SGI Here I Come...

The 5 day instructional cruise that I was hoping for is now firmed up. It begins on Friday, 9 June 2017 and finishes on Wednesday, 14 June 2017. There are 3 students taking the CSPA Competent Crew, Dayskipper and Coastal Navigation courses.

We have been assigned KalaKala, a Beneteau Oceanis 331. I know the boat well as my Family and I chartered it in 2014.

KalaKala - Beneteau Oceanis 331

Starting to get my curriculum and lesson plans in order. Here is a start on the outline of things that we will be taking on...

Of the many things that the students will have to plan for is when to go through Dodd Narrows. It is a tidal rapid about an hour from Nanaimo at the south end of Northumberland Strait. Due to its narrowness, besides going through at slack, you are better off to be sure that it is visually clear. There could be tug and barge traffic that will fill up the narrow channel and there is usually a queue of boats lined up going through in both directions.

Dodd Narrows

Here is an excerpt from Ports and Passes for 10 June 2017. It is the only tide table that anyone uses as it is DST corrected. It also has many more ports for tides and currents than the CHS tables. If you want to make a mistake - then use the CHS tables, you can always go wrong with them!

Large or spring tides can get up to 9 Knots maximum flow - so slack is the time to go.

So, a quick quiz - what is the earliest slack to go through in daylight on 10 June 2017? And what is the slack turning into?

For the same day - what is the time and maximum rate of speed for the Ebb and the Flood? And lastly - what is the direction of the Ebb, and the Flood?

I know that a good time will be had by all.