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| Advice for a September Cruise
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October 8, 2006
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Bob:
I am poring over the 2006 Waggoner Cruising Guide trying to do my research for our upcoming trip to the Pacific Northwest but running out of time.
Come September 16 we will be chartering a 41 Bayliner from Anacortes Yacht Charter for two weeks. The first 5 days will be spent with the Commodore of the California Yacht Club on his 2006 Commodore's Cruise, taking us from Anacortes to Rosario on Orcas Island (9/17); to Friday Harbor (9/18); to Roche Harbor (9/19); and to Bedwell Harbour (9/20). On 9/21 we depart the group and are on our own until 9/30, when we have to return our vessel to AYC. We need a recommendation for 9/21 because on 9/22 we go to Vancouver as one of our group will be departing there to return to Los Angeles.
This will be our third trip to the Pacific Northwest. We would like you to identify some of your favorite places for us. We do not mind anchoring but marinas are most welcome. We would like to be in a different location each night. We have been to the following and we loved them all, and perhaps would go back to a few: Echo Bay at Sucia Island; Bedwell Harbour; Ganges; Genoa Bay; Roche Harbor; Friday Harbor; Reid Harbor/Stuart Island; Montague Harbour; Thetis Island; Pirates Cove; Bourgoyne Bay; Sidney Island Marine Park; Henry Island; Garrison Bay; Westcott Bay; Deer Harbor; West Sound; Orcas Island; Double Island; Port Sidney; Pender Harbour; Chatterbox Falls/Princess Louisa Inlet; Lund, Gorge Harbor; Squirrel Cove; Schooner Cove; Chemainus; Maple Bay Yacht Club.
We want to go a far north as Dent Island. We have not been to Desolation Sound per se, and Prideaux Haven is on the list. We would be most appreciative if you could offer some recommendations as where you would stay if doing the same trip.
Thanking you in advance.
Maureen Tieman
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Response
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Hi, Maureen,
You’ve certainly hit the hot spots in the San Juans and Gulf Islands. To me, your first challenge is getting from Bedwell Harbour to Vancouver. The Strait of Georgia can be very unpleasant when it’s windy. If conditions are good, however, you could go east through Boundary Pass and up the Strait of Georgia to Vancouver. We’ve done it -- once. It’s a loooong way in open water with no place to hide if the wind comes up.
A second alternative would be north through Swanson Channel to Active Pass, and cross from there. It’s still a long time in the Strait of Georgia. Prior to crossing, you could overnight on anchor in Glenthorne Passage on the north side of Prevost Island, or at Montague Harbour.
I would be inclined, however, to make Silva Bay, up on Gabriola Island, my overnight. It’s a charming run through the Gulf Islands, and you’d have the discipline of going through Gabriola Pass at slack water. My tide and current book is on the boat so I can’t be specific about the timing, but slacks occur approximately every six hours. A departure from Silva Bay is the shortest route from the Gulf Islands to Vancouver. Silva Bay has two marinas: Page’s and Silva Bay Resort. Silva Bay Resort has the easier docking.
Cross to Vancouver whenever you can, the sooner the safer. If September 21 is open, go. Spend an extra night in Vancouver. It’s not such a bad alternative. It certainly beats getting beat up on September 22, if that’s what the weather gods have in store.
For the trip from Vancouver to Desolation Sound, remember that a 20-knot wind, either northwesterly or southeasterly, kicks up an ugly 4-6-foot chop in the Strait of Georgia. You may get to spend an extra day in Vancouver. When you get good conditions, though, seize them.
Some stopping places on the way north: Buccaneer Bay, at the north end of Welcome Pass; Pender Harbour, with several marinas to tie up, or good anchoring in Garden Bay; Secret Cove. In late September you should find room at Westview if you need it, and at Lund.
I would go to Dent Island as directly as I could, then work my way home based on the time available and the weather. Note that the Yuculta (pronounced YEW-cla-ta) Rapids have sunk boats and taken lives (same with Arran Rapids, Gillard Passage and Dent Rapids). At slack the rapids are no-brainers, but at full force on a big tide they are deadly. Since you have to go through the rapids to get to Dent Island Lodge, you’ll need to time your arrival and departure carefully.
Fog can collect in these rapids. Be sure you are comfortable with Radar, GPS, VHF radio use and electronic charting if you have it. Two years ago I single-handed my way south in thick fog through Dent Rapids, Gillard Passage and the Yucultas, and when I finally popped out I was pooped. All boats wait for slack and all boats go at once, both ways. If it’s foggy, you’ll be busy.
Plan on anchoring in Desolation Sound. You’ll anchor in Prideaux Haven. Roscoe Bay is another good spot. You can tie up at Refuge Cove. You’ll anchor in Squirrel Cove.
If the tides are small, you may be able to depart Dent Island an hour or more before slack and go through Hole in the Wall to the Octopus Islands before Hole in the Wall runs too hard. You’ll be anchoring in the Octopus Islands.
Departures from the Octopus Islands must be timed for slack, either at Hole in the Wall or at Surge Narrows.
Above all, be flexible. Change your plans to fit conditions. Listen to the weather channel(s), especially for lighthouse reports, automated station reports, and ocean buoy reports. Automated and buoy reports often are updated hourly.
A report of 4-foot Moderate seas can seem anything but moderate when you’re in them. Coming home this year, Comox was virtually calm. The closer we got to Nanaimo the more the wind and seas built, until we were paying undivided attention to steering and navigation. It all looks so easy on the chart. But it can be anything but easy with the boat twisting around with rocks not far away.
By the way, I recommend Canadian Chart 3001 for planning and a sense of where things are. We use Chart 3001 (and Chart 3002 north of Vancouver Island) all the time. We can walk off 5- or 10-mile distances with our dividers quickly and easily, and know right away if the run from here to there is workable.
Have a good trip.
Bob Hale
Maureen’s Follow-up
Bob:
Thank you for taking the time to reply to my August 13 e-mail.
We had a fabulous two-week trip. The weather was almost PERFECT...it was perfect the second week.
We took your advice and left for Vancouver (9/22) from Silva Bay, where we arrived from Ganges on 9/21. Little rough from Ganges to Silva Bay, but not too bad from Silva Bay to Vancouver (Coal Harbour Marina was great and dinner at Cordero’s was yummy).
The sun came out on 9/23 and it was glorious for the next 7 days. We went to Pender Harbour (Garden Bay), Prideaux Haven, Dent Island, April Point (took the water taxi over to have dinner at Painter’s), Nanaimo, Poets Cove, Echo Bay at Sucia Island (after clearing Customs at Roche Harbor), then back to Anacortes Saturday morning, 9/30.
I prayed to every Saint I knew who any connection to the weather to help us out and they sure came through for me. We loved every place we stayed. We were a bit disappointed with the all the jellyfish at Predeaux Haven, but the stars that night made up for my not being able to go swimming. There must have been as many jellyfish as stars. It is always that way?
Just wanted you to know that I really appreciated you taking the time to help us out. And we love your Guide. There are So many places to explore that we didn’t get to. We’ll just have to go back.
Also, FYI our dear friends are Dottie and John Lynch, who appear in the Nordic Tug ad on Page 25 of the 2006 Waggoner Guide!
Regards to you and your wife and happy cruising. Thanks again.
Maureen
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