Want To Buy: Vancouver Island (West coast of Canada) charts

[PNWSalmon]

Hello, we are planning a Vancouver circumnavigation in 2020. If anyone has charts they would like to sell (or rent?), please drop me a line.


Thank you!

[yalla]

pm sent

[Cheechako]

I've done that trip, my charts are old, so not sure if you would want those. Great trip!

[PNWSalmon]

Thanks Cheeckako! Appreciate the well wishes.

[Cheechako]

How much time do you have? We had a bit more than 5 weeks, it seemed pretty rushed, especially near the end. We spent too much time going up the inside, the outside is so great but we had to hurry through some of it. If I had to choose I would have hurried more up the inside.

[PNWSalmon]

That’s great insight. I’ve had the same suspicion myself about the outside, so many amazing looking bays, inlets and sounds. We are allowing about the same, 5 to 6 weeks. I’ll keep this in mind.

[Steve Mason]

We circumnavigate last year in July and August. A month on the inside and a month on the west coast. The more time you can get in the west coast, especially the northern section, the better. Plus having extra time on the west coast will go along way to making your passages around the open water sections more pleasurable. We found the electronic charts accurate and packed only limited paper. We had trouble reliably receiving the Weather forecasts from Environment Canada via VHF so some other method of getting weather other than VHF would be recommended. Have a great trip. It’s a blast.

[Boatwright]

We cruise the Canadian Great Lakes region. There are many, many charts in the Canadian catalog, including many detailed island and harbor charts-- more than anyone could reasonably afford. I have never cruised the NW, but talking to those who have, there are many similarities -- rocky islands and close quarter pilotage.

We solved the problem by using a laptop computer and ordering the very reasonably priced chart set direct from the Canadian Hydrographic office. These chart files contain ALL the charts for a given region. Our MemoryMap software, along with an amazingly accurate GPS USB dongle, allows us a moving map display, an AIS interface, trip planning, etc.. Garmin type chart displays in addition to being very expensive, are noted for leaving out a lot of the fine detail that exists on the paper charts.

The PC display is an actual image of the paper chart, with everything shown. After using both systems, all I can say in favor of the Garmin type is the ability to have a small display at the helm -- useful for high speed powerboating, sailing not so much.

If you like to navigate on your chart table, you should check out PC based charts. And there is nothing better than enjoying a snug cove on a misty morning - good luck, and good sailing.

[MJH]

Originally Posted by PNWSalmon

Hello, we are planning a Vancouver circumnavigation in 2020. If anyone has charts they would like to sell (or rent?), please drop me a line.

Thank you!

I did a counterclockwise solo circumnavigation of Vancouver Island in 2002 in a San Juan 28, NOLHI (No Other Love Have I). We spent a week in late June in the Port McNeil/Port Hardy area with other boats waiting for Low pressure systems to pass before positioning to Bull Harbor...spent one day listening to a Coast Guard rescue of a fishing boat crewman. The notorious west side downhill ride was a bust as we only had one good day of sailing for the entire coast...maybe we were lucky. It was a memorable trip.

Those were the early days navigating with paper charts I bought in Nanaimo and a Garmin 45 GPS. I would spend hours plotting courses, picking off coordinates, and loading the Garmin. I still have the charts but keep them for sentimental reasons. It is so much easier these days with laptop charts. I use Coastal Explorer software now and get the annual Canadian updates for $99.

Make it a habit of checking the weather every morning before departing and catch the daily updates; I didn't have a cell phone then...perhaps there is some coverage on the West side now...so much faster than listening to the long VHF broadcasts...I used a number of them going up through BC to Alaska this year.

It will be a memorable trip. Don't be in a hurry.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[Kelkara]

Originally Posted by MJH

I didn't have a cell phone then...perhaps there is some coverage on the West side now...so much faster than listening to the long VHF broadcasts...

There is very little cell coverage on the West Coast of the Island ... The Quatsino lighthouse for some reason has cell service, but it can't be accessed from nearby Winter Harbour. Then there's nothing until you get to Clayoquot Sound, with cell service at Hot Springs Cove and Tofino. The signal from Uclulet can be received over most of Barkley sound including Bamfield, then there's nothing again until you get to Sooke and Victoria.

The coastguard VHF coverage is good, and I had no problem receiving the wx broadcasts ... it took me a month to go north up the west coast waiting for weather windows on the outside passages, but that was late May.

[Exctyengr]

I have a Canadian Hydro chart of the entire island good for planning but too small scale for close in navigation. Happy to loan it to you for the price of mailing. Also recommend the Dreamspeaker guide to Vancouver Island (www.dreamspeakerguides.com). Of course, be careful with weather, you are on a lee shore the whole way.
Just reply if you want my chart.

[Smokeys Kitchen]

We came down the outside year before last and I highly recommend the Dreamspeaker cruising guides for Vancouver Island

[Dooglas]

I presume you have a chart plotter aboard and wish the charts as a paper backup. In our Vancouver Island cruises, we have used a set of chart books that have done the job. For the US side, the Maptech Chartkit for the Pacific NW has been fine. For the Canadian side, the 2 volumes of the BC Coastal Recreation, Kayaking and Small Boat Atlas cover both sides of Vancouver Island and the Salish Sea.

[PNWSalmon]

Thank you all for such helpful and interesting replies. We will definitely be using our chart plotter for the trip but I’m a paper person, for planning, backup and peace of mind, it’s just how I was trained and makes me feel comfortable. We will be relying on iridium go and PredictWind for weather, though I’ll probably have the radio fax going as well just for backup. I’m not sure if I will pickup good radio fax on the inside.

Reading your replies has me feeling quite excited for the trip. I will look into the dream speaker guides !

[CaverCop]

I did a circumnavigation of Vancouver Island two years ago and had a great time. One day of gale force winds carried us a third of the way down the outside though.