Selling a boat from afar (Canada)

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by wingssail

One point I'd like to make:



The West Coast of Canada is good for cruising 12 months of the year.



Temps are occasionally below freezing but not continously and snow is sporatic, rarely staying around more than two weeks.



By September the crowds dissappear. If you have good heater and can prepare Hot Buttered Rum...the winters are delightful.

I agree.

But now you're in Mexico....

We used to cruise a lot in winter. Our boat has 3 heating systems.

But not so much anymore: (i) we live in a ski town and prefer to ski in Winter, (ii) perhaps our 2 seasons in Mexico ruined us for BC winter cruising, and (iii) perhaps we're just getting old. [emoji3063]

But I agree, you definitely can cruise BC all year round, and outside of June to mid'ish September, even south BC anchorages are mostly uncrowded.

[Mike OReilly]

My plan (should we ever get over your way) would be to have us exploring the area and generally swinging from our own hook nine to ten months of the year. Then, during the worst of the "winter", tie up to a dock which is, hopefully, relatively cheap and available in the off-season.

[Scorpius]

This year we were in Laura's Cove (one of the most popular anchorages in Desolation Sound) for three days in June and were the ONLY boat in there. I've never seen that before. I have always avoided Desolation Sound like the plague (Covid?) because of the crowds.

50% or more of southern boats won't go through the rapids, and 50% of those won't cross Queen Charlotte Sound (immediately north of Cape Caution). Most pleasure boats north of Cape Caution are American heading straight through to Alaska. The Ahclakerho in Smith Inlet is a special, special place. Also Finis Nook in Smith's - although it's pretty close (but invisible to) the big logging show in Security Bay. Then there's Hakai, Fjordland, the Kemode bears on Princess Royal and Gribbell Island, etc., etc. etc. It really is a very special area.

Haida Gwaii is special too - but challenging to get to. Hecate Strait is so shallow that, in a blow, you can get gravel tossed up on deck. Nasty, nasty waves - and the channel into Skidegate/Sandspit is a real challenge to find and follow. When we were there a couple of years ago there were lots of boats - but almost all were local charter boats and kayak tour operators. People fly into Sandspit and go commercial from there. I think I counted only four private pleasure boats "from away" in the entire month we were there.


(I wanted to post a picture of a Kermode mama and her two cubs fishing) but it was too big and I can't seem to reduce it small enough).

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

My plan (should we ever get over your way) would be to have us exploring the area and generally swinging from our own hook nine to ten months of the year. Then, during the worst of the "winter", tie up to a dock which is, hopefully, relatively cheap and available in the off-season.

It very much depends where you are. Nowhere close to Vancouver. You'll be appalled at moorage costs around here. You have to go north. Port McNeill is a really great place.

[desodave]

Yes ... you can cruise year-round if you really want to do it. I know people that do Princess Louisa for Xmas. However, I've been struggling to find a few days to go out this month though ... it's been a miserable last few weeks. Today it's all red;
https://weather.gc.ca/marine/region_e.html?mapID=02
FYI Mike the winter rate at my marina in Campbell River is $9.41/ft per mo plus power, another $70/mo, and the rates apply mid-Sept through to the beginning of May. Not sure you'd call that "cheap" but probably less than further south. Probably some cheaper places around further from civilization but you'll want power on the dock ... solar doesn't work real well in winter here. And carry an electric heater to give your diesel one a break at the dock.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

I agree.

But now you're in Mexico....

We lived, cruised, and raced in the Pacific Northwest for ten years (additional years on previous boats).

Then we spent 25 in the tropics cruising the world. Now we're acclimatized. I still miss the beauty and excellent crusing grounds of the Pacifc Northwest, (however one thing I don't miss is milldew). And even chilly (not cold) days might be too much for us now. We still have our 11,000 BTU diesel heater and all of our warm clothes, but we're not going back.

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

My plan (should we ever get over your way) would be to have us exploring the area and generally swinging from our own hook nine to ten months of the year. Then, during the worst of the "winter", tie up to a dock which is, hopefully, relatively cheap and available in the off-season.

The hard part is figuring out which month is going to be the worst, weather wise. A cold spell can happen from November to March, snow anytime, and some of the nicest days with balmy weather have occured in January.

Photo: Yes, That is snow on the mountain behind Judy

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Scorpius

It very much depends where you are. Nowhere close to Vancouver. You'll be appalled at moorage costs around here. You have to go north. Port McNeill is a really great place.

It will come as no surprise, but I don't want to be anywhere near Vancouver or Victoria . Definitely planning to base far up-island, or way up the mainland coast.

Dave, that's not cheap by my standards, but certainly doable for a few months. Especially if I've managed to avoid docks the rest of the months.

Wing, good point about variable weather. I'm pretty resistant to cold. Remember, most of my cruising has been in places like Lake Superior and Newfoundland. Rarely warm, even in the heat of summer. So I doubt cold will ever be much of a concern. Now dampness... that might get to me. And long stretches without seeing the sun... that might get me down. Not sure.

[Scorpius]

Port McNeil is great. A little cooler than further south (different climatic zone as that area is cooled by water coming around the NORTH end of Vancouver Island). But the pub, shopping centre with supermarket, drug store, bank, library, liquor store, several restaurants, etc. are right across the street from the docks. Also good mechanics, marine supply, etc. Fabulous fishing and whale watching, and the entrance to Broughtons - and don't miss the U'mista Cultural Centre across the way at Alert Bay.

I'm confident there is lots of dock space there in the winter.

https://portmcneill.ca/

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Really? Is it that busy? . Maybe I do need to stay in Newfoundland. The last season I was on the boat (2019) we sailed something like 600 nm around the northern peninsula of NL. We saw exactly two other cruising boats over something like two and a half months. This is the kind of cruising I love.

It can be night and day from one month to the next. We usually cruise April-May and can go days and only share an anchorage once or twice. By mid-June it starts filling up and by July-August its a total zoo. It drives most of us solitary folk north or around the island. The beauty is you are usually only a day or two's travel from some solitude.

[redhead]

Originally Posted by Scorpius

Port McNeil is great. A little cooler than further south (different climatic zone as that area is cooled by water coming around the NORTH end of Vancouver Island). But the pub, shopping centre with supermarket, drug store, bank, library, liquor store, several restaurants, etc. are right across the street from the docks. Also good mechanics, marine supply, etc. Fabulous fishing and whale watching, and the entrance to Broughtons - and don't miss the U'mista Cultural Centre across the way at Alert Bay.

I'm confident there is lots of dock space there in the winter.

https://portmcneill.ca/

I agree with all of the above. We almost wintered over there but didn't have any info on extended Visas if necessary, so we decided to come back south and the voila' the Covid stuff descended.

Port McNeil has everything we needed and then some. You can take your grocery cart down to the dock and leave it, they collect them every evening. They even have a little community theatre we enjoyed immensely. We fell under the spell of Sointula on Malcom Island, just a 10 minute ferry ride away. It's an old Norwegian commune settled in the late 1800's early 1900's. Fascinating place if you go through the museum.

I knew as we got further and further north that the opportunities to be 100% alone for days if not weeks were increasing. I also realized that Pt. McNeil might be my last chance to do some "big town" provisioning for a while. We carry lots of fuel and water, but if we didn't I realized that we were entering an area where thoughts of food, fuel and water would become increasingly uppermost in our minds, for the budget's sake if not availability, something new to learn.

All in all I can't wait to see what above 51N which is my personal record.

[sv_pelagia]

Correction: Sointula originally settled by Finnish.

Mike FYI: Moorage rates at Sointula are cheaper (and quite affordable) at Sointula. Excellent facilities.

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

Correction: Sointula originally settled by Finnish.

Mike FYI: Moorage rates at Sointula are cheaper (and quite affordable) at Sointula. Excellent facilities.

Yes, Sointula is Finnish - and a wonderful, wonderful place - but with few facilities. I don't believe there's even a gas station. Pretty well everyone from Sointula takes the ferry over to Port McNeill for major shopping - and the marina is a mile from the centre of town and the ferry - which makes it awkward if you don't have a car.

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by Scorpius

Yes, Sointula is Finnish - and a wonderful, wonderful place - but with few facilities. I don't believe there's even a gas station. Pretty well everyone from Sointula takes the ferry over to Port McNeill for major shopping - and the marina is a mile from the centre of town and the ferry - which makes it awkward if you don't have a car.

But iirc they have free bicycles! And the oldest CO-OP there is!

Weird how some of us seem so taken with such a small out of the way town, but it really is one of my favourite places north of Johnstone.

But back to Mike's problem, the solution hit me in the shower: 2 boats! Ah if only...

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

But iirc they have free bicycles! And the oldest CO-OP there is!

Weird how some of us seem so taken with such a small out of the way town, but it really is one of my favourite places north of Johnstone.

But back to Mike's problem, the solution hit me in the shower: 2 boats! Ah if only...

Oh dear, I hope you weren't injured when that idea hit you in the shower

The bikes ARE marvelous - at least the ones in good repair - terrible colour though - and it's not easy to carry a week's groceries on a bike!

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

But iirc they have free bicycles! And the oldest CO-OP there is!

Weird how some of us seem so taken with such a small out of the way town, but it really is one of my favourite places north of Johnstone.

But back to Mike's problem, the solution hit me in the shower: 2 boats! Ah if only...

Sointula and Walter's Cove on the west coast of Vancouver Island are the two nicest little villages on the BC Coast - equivalent to old Newfoundland outposts, Peggy's Cove before the tourists, etc.