Well I'm home today, having completed my trip with a friend from Vancouver to Barkley Sound and back.
For the long story you can go to my blog at dougsnewboat.blogspot.ca Parts I and II are up. More to come.
I have to say that having made the trip I would do a number of things differently next time.
1) For some reason I booked a slip at the Coast Hotel in Marina in Victoria on the way up rather than getting one in the Inner Harbour. On the way back we did the Inner Harbour and it was an outstanding location. Besides that, services for boats at the Coast are non-existent.
2) Don't go to Barkley or surrounding area in "Fogust." I knew there would be SOME fog out there but in fact we entered the fog a little way before Port Renfrew and pretty much had it all the way to Barkley and back to PR. We do not have radar and if I'd have known it was this bad I wouldn't have gone - both from safety and enjoyment perspectives. We considered waiting for better weather but once we got there the locals assured us it was normal in the month of August. The flip side to this was the winds were reasonable all the way and there was no "white knuckle" sailing. Even the fog wasn't particularly scary with careful use of GPS. Only issue was the crazy recreational fishermen in 22ft boats that scream around at 20kts. And the fact that we were in sweaters when a few miles away there was gorgeous sunshine and heat.
The Broken Islands were absolutely beautiful - even in the fog. So much to explore. My tips:
- Bring kayaks if you can. I almost bought one for the trip and I am kicking myself for not doing it
- Just as Waggoners says, stay at the Port Alberni Yacht Club in Robbers Passage. it is a little gem with very nice people. They have tapped into an unlimited supply of super pure spring water so you can fill your tanks to your hearts content AND have hot showers of unlimited length for $2 bucks a crack! It is so secluded it's almost like anchoring out but with some of the amenities of a marina.
- If you stay in Port Renfrew, be advised that a literal armada of sport fishing boats leaves the harbour at first light - and at light speed. Best advice is leave with them because if you try to sleep in, you won't. The whole harbour gets boiled up with their wakes. There is limited dock space available from the people who own the pub but it seems to be on the outside, broadside to the waves.
Lastly, Ganges Harbour on Saltspring Island is an extremely busy place. Even the anchorage is like a KOA campground. Nearby Monetgue Harbour would be my suggestion unless you're really wanting to explore Saltspring.
So, while the weather was disappointing and the days were a little long due to limited stops between Victoria and Barcley, it was a blast and a confidence booster. Best of all was the 9 knot downwind run from Sooke to Victoria. What a ride!
Thanks for all of your tips and encouragement while I planned this trip.
Cheers,
Doug
For the long story you can go to my blog at dougsnewboat.blogspot.ca Parts I and II are up. More to come.
I have to say that having made the trip I would do a number of things differently next time.
1) For some reason I booked a slip at the Coast Hotel in Marina in Victoria on the way up rather than getting one in the Inner Harbour. On the way back we did the Inner Harbour and it was an outstanding location. Besides that, services for boats at the Coast are non-existent.
2) Don't go to Barkley or surrounding area in "Fogust." I knew there would be SOME fog out there but in fact we entered the fog a little way before Port Renfrew and pretty much had it all the way to Barkley and back to PR. We do not have radar and if I'd have known it was this bad I wouldn't have gone - both from safety and enjoyment perspectives. We considered waiting for better weather but once we got there the locals assured us it was normal in the month of August. The flip side to this was the winds were reasonable all the way and there was no "white knuckle" sailing. Even the fog wasn't particularly scary with careful use of GPS. Only issue was the crazy recreational fishermen in 22ft boats that scream around at 20kts. And the fact that we were in sweaters when a few miles away there was gorgeous sunshine and heat.
The Broken Islands were absolutely beautiful - even in the fog. So much to explore. My tips:
- Bring kayaks if you can. I almost bought one for the trip and I am kicking myself for not doing it
- Just as Waggoners says, stay at the Port Alberni Yacht Club in Robbers Passage. it is a little gem with very nice people. They have tapped into an unlimited supply of super pure spring water so you can fill your tanks to your hearts content AND have hot showers of unlimited length for $2 bucks a crack! It is so secluded it's almost like anchoring out but with some of the amenities of a marina.
- If you stay in Port Renfrew, be advised that a literal armada of sport fishing boats leaves the harbour at first light - and at light speed. Best advice is leave with them because if you try to sleep in, you won't. The whole harbour gets boiled up with their wakes. There is limited dock space available from the people who own the pub but it seems to be on the outside, broadside to the waves.
Lastly, Ganges Harbour on Saltspring Island is an extremely busy place. Even the anchorage is like a KOA campground. Nearby Monetgue Harbour would be my suggestion unless you're really wanting to explore Saltspring.
So, while the weather was disappointing and the days were a little long due to limited stops between Victoria and Barcley, it was a blast and a confidence booster. Best of all was the 9 knot downwind run from Sooke to Victoria. What a ride!
Thanks for all of your tips and encouragement while I planned this trip.
Cheers,
Doug