Preview of Things to Come...

Route of 2011 Course

Just over two weeks away is the big trip of the year - a 2 week circumnavigation of Vancouver Island. The chart above shows a possible proposed route that could be a clockwise or counterclockwise route - depending on prevailing winds on the Pacific at the time of departure.

Preparations and study for this ISPA Yachtmaster Offshore course have been underway for a number of months including refreshing my Celestial Navigation knowledge and skills. Other areas of research include tides and currents, hazards to navigation, fuel and provisioning locations and also safe harbour destinations should it be necessary.

The trip will begin from Nanaimo on VI possibly heading north through the night to Campbell River, passing through Seymour Narrows with stops at Port Neville, Port Hardy and an anchorage at Bull Harbour on Hope Island at the top end of the Island. After waiting for HW slack, we will be going around Cape Scott with an overnight stop at Winter Harbour just inside Quatsino Sound. After final preparations and provisioning the next major leg will consist of an overnight offshore sail southwards towards Hot Springs Cove. This leg will be the big one involving watches, Celestial Navigation and dealing with whatever the Pacific Ocean seascape has in store for us. After Hot Springs Cove with stops at Tofino and Bamfield, another overnight passage will take us southwards to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and a destination within Victoria Harbour. Almost done - the final remaining stops northwards may be in the the Southern Gulf Islands at Ganges on Saltspring, and Silva Bay on Gabriola.

Aerial View of Cape Scott

Photo above showing the ruggedness of the west coast of Vancouver Island looking back towards Goletas Channel.

14 days and some 750 nautical miles later - back home to Toronto.

Can't wait!!!

More to come on this...