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Vancouver to San Francisco

Discussion in 'Marinas & Waypoints' started by nemier, May 20, 2011.

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  1. nemier

    nemier New Member

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    Sep 13, 2010
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    Location:
    North Vancouver
    Hello,
    I am currently looking at pulling a passage plan together for a transit from Vancouver to San Francisco, for the summer of 2012. My vessel is a 50' Cruisers Yachts Sport Sedan 5000. I plan to leisurely hop down the coast, travelling by day and overnighting in a suitable anchorage or marina. My primary concerns are:
    1. Fuel
    2. Water
    3. WX protection for each stopover.

    I would like to know if anyone has any Marina/Anchorage/Fuel stop suggestions and their corresponding waypoints. For each leg, I will most likely be travelling at 14 kts cruise for an anticipated 90nm. Of course I could extend my leg lengths but that is approximately what I have in mind. I'm completely open to suggestions. Thank you for your time.
  2. AMG

    AMG YF Moderator

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    Hi, I am sure you can get good advise from our members, but isn´t there books and other printed information available? In Europe we have many books covering all areas and today it is also available online and in chartplotters. I like to have all kind of information with me in the boat and take decisions underway when weather or the mood calls for a change of plans.
  3. nemier

    nemier New Member

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    Thanks for your most helpful reply.
  4. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    For the east coast we have some very good cruising guides, etc. available. But there are also a couple of sites available with updated reports on shoaling, channel changes etc. Even with that I'm always interested in hearing the personal experiences of people who have made the trips recently. The west coast has some very challenging areas. I must confess that I don't recall seeing many references here to west coast cruising guides or web sites. That probably has much to do with there being no equivalent to the ICW out there, but how about it? Any guides or sites out there that our west coast members would recommend for up to date info and cruise planning? Any recent personal experiences? For most east coast boaters the west coast is Vancouver, Puget Sound, Cape Disappointment, the Columbia River Bar, San Francisco and San Diego. This has the potential to be a very educational thread.
  5. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    There is a lot more to this run than cruising guides and charts... Weather and dealing with crossing bars and challenging harbor entrance is a big concern on that run, especially with a coastal/inland cruiser

    You may want to search the trawlers and trawlerin mailing list archives, there are a number of members from the west coast. I don't have the link handy, just google it

    Depending on your experience you may want to hire someone familiar with that nasty stretch of coastline

    Again weather is your primary concern

    Also, 14kts isn't an ideal speed on a 50 footer as you re not fully on plane, burning as much fuel as you would at 18kts +. 9kts will be your most economical speed to maximize range on longer legs
  6. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi,

    I could swear I had posted this already about an hour ago.

    http://yachtpals.com/cruising/usawest


    YF Member Travler seems to do a lot of time out that way maybe he will see this and chime in.

    I would second Pascals warnings about the lack of places to hide and the difficulty of some entrances in that part of the world.

    I have only been up and down there once but do recall being advised by our weather service to speed up or seek shelter as we approached Juan de Fuca, there was nowhere we could get into so the throttles were pushed all the way forward, we made it well down the Strait before the predicted storm rolled over us.
  7. zudnic

    zudnic Senior Member

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    Location:
    Vancouver
    I've only done; Vancouver to the Columbia River Bar cruising wise. Flown via private plane Vancouver to Vero Beach, FL by going down the west coast to San Diego. The latter being one of my favorite cities hence the weird flight path to Florida! :D

    Dream includes wintering in San Diego and summers in Vancouver. So this would be a future trip of mine.

    I'm still into small jet boat from the 1970's and early 80's. So had my Eliminator Daytona all over the place including Lake Havasu. While playing on the Colorado, Sacramento and Columbia Rivers; thought why didn't "we" create an ICW type system in the west.
  8. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    "The west coast has some very challenging areas. I must confess that I don't recall seeing many references here to west coast cruising guides or web sites. That probably has much to do with there being no equivalent to the ICW out there, but how about it? Any guides or sites out there that our west coast members would recommend for up to "
    ------
    I have west coast charts on my laptop with Active Captain data, very few AC markers for that stretch. Unlike the very forgiving east and gulf coasts much fewer people cruise the west coast
  9. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    You've got a few Rock(ies)s in the way.
  10. Marmot

    Marmot Senior Member

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    Considering the closest peak on the Rocky Mountains is separated from the Pacific Ocean by about 450 miles of trees and dirt including another mountain range or two with 14,000+ foot peaks, I don't think they are an issue.
  11. zudnic

    zudnic Senior Member

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    Forget about those. :D But a few places that could be linked up making an ICW type system possible. When the west coast became populated trains much easier to establish routes transportation wise. California became a state in 1850, Oregon and Washington joined a few years latter. Those lying sob's with HBC lied and British Columbia became part of Canada instead of the states!!!!!! I digress, if before rail like the east we'd see more inland waterways in the west and maybe a state of Columbia as well instead of BC. :)

    On topic; the stretch between Coos Bay, Oregon and San Fran, I think would require the most planning.
  12. dennismc

    dennismc Senior Member

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    Vanc to SF

    Have made that trip 4 times, twice ea way, 50 ft is marginal unless the weather Gods are on your side, if any of the bars are closed due to weather and you are on the low side of fuel...better have radios and epirb batteries up to date...
    Have you actually checked the distance between "safe" ports for fuel at 14 kts ?? and if can't make 14 kts due to those 12 ft swells with 3 ft wind waves in between, you OK with that ??
  13. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    I'm an east coaster, but I seem to recall seeing some pretty rocky and steep shorelines along there. A bit different to dig though than east coast topography. Then again, the Panama Canal got dug.
  14. dennismc

    dennismc Senior Member

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    Frisco

    here is your approx distances between fuel ports to Bodega bay, remember, you may have to clear customs at Port Angeles as you will need a cruising license you must also call customs at every port you dock which has customs office...these are not in order or named...do not have the time...
    FROM PORT ANGELES
    76nm
    83nm
    82nm
    78nm
    90nm
    101nm
    51nm
    59nm
    76nm

    add 20 miles to each for in and out to fuels dock and false starts due to sea condition's...
  15. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi,

    Has anyone considered the difference in tidal range between East and West Coasts being a good reason why an ICW type network wouldn't work?
  16. nemier

    nemier New Member

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    North Vancouver
    OK Guys, now we are getting somewhere!
    Thank you NYCAP123 for your enthusiasm for the thread and Dennismc for your input.

    I'm aware that there must be books, guides and other nautical information readily available and I intend on using it - I'm just not sure what they are at this stage. YF is my first point of reference for this journey, I have only considered the passage for the first time a few days ago. So far I have ordered Pilot charts for weather, and Routing & Gnomic charts for a 'overall' view of the trip. I have all the NOAA charts loaded on my laptop and my vessel has the latest Navionics charts. Basically, I'm good to go on that side of things However, I'm after that first-hand type of information that is impossible to include in the cruising guides.

    Dennismc, I have only read about this passage before, mostly from sailing accounts, and understand that it can get quite rough. My thoughts then, are to only travel in suitable weather. Hopefully each leg will be less than 100nm (as you have suggested) and that minimizes each exposure to under 7 hours. So, my thinking is that if the forecast is clear for a 24 hour run, the anticipated 7 hour run to our next port-of-call will be doable and pleasant enough. Literally take it day by day. Their will be a loose plan but no rigid 'schedule' if you like. We want to enjoy the journey, not make it a fearful painful experience. That's the plan anyway!

    This trip trip will involve a considerable amount of preparation and finance, so if anyone does have any Marina/Anchorage/Fuel stop suggestions that they would recommend, and their corresponding waypoints, I would love to hear from you.
  17. Laurence

    Laurence Senior Member

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    West Coast ICW

    There have been several proposals for a ICW between Seattle and Portland (via Olympia, Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay, Ilwaco) over the uears with the last interest in the 80's. Last cost estimate was about $ 1.5 billion. Too bad so much tax dollars have been wasted without this being built. It would be a great recreational waterway.
  18. Laurence

    Laurence Senior Member

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    Pacific Northwest

    I have made the Seattle/Portland trip 4 time by snailboat (29'). There is nothing complicated about it as long as you pick your weather window and plan your stops with a flood tide for the bar crossings.
  19. dennismc

    dennismc Senior Member

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    SF trip

    If you have others "plan" your trip for you you should not be doing this, it is your responsibility to research the trip based on your own current knowledge and if you find the task needs lots of input from others I would suggest you are a bit out of your depth. (no pun intended).

    Suggestions as to good ports etc is certainly a valid request but you must plan and plot your own routes and combine with knowledge of weather and navigation hazards as well as having alternatives in case of emergency, you do not want to be another statistic who set off unprepared.

    Sea states on the West coast are anything but benign, although possible, swell is always present and it does not take much wind action to stir up the misery if the vessel is unsuitable for the conditions ,the deadheads and floating horizontal logs are difficult to see in those conditions which prudence demands you slow down and then expose yourself to more extended windy conditions.
    These are just a few of the things you need to think about and pre plan into your adventure.
  20. Viceroy

    Viceroy Member

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    You might find the blogspot archives of good friends who made it down the left coast into the Caribbean. Saddly, skipper Ken suffered a heart attack, and is no longer with us. Go to this site: http://www.genesisincalmh2o.blogspot.com/ and scroll down to August 2008 for the journey south in their trawler yacht. Read it the previous months if you're interested in the preparations and their shakedown cruise around Vancouver Island.
    Cheers, Richard.