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Boating in Canada / Pacific Coast
Folks,
I usually boat mostly on the pacific rivers and lakes but every so often a trip in the sal****er around vancouver is on the schedule. I have been trying to find the following information: 1. An actual VHF channel list with description what you can use the channel for (canada). Everything I can find doesnt seem to match real life use ... Especially I need to know the channels a pleasure boat can use for pleasure without interfering with commercial or coast guard. 2. A list with marine gas stations around vancouver, howe sound, sunshine coast, fraser river 3. Literature which would tell someone where one can go in a small (19 ft boat) and where you better dont go because of tidal, currant or other dangers. Also descriptions with how and under which conditions to cross the georgia straight and cruise the sunshine coast. I picked up a book yesterday but it more or less had shightseeing info in it Any info is appreciated Matt (sal****er newbie with strong interest not to sink/drown |
#2
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Boating in Canada / Pacific Coast
3. Literature which would tell someone where one can go in a small (19
ft boat) and where you better dont go because of tidal, currant or other dangers. Also descriptions with how and under which conditions to cross the georgia straight and cruise the sunshine coast. Your shortest crossing from the English Bay area is about 15.7 miles from the buoy off the mouth of the north arm of the Fraser River to the buoy off the Gabriola Reefs (near Silva Bay and Gabriola passage to Pylades Channel). Run 214 degrees (m), from 49.16.6, 123.19.2 to 49.07.7, 123.39.3 19 foot boat? Good rule of thumb would be to try for an early morning passage, before the air gets hot and the thermals kick in. Calm seas, and a high steady or better yet a high and rising barometer. Never feel like you "have to" cross the strait regardless of weather. Acquire a VHF radio and do not start across the strait, even under conditions that seem OK, without listening to the weather report and forecast. By listening to the wind speeds reported at various stations, you can get a fair idea of how conditions are on the other side of the Strait. We often cross to Garden Bay from Nanaimo, and I listen for reports from Merry Island and some other stations before making the final decision to go or no. If you are crossing where there are somestacks visible on the opposite shore, see if the smoke is rising vertically or blowing off horizontally as soon as it exits the stack- that's an easy trick for figuring out what the winds are doing on the other side of the channel. Remember that when you hear "small craft warnings" that you aren't really a small craft. You're a tiny craft. Boaters with 40-50 footers aren't too proud to wait until conditions are favorable for a crossing, and most do. With a 19-footer, you almost have no choice except to pick your weather window very carefully. The current floods "up channel" to the NW and ebbs to the SE, so know what the tide is doing. If the current is flooding against even a moderate northerly, (typical summer wind), expect to encounter some choppier conditions. Conversely, much of an ebb against a southerly creates the same effect. If you're setting out without a lot of local knowledge, you might pick up a volume of the Coastal Pilot, or Sailing Directions, (whatever they call it in BC). |
#4
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Boating in Canada / Pacific Coast
"Matt Lang" wrote in message om... Thanks for the info What is the actual danger one is faced with? Current sucking you in the ocen? Wind sending you where you dont want to be ? Size of waves to sink you? If waves are the danger will it just eb uncomfortable or do they get big enough to sink a small vessel? Matt (Gould 0738) wrote in message ... 3. Literature which would tell someone where one can go in a small (19 ft boat) and where you better dont go because of tidal, currant or other dangers. Also descriptions with how and under which conditions to cross the georgia straight and cruise the sunshine coast. Your shortest crossing from the English Bay area is about 15.7 miles from the buoy off the mouth of the north arm of the Fraser River to the buoy off the Gabriola Reefs (near Silva Bay and Gabriola passage to Pylades Channel). Run 214 degrees (m), from 49.16.6, 123.19.2 to 49.07.7, 123.39.3 19 foot boat? Good rule of thumb would be to try for an early morning passage, before the air gets hot and the thermals kick in. Calm seas, and a high steady or better yet a high and rising barometer. Never feel like you "have to" cross the strait regardless of weather. Acquire a VHF radio and do not start across the strait, even under conditions that seem OK, without listening to the weather report and forecast. By listening to the wind speeds reported at various stations, you can get a fair idea of how conditions are on the other side of the Strait. We often cross to Garden Bay from Nanaimo, and I listen for reports from Merry Island and some other stations before making the final decision to go or no. If you are crossing where there are somestacks visible on the opposite shore, see if the smoke is rising vertically or blowing off horizontally as soon as it exits the stack- that's an easy trick for figuring out what the winds are doing on the other side of the channel. Remember that when you hear "small craft warnings" that you aren't really a small craft. You're a tiny craft. Boaters with 40-50 footers aren't too proud to wait until conditions are favorable for a crossing, and most do. With a 19-footer, you almost have no choice except to pick your weather window very carefully. The current floods "up channel" to the NW and ebbs to the SE, so know what the tide is doing. If the current is flooding against even a moderate northerly, (typical summer wind), expect to encounter some choppier conditions. Conversely, much of an ebb against a southerly creates the same effect. If you're setting out without a lot of local knowledge, you might pick up a volume of the Coastal Pilot, or Sailing Directions, (whatever they call it in BC). Wind causes waves. Nasty short period waves. They can either or both fill the boat with water, or flip the boat. Neither is a good thing to have happen. Especially in cold water. |
#5
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Boating in Canada / Pacific Coast
On Sun, 08 Aug 2004 16:12:28 -0700, Matt Lang wrote:
Folks, I usually boat mostly on the pacific rivers and lakes but every so often a trip in the sal****er around vancouver is on the schedule. I have been trying to find the following information: I have seme REALLY OLD lists, but they're probably out of date. Vancouver Coast Guard might be able to tell you (Phone book, blue pages). Gas stations: Mosquito Creek, Coal Harbour, Horseshoe Bay, Gibsons, a few others. What can I say: I have a sailboat! (and buy gas for the skiff at a gas station). For boating in Georgia Strait: I bounced around there for a few years in a Campion 18ft. Listen on VHF weather channels or phone (604)666-3655 for weather information. The problem with G.S is the tides: they combine with even the smallest swells to give nasty, sharp waves. Some places to avoid where there's a flood tide and Westerly wind: - Mouth of the Fraser, North (Wreck Beach) and South (Sandhead) arms - Pt Atkinson and S of Bowen Island - Porlier Pass (!!) - Gower Point off Gibsons. Other than that, no problem. You'll find the center of the Strait is typically calmer than around the mouth of English Bay or certainly the Fraser. And possibly because there seems to be more flood tide than ebb in the Strait, a Westerly wind creates more waves than an Easterly. One thing to add to what Chuck said: although it's closer to go across to Silva Bay, it's often calmer further south, as long as you avoid Sandheads, and Porlier when there's a flood tide. Lloyd Sumpter "Far Cove" Catalina 36 |
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