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South and North Pender Island are connected by the Pender Canal Bridge. |
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Take a hike and see this view from Mt. Maxwell, Salt Spring Island. |
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Marilynn Hale walks the beach, Grey Peninsula, Montague Harbour. |
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Setting up the stern-tie to shore. Conover Cove, Wallace Island Marine Park. |
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Here is the reef that must be avoided when entering Pirates Cove. Leave the beacon to port. |
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UPDATES FOR STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA & STRAIT OF GEORGIA, INCLUDING B.C.'S GULF ISLANDS
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Expanded Lighthouse Marina at Sechelt
April 14, 2008. New docks are being installed at the Lighthouse Pub & Marina next to the public dock in Sechelt Village. Note that this is in Porpoise Bay at the head of Sechelt Inlet, not on the Strait of Georgia. The long dock will accommodate larger vessels in side-tie moorage. On the other side of the dock, slips will hold boats from 16' to 40'. A second float is being installed beside the existing float plane float, for additional side-tie moorage.
Showers, washrooms, laundry and garbage drop are available. The pub has Wi-Fi, but it might not reach to the docks. Gasoline is scheduled to be available by June 2008 and diesel by summer 2009. A pumpout is planned for 2009.
Power is 15 & 30 amp, with too few pedestals to serve a full dock. Visitors should be prepared to live without shore power, or use their generators.
No VHF radio yet (we urged them to monitor ch 66A when they get a radio), so call the pub for information and to make reservations.
We didn’t test the fare at the pub the afternoon we were there, but the kitchen was busy and the waitresses were scurrying.
Dale Schweighardt is the manager. He struck me as a bright guy, and very friendly.
Tel: (604)885-9494
E-mail info@lighthousepub.ca
www.lighthousepub.ca
--Bob Hale
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New Assistant Harbor Master in Lund
April 8, 2008. On my recent car trip to update information on the Sunshine Coast, I had a delightful chat with Fran Lacey, the new Assistant Harbor Master at the Lund Harbour Authority Wharf. It was only her second day on the job, but she was busy swamping out the washrooms and showers, and keeping tabs on dock activity. I think Fran will be a good addition to the coast.
--Bob Hale
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Bowen Island Golf Club Revealed
April 7, 2008. In early April I finally had a chance to play the new Bowen Island Golf Club course, and it’s both a treat and a challenge. Bowen Island is a granite mountain set in the entrance to Howe Sound, just north of the city of Vancouver. Locals call Bowen Island “the rock.” It’s a big rock, though, with a base population of more than 4,000, higher in the summer.
The golf course was years in the talking and more years in the making, but in late 2005 it finally opened: nine exquisite holes, par 35, slope 130 from the blue tees, 126 from the whites, 119 from the reds.
The course is laid out on a mountainside, but as long as the ball stays on the fairways or in the rough, you have a good chance. Just beyond the rough is dense forest, which accepts golf balls but doesn’t give them up.
I played with Spencer Grundy, the general manager. Spencer is a really nice guy who just happens to hit 300-yard drives and 180-yard 8-irons. It was Thursday, men’s night, and play was a little slow. By the third hole we were joined by three Bowen Island residents, and we made a patient fivesome, waiting for the groups in front. The local guys were great, very friendly, and they didn’t hit 300-yard drives.
Spencer said that if you’re building a house on Bowen Island, on Thursday afternoons you shouldn’t expect any progress to be made. All the workers would be at the golf course. The man who gets the course ready in the morning had placed bouquets of daffodils on the red tees for the Thursday morning ladies’ times, which the ladies said was very thoughtful. He wasn’t nearly as thoughtful with the pin locations on the greens.
The greens, you see, are Bowen Island’s villainous little secret. The greens are fast, which is fine, and they’re beautiful to be on. Reading them is another matter. I can’t do much else on a golf course, but dang it, I’m a decent putter. I can lag the ball close and tap it in. Except at Bowen Island. I had four 3-putts and one 4-putt. The greens undulated this way and that. A downhill putt actually was uphill and would stop short. An uphill putt actually was downhill. On those fast greens (even faster in summer) the ball would roll . . . and roll . . . and roll. Invisible bumps and ridges would take the ball to where no man had gone before. “Tricky” is too kind a word to describe these greens. “Devilish” is closer. Spencer told me that everyone who plays the course has to be prepared for a 4-putt or even a 5-putt.
Although it was early April after a wet spring, there was no mud. I had a great time, and I think others will share my enthusiasm.
Summer weekend green fees are $29 for nine holes, $47 for eighteen. They have only six carts at this time, so most players walk. I walked, and had no trouble. Pull carts and rental clubs are available. BYOB—there’s no food service yet, or pretty girl in a beer cart. The course is about 15 minutes by car from Snug Cove. If you stay at Union Steamship Co. (see current Waggoner for details), the marina will give you a ride both ways.
Golf phone (604) 947-4653
Web site www.bowengolf.com
E-mail proshop@bowenislandgolf.com
--Bob Hale
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Lyle Harbour, Saturna Island Winery
March 17, 2008. Correspondent Ken Klett sent this information and photo.
Lyall Harbour, on the east side of Saturna Island in the Gulf Islands, is a beautiful bay, although it would be very exposed to westerlies. One of our skippers started the morning by catching a 20-25 pound ling cod. A large wooden sailboat [the wreck of the Robertson II] is aground and apparently abandoned on Minx Reef, with many harbor seals as an audience on the adjacent rocks.
The Waggoner’s description of Boot Cove seems to be very apt, although while exploring by dinghy we did not experience the high winds described. A local skipper working on his fish boat did warn of such winds, though, particularly in the winter months.
While exploring the harbor, I chatted with a local sailboater who extolled the good food to be had at a café on the road above the ferry terminal, and also the Saturna Island Winery (250-539-3521), that has a fine bistro at their vineyards. Having no practical way to get to the café, we decided to check out the winery for lunch. We set off in our dinghies around Payne Point for Breezy Bay, just north of Croker Point, about 3 miles or so. We landed at the winery’s private dock, no overnight mooring, located next to the Saturna Beach park dock.
A 15-minute walk up the road/path from the dock brought us to the winery. It has an extremely pleasant bistro building design, with a patio for outdoor dining and spectacular views over the vineyards of Plumper Sound & Boundary Pass. Good food, good wine and a classy bistro made for a wonderful lunch. We were told by the wine tasting bar manager that the winery bottles about 9,000 cases per year.
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Victoria Inner Harbour Pump-outs
March 17, 2008. The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority announced that effective February 1, 2008 a self-serve pump-out system is available on finger 2 west at Fisherman's Wharf at the mouth of the Inner Harbour. Tokens can be purchased from dock staff and at the marina office. In the summer season, tokens can be purchased from the fuel dock.
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Strait of Georgia or Salish Sea?
March 10, 2008. Gary Ritzman sent this to us. We try to stay out of politics, especially the politics of another country. But this proposal is an exception. It’s tokenism – nothing of substance is accomplished.
B.C. HAS STRAIT OF GEORGIA ON ITS MIND
Province weighs changing venerable West Coast place name to Salish Sea to reflect early aboriginal presence
MARK HUME
From Saturday's Globe and Mail
March 8, 2008 at 9:13 AM EDT
VANCOUVER — One of the oldest and most recognizable place names on Canada's West Coast will soon be changed if the British Columbia government adopts a suggestion put forward yesterday at a meeting of the First Nations Summit.
Under the proposal, the Strait of Georgia, named by Captain George Vancouver in 1792, would become the Salish Sea to better reflect an aboriginal presence that predates the first European explorers by thousands of years.
The name change was pitched to Aboriginal Relations Minister Mike de Jong by George Harris, a representative of the Chemainus First Nation, on Vancouver Island.
Mr. Harris said he thought the body of water between Vancouver Island and the B.C. mainland, which was first put on the map by Captain Vancouver to honour then-reigning King George III, should carry a name favoured by Coast Salish tribes.
He said renaming the famous strait would "show the outside world that there's a gesture on behalf of the province of British Columbia to recognize that we're the original inhabitants, the indigenous people of our land."
Mr. Harris said there are many places in B.C. "that are named after somebody or some thing that we can't relate to," and he pointed out natives were in the area long before Captain Vancouver's ships, the Discovery and Chatham, sailed through Juan de Fuca Strait, between the southern tip of Vancouver Island and the north coast of Washington State, and began to explore the inside waters.
King George III, who is best remembered for losing the British colonies in North America, and for going mad, had been on the throne for 41 years when Captain Vancouver applied his name to the strait.
But archeological evidence on the West Coast indicates aboriginal communities had been established around the Strait of Georgia and its southern extension, Puget Sound, more than 8,000 years before the Royal Navy showed up.
"It is time to get rid of Georgia," Grand Chief Edward John said in endorsing Mr. Harris's recommendation.
Mr. de Jong, who is currently trying to repair relationships between his government and natives, offered an immediate and enthusiastic response.
"I think it's a hell of an idea," he said. "I think the notion of reaching back into the province's true history, a history that actually extends far beyond 150 years ... is an idea whose time has come," Mr. de Jong said. "I like your idea and it fits with what the Premier and the government are hoping we can do."
Mr. de Jong added: "I am going to take your idea and take it around the block in Victoria," indicating he would put it before his cabinet colleagues in the provincial capital.
British Columbia is currently marking its 150th anniversary, but native leaders have bitterly complained they feel left out of the celebrations, which fail to recognize their long presence in the area.
The Salish Sea is a name natives have been increasingly using for the Strait of Georgia and it has been catching on.
When the federal and provincial governments put together an environmental action plan for the Georgia Basin several years ago, it was called the Coast Salish Sea Initiative.
In 2006, an atlas was published mapping islands in the strait. It was titled Islands in the Salish Sea.
But renaming the Strait of Georgia, which would require a formal application to the Geographical Names Board of Canada, may run into some strong opposition.
Not only is the name featured on countless nautical charts and maps, in tourism books and on the masthead of the popular weekly, The Georgia Straight, it is an important historical reference point for B.C.
Bill Blore, a B.C. representative of the Monarchist League of Canada, said he is troubled by the proposal.
"It's a terrible idea, and that's not to play down the significance of native culture," Mr. Blore said.
"But why are we always destroying our history? They could certainly name something else after first nations if they wanted to, and leave alone the names we already have."
He said there would undoubtedly be public complaints if the change were made.
"I think a lot of us feel we are losing our culture," he said.
Aboriginal place names are common throughout Canada (the nation takes its name from an aboriginal word, as does the city of Toronto) and renaming is not uncommon.
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Showers in Lund
February 29, 2008. Ann Snow, from SunLand Campground & Cabins (formerly known as “the trailer park”), wrote us a very nice note telling us the showers and washrooms at the park are for park guests only, and not for visiting boaters. Disregard the statement on p. 211 of the 2008 Waggoner.
Showers and washrooms remain available at the head of the Lund Harbour Authority dock.
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Intermittent Avalanches at Princess Louisa Inlet
February 11, 2008. Bob,
These pictures were taken on May 10 or 11 of 2006. Our only other visit to Princess Louisa was June 14-18 of 1999. Both times we saw this activity. I'm pretty sure it was snow, not a waterfall. Other people on the dock commented on it but no one knew for sure what was going on. My guess is an ice dam builds up over a period of time and then breaks, releasing snow and ice in a brief avalanche. It seemed to happen every few hours. At the dock we would hear a pop or two and some low pitched rumbling. It was well underway by the time we looked, so I'm not sure of the source. All was back to normal in less than two minutes.
The park rangers might know all about it but it just led to some wild speculation among our group.
Bruce Evertz
M/V Tapawingo
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Power & Water Now at New Victoria Docks
November 27, 2007. The new fingers and the pier at Ship Point in Victoria’s Inner Harbour now have power and water. The two fingers each have 4 pedestals with 2 x 50 amp and 2 x 30 amp each and water bibs. The pier also has two pedestals with the same configuration.
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Propane Refills in B.C.
August 27, 2007. Hi all,
We just got back from our summer cruise through the Gulf Islands and up to Princess Louisa, and I would like to pass on some comments that will help others.
Canadian fuel docks that advertise propane fills in your publication need more information. We found a large number of fuel docks will exchange propane bottles but have no method of refilling your own bottle. While this works just fine if your boat uses those 5- gallon BBQ bottles, many boats have special tanks sized to fit on-board propane lockers. Nanaimo (for instance) has only bottle exchange available and the nearest facility to refill your own bottle is the Husky station—a two mile walk. It would be very helpful if you could distinguish between "propane for sale" and "propane refills" in your next edition. . . .
Tom Friend
S/V Mystique
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Boardwalk Restaurant in Lund Re-opens
August 16, 2007. We just got a call from a Catherine Burton, a nice lady with a really thick Australian accent, informing us that they have purchased and re-opened the Boardwalk Restaurant in Lund. The poor Boardwalk has had a succession of owners over the years, seeming to alternate between good and bad. The last one was in the bad category, so if the pattern holds this one should be good. Cruisers, give it a try and let us know what you think.
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Go Slow in Pender Canal
May 15, 2007. The Pender Canal separates North and South Pender islands in British Columbia’s Gulf Islands, and connects Bedwell Harbour and Port Browning. The channel is narrow, with a dogleg turn near the south end. The canal is crossed by a bridge with 27 feet of clearance at high water, which keeps most sailboats out. The following item describes erosion to the banks of the canal, which appears to be reaching critical levels.
FROM THE INTER-AGENCY CANAL CONSERVATION COMMITTEE of the PENDER ISLANDS, B.C.
Dear Yacht Club members and recreational boaters planning to visit the Pender Islands in British Columbia:
WE ARE REQUESTING ASSISTANCE from the boating community to help control the erosion of the canal banks between North and South Pender Islands.
The increase in boat traffic, speed, wake and tidal action over the years has severely eroded a sensitive ecological and heritage area. The banks and trees are being washed into the waterway between the Islands. Some of the banks on the south side have receded up to 25 feet and on the north side archeological artifacts are being lost.
We do not have control over tidal action and winter storm surges but we all have control over speed and wake as we pass through this area. In addition, as boat traffic continues to increase we have growing concerns for the safety of smaller vessels, kayaks and dinghies.
You will see new speed signs to slow down to 5 knots. Due to strong currents, this is sometimes difficult but at least be aware of your `wake' and its effect on the surrounding environment. Please slow down well before you enter either approach to the canal.
Put a brake on your wake for the sake of the canal!
Thank you all for your help.
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False Creek Anchoring Permit System Starts Aug. 1
July 7, 2006. The new False Creek anchoring permit system will go into effect August 1, 2006. The free permits will be required for any boat anchoring in Vancouver's False Creek overnight or for more than eight hours during the day. From April 1 to September 30, boaters will be able to anchor up to 14 days (during a 30 day period). Permits will be available from the Vancouver Boating Welcome Centre located at the False Creek Yacht Club, on the north shore of False Creek just under the Granville Bridge. For more information, see the link at http://www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/pac/2006/06-p06e.htm.
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Esquimalt Harbour Reporting Requirement
November 14, 2005. All vessels entering or departing Esquimalt Harbour are requested to contact QHM Operations on marine VHF channel 10 or by telephone at (250) 363-2160. This applies especially to pleasure craft.
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Navigation Help in Newcastle Island Passage
 September 27, 2005. In mid-August 2005, the beautiful 72-foot wooden yacht “Breanna” went up on Oregon Rock in Newcastle Island Passage, the narrow channel that separates Newcastle Island from the city of Nanaimo. This was not the first such grounding by any means, but it was one of the more notable. Following the grounding, I wrote an e-mail to the Canadian Coast Guard, suggesting a change that might reduce future groundings. In mid-September, Notices to Shipping reported a temporary buoy had been positioned close to Newcastle Island, opposite Oregon Rock.
Yesterday, an e-mail arrived from the Canadian Coast Guard, outlining not only my suggestion but several added measures they were taking to reduce the groundings on these rocks. My item and their reply are posted below, their item first. Each has been edited slightly, for appropriateness.
I am pleased that a thoughtful, respectful suggestion from the population (from an American to a Canadian agency, at that) can, when suitable, have an effect. Let’s hope fewer boats come to grief on these rocks. – Bob Hale
Dear Mr. Hale,
I have been asked to respond to you regarding the efforts of the Canadian Coast Guard and others to address the frequent groundings in the above Passage [Newcastle Island Passage].
After consulting with the Harbour Master, local marina operators, and the Canadian Power & Sail Squadron, the CCG [Canadian Coast Guard] will install two temporary starboard buoys across the channel from the port hand beacon and buoy. A local marina will track any groundings in the area for a full year in order to provide a basis for the Coast Guard to assess the effectiveness of the additional aids.
Other initiatives include:
- The Nanaimo Yacht Club has agreed to change its red dock lights to yellow
- We are corresponding with Canadian Hydrographic Service in regards to placing an enlarged inset of the area on the current Nanaimo Harbour chart
- The Sail & Power Squadron will undertake an information campaign to Puget Sound boaters
We appreciate your e-mail outlining your concerns about the Newcastle Island Passage. Thank you for your efforts to reduce the mis-interpretation.
Stacy Newcombe
Marine Aids Review Officer |Agente d'examens, aides à la navigation
Canadian Coast Guard |Guarde côtière
The Waggoner’s original e-mail
Dear Sirs:
I’m the editor and publisher of the annual Waggoner Cruising Guide. It’s the most popular pleasure boating guide for these waters.
I’ve heard a suggestion that a beacon be installed on Newcastle Island, roughly opposite the beacon marking Passage Rock, or somewhere between the Passage Rock beacon and Oregon Rock buoy.
A beacon on Newcastle Island may seem redundant, but boaters – especially the less-experienced pleasure boaters – might be more inclined to go between the two marks. Some of them, at least.
Note also that many of the visitors to Nanaimo are from Puget Sound, where the red marks are on the west side of the channel, for north to south red-right-returning. They don’t realize that in most of B.C. saltwater, red-right-returning is from south to north, putting the red marks on the east side of the channel.
The Waggoner publishes an italicized warning about Newcastle Island Passage, with instructions to pass between Newcastle Island and the nav aids. For next year our reference map of Nanaimo and Newcastle Island Passage will include a dotted line showing the correct course, and we’ll add an enlarged inset of that section, once again with a dotted line showing the correct course. We have a photo coming of the grounded Breanna, which we will include to show that danger indeed is there. We’re going to do all a single guidebook can do to help pleasure craft avoid trouble.
While the green nav aids are technically sufficient to mark the proper course, the hard evidence indicates the message isn’t getting through. Many channels are marked with aids on both sides; would it be possible to mark both sides of this particular passage?
Bob Hale
Editor/Publisher
Waggoner Cruising Guide
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Kudos to Madeira Marine
August 23, 2005. This e-mail just came in, thanking Madeira Marine for its service work. For those who don’t know, Madeira Marine is a repair yard in Madeira Park, Pender Harbour, east side of the Strait of Georgia. Rick and Karen King are the owners.
Rick,
On August 1 you came to our rescue by (1) being open on a holiday; (2) having a Sherwood P1722X pump in stock when even the Cummins distributor in Seattle didn't; and (3) fabricating a hose adapter for us on the spot.
I thanked you then and now that we are back home, I want to thank you again. We REALLY appreciated your dedication to serving the needs of boaters!
Our experience with you was one of the highlights of our summer cruise, and we're spreading the good word about Madeira Marine.
Steve Countryman
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Even Bikinis Welcome at Bedwell Harbour
June 27, 2005. Bring your swimsuit! The pool at Poets Cove Resort and Spa in Bedwell Harbour is very inviting but many boaters don't think to bring their swimsuit along on a cruise. Boaters have access to the pool and the rest of the resort when you tie-up at the marina.
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Butchart Gardens Cove
August 26, 2003. Here's a valuable piece of experience sent in to us by Fred Triggs.
We continue to enjoy using your guide. Two thoughts:
1. On a recent visit to Butchart Gardens cove we noted several vessels anchored between the boats on the buoys with stern ties out. It looked a bit close to us, but what do we know? We anchored in Tod Inlet and dinghied in for a delightful day at the gardens.
Later in the afternoon I noted with some envy an empty buoy. With considerably less envy I also noted one of the sailboats which had been anchored (see above) trying to recover his anchor so he could tie up to that buoy. The anchor wasn't coming. Worse, with his anchor chain taut up and down as he worked his engine and the wind blew, he was sliding back and forth across the inlet, narrowly missing the vessels moored to buoys. He had been at it for three hours and was about to add his own anchor to the junk on the bottom.
We broke out our anchor retrieval kit and with more luck than skill got his anchor back. I told him his anchor had a note on it saying, "Don't anchor here."
Reader's Digest version: There are submerged cables on the bottom of the cove. Anchoring there isn't a good idea, except possibly at the one anchorage inshore of the dinghy dock.
Silver lining: By the time we got him loose and tied to the empty buoy, another buoy had opened up. We got it in time to return to the gardens for the evening entertainment.
2. Our first stop in Canada was Vancouver, with a reservation in False Creek. As we approached False Creek we called Canada Customs on the cell phone. They told us they no longer inspect in False Creek, and to come to Coal Harbor, tie up anywhere, and call again. Wife called back to check for consistency. Same answer. Quick U-turn, transit to Coal Harbor, tie up at brand-new wharf in front of hotel, call in again to tell them we were ready for inspection. (Different) officer took all info over the cell and wished us a pleasant stay in Canada, with no care where we were or if we were tied up at all. Underway again to final destination at Pelican Bay Marina. Very accommodating. Wharfinger made at least four calls to us as her situation changed and did get us in. Loaded up at Granville market and wheeled the bags right up to the boat.
Keep up the good work. See you at the boat show next January.
Fred Triggs
M/V NORD LYS
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For more updates:
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• U.S. Customs Updates
• Canada Customs Updates
• General Updates
• Puget Sound & San Juan Islands
• Strait of Juan de Fuca and Strait of Georgia, including B.C.'s Gulf Islands
• Desolation Sound to top of Vancouver Island
• Central & Northern B.C. Coast
• West Coast of Vancouver Island
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