05/11 - 05/14 - Friday Harbor 2023

Catman":426bzmj1 said:
I'm thinking that on Sunday 5/14 we head north and my plan is to check into Canadian customs at Bedwell. I'd like to fuel up at Nanaimo before crossing Strait of Georgia. We can dawdle on the way north if we choose, and we don't all have to do the same thing. But I do want to be ready at Nanaimo to blast across the strait when the weather dictates.

I think a good mainland destination would be Garden Bay to top off and determine a timeline for our push to PLI. Let's talk.
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Thanks for that info! I'm currently looking into international travel emergency medical insurance. Something I've not done in the past, as our employers group coverage sufficed. However, I've learned that Medicare does not cover international care (I just switched to Medicare in March), and my supplement while covering 80%, has a life time maximum of $50,000 and does not cover evacuation or travel expenses. I'm likely going to go with a policy from GeoBlue, and starting out with two weeks coverage. Catman, any idea how much time we could be looking at in Canada? I can extend that coverage (assuming I'll have cell phone coverage) as necessary. Also, my plans were to be back home end of May, but I'm not leaving until I've seen Chatterbox Falls! :)
Also, are we looking at mostly going fast, or slow speed except times to get across large bodies of water? (Makes a big difference in fuel. For me it's a matter of a max of 200 miles or 450 miles on a tank.) I'm fine doing either, just trying to to get an idea of how much time it could take if all good weather days.
Colby
 
JoLee & I, may also join the group to PLI. For us it depends a lot on how JoLee is able to handle being on the boat during prior days around the San Juan Islands & Friday Harbor Gathering. Due to health problems, she has spent very little time on the boat, since our last SE Alaska extended cruise in 2018. Shortly after that cruise, she had extensive orthopedic neck surgery. We may continue on to Prince Rupert from PLI. The area from Nanaimo to Price Rupert is the only area, we haven’t boated, between Sequim & Skagway, Alaska.

With record snow fall & continuing snow & cold now, preventing the normal snow melt cycle, flooding here is a possibility, so also waiting to see how that goes before heading to Port Townsend to Launch. We hope to leave Wyoming by May 1.
 
Hey Jay. We may bump into you. Our tentative plans are to launch from Port McNeil about the third week of May. Not sure how far north we will get but planning for at least Hartley Bay. If we don’t see you there we have reservations at Yellowstone in July.

Prayers that Jolee’s health allows a great trip. Winter won’t end here either🙂. Ken
 
Ken, if all goes well by the 3rd week in May we should be around or north of Port McNeil, so maybe we will see you up there. If not, we will have the boat in Yellowstone for the summer, so will see you there.

Jay
 
Vancouver Island Update. It's still well below normal here as far as temperatures and today we went 'Shushshoeing" in the sleet instead of boating. We are hoping for a change in the weather for next week and hope to launch Monday near Campbell River about a week later than we planned. Campbell River had snow twice this week and daily gale warnings. Winds were to peak today at 90 kmph. We come here almost every April and this is the coldest spring in the 20 years we have been doing so. Let's hope for more normal weather soon.
 
Peter & Judy,

Before the possibility of flooding here at home we were considering heading up to Prince Rupert from Port Townsend in April & being back to Friday Harbor before the Gathering. As your situation shows it’s a good thing it didn’t work out for us. Twice we’ve left home for Skagway, Alaska in mid April & like you had a good road trips & cruise, though in 2012 it was a very cold wet spring in SE Alaska, but overall a great experience. Looks like the weather is going to improve for you with some sun by the 25th.

Jay
 
Peter & Judy, you're sure welcome to join us to PLI if that's what the weather steers you toward. It would be great to have you along.

And you're right about the weather this April--it sucks! In fairness, not every day feels like January. Yesterday was actually sunny and allowed me to go biking. But today it was 46 degrees, raining, and blowing SW 13 miles an hour in Seattle. Repeatedly cold and windy days this month has me thinking this: If on May 13th and 14th the forecast for the week ahead is calling for small craft warnings and rain, I'm going to want to spend time snug in the San Juans and Gulf Islands until the weather starts behaving itself.

The question was asked about how long we intend to stay out. I think we're comprised of boaters with varying agendas once at Princess Louisa. Several are shooting for the Broughtons, others Desolation Sound. Still others might have two or three weeks and I imagine will spend days at PLI and head south, or west back to the Gulf Islands. So I really don't know how this will play out after we reach PLI. I have a hunch we'll buddy boat with people who have similar agendas and time constraints. But I don't want first-timers to feel abandoned in this new marine environment.

My hope is that when we break camp on Sunday the 14th, favorable weather has us clearing customs and busting a move northward. I like the idea of an overnight at Newcastle Island (Nanaimo), where we're poised for a blast across the Strait of Georgia when the time is right. But some may want to linger in the beautiful Gulf Islands for a few days, which they can surely choose.
 
The question was asked about how long we intend to stay out. I think we're comprised of boaters with varying agendas once at Princess Louisa. Several are shooting for the Broughtons, others Desolation Sound. Still others might have two or three weeks and I imagine will spend days at PLI and head south, or west back to the Gulf Islands. So I really don't know how this will play out after we reach PLI. I have a hunch we'll buddy boat with people who have similar agendas and time constraints. But I don't want first-timers to feel abandoned in this new marine environment.

My hope is that when we break camp on Sunday the 14th, favorable weather has us clearing customs and busting a move northward. I like the idea of an overnight at Newcastle Island (Nanaimo), where we're poised for a blast across the Strait of Georgia when the time is right. But some may want to linger in the beautiful Gulf Islands for a few days, which they can surely choose.
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My plans will be to stick with you (Catman) and go all the way to PLI and Chatterbox Falls. Then spend two nights there, and depending upon the weather, make my way back to Cap Sante marina to head back home. I'm hoping we do mostly slow or hull speed travel, unless we need to get on plane to beat weather. But I can run fast if that's the plan. Once I leave to head back to Cap Sante, I'll likely run at hull speed unless weather predicts otherwise. Colby
 
My thoughts on the Princess Louisa Inlet cruise after the Friday Harbour gathering. My original plan was to head into PLI about the 28th April to catch suitable tides and hopefully weather. This was to be part of our cruise into Desolation Sound. However due to poor weather and high winds we have lost a week of time and now hope to tack some days on to the San Juan Islands cruise and get into PLI with the C-Brats. My original plans were to come in from the north via Powell River and then up into PLI in a two day period.

We are in the slow boat category as the views and sealife are very important to us. Normally we cruise at about 6 knots and sometime turn it up when we need to get somewhere fast or just for fun. We are always careful to have lots of fuel with us. We are in no big hurry to get back to Alberta other than to get the spuds in the ground, so a few more days of pleasure in the islands and inlets is not a problem for us.

I will outline my (flexible) plans so that others are aware of our preferences. I would like to leave Friday Harbour on the 14th clear customs at Bedwell Harbour and then travel north towards Nanaimo. My preference would be to do this in two days (unless weather dictates otherwise) and spend one night in the Gulf Islands. Conover Cove on Wallace Island could be a nice mid point. It is well sheltered, has dock and anchorage for several boats and some nice hiking trails. The next day we could go towards Naniamo. I have never boated around Nanaimo, so there are several options on where to fuel, dock and wait for a suitable time to cross over the straight of Georgia. A family member used to like to stay at Silva bay on the east end of Gabriola before his crossing to Gibsons. There is a marina and fuel here. The other option would be to go through Dodd Narrows (9.5 Kt current) and stay near Newcastle Island Park. Once on the mainland side, Garden Bay in Pender Harbour was suggested, but Egmont (dock & fuel) part way into Jervis Inlet or the Harmony Islands (anchor) in Hotham Sound would be a good starting point to go the final stretch up Jervis Inlet. This route and trip plan would take four days to reach PLI on Wednesday May 17. I would like to spend two nights there and it would be a nice place to be on my birthday May 19th. On the return journey we will have to get back to Ladysmith and I would likely take several days for this journey, stopping at Lasqueti Island enroute. We would likely put the boat back on the trailer about May 22 or 23. I hope this plan is similar to others planning to head north and that a few of us can group together for the voyage.

Boating in an Armada will be new to us as we normally go solo. It might be fun to do the trip in a big Armada, but a dozen or more U.S. flagged boats heading in formation in Canadian waters might worry the Royal Canadian Navy. A few smaller groups of boats I am sure will be much easier to manage and we might see each other coming and going in and out of PLI.

A few other thoughts and questions. Is there a common radio channel used on these voyages? The weekend of May 20 to 22 is the Victoria Day weekend in Canada and could be quite busy as it is the summer kickoff weekend up here. It might be best to be in and on our way out before a lot of weekend boats come in. We look forward to meeting many new people during this trip and at the FHG. Hopefully we will finally get on the water on Monday and will check on the progress of the plans in early May before we head south.
 
I like those plans Peter. I’m not sure why the concern with the Canadian Navy though. Aren’t there several large groups doing the Inside Passage at any one time? But I do think it’s easier for anchoring and docking with smaller groups. Colby
 
I like hearing that you folks are perfectly fine with slow-boating. Sometimes folks poke fun at me because I'm happy running at 2,000 RPM a good part of the day in the Gulf or San Juan Islands.

I'm happy to cruise with our out-of-towners and share some of the places I've loved for years. That'll be fun. At the same time, I expect a core group will boat together the whole way. Let's talk about this at length at Friday Harbor when everyone's present.

But once again I want to stress that the Strait of Georgia is a leg that I'll run at cruising speed (15 knots) if weather permits, and faster (19 knots) if it's variable winds.
 
Some of our friends from the South seem a little anxious about crossing the Georgia Strait for the first time. I was based on Vancouver Island and in 25 years of crossing the GS regularly (more times than I can remember) I have never had a problem. There may have been twice during a crossing that I thought to myself "I wish I was somewhere else"! But for all the other crossings, a piece of cake. Listen to the weather forecast, if it is a concern, don't go. If it is favorable, you go. When you complete your first crossing, you will wonder what all the fuss was about.
Enjoy the adventure, be safe, and have lots of fun.

Martin.
 
Martin, thank you for that. Your experience and wisdom regarding the Strait of Georgia is helpful. Let me add that I've crossed those 20 miles several times in my 16' Angler when the water was beautifully smooth. That really is one of my favorite jaunts when the weather cooperates.

We'll also want to talk about Whiskey Golf, the military test range not far from Nanaimo as we leave Departure Bay.
 
Steve, Pan-A-C'ya Steve and I boated about the San Juans and Gulf Islands for 18 uncommonly glorious days the first half of last October.
At that time we checked in at the Sidney customs dock. We had to idle nearby for about 50 minutes before our turn came to tie up and use the customs dock telephone. I don't think I'll check in at Sidney any time soon. Van Isle, one mile north, is a much better option.

We had our registration and passports in hand, ready to speak to the officials. Instead, it was unstaffed, we used the dockside telephone, and were asked pretty much the same questions I've been asked for years. Point is, it was once again routine. I don't think I needed to complete the ArriveCAN Ap online beforehand. (Though I needed to for my earlier trip north).
Feel free to correct me if I'm presently mistaken.
 
I crossed the border by boat 5 times last season, all without issues. Of course you will need your passports and you'll also want to check the Canadian Customs website for specifics on what you cannot bring into the country. Bedwell Harbour is my preferred reporting point and according to the CBSA website will be open starting May 1st from 9am-5pm. One thing I might add is that you don't have to use the dock phone, but rather sit comfortably in your boat and talk to using your cell phone. The number is: 1-888-226-7277
 
Steve and Joanie, good info on not having to leave the boat to use the phone on the dock at Bedwell. Does the phone number work for other entry points as well? That simplifies things a bit. Now if I understand correctly you did not use the ArriveCan App before you entered Bedwell Harbor? How about returning to the US. Any issues?
We were in Canada in July and used the ArriveCan App prior to entry and on upon returning to USA at Roche Harbor the customs officer made us download and fill out a similar App for re-entry. The App is CBP ROAM for re-entry. I'm hoping they've dropped these requirements.
 
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