DIY boatyard BC Canada?

[Slovak]

Have you considered Point Roberts?
https://www.pointrobertsmarina.com

You may need to call them about details, but in 2022/2023 both their marina and lift rates were very reasonable compared to the alternatives in the area. Crossing the border (to Canada) for a dinner out or to get parts may not be most convenient, but for the mostly self-sufficient boater this may be an alternative.

[Tsuru]

Originally Posted by massnspace

That’s a long haul out into open ocean and bar crossing….looking for yards not that far away.

Thanks anyway, good to know in case we ever go south….whats the name of the yard?

Port of Astoria boat yard
https://www.portofastoria.com/boatyard
The rate sheet is somewhere on the link. I've done the trip up/down many times in all 4 seasons. Ditto on the Columbia Bar. Don't hesitate to ping me if you need advice if headed this way.
Hope you find a great yard.

[gulfislandfred]

I bought a boat a Shelter Island, up the Fraser, earlier this year. Very DIY friendly, good community, coffee shop is a good place to meet the locals and get advice on who to hire and where to get things. Well stocked chandlery, with decent prices, and they can get pretty much anything overnight.

Also Stones and Newcastle Marine in Nanaimo. Chandleries nearby. I think Newcastle has the best rates.

[osprey877]

The good news about Shelter Island is the boatyard. The bad news is getting there!! It is 22km up the Fraser River from Sand Heads, so you need to time the tides correctly. My advice is to enter the River at Sandheads at least an hour into the flood current and then stop and clear Customs in Steveston, then overnight at Discovery Pier in Steveston Harbour. Cheap and almost always room. Head up the river the next day on the flood. There is a government website with the expected current direction and speed at each kilometre of the River. Use this to time your passage up the River. There is plenty of depth in the river, but Steveston harbour is shallow and you need to keep close to the north side where the wharves etc are. Also, Sandheads can be very nasty in a big ebb against a strong northwest or southeast wind. More of an issue when you leave the marina on an ebb. I moored at the Shelter Island marina for two years during Covid, so know the area fairly well if you have any questions.

[col50]

Originally Posted by mcpusc

have you checked Canal Boatyard's rates, in Ballard? they're still DIY friendly & not crazy prices. several chandleries & lots of marine businesses in close distance too makes haulouts quicker



edit: Hylebos Boatyard in Tacoma used to be reasonable rates & DIY friendly as well, i hauled there in 2018

Hylebos is no longer a DIY yard

[osprey877]

Originally Posted by osprey877

Th. There is a government website with the expected current direction and speed at each kilometre of the River. Use this to time your passage up the River.

Here’s the link to the site:
https://www2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/avdpt...g.html?page=pw


If it doesn’t work, Google “Avadepth”, then select reports. You’ll need to input the river flow at Hope, then select “velocity”. It’s quite a slick program. Steveston is at about kilometre 8 and Shelter Island is at kilometre 22.

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by osprey877

Here’s the link to the site:
https://www2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/avdpt...g.html?page=pw


If it doesn’t work, Google “Avadepth”, then select reports. You’ll need to input the river flow at Hope, then select “velocity”. It’s quite a slick program. Steveston is at about kilometre 8 and Shelter Island is at kilometre 22.

Yes, interesting web app.



The reference flow of Fraser River at Hope is easily obtained from the CCG Weekly Report pdf:
https://www2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Data/weekly/weekly.pdf?


Enter this flow here:
https://www2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/avdpt....html?page=pwl
in the user-defined box, then select "velocity", then "Apply".


Results are given in m/s. 1m/s is approx 1.94kn.

[capn ken]

Originally Posted by massnspace

OK got it.

We are planning to go that far north in a couple years, so mainly looking for yards much further south. But I will keep the info….good to know and thank you.

David
Seattle

Astoria has a very reasonable haul out and diy friendly attitude

[MJH]

Originally Posted by massnspace

Anyone have any recent experience doing DIY work on your sailboat in a yard in British Columbia, CA?

Yard prices here in the Seattle area have become “only for the wealthy.” We take our boat up to Canada frequently so maybe better to wait and do the work there?

Also. I assume it is ILLEGAL to paint the bottom on a tidal grid….is that the case? If not, any grids that allow this would be good to know about.

David Seattle

I don't see anybody mentioning Port Townsend Boat Yard. I have used them for many years. The city runs the yard which provides jobs to the local population. There is every level of expertise there you can imagine if you need help. I have been going there for years since my local marina eliminated DIY work. Besides, it is on the way north to British Columbia and you would be heading that way anyway. I stay on the boat while working on it and my wife comes up when I'm done. We then continue across the Strait.

It has become very popular as more marinas no longer allow DIY and you need to make a haul-out appointment. Also, if you need specific non-DIY work done you best schedule well in advance. Check them out on the Internet, Port of Port Townsend.

Good Luck.

[massnspace]

Originally Posted by MJH

I don't see anybody mentioning Port Townsend Boat Yard. I have used them for many years. The city runs the yard which provides jobs to the local population. There is every level of expertise there you can imagine if you need help. I have been going there for years since my local marina eliminated DIY work. Besides, it is on the way north to British Columbia and you would be heading that way anyway. I stay on the boat while working on it and my wife comes up when I'm done. We then continue across the Strait.

It has become very popular as more marinas no longer allow DIY and you need to make a haul-out appointment. Also, if you need specific non-DIY work done you best schedule well in advance. Check them out on the Internet, Port of Port Townsend.

Good Luck.

I have tried on 2 different occasions to call them. Once for a survey on a boat I was considering purchasing in the Port Orchard area, and once to work on my own boat. Called many times, left messages, called again, no call back, either time.

At this point in my life I refuse to pay any money to any organization that cannot find the decency to return a simple phone inquiry…..

Also. I just checked their rates. Not cheap. And they want to charge $63 extra for a “background check” before being blocked??? Wtf. I have nothing to hide, but I am not going to pay for a background check to work on the inside woodwork of my sailboat….

[Quilbilly]

Originally Posted by Slovak

Have you considered Point Roberts?
https://www.pointrobertsmarina.com

You may need to call them about details, but in 2022/2023 both their marina and lift rates were very reasonable compared to the alternatives in the area. Crossing the border (to Canada) for a dinner out or to get parts may not be most convenient, but for the mostly self-sufficient boater this may be an alternative.

We visited Point Roberts last summer and the Travelift was in pieces behind the marina and didn't look like it was going to be working anytime soon. I second using Port Townsend. They do get busy in the spring so plan ahead.

[nmccubbin]

https://freshwatermarina.ca/ in Campbell River is a good possibility
They handle sailboats well, despite the "power boat" image of the web site

My son hauled is C&C 27 there last year and we worked on it
Good supplies, machine shops etc in area

[Morris Wilson]

Shelter Bay is a good place. Also Race Rock Marine service is easy to get to in West Vancouver. They are on the internet. I would call and see if their lift well is wide enough for your Cat. I got a lift out, bottom clean and then sanded and painted the bottom of my Haida 26 myself and lived on the boat in the yard for two days and splashed on the third day. they have all the tools to rent and only charged for the amount of paint I used. Very DIY friendly. was under $600 cdn a couple of years ago.