On Fri, 06 Aug 2004 04:09:09 +0000, Melandre wrote:


My wife and I are now considering purchasing a used boat probably in
the 20' to 30' range. Although I am already actively going through
ads, I also realize that I know very little about the boating lingo,
the costs of ownership (maintenance, fuel, moorage, others) and travel
expectations. I am hoping that the boaters in this NG can answer some
of the many questions I have. Please note that I live near Vancouver,
BC, Canada and some of the questions may be more relevant to people
living in the area. So ,here we go…


Hi, neighbour! I'm in Delta, cruised Georgia Strait for 25 yrs or so...
Email me and I'll give you my phone number - maybe we can head out for a
day or so on the water.

1) technical terms : What's a leg? What's a
beam? (I wasn't kidding
when I said I was a newbie at this!). Is there a good WEB site which
describes some of the technical features of a boat?


I'd go to the library and check out a few books on Basic Boating. And/or
buy Chapmans (What's the name? "Chapmans Piloting" or something...). Then
take the Boating Safety course and get your Operators ticket - you'll need
it for your dinghy, and for the big boat in a few years.

Check out: http://safetyafloat.ca/train.html

2) With the understanding that all boats are not equal, is there some
magic way to 'guesstimate' fuel cost? The reasoning being that if I
can't even afford the fuel, then I should forget about buying a boat…
For example, if I was to cross from Vancouver to Saltspring Island on
a 25 footer, would I likely look at $25 in fuel or $200 in fuel?


There are basically two kinds of powerboats: "trawlers" and "planing". A
trawler goes THROUGH the water, a planer goes OVER it. Trawlers
go slow and use little fuel, planers go fast and use lots. Vancouver -
Saltspring is about 40 nm, give or take. A trawler would take about 5-6
hrs and use maybe 40 litres or so. A planer would take 2-3 hrs and use
maybe 150 litres or more. (each way)

3) Other than these newsgroups, are there other good WEB communities
(forums) for boaters and boater wannabees?


Haven't found any with a Canadian West-coast lean. can.rec.boating is
mainly Ontario, and this forum is mainly US east-coast (and US politics!)

4) Is it unrealistic (or perfectly feasible) to think that I could
simply cruise to the San Juan Islands from Vancouver? Can these boats
handle the normal sea conditions of the Pacific Northwest coastline?
Any idea, how long it may take to go from Vancouver to San Juan Island
(are we talking a few hours or a whole day)?


Not unrealistic at all. I cruised all over the Gulf Islands and Georgia
Strait in a 22-ft sailboat. Most days a 24-26ft powerboat has no problems
with the conditions (other times, I wouldn't want to be out in anything
under 40 ft!). One thing: Georgia Strait, Boundary Passage, etc. has HEAVY
tide rips and ship wakes that are usually more dangerous and uncomfortable
than the wind-created waves. Because of this, planing boats often have to
"come down off the plane" and go slowly, becoming inefficient trawlers and
losing their speed advantage.

A trawler would take pretty much all day to go from Vancouver to San
Juans. A planing boat would take anywhere from a few hrs to all day,
depending on sea conditions.

Remember, the San Juans are *US Waters*. You have to clear customs both
ways. This can be a minor inconvenience or a "ruin your life", at the whim
of the border guards. Once, the US INS was having a ****ing contest with
US Customs, and decided the people who cleared Customs on the phone had
NOT cleared Immigration, and seized all the Canadian boats in the San
Juans. Also, Canadian Customs will take any fruit or vegetables you buy in
the US.

Canadian Gulf Islands, or north to Lasquitti, Jervis, Princess Louisa
Inlet, or Desolation Sound are much safer (and more enjoyable!)
destinations. Hell, I even know some places in Howe Sound that are nice...

Finally: you might want to consider a sailboat...

Lloyd Sumpter
"Far Cove" Catalina 36