MacGregorSailors.com

BOAT wrote: ↑Wed Feb 12, 2020 8:54 am

Chinook wrote: ↑Thu Aug 29, 2019 4:42 pm The cruise around Vancouver Island has gotten my enthusiasm up for a trip out to Haida Gwaii. The 75 to 80 mile open ocean crossing of Hecate Strait is daunting, however with the right weather, and the boat/engine in proper condition, it's certainly doable. Ferrying the boat out there is another option, however with a $1000 + price tag for round trip with truck and trailer. Once out there, the cruising would be similar to the West Coast of Vancouver Island, with lots of sheltered waters to explore. I'm wondering if anyone here has had experience going out there. I recall a Mac owner who posted here from time to time actually lived on Haida Gwaii. Don't recall his name, but would like to get in touch. The fall and winter seasons are always great times to dream and scheme.

Make me understand - We drove our van all over the southern part of Vancouver Island and when it was time to jump off the Island we caught a ferry in Nanaimo that took us back to Horseshoe Bay for like 100 bucks! So your saying that if I have the boat in tow behind the van they are going to charge me a THOUSAND DOLLARS??!?

Holy Crap! That Sucks! I guess I will NOT be trailering 'boat' to Vancouver Island!

And I saw LOTs of Canadian cars towing Caravans on that ferry - I had no idea they were paying so much just to have their trailer with them!

Good info to know.

Don't forget Boat that's $1000 in Canadian peso's, so around $700 US round trip. I can't remember how that works with the Ferry's, one way is usually free but that might just be up the sunshine coast.

Okay, I understand better now - so one way in my van is 100 bucks so round trip should be 200 bucks - then the math sort of takes care of itself from there:

If round trip for just the van is 200 then round trip for the van AND the boat should be double around 400 bucks.

Add on top the fact that Hecate Strait is almost twice the distance of the Strait of Georgia and round trip doubles to 800 bucks.

Then change 800 Uncle Sam Bucks to Queen Victoria bucks and whammo - thousand bucks easy.

I get it now.

When I brought my boat over onto the Isl. on the ferry it cost me $250. Can . one way lol

Northern Ontario

Going thru the Prairie,s






Going over the Rockie,s


waiting in the line up to board the ferry
that was cheap Gas & motels cost me $2500.00 Can

J

Leaving the mainland



New home



J

What’s that red prop, John? I’ve haven’t seen that on your boat before, and I have pictures from the parking lot at some MMORs to prove it.

that was cheap Gas & motels cost me $2500.00 Can

When I travelled with my Macgregor I always slept inside my boat on the trailer at truck stops along the route. Motels?

Phil M

trip was over 4500 km it was late Sep. took me more than 2 days just to get thru Northern Ont. due to closed bridges under construction road detours onto gravel roads & lane closures spent a lot of time sitting in traffic along the whole trip due to every prov. having road construction on the trans can hiway I wanted to do this trip in 5 days trying to avoid bad weather so I was driving 14-16hrs a day non stop gas fill ups only so at the end of the day I,d pick something up for dinner have a few beers motel room get about 5hrs sleep shower & hit the road on my last day coming down the Rockies I was down to 15-20 km/h hauling the boat on ice & snow covered roads coming down the mountains 4days later u guy,s were stuck in 2ft of snow lol

J

FYI Chinook....interesting link from a m'cycle forum I frequent. Further down in this link is another called "Passage from hull"

https://advrider.com/f/threads/haida-gw ... t-37287836

mac n cheese wrote: ↑Tue Mar 17, 2020 2:20 pm FYI Chinook....interesting link from a m'cycle forum I frequent. Further down in this link is another called "Passage from hull"

https://advrider.com/f/threads/haida-gw ... t-37287836

Extremely interesting details about Hectate Strait. Wow!


Phil M

Definitely attention getting description of the extreme conditions which can occur on Hecate Strait. It's a body of water which deserves great respect. We've ventured forth before on other waters which can quickly get extremely nasty, such as the Gulf Stream crossing to the Bahamas, Cape Scott and Brooks Peninsula on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, and the Strait of Juan de fu@. My strategy starts with planning the trip for a month known to have the best chances for a favorable weather window. I look for a good starting point, where I can shelter in place, with good radio reception, while waiting for suitable conditions. Wind forecast and predicted direction of current is critical, and I try to time my arrival for mid afternoon at the latest. This usually requires departing in the dark, in early morning hours.

In the case of Haida Gwaii, we'd launch at Prince Rupert, and work our way down on mostly sheltered waters to Larsen Harbour, at the north end of Banks Island, which offers good protection and the shortest distance to Haida Gwaii (about 65 miles). The crossing distance directly from Prince Rupert to Rose Point on the northeast corner of the islands is shorter, but takes you over very shallow waters which experience more extreme currents. The Larsen Harbour to Lawn Point is a little longer, but the water is a bit deeper and the currents not as strong. We'll look for a crossing day with predicted wind strength of 10 knots or less. A little stronger wind prediction, up to about 15 knots would be ok if the wind and current were from the same direction.

If weather conditions lined up poorly for us, with an extended period of stormy weather, we'd alter our plans and spend our time in the vicinity of Prince Rupert, which affords an abundance of interesting cruising water.

Of course, all these plans are greatly up in the air right now, with the Covid 19 problems. Border crossing to Canada is closed, and services would undoubtedly be extremely limited until things improve. Preparing for such a cruise requires a great deal of preparation, which translates into time. I wouldn't want to depart any later than the first of July, so we'd need to see the border reopen be around June 1 if we're going to attempt a Haida Gwaii cruise this summer.

You guys are nuts - when I was there it was all chop chop and wind blowing near 30 knots!

AND THAT WAS IN THE MONTH OF JULY!!!

Storms can blow in any month of the year. July is just the most reliable month in Northwest waters. 30 knots is definitely a "no go" condition, even on a shorter passage. Key thing is having time on your side. Stationary fronts aren't too likely in that area, so a storm should pass in a few days. If extended forecasts don't offer hope, then it's time to revise the itinerary and explore more sheltered waters.