I’ve been working on the route we will be taking this summer. In some respects it’s very much like planning a long car trip. You use maps to find the best way to go, decide how far you can go each day, and then look for services to keep you and the car fueled.
The First Leg, north bound. Otter Bay to Boat Harbor.
With cruising guides and charts at hand I’ve started to plot our daily course. I don’t plot by date, I can’t. Bad weather can hold us up at any number of spots along the way, even the day we leave Otter Bay. With a boat speed of 5-6 knots, we can’t outrun a storm, so we don’t expect to be anywhere on any specific day.
We are also at the mercy of the tides. I haven’t counted how many rapids we must transit on our way up, but each one must be dealt with in a particular way to keep boat and crew safe. There will be times when the only thing we can do is sit tight and wait for the tide to change.
We are also at the mercy of the tides. I haven’t counted how many rapids we must transit on our way up, but each one must be dealt with in a particular way to keep boat and crew safe. There will be times when the only thing we can do is sit tight and wait for the tide to change.
Boat Harbor and Dodd Narrows Detail.
Even on our first day there is a decision to make dictated by the tide. We will have to transit Dodd Narrows on our way to the port city of Nanaimo, but this pass is six hours from Otter Bay at best speed. That’s a long trip considering our arrival at the Narrows must be precise, with only about a 15 minute window where it is safe to cross.
Because of that timing and the long run, I think we’ll stop somewhere just before the narrows, most likely Boat Harbor. After a nights rest we can head for the pass without being in a rush.
Because of that timing and the long run, I think we’ll stop somewhere just before the narrows, most likely Boat Harbor. After a nights rest we can head for the pass without being in a rush.
Charted course from Boat Harbor through Dodd Narrows.
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