Twelve nights on the hook in British Columbia

[Kings Gambit]

Just completed on Sunday 12 nights on the hook between Howe Sound (Plumper Cove) and Waiatt Bay (Octopus Islands) Provincial Marine Parks, BC. This included visits to Gorge Harbor at Cortes Island and Prideaux Haven @ Desolation Sound Marine Park. Gybing downwind into Desolation Sound on a 10-kt warmish breeze under pristine blue skies that day was an incomparable experience. However, the area appears to be the province of large power boats which dominated the anchorage at Prideaux Haven, and other nearby ones, by a huge degree. On the Hanse 495 we were the largest sailboat swinging at anchor there. The sail boaters related the relative difficulty of reaching the area from home ports as distant as Everett, WA. Gorge Harbour, though beautiful, is a bit overrated as a place to visit for long. It resembles a miniature Roche Harbor (SJ Island) but with fewer mooring balls.

Calm seas prevailed until the morning of our last Friday (Aug 18) when 20 kt SE winds associated with a front moved into the Strait of Georgia early that morning. I figured something was up on seeing 3 to 4 small sail boats scooting into Secret Cove while we were preparing to get underway. Immediately outside we were greeted with 15 kt while hoisting the mainsail to the 1st reef point. On reaching out into the Strait it blew 20-22 kt. Eventually we had to harden up to make an upwind course to Howe Sound which, before even our first tack, took us 7 n.mi. further from that destination than when we left the Cove!! We beat for a couple of hours in moderately steep 4 to 5-ft wind chop but eventually did the charter cruiser thing--rolled in the sails, and motored the 31 n.mi. to destination b/c of the requirement to have the boat secured by sunset. The single-line reefing was not set-up properly; i.e., with a line through the leech cringle down to the boom. So, the mainsail was baggy and did not perform well. (The f'in' boom was too high for anyone to fix it short a step ladder, so we punted there as well.) The two other sail boats we saw out there under reefed mainsail eventually came in behind our course near shore and motored as well. Overall, a very beautiful sailing venue.

 

[jssailem]

This sounds like it was fun. Keep the sharing. Pictures if you got them.

 

[Kings Gambit]

Entering Desolation Sound

At anchor in Prideaux Haven

 

[SFS]

KG, awesome pics, thanks for posting them. Pardon my ignorance, but is the boat pictured a chartered Hanse, as mentioned in the OP, or your Bavaria 38? I've never seen either in the wild.

 

[Terry Cox]

Nice. We just love our back yard.

 

[jssailem]

Very nice King... beautiful boat. Would you choose the boat again?

 

[Kings Gambit]

KG, awesome pics, thanks for posting them. Pardon my ignorance, but is the boat pictured a chartered Hanse, as mentioned in the OP, or your Bavaria 38? I've never seen either in the wild.

The boat is the 2013 Hanse 495. Very comfortable cruiser for three couples. Can't see 'em, but there are also teak decks.

 

[Kings Gambit]

Very nice King... beautiful boat. Would you choose the boat again?

Actually, a good question b/c I've been wondering the answer myself. Most likely not. The cost of it necessitates, for me at least, shared expenses among three sailing couples. It's not that easy to find the others to commit far in advance to secure that boat. I was just very lucky this time around. The boat itself as a model type was great, but this particular one needed some attention, such as much more chain (only 175 ft aboard), a foot switch or cockpit remote for the windlass, replacement of electric heads with manual ones, larger holding tanks (i.e., for the number of crew aboard), newer sails with straight lazy-jack system (not the pack) and boom cover, cockpit mic for VHF, and some CUP HOLDERS in the cockpit!! The electric-flush heads put too much water into the holding tanks with each flush as there are two fill cycles, plus they are noisy. Also, they were back-filling, so the jokers evidently needed replacement. There are a few other petty things as well.

The lack of much chain meant that we were on relatively short scope a few nights since most of the anchoring sites could be fairly deep, e.g., 40-70 ft. Calm conditions in well protected waters and good holding reduced most of the worry of that; but, of course, we were surrounded by rocks in remote places. The best place for anchoring was Waiatt Bay in the Octopus Islands Provincial Marine Park which was vast in space and shallow (e.g., 25-30 ft) even away from the shore.

 

[Kings Gambit]

Nice. We just love our back yard.

Yeah, you guys have it good--no dispute about that! Vast areas of exquisitely beautiful landscape; quiet, protected anchorages; services typically nearby but w/o the congestion of high population-density areas; nice, warmish summer cruising weather with many hours of daylight; AND--for the most part--NO BUGS!!! Only the occasional mosquito. Also, everybody (we met) in BC Canada was NICE, polite, and very respectful toward others.

 

[jssailem]

Actually, a good question

I lay awake nights dreaming them up.

I suspect it is the nature of charters that the boats will be outfitted but not always to the standards of an active sailor. Compromises.
I was wondering more on the lines of size for your trip. The fit in the waters you sailed. The handling. The Hanse has a great name for fit and finish. Do you think a boat like that could be rigged for solo sailing without too much compromise?

Sounds like you had a great time. The folks up here are nice. I think in part they know treating their neighbors nicely means when the weather takes it's toll you have a refuge.

When a plan comes together it is a reward for all the good you do... At least that is what I am told.

 

[Kings Gambit]

I lay awake nights dreaming them up.

I suspect it is the nature of charters that the boats will be outfitted but not always to the standards of an active sailor. Compromises.
I was wondering more on the lines of size for your trip. The fit in the waters you sailed. The handling. The Hanse has a great name for fit and finish. Do you think a boat like that could be rigged for solo sailing without too much compromise?

Sounds like you had a great time. The folks up here are nice. I think in part they know treating their neighbors nicely means when the weather takes it's toll you have a refuge.

When a plan comes together it is a reward for all the good you do... At least that is what I am told.

You might be able to handle the boat as a single-handed sailor. The boat has the set up for a self-tacking jib. Lines are led aft to the helm stations on both sides where they pass through Selden rope clutches. The main sheet can be trimmed from either side, but the main halyard leads only to the starboard side where the autopilot, and engine and bow thruster controls are located. Each line can then be trimmed using large electric winches. So, the mainsail could be hoisted from the helm station, and could be sheeted from there as well. It could also be dropped from there, of course. The jib is deployed and recovered from the port side but the rope clutch that makes fast the furling line cannot be reached from the port helm station. I think it would be hard to deploy and weigh anchor without a remote in the cockpit with a counter for length of chain veered. Sooner or later you'd get into trouble w/o that. You can maneuver in tight places b/c there are bow thrusters as I noted, which I used often. So, the length of the boat is not a problem in maneuvering; but, it has a nearly 8 ft draft with cast-iron keel and bulb. The rudder is very long, nearly the length of the keel, so one must be very careful backing up with such a deep spade rudder and with the depth sounder at the bow. Consequently, we did not stern-tie to shore or attempt to. The cuts going into the anchoring areas, such as Prideaux Haven, were plenty deep even at or near low tide to get in and out.

So, get out into the Malaspina Strait where there is plenty of room and deep water, winch up the mainsail, deploy the self-tacking jib, and beat, reach, or run half the day or all day single-handedly; not a problem. Then down the main, furl in the jib using the electric winch, enter your anchorage, find a spot--and....on this boat...you'd have to go forward, open the forward locker (where stuff is stowed), get out the Quick console, unpin the anchor at the forward end of the bow roller while leaning out over the pulpit, and then power down the chain (no gravity clutch) while reading the chain markings. IMHO--not good if you're alone. Not good even if you've got someone up there!! That would need to be fixed.

 

[jssailem]

Thanks KG... Now all I need is to win the lottery... or sell out and move onto the water - permanent. The Hanse yachts sure look like a replacement for a stick framed home. Maybe I'll just find a charter...

 

[Kings Gambit]

Thanks KG... Now all I need is to win the lottery... or sell out and move onto the water - permanent. The Hanse yachts sure look like a replacement for a stick framed home. Maybe I'll just find a charter...

I think living aboard in BC year round, at least comfortably, would necessitate a fully-enclosed cockpit or a pilot house. I saw three pilot house sloops that I remember; Gulf 37's I believe two of them were. A 1980's model built in BC, but no longer. The ones I saw were in really nice condition. To enclose the cockpit on my Bav 38E with high quality materials would run near $8,000 USD, so I was told. Also, of course, heat is needed. One broker I talked to told me that the new Dufours use "piped" water to heat the boat, and that is zonally (within the boat) controlled. Not the air blower type of Espar.

 

[jssailem]

I installed a Wallas 40DT that was boxed in a closet of my boat when I bought her. The dealer serviced it. It had been sitting for about 11 years. They updated software, oiled and greased what needed to be greased, then tested it. Got it installed the summer of 2016 and it is amazing. Agree with the idea of a cockpit enclosure. Kind of like an enclosed porch on a cabin. Expands your usable living space.
The water heat or the forced air system is a choice of compromises. The water systems provide a way to heat a large portion of the boat evenly, but warm air holds more moisture. Nothing like cold sweat inside an enclosed boat. The forced air systems give you quicker heat, and help to dry out the boat by drawing in outside dryer air then distributing it.
I have found that insulation is a necessity. Often wonder if an infrared image of the boat in winter would be frightening.
We boaters want it all.

 

[Terry Cox]

Had fully enclosed cockpit before, but do not much care for the confinement; dodger and bimini for sure. Does not get that cold around these parts, anyway. Installed a Wallas 40D forced air furnace in 2006 and it makes winter cruising much more pleasant. Even in a blizzard never had to run the furnace on high to keep the interior comfortable.

No live aboard here, but while on shore power will run an electric space heater to keep the boat warm. That is what those who I know that live aboard do; space heater rather than running the furnace. Use the furnace while on the hook in some remote anchorage.

Hydronic systems are nice, but more complicated and more expensive, so one skipper that had one told me.

 

[Mark Maulden]

I lived aboard for 13 years across three boats. The first two had diesel forced air and the third had diesel hydronic. All Espars. While at dockside, we used electric exclusively unless a quick warm up was required. Marine heaters are maintenence intensive and electrical power in the PNW is cheap.

 

[Kings Gambit]

I lived aboard for 13 years across three boats. The first two had diesel forced air and the third had diesel hydronic. All Espars. While at dockside, we used electric exclusively unless a quick warm up was required. Marine heaters are maintenance intensive and electrical power in the PNW is cheap.

Well, it's not just about me. Me first mate generally needs it warmer than I do, and needs wind block (enclosure?) to remain in the cockpit when the temp is down and the wind up. If you've been living in SW Florida and Southern CA for the past 40 yr as we have, 60 deg F seems uncomfortably cool, and anything in the 50's most definitely so!!

 

[Michael Davis]

When you get your own boat up here you can get off the beaten track a little more. You spent 12 days on the most crowded water in the province! Bev and I went up to 10 days without seeing another boat this summer, and many anchorages with just 1 or 2 others. I agree with Terry Cox on the enclosure: unless it's blowing rain or snow. Then it's VERY nice. My side panels all zip off and go below when it's nice. All my boats have had Dickenson Diesel heaters and have been comfortably warm.( CT-37, Ericson 28+, Beneteau First 38 ) Unless you were planning to change your Bimini and Dodger as well I think the $8000 quote was very high( maybe he was really busy and didn't want the job) .
Re moorage: Kept the Ericson in Blaine for a couple of years before moving to the islands. Liked it a lot.
Powell River may be close to Desolation be there are 2 ferries. Comox is nicer ( IMO) and almost as close. 1 ferry.
Glad you guys had a good holiday, looks like you picked good weather too.

 

[free cruiser]

Been cruising , mostly full time, and living aboard in BC, for most of the last 45 years. Wood , airtight stainless stoves, and a thick coat of spray foam inside, along with a good wheelhouse, keep me super warm in winter. A couple of friends ,on boats I built or designed , say their boat is the warmest home they have ever lived in. Both have owned houses, for many years.

 

[John Nantz]

When you get your own boat up here you can get off the beaten track a little more. You spent 12 days on the most crowded water in the province!

Can't figure it out ... it seems everybody wants to go to "Desolation" Sound! It's probably the most UNdesolate place up here, well, except after the San Juans, I guess. The good news is, if "everybody" goes there then that will free space up at the other anchorages.

On another note, speaking of heaters, a couple things we like about the Wallas is how quiet it is, and, the thermostat-fan system. Set the thermostat at the temperature you want and once the heater reaches that set point then the fan speed slows down to maintain that temperature. There is no fluctuation with the temperature; it doesn't go from a low point, heater kick on, go to the high point, turn off, then repeat the cycle. It just stays at that temperature and there is no cycling so that makes it very comfortable.

The new model is called a "Viking Air" and from what I can tell it is the same basic heater with numerous changes, one of which is it can be controlled by Blue Tooth and the Internet. So if one is away from the boat but the temperature is destined to get into freezing the heater can be turned on from the smart phone; likewise, if one is headed for the boat it can be turned on so when stepping aboard and going below, the cabin is nice and warm. Now that is pretty cool. ... er, warm.