07/20 - 07/22 - La Conner, WA

Just for clarification. In 2012 there will not be a Bellingham CBGT? OR the Bellingham CBGT is going to be at LaConner?

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

3_Bellingham_Line_of_C_D_s_2009_917.highlight.jpg
 
No Bellingham gathering this year. we will how ever have a gathering at that same time period, July , in La Conner. There also seems to be a gathering the next weekend in Comax. Sounds like a good time to cruise for a week and hit both gatherings. Just need a sign up sheet. someone, anyone , beuller????
 
For all the experience Canadian travelers, what's the reality of La Connor to Comax and back, as regards total travel time. Comax is ~1/2 way up the island; that's a pretty significant distance.
 
What miserable weather we are having out on the Olympic Peninsula! Extremely windy and rainy.

Nice to see discussion about upcoming 'warmer weather' CBGT's as well as this weekend's SBS CBGT to give us something to help get by the coming months.

Tom..... if you are possibly considering Group activities, perhaps the nearby American Tug folks could host a tour. I might have mentioned this to you previously (getting terribly forgetful these days), but - if I haven't - please consider it as a suggestion.

See many of you this weekend hopefully.

Take care,
Dan, Tanya, and Hannah on C-Renity
 
La Conner to Nanaimo direct "over the top" of the San Juans is about 78 NM.
Nanaimo to Comox is 54NM

While that may be do-able given nice weather and a lot of gas you do have a customs stop and Dodd Narrows to consider.

At least one overnight seems to be called for. Nanaimo has the advantage of allowing an early start option (wind) as you have already cleared customs.

Being retired and in agreement with Barry's "Stately Pace" we will probably make two stops (= 2 happy hours + 2 meals + 2 "P" stops for the dogs)

Merv
 
I'll try to remember the sign up tonight. You do not want me doing it from my phone. You might end up in La Hacienda or something.
 
Mark , You could make it in a day or you could take a week. if we can get the time off I would leave la conner sunday at noon and fish, cruise, crab, explore, shop, and generally make my way up to Comax by sometime late friday afternoon. There is more then enough to see and do on the way up that you will not get bored. Maybe later I will write up a list of top spots to stop on the way. Or you could clear customs on the radio if you have the right cards and if the strait is flat and WG is closed you could bee line it to Comax ,144 miles, in 6 hours at 24 mph cruise ( my cruise speed). Info from navionics phone app.
 
For us, launching at Deception Pass and cruising at about 14KTs Nanaimo is a good full day, about 6 hours with reasonable water. We tend to clear Canadian customs at Poet's Cove, on Pender Island. We have also gone directly to Nanaimo and cleared there but I wouldn't recommend it as a routine, too many things can happen to make you land when you had not planned to thus inadvertently violating their customs rules, etc. The leg from Nanaimo to Comox is shorter but more exposed and you may be delayed more often by weather/tides. On a good day it should be a 3-4 hour trip getting you to Comox around noon. If the water is ugly along the way to Nanaimo there are lots of nice places to tuck into in the Gulf Islands where you could spend the night. So, about a 1 1/2 day trip either way.
 
OK. Thanks to Merv & Tom for the NM's. (I've been very busy studying for a promotional exam :roll: so I've done nothing boat oriented.) We're strongly considering it. I will put in for time off and it should not be a problem. M is another story. We may just do La Connor, go back home, trailer up north to Bellingham and go from there later in the week. My big concern is for weather to interfere since SOME of us still have jobs we need to return to. :wink:

I need to put in for any time off soon, so...
 
Mark, Stopping for a night in the Gulf islands would make it pretty cushy but still save you time if you don't have so much. You can run through the Gulfs all the way to Nanaimo then it is about 40 miles of exposure to the straight until you can tuck in behind Denman island and stay relatively sheltered until you reach Comox. We ran from Comox to South Pender in late Sept. in an easy 6 hours last Septemeber. And don't let Dodd narrows worry you much. Just avoid the worst times and watch for traffic and its a piece of cake in your boat.
 
Awesome. Like you, Barry, we tend to travel at ~14 knots; still plenty fast, easier on the kidneys and cheaper on the wallet. Thanks for the input too, Greg. This will be our first Canada trip, so any input is appreciated. Looking forward to it!
 
I have put in for vacation during this period and if the stars are in alignment I may be able to make my first gathering, can hardly wait. Next week will be putting in $5,000 in upgrades and this will be my chance to test them all out.

Don
 
Thomas:

Nice of you to volunteer host the event, wherever it winds up.

From looking over the responses, La Conner seems to be getting a lot of votes. If La Conner is where you decide to hold the event, let me know.

I am a Commissioner for the Port of Skagit which owns and operates the La Conner Marina. I might be able to coordinate some favorable handling with the 'powers that be'.

Kevin E. Ware
'El Gato Tomas'
Tom Cat 25.5
kevinkari@aol.com
 
I Have reserved the south dock, 1200ft of it, for the July 20th to the 22nd. As of now it will be $1 a ft per boat but I will be talking to the harbor master soon to try for a reduced rate. I will also be trying for a reduced fuel rate at the pump. the south dock even has a pump out and port a potty dump at the far end of the dock.

I'm still working on a rainy day back up for the pot luck ,but if not we will just have it on the dock while Berry and I do a rain dance on the roof of my boat. Lots of room up there. Maybe I can get a passing tribal crab boat to join us for the dance.

I will post updates as needed.
Click to expand...


Hi Again, That was a repost so all would know the facts. yes we are still going gather in La conner. Kevin I will get a hold of you in the near future.

Susan and I have been talking and thinking about things to do during the weekend. I was wandering what you folks think of the following ideas
1. crabbing party. Drop pots, raft up boats, B.S. while pots soak, pull pots and return in time pot luck.

2. booking a whale watching boat ( there is a fast one out of deception pass) for the brats that would pick us up at la connor. We would have to fill at least half the boat I would think.

3. c-brat guided tour of deception pass.

We are open to any other idea.
 
Hello Tom and Susan!

I would put in a vote to tour the local Tomco American Tugs factory. If Tomco had anybody around to host a tour of the American Tugs factory that would be cool to see.

The American Tugs are really impressive boats..... too expensive for us for sure but they are beautiful trawlers.

During the last Sequim Gathering Roger Clark arranged for a tour of a local Aluminum Boat builder..... it was pretty interesting!

Take care,
Dan, Tanya, and Hannah
 
We poked our nose into the Tomco, the American Tug Builders, office one day and asked about a tour. One of the owners appeared and gave us a nice hour long tour. We scrambled over and inside of two 41s that were under construction. Workmen made way as we poked in all the nooks and crannies. It was a wonderful look at a great boat and factory. Hope we can arrange to do that again.
 
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