British Columbia navionics route to share?

[OldDemps]

Does anyone have a favorite Navionics route or waypoints to share (import/export) for a 14 day cruise thru lower British Columbia gulf islands that I can import into my navionics iPad app??

Or suggested 14day slow pace voyage recommendation for first timer to gulf islands?

Departing next week. Anything helps

Thanks

[WillieC]

Follow your nose. Watch the tides and currents. Pay attention when crossing the straight. Talk to folks along the way.
Happy boating! We’ll want to hear all about it!

[coolchange]

Above is good advice and be sure to get Ganges on a port o call list and if you're a fan of gardens pick a way to get to Buchart Gardens (near Sydney)

[WillieC]

Butchart Gardens puts on a fireworks show on Saturday evenings, so I’ve been told.

[dkirsop]

Telegraph Harbour Marina, Thetis Island
Maple Bay, Vancouver Island
Genoa Bay, Vancouver Island
Pirates Cove, De Corsey Island
Newcastle Island, Nanaimo Harbour
Ladysmith Maritime Society Marina, Town of Ladysmith
Beaumont Marine Park, Pender Island
Winter Cove, Saturna Island
Montague Harbour, Galiano Island (mid-week recommended, too busy on weekends)
Sidney Spit, gorgeous beach not far from Town of Sidney
Port Browning, Pender Island
Russell Island, near Fulford Harbour
Portland Island
Cabbage Island
Moorage is free on first come first serve basis at Butchart Gardens. Todd inlet also offers good anchorage and access.


It might take more than one trip. This covers only the west side of the Southern Georgia Strait and only half of the possible destinations.

Enjoy your trip. Give me a call if you come to Pender Island, there are lots of Albins in this part of the pond.

[DesertAlbin736]

We're just coming off 3 weeks cruising the Gulf Islands after 18 days in the San Juans starting June 16th. Ditto everything Dave Kirsop said about all the Gulf Islands possibilities. This time we did Wallas Island, Montague Harbour on Galiano, brief stop at Ganges for ice & holding tank pumpout, Ladysmith for the BC Albineers rendezvous, Sidney Spit (twice), Brentwood Bay, Tod Inlet on the inside of Saanich Peninsula, Butchart Gardens by dinghy from Tod Inlet to Butchart Cove (helps to have an outboard for your dinghy), Port Sidney Marina & a bus ride to Victoria, Port Browning (twice), and a final rainy, windy night in Winter Cove on Saturna before crossing back via Georgeson Passage to US Customs at Point Roberts & finally to our haul out at Blaine. We are now 'on the hard' camped at Birch Bay state park campground.
So as far as navigating, we have our Garmin 741xs chartplotter which has touch screen controls. I can set temporary waypoints by simply touching the screen where I want to navigate to, going to the menu and selecting 'go to'. Therefore I don't have a list of permanent waypoints. Also I can pull up tides & currents on screen in addition to seeing what the charted depths are exactly where I'm at & have depth sounder reads on screen. The only reason we hit rocks was the Admiral had the con & got distracted. Luckily no damage done other than a few little nicks & dings on the keel & none on the hull, prop, or rudder.

As far as Butchart Gardens, yes go for it if you can on a Saturday if possible. The fireworks show is incredible. You could see the aerial display from your boat anchored in Todd Inlet, but that's only half the show. The other half is ground displays you can only see from inside the park. If you do, turn on you anchor light before you leave your boat, & preferably have a handheld GPS & running lights on your dinghy, cuz by the time it's over it's 'dark thirty'.

If you're thinking of trailering, Blaine has free long term truck and trailer parking if you register with the dock master. You can either check back in to US Customs at Friday Harbor or Roche Harbor if going into the San Juans, or if not at Point Roberts. But Point Roberts you have to have downloaded & signed in to the new CBC ROAM app on a smartphone, since Point Roberts is no longer manned by agents & only accepts check in via CBC ROAM app with video chat.

[DesertAlbin736]

On free moorage in Butchart Cove, yes but...it's 4 first come, first serve mooring balls that fill up early, no anchoring. Tod Inlet is just around the corner with lots of room for anchoring. Stern ties optional but not necessary. From there it's a 1/4 to 1/2 mile dinghy ride around to Butchart, so having an outboard for your dinghy makes a difference.

[OldDemps]

Thank you all.
My voyage starts 8/1
Seattle berth
Anacortes cap sante
Deer harbor marina
Ganges 2 nights via Bedwell Canadian customs
Montague Hbr
Telegraph hbr marina Thetis island
Port Sidney 2 nights
Roche hbr
Friday hbr
Seattle berth
I have navionics app route and waypoints to email if anyone wants them to download into your app.

[DesertAlbin736]

Bon Voyage! Dave Kirsop & Mike Symonds berth their A25's on North Pender Island. You can take the Pender Canal shortcut from Bedwell to Port Browning.

On San Juan Island also try anchoring in Garrison Bay around the corner from Roche & visit English Camp. Also in nearby Westcott Bay there's what looks like a commercial fishing dock where you can land a dinghy & go to the Westcott Bay Shellfish Co. restaurant for fresh clams & oysters, raw or grilled. Ladysmith on Vancouver Island is a nice stop too, short walk into town & there's lots of shops, restaurants, meat market, bakery. 49th Parallel grocery store offers a $5 shuttle to bring back groceries to the Maritime Society marina.