a good strategy.

Certainly, do not squander ANY opportunity to make westward progress when winds are light. So if you arrive at PT, and conditions allow, KEEP GOING.

If you cannot make it to PA due to increasing westerly wind, an overnight on the hook near the end of Dungeness Spit (near the lighthouse) would be doable. I have not done it. It would probably be a rolly (but safe) night.

On the return, Barkley Sound to Beecher Bay should not be a problem as the wind is very seldom from the east. When I did that leg, I started from Bamfield at dawn and made Beecher Bay well before sunset.

Steve

Thanks for the info!

[MC2019]

I am a delivery skipper who operates in this area. Win and current are the two things to consider. I do overnight all the time in this area, and those are always the two things I take into consideration when planning my deliveries in this area. You can PM me if you want some insights.

Originally Posted by andrewembassy

Hey all -

Thanks to the advice in > this thread < I've come up with an itinerary for a trip to Tofino & Victoria in early June. The timing of the overall trip is dictated by tidal currents in the Strait; there's a fairly narrow window of outgoing tides in June. The stay in Tofino could be shortened if we have to wait a day or two to cross the strait; same with the day in Victoria.

Boat: 1977 C&C 34 MK1
Crew: 3-6, varying levels of experience (different folks on different legs)

OUTWARD LEG
Sat June 11 4am - Seattle to Port Angeles
Sun June 12 6am - Port Angeles to Neah Bay
Mon June 13 6am - Neah Bay to Uculet (Canadian Customs) to Effingham Island in Barkley Sound
Tues June 14 - Effingham Island to Tofino

TOFINO STAY
Wed June 15 - Fri June 17 - stay in Tofino, bumming around, working remotely, maybe surfing?

BARKLEY SOUND & RETURN LEG
Fri June 17 - Tofino to Some Island in Barkley Sound
Sat June 18 - Some Island in Barkley Sound to Another Island in Barkley Sound
Sun June 19 - Barkely Sound to Port Renfrew (if we have to), Beecher Bay (would require night sailing)
Mon June 20 - Port Renfrew/Beecher Bay to Victoria

VICTORIA, ROCHE HARBOR, HOMEWARD LEG
Tues June 21 - Bum around in Victoria
Wed June 22 - Victoria to Roche Harbor (visit/possibly stay with my Aunt & Uncle who live there)
Thurs June 23 - Roche Harbor to Port Townsend
Fri June 24 - Port Townsend to Seattle

Questions:
Are we just asking for trouble with the length of the initial legs? We could split the first leg into two days and do Seattle->Port Townsend->Port Angeles; I was thinking mostly that I wanted to get to Tofino as soon as possible, and it's no big deal to make it to Port Townsend in half a day.

I've been warned off Port Renfrew pretty strongly, so I think we'll be aiming to sail from Barkley sound all the way to Beecher Bay (or even Victoria). Hopefully with a tail wind and the current we'll be able to make it without too much trouble. For those who have taken the trip before, what was your experience?

[exMaggieDrum]

You are certainly going a long way with some long passages in a short time. Don't make it critical to get back to Seattle on your planned date if you run in to delays on the way back. A tight schedule can lead you to disrespect the conditions you can find along the way back. E.g. the currents around Race Rocks near Victoria can stop you dead in the water and even push you back. Be careful with your fuel as you may have to motor far more than you would like. Don't underestimate the patch around Point Wilson going between the Straits de Juan De Fuca and the Sound. It can be miserably choppy there if wind is against current. And, as noted crossing the Straits can be a challenge at times. It is a long passage.

I would recommend chartering out of Shilshole or Elliot Bay marinas rather than inside the locks if you can. They can add a lot of time going in and out and can be "adventurous". You would need two long lines for the lock handlers and lots of fenders.

Having said that, Tofino and Barkeley Sound are wonderful places to visit. Port Townsend is a favorite, and Victoria is very charming. All some of our favorite places.

[Tessellate]

I did basically this route last July, only over a longer period of time (added more destinations - had 4 weeks instead of 2).

Check out my blog (in the signature below) and search for "Tofino" and you'll find the two relevant posts. (pre-trip and post-trip)

We ended up scaling back our pre-trip plans by about 20%. If you haven't done a lot of long days of motoring yet, you might find you don't like that. You have some long days in your plan. Seattle - Port Angeles - Neah Bay is doable though. We did Seattle - Sequim - Neah Bay. Sequim shortens the first day and is a nice anchorage. Also, we rode the ebb to PT but hit the flood after rounding Point Wilson, which slowed us down a lot. Since tides don't last enough hours to make it all the way from Seattle to PA on one ebb, you'll need to fight some flood either on the front end or the tail end. Front end probably better (choose a place where the flood is weaker).

I don't know who told you off Port Renfrew, but we anchored there and found it fine. I did see a couple cruising guides said it might be rolly, but it was very calm for us. The Strait was basically flat that day in July for the return, so that may be why. Port Renfrew (aka Port San Juan) splits the return trip nicely. About 46 nm Bamfield - Port Renfrew, and about 42 nm then to Becher Bay. Or push on to Victoria for about 14 nm more, but if wind and current are up at Race Rocks by then you'll probably want to duck into Becher Bay for the night. Approaching Becher Bay and Race Rocks was the only time in the Straits we got high winds (25 kts). The rest of the time the wind was either calm (0) or light (5-8 kts).

Yes you could do Bamfield - Becher Bay in one day, but that is about 80 nm. And I like to sail. That's a very long day if you want to cover say half the miles sailing. With perfect wind it's doable but from our trip last year, it was rare indeed to get perfect wind for a whole day in the PNW in the summer. From Bamfield to Port Renfrew we had dead calm. And from Port Renfrew to Becher Bay we had dead calm and fog in the morning. 80 miles motoring in a 34 takes about 12-13 hrs. Like I said, the choice depends on how much you like motoring vs sailing.

Effingham to Tofino, and the return, are also long days. (even though the mileage doesn't look long, we found it took longer than we expected)

If I were you and didn't need to pick up crew in Tofino I'd probably skip Tofino and just spend more time in Bamfield, Ucluelet and Barkley anchorages. But you probably need to pick up crew in Tofino. FYI there is a bus to Ucluelet from the Tofino airport (but it's a little bit longer).

[Capt Phil]

I notice in your proposed itinerary that you did not include a stop at the hot springs off Tofino. They are on an island the name of which escapes me at the moment but there is a fine anchorage on the other side of the island from the hot springs and accessible by a split cedar pathway that was put in by the natives back in the 20's or 30's.
We discovered the hot springs in the 50's when I fished commercially out of Port Alberni on the Swiftsure Bank and was a relatively convenient stop for us to clean up after 10 days on the Bank with no shower aboard. There were 3 pools as I recall... the top one was too hot to get in, the middle was perfect temp and the bottom a little on the cool side due to it being located right at ocean level with the waves coming in to cool it off. Use soap only in the bottom one! Middle one is for soaking.
Not sure what the situation is now as it has been over half a century since I was out that way but I'm sure the locals can give you more details. It was swimsuit optional back in the day and frequented by some rather good looking native girls from the area. Phil

[Cheechako]

I think Seattle to PA is too long, but depends on tides etc. Personally, I never went to Neah Bay to go up there, just cross the straight from PA and save a day.
When in Barkeley sound be sure to go up Pipestem Inlet and spend a night anchored at the very end. Lots of wildlife on the beach there. otters sliding down the beach front, bears, waterfall etc.

[Adrian NAMT]

I agree with Tessellate re Port Renfrew.
If the weather is good you are OK. If you draw 6' stay well away from the dock. The cruising guides can show you a few small S wall anchorages on the way in if it is breezy and daylight.

[01kiwijohn]

Cruised that area quite a lot, over the past 15 years or so.
If you're just hauling out to Uclulet, and need an overnight stop, I'd prefer to anchor in behind Dungeness Spit. Forget Neah Bay, there's not much there, and the docks are just covered in ****. It's a nice overnight sail from Dungeness to Uclulet and, who knows, at that time you may just get a nice Sth or East wind. I've beat out there and it has been a pretty nice ride as the wind is moderate at night. Just stay well to the Nth of the shipping lanes and you'll have no worries, even if it's foggy.
Near Tofino, there's the hot springs, but it can be a whole day's project to get there. Tofino itself is nice, friendly and they're helpful. About a 45 min walk, out of town, will take you to the greatest salmon burgers we've ever had. And ice cream too!
Port Renfrew is a bit tight, but you can also anchor on the NW side, half way in, on a shelf, near the creek, where you'll see the campfires from the hikers, sheltered form the west wind.
Consider also, Sooke. there are two ranges you've got to line up on, but we've anchored overnight just behind the spit. Becher Bay is nice & sheltered, but the holding is not too good.
Esquimalt was an undiscovered (to us) treasure. Great anchorage, excellent holding, and a couple of dinghy landings where you can walk up the road and catch the bus into Victoria.
Best wishes for a great trip.
When in Barkley Sd. Pipestream (?) is nice, Lucky creek is better. also check the Broken Group, oh, and don't forget Bamfield. It is a good anchorage, there's a public dock, and teh people there are just the nicest around. You can dinghy back and forth to both sides of "town".

[northwestsailor]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

I think Seattle to PA is too long, but depends on tides etc. Personally, I never went to Neah Bay to go up there, just cross the straight from PA and save a day.
When in Barkeley sound be sure to go up Pipestem Inlet and spend a night anchored at the very end. Lots of wildlife on the beach there. otters sliding down the beach front, bears, waterfall etc.

I could not agree more. I take two days from Seattle to Port Townsend. I stop in Mats Mats Bay on the way up.

From Port Townsend either cross the Straits from there to Victoria or head further west to Sequim Bay and/or John Wayne Marina or on to Port Angeles. From PA if the weather is good to cross then do it else head further west towards Neah Bay. I know others who don't think much of NB but the museum there is fantastic, fuel fairly cheap and anchoring is easy.

From NB to Ucuulet is a long day but doable. I don't suggest Port Renfrew unless in a pinch because the swells just roll in there and there is nowhere to hide. Bamfield is better choice but further along. And most definitely if you are bothering to get to Tofino, you have to go to Hot Springs Cove. I personally find that area as interesting as Barkley sound and Effingham island etc. But that is just me.

Where there are strong tides and tidal currents I plan on about 6 hour days. Winds are usually stronger in the afternoon but currents may not be favorable then. Especially avoid strong tidal currents or winds opposing each other. That creates steep short waves that really slow the boat done, makes the crew unhappy and can make for a short trip and very long day.

[bratzcpa]

Hot Springs cove - If at all humanly possible, I would add an extra day up the coast from Tofino, and and extra day to get back. . . . Hot Springs Cove is an awesome adventure.

Lots of great anchorage spots in the cove itself. Then a 30-45 minute walk on the board to the natural hot springs. When I say "natural", that's just what I mean. It is basically a big crack in the rocks and you kind of scramble down to the hot water. very very fun and special!

We go every year- everyone we see always is wearing swimsuits. During the middle of the day, it gets kind of busy with day traffic from Tofino, but later in the day and towards evening, we usually have the whole springs (aka big crack in the rocks) all to ourselves.

~markb

[andrewembassy]

Originally Posted by exMaggieDrum

You are certainly going a long way with some long passages in a short time. Don't make it critical to get back to Seattle on your planned date if you run in to delays on the way back. A tight schedule can lead you to disrespect the conditions you can find along the way back. E.g. the currents around Race Rocks near Victoria can stop you dead in the water and even push you back. Be careful with your fuel as you may have to motor far more than you would like. Don't underestimate the patch around Point Wilson going between the Straits de Juan De Fuca and the Sound. It can be miserably choppy there if wind is against current. And, as noted crossing the Straits can be a challenge at times. It is a long passage.

Yeah - I think we'll ultimately play it by ear about precisely how we get to Tofino. If we are making great time when we pass Port Townsend then we may push on to Port Angeles. If we make good time up to Port Townsend then we should be going past the Pt Wilson rip just before slack tide, so hopefully the waves will be down enough, or we'll just give it a wide enough berth.

I would recommend chartering out of Shilshole or Elliot Bay marinas rather than inside the locks if you can. They can add a lot of time going in and out and can be "adventurous". You would need two long lines for the lock handlers and lots of fenders.

Having said that, Tofino and Barkeley Sound are wonderful places to visit. Port Townsend is a favorite, and Victoria is very charming. All some of our favorite places.

Our boat is moored in Lake Union, but we'll be going through the locks the night before we leave so we can get out of Shilshole without having to worry about a Argosy boat barging in front of us : )