Vancouver to Prince Rupert by boat

[Tillthesunsets]

I have recently bought a boat in Vancouver and will be running it up to Prince rupert. Just wondering if anyone can give me any info on the trip? I have made the run before a few times, but years ago and I was not the captain of the boats.
The major info I'm looking for is:
Best places to fuel up/anchor or tie up for the night
Best route and tides tides to hit certain areas
Total distance and suggested time

I have all the paper charts, as well as gps but they are on the boat and I won't get a chance to go over them until shortly before the trip, so if anyone can help me out with some info it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Cuba Libre]

Its a great trip-- but like you, its been awhile since I did that run. All I can offer is to prep as best you can, listen to to others that have made the trip many times and GO FOR IT!!!!


What size boat and when were you planning on going?

 

[Hali killer]

What size boat? What type of boat?How far is your range? Time of year to travel? All factors make a big difference

 

[hambone]

Ive done the trip a few times but only for work and im not the captain lol. Youre looking at around 500 nm total distance. Depending on your range you'd be fueling in maybe Campbell River, Port Hardy, Shearwater. Starting in Vancouver I think all three of those locations are just about 100 miles apart from one another. I'm not sure where you get fuel between Shearwater and Prince Rupert if you would need it. I hope you're not doing the trip until summer lol... I'm writing this from a boat having just come down from Rupert in some really ****** weather.

 

[tubber]

It's about 460nm.

Port Hardy to the Mainland is worth finding a buddy boat for. Seymour Narrows needs the right tide. The rest is easy if you wait for daylight and good weather. Lots of cruising books available for anchorages, fuel etc....
Campbell River, Kelsey Bay, Alert Bay or Sointula, Bella Bella/Shearwater are the main stops, but there are smaller places worth seeing if you aren't in a hurry. If you want to fish it may take you all summer to get there.

 

[Halilogger]

If you have a I pad or phone down load the Navonics App. You can figure out your distances, anchor spots and, great App.. Made the trip in a seiner a few times but it was a few years back now..

 

[Tillthesunsets]

I'll be running a 26 Zeta with twin 5.7 Volvos, I think I have about a 250 nm range and I'll have a few extra jerries just in case.
I'm looking to do the trip by early april, though I know its not the ideal season, (I've been watching the weather for a few days and I'm sure your trip was a little rough if you just came down Hambone). If its 460 nm I'll probably shoot to do it in two or three days weather permitting and using every bit of daylight I can.

 

[Tillthesunsets]

If you have a I pad or phone down load the Navonics App. You can figure out your distances, anchor spots and, great App.. Made the trip in a seiner a few times but it was a few years back now..

Do you need an external gps antenna with the I pad? I have used Navionics on an I phone before and found it extremely unreliable.

 

[Tillthesunsets]

It's about 460nm.

Port Hardy to the Mainland is worth finding a buddy boat for. Seymour Narrows needs the right tide. The rest is easy if you wait for daylight and good weather. Lots of cruising books available for anchorages, fuel etc....
Campbell River, Kelsey Bay, Alert Bay or Sointula, Bella Bella/Shearwater are the main stops, but there are smaller places worth seeing if you aren't in a hurry. If you want to fish it may take you all summer to get there.

What is the best tide for Seymour Narrows? Major or minor? I won't have too much time for fishing, but I'm taking it to Rupert to fish all summer up there!

Thanks for the info everybody and any more advice is more than welcome.

 

[hambone]

You'd be best to time Seymour Narrows sometime near the start of the ebb, then you'd get an extra push all the way up.

Also your open water sections such as Queen Charlotte Strait all the way around Cape Caution, Milbanke Sound and Dixon Entrance you'll want to closely monitor weather that time of year, not that other locations can't get bad as well.

 

[mikep]

Check to see if they still sell fuel in heartly bay, otherwise Klemtu sells fuel. your longest haul w/o fuel will be bella bella to rupert. Remember to fill up in shearwater a fuel is .10/L chepaer than bella bella. We did vancouve to heartly bay in 15 hours a few years ago late may but that was with really good weather and not worrying about the tides. I am sure you could do the whole trip in 2 days.

 

[tortuga]

Go with the flood and hit Mittlenatch (roughly where the tides meet) at high slack and go with the ebb above thatyou will be going with the tide for over 10 hrs

 

[SeaWolf]

Also a good thing to remember is to never pass a fuel stop. I've been in Shearwater/Bella Bella when the fuel ran out a couple of times. There is no guarantee the barges that transport the fuel are on time or that demand may not have exceeded supply.

 

[Gunsmith]

That was the case with Hartley Bay last summer.

Also a good thing to remember is to never pass a fuel stop. I've been in Shearwater/Bella Bella when the fuel ran out a couple of times. There is no guarantee the barges that transport the fuel are on time or that demand may not have exceeded supply.

 

[captmike]

I have recently bought a boat in Vancouver and will be running it up to Prince rupert. Just wondering if anyone can give me any info on the trip? I have made the run before a few times, but years ago and I was not the captain of the boats.
The major info I'm looking for is:
Best places to fuel up/anchor or tie up for the night
Best route and tides tides to hit certain areas
Total distance and suggested time

I have all the paper charts, as well as gps but they are on the boat and I won't get a chance to go over them until shortly before the trip, so if anyone can help me out with some info it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

I've made the trip a few dozen times commercially. Interested in crab,prawn,clam salmon spots? Hot springs at Bishop Bay above Mckay reach-crabs there too. Steelhead at Indian r (just below Butedale) prawns in Khuts In opposite. There is sooo much to do, to see-take a week! pm me if you want details. Mike

 

[Tillthesunsets]

Thanks for all the info everybody, I'll let you know how it goes!