Trailering to Port Hardy BC

[coolchange]

So my latest adventure (planning phase) is to cruise the Great Bear Rainforest area (British Columbia North of Braughtons)...and to keep it from being a really long trip (launch in Olympia or Bellingham) I am looking at taking the Blackball Ferry to Victoria and driving up to Port Hardy. So far it's looking doable..the ferry says my boat should fit..I need to verify beam does not exceed 9'6" and that the truck and trailer storage for a month won't break the bank...but what I don't know:
How are the roads for towing a larger than usual trailer
Are the Canada folks more attentive to "oversize" loads? (never a problem Portland to Oly or Bellingham)
Places to pull over for the night...parking lots, rest areas, RV parks etc. (Ferry gets in around 6PM and the drive is 6+ hours)
Any favorite spots once back on the water and heading North??

[DesertAlbin736]

Have you considered taking the Washington State ferry from Anacortes to Sidney? I can't answer for Port Hardy, as we've only been as far north as Comox by boat. Roads on Vancouver Island are as good as any. You've probably looked this up already, but here's the launch ramp at Port Hardy (screen shot from Google Maps street view). Note the sharp "break" angle in the pavement. Depending on the length of your trailer's tongue, could that pose possible problems with high-centering & dragging the trailer frame and/or tongue jack?

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Highway 1 and Rt 19 going up Vancouver Island are 4 lane divided roads as far up as Campbell River, then a good 2 lane paved road the rest of the way.

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There's a decent ramp & parking at Comox, but then you'd have to run Johnstone Strait and add many more miles by water.

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I hope you're thinking mid summer, because we spoke with some folks who were going to take their MacGregor 26X motor sailer up to the Broughtons along with a group of their friends in early June. They ended up not being able to go due to vehicle problems, but said the rest of the fleet got rained out the whole time.

[dkirsop]

I would recommend you launch at Port McNeil as this is the gateway to the Broughtons. I took my Albin25 up there 3 years ago. Port McNeil has a good boat ramp that is useable in all tides. I parked in a private secure lot for $10/day; they charged less for non-secure parking. Port McNeill Municipal Marina referred me to the lot but I cannot remember the name.

Tie up at the municipal marina as it has showers and reasonable rates.

If you want to visit Sointula I recommend you leave your boat at the marina and take the ferry as a walk on. One day gives you the time you need to walk around and take in the community. There is only limited moorage and it is several kilometres from the town centre. Alert Bay has a good marina that is well set up for visiting boaters and they have an excellent museum of indigenous culture.

The roads are good all the way up the island. The Anacortes ferry is a good suggestion as it is roll on roll off where as the Blackball Ferry is side loading and will require tight manoeuvres to get on and off. BC Ferries from Tsawwassen to Nanaimo is another option that avoids the drive from Victoria to Nanaimo and is also roll on roll off.

You can see grizzly bears along the shore in the Broughtons but as with most natural events there is no guarantee of success. Here are some photo ops from our cruise:

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Typical Islet

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Lacy Falls in Tribune Channel

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Man With Halibut, Alert Bay, BC

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Grizzlies on Shore, Minstrel Island

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Bald Eagle on Shore, Port McNeill

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The Deck at Lagoon Cove

[DesertAlbin736]

You can see grizzly bears along the shore in the Broughtons but as with most natural events there is no guarantee of success.

We packed bear spray (pretty much the only "weapon" one can legally bring into Canada without special permits) just in case on our July cruise to Desolation, but we never saw any bears, neither grizzly nor black. In fact it was a bit disappointing (not that I'd want a close encounter with grizzlies) in that we didn't see any Orcas, moose, or much of any other notable wildlife either, except occasional harbor seals (harbour seals in Canada), otters, deer, and a few bald eagles. On past cruises we had seen Orcas and a mother and calf humpback whales down in the San Juans.

This is the closest thing to a bear that we saw.

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The Inside Passage between Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast should be on every boater's bucket list, whether you bring your own boat or do a bareboat charter. Just when you think you've seen the most stunning scenery in your life, around the next corner is something even more spectacular.

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[dkirsop]

Yes, Orca sightings were pretty scarce around here this summer. Lots of humpbacks but only a few Orcas. The federal government has recently committed $228.9million dollars to help protect and revive southern resident Orca populations.