I am going to Powell River next week for 4 days for fishing and a family reunion and am thinking of boating over to Powell River in my 17 foot DE. Will be driving from Victoria to either French Creek or Courtenay to launch. Wondering if anyone has done this trip from either location as what pitfalls may arise or trouble to watch out for. Will be tying up to an anchor at Myrtle Point if weather permits as cousin has waterfront home.
Boating to Powell River from French Creek or Courtenay in 17 ft boat
- Thread starter Chero
- Start date
aheny
Well-Known Member
Just watch the weather forecast and I would say anything over 7 knot northwesterly or 10-12kt from the south and I wouldn't cross the Strait of Georgia. You definitely want to depart from Comox. Once you get to Texada the water is much more sheltered.
I've done that Crossing many times in a 13 foot boat Boston Whaler but always in light to 5 knot winds.
Obviously make sure you have all of your safety equipment including flares
I've done that Crossing many times in a 13 foot boat Boston Whaler but always in light to 5 knot winds.
Obviously make sure you have all of your safety equipment including flares
leftcoast
Well-Known Member
I also had a 17 Double Eagle and have made the crossing from PR to Comox and back before in it. The only pitfall I can see is wind it's a easy crossing if calm nothing to look out for. I don't know who will be in the boat with you (kids) but we have had some Northwest winds around for a while and it would be a slow bumpy ride honestly not fun in a 17ft boat.
So if the weather is good it's a nice boat ride if the wind is above 15km look out not fun. Also be aware Malaspina Straight can have different conditions then Georgia Straight.
RogersonCrusoe
Well-Known Member
My Parents live in Powell River, so I've made the trip many times - but on the ferry only.
My observations:
- South winds are the worst
- Light winds can generate large waves.
- The ferry can do the run in 1h15 minutes at 16.5knots (an idea of distance / time required to cross).
- No shelter available between Comox / Powell River aside from the tip of Texada
Once you pass Texada it's smooth sailing all the way to PR.
My observations:
- South winds are the worst
- Light winds can generate large waves.
- The ferry can do the run in 1h15 minutes at 16.5knots (an idea of distance / time required to cross).
- No shelter available between Comox / Powell River aside from the tip of Texada
Once you pass Texada it's smooth sailing all the way to PR.
aheny
Well-Known Member
I would definitely keep an eye out for Northwest winds. My dad's run the tugboat at the mill there for a couple of decades and all of his bad days come from that direction.
Left coast made a great point about passengers. That's the type of crossing that can make a wife or kid never want to go in a boat again.
Left coast made a great point about passengers. That's the type of crossing that can make a wife or kid never want to go in a boat again.
Northwest winds are the worst in Georgia strait. If light south winds are causing large waves, they are blowing against the tide.
thanks leftcoast I will be traveling by myself so that wouldn't be a problem. Is there a boat launch that you would recommend to launch at and could safely leave your truck and trailer at? Has anyone tried from French Creek around the back of Texada up to Powell River
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leftcoast
Well-Known Member
I don't know anything about launches from that side since I'm a PR guy.
sly_karma
Crew Member
^ Usually the western half of the crossing from Nanoose or French Ck is the rougher half, typically gets better once you are abeam of Sangster, some shelter from Lasqueti and Texada. But Malaspina Strait not a good place to be in southerly winds, it's a slow grind past Pender Harbour and across the mouth of Jervis Inlet. Watch the latter in any conditions, outflow winds from the interior may not be apparent elsewhere but it can really howl down the inlets. Best to stay well offshore to avoid the localised mess that occurs with wind and current at odds.
The answers you're getting have a theme - all depends on weather. 17 ft boat has taken me across the Strait and back a few times, but the weather has to be good. Aim for an early morning departure and listen carefully to marine weather forecast. Check online resources for actual wind speeds and don't go out in anything more than 7-8 kn. Whitecaps form at 10 kn and no 17 ft boat will be comfortable for anything more than a short run.
The answers you're getting have a theme - all depends on weather. 17 ft boat has taken me across the Strait and back a few times, but the weather has to be good. Aim for an early morning departure and listen carefully to marine weather forecast. Check online resources for actual wind speeds and don't go out in anything more than 7-8 kn. Whitecaps form at 10 kn and no 17 ft boat will be comfortable for anything more than a short run.
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Thunder21
Well-Known Member
You could launch in deep bay. But not on a super low tide. It puts you near denman island. I've done the trip from there to Powell a couple times and it's just over an hour of you cruise around 28 to 30 mph. I've also ran people across to the comox ferry from Powell and its 32 mins at 30mph. I would launch in comox if you can. I think seal bay may have a launch. From there it's a straight shot and about 18 miles to the dock in Powell. So to myrtle may be an extra 10 or 15 mins .
thanks thunder21 sounds like Comox is the place to cross now I just have to find a launch where you can leave your truck and trailer for a few days.
Thunder21
Well-Known Member
Ya try seal bay. I've never been myself but it's pretty quiet out there. Also windyty is a fairly reliable source to check winds. It seems lately the nw wind has been strong in the evenings and not too bad in the am. Bring crab traps , u may have luck around where you are staying.
Fisherman Rob
Well-Known Member
We did a trip across the straight from French Creek launch to Thormanby Island last summer in a 17' Double Eagle. Plan was to trailer from Victoria early in the morning and launch at French Creek by 10am. Weather forecast looked good right up to the day before, then turned iffy, forecasting a wind warning for the afternoon. We got there at 11am and wind was already building, probably 10, gusting 15 knots or more. We decided to launch anyway and check it out. Within five minutes of leaving the protection of the breakwater at French Creek, we turned back. With a 45 minute crossing, and a building wind I anticipated the ride was going to be rough and wet. I did not want to scare the passengers, although actually my kids were having a blast pounding through the chop, spray flying. We had a cabin booked for the night on Thormanby, so a hard call, but we turned back and spent the night in a motel in Parksville, hoping for a weather window the next day.
Early next morning it was beautifully flat calm, and sunny and we had a beautiful crossing. So have a plan B depending on the weather. Make the call early, don't get half way across and realize you're in too deep.
Early next morning it was beautifully flat calm, and sunny and we had a beautiful crossing. So have a plan B depending on the weather. Make the call early, don't get half way across and realize you're in too deep.
Pretty much as everyone has said watch the weather. We use the weather forecast from Sentry Shoal to let us know up to date what is going on in our region. Early morning crossing or sometimes at this time a late afternoon calm rolls over us here in PR.
There is a launch right in Comox just past the hospital and they have pay parking. It can get pretty busy at this time of year other site wold be Kitty Coleman just past Comox but there launch area you have to watch tides.
Hopefully you get some Comox anglers chime in with where best to launch
There is a launch right in Comox just past the hospital and they have pay parking. It can get pretty busy at this time of year other site wold be Kitty Coleman just past Comox but there launch area you have to watch tides.
Hopefully you get some Comox anglers chime in with where best to launch
Another launch option is at the Point Holmes boat launch, just 5 km NE of the Comox ramp. Only $5 to launch and free parking, although it isn't secured. You could let the volunteers know your plans and they won't call the search and rescue !
It isn't the best launch in any south wind, or at extreme high or low tides, but quite doable for a 17'. From the ramp you can look North around Cape Lazo and see what the sea conditions are, many times it is surprising to boaters launching in the lee at the ramp and then getting out to the Cape and find it's snarling. You may have read of the craft that sunk there on Monday, thankfully both on board were safely pulled aboard another boat. Enjoy your trip !
www.pointholmesrecreation.ca
It isn't the best launch in any south wind, or at extreme high or low tides, but quite doable for a 17'. From the ramp you can look North around Cape Lazo and see what the sea conditions are, many times it is surprising to boaters launching in the lee at the ramp and then getting out to the Cape and find it's snarling. You may have read of the craft that sunk there on Monday, thankfully both on board were safely pulled aboard another boat. Enjoy your trip !
www.pointholmesrecreation.ca
Just got back from Powell River last night. I drove to Comox from Victoria and launched at Comox Municipal Marina. It cost 12.50 to launch and 2.50 a night to leave your truck and trailer overnight. You must prepay at the launch and the machine takes credit cards, you just got to figure how long you will be away. Launching at low tide was a little tricky as I was alone and there is not much dock at low tide to tie up to. If you are to launch there and have a large boat I would recommend checking the tides first. The trip over to Powell River in my 17 ft DE took about 50 minutes cruising between 25 and 30 as the water was a little lumpy going to Texada Island but was flat once on the other side of Malaspina Strait, never felt to be in any trouble and the ride over was pretty cool as I am used to going over by ferry. Coming home was about the same but the Malaspina Stait was the lumpy part and once at Blubber Bay the water was pretty flat. I didn't do much fishing in Powell River but did some jigging near Myrtle Point with some success with lingcod where I've been told my uncle landed at 79 lb lingcod years ago when yellow snapper where abundant there. I did manage to impale my baby finger with a barbed hook on my jig which cut our fishing trip short as I had to go to hospital to have it removed. The doctor had a good sense of humor as he gave me a prescription that said it was good for one trip to the Queen Charlottes for fishing x 7 days. I will have that plasticized and hung in my boat as a reminder. I had a tire come apart on my boat trailer coming home in Nanaimo but BCAA took care of that in a hurry and the Malahat was a total mess with traffic backed up for miles no accident just heavy traffic and the merging traffic seeming to be causing the chaos. Its a great trip by boat and will defiantly do this more often.
