Poet's Cove

[sunnydude2]

Anyone have information on Poet's Cove? This is on my wife's itinerary for our trip this summer. Any suggestions as to spots to stop on the way from Poets to Victoria?

[beyond kelp]

Bring your money!

[Kuredu]

Sean,

Poet's Cove is really nice, if expensive. The whole complex has undergone a major revamp in the last 5 years and is now very definately aimed at the higher end of the market.

http://www.kuredu.info/TripsEvents/Cruises2004/040601/100_2071.jpg

Bedwell Bay (next door) has excellent holding and is well protected, but then you don't have access to the hotels amenities. Last we were there they charged us $10 just for a few hours stop-over. Their fuel is also about the most expensive in the Gulf Islands. Bedwell is also a Canadian Customs clearing point.

You can see a bit more of our last trip here - http://www.kuredu.info/TripsEvents/Cruises2004/040601/040601.htm

It's not too far to Victoria and an easy afternoon trip. I'd stop over at Sidney Spit, even for an overnighter.

[coolchange]

Spent the night there last summer....no moorage avail, no water and they were out of fuel for the next day or so...and don't even think about dropping off trash.

It was pretty and the anchorage nearby was very pleasant...just glad I had plenty of water and fuel onboard. I guess I would make sure to have a reservation if I planned to stay.

[bradvo]

I know others disagree but as far as I am concerned the place is ruined. The old Bedwell Harbor will be dearly missed as one of my favorites.
Brad

[beyond kelp]

I'm with Brad :D

[Randygh]

We went to PC summer of 2004 and decided not to go back. Too expensive for what is there. Also, too crowded. The customs dock has several phones and I waited about 45 minutes to use a phone to clear customs.

If you clear customs at PC, then motor on over to Otter Bay. We stayed at Otter Bay last summer. Alot of construction around the marina, but we enjoyed our stay at the Otter Bay Marina. Very clean restrooms, less crowded, small pool, very friendly staff at the marina store. The store had some neat shirts and gift items. Much more layed-back atmosphere.

I agree to stop at Sydney. We've been there several times and will go back again. We cleared customs at Sydney last summer on a weekday. Very quick. Depending on your itinerary, if you don't have to clear customs at PC, then clear at Sydney.

[sunnydude2]

This is the kinkd of information I am looking for! :D

If anyone has any other places they recommend please post. Our plan is to leave Everett Sat morning (2 boats) and meet up with in-laws on chartered boat out of Bellingham at either Sucia or Stuart. Cruise with them in the Canadian Islands until meeting up with another boat (sail) with a stop somewhere around Poets Wednesday with reservations in Victoria thursday and Friday. Most likely check in with customs on saturday at Friday Harbor or Roche (not sure of where else to), find an overnight moorage and then back to Everett on Sunday.

This will be our maiden voyage across the border. Although in-laws have been many times have suggestions on places to stop, we would like to have a bunch as well.

Thanks!

[Kuredu]

Do you prefer marina or raftup/anchor? I second Otter Bay if you want a dock, or even Ganges - it's quite 'rustic' and a really nice place to go ashore and re-supply.

There are also some really nice anchorages and I like Annette Bay on Prevost Island (also on the link above).

You should get a copy of Waggoner - it's great reading for this kind of info.

[sunnydude2]

Wife bought me the 2006 Waggoneers guide and I have been reading it. Just looking for some first hand experience. :)

[Randygh]

Sean--Too bad your itinerary precludes a Sat AM stop at Ganges on Saltspring Island. There is a Sat AM flea market marina that is within easy walking distance of the marina. The flear market has many vendors, old and young hippies, and a few normal folks. The items of clothing, crafts and food range from the mundane to very unique. Some really neat stuff.

Last summer we visited Telegraph Harbor for 2 nights. We stayed at the Telegraph Harbor Marina (the marina furthest in the cove). Very nice facility, clean showers and laundry facilities. Large grassy area for the kids to romp or play frisbie. The marina office has hundreds of burgees from around the world hanging from the ceiling rafters. There is a small soda fountain in the marina office that makes a great breakfast as well as shakes and sodas. Great docks and not busy. There are numerous floats if you choose to anchor and raft up. Chemanius is 3 miles across the channel on the mainland. Very interesting community with many beautiful murals painted on the downtown buildings' exterior walls. Telegraph Harbor and Chemainus may be alittle farther north than you want to travel for a short vacation.

[Randygh]

Clarification--Chemanius is on Vancouver Island, not the mainland of BC.

Check out this website: http://www.artificialreef.bc.ca/OurReefs/AR-540/index.htm


It shows a 737 being prepped and sunk to provide and artifical reef for divers. Just off Chemanius.

[Tedster]

This month's Sea Magazine as it as an feature article, check it out. :)

[Go Aweigh2452]

Well, Lea and I spent a day and night at PC and enjoyed it a lot. You are not suppose to use the pool and sauna above the restaurant but of course, we did and it was sans kids... very quiet and peaceful. We also ate in the upper restaurant and the prices really were not that bad for the amount of food and quality. I recall a nice hunk of Salmon and the Admiral had prime rib, both were excellent and we intend to go back. The ice cream was good at the lower pool area... Our dog liked it too...

I second Sidney for a nice place to stay as well.

Our intinerary usually starts from port Townsend then to Victoria, Bedwell (to check in Canada), Poets Cove or Otter and then up to Nanaimo then either across (earlish) to Pender or Secret Cove or we head north to Comox for one night and Campbell River for a couple of days of fishing then to Desolation and Princess Louisa via hole in the wall, a few water falls up Tobais (sp) and then south along the western side of Georgia sts... through the San Juans (customs) and then back to Port Townsend where we pull the boat and head home...

[Kuredu]

That sounds like pure magic, Doug!

[Roel Jansen]

Etienne,

Had a nice time reading and looking at the pic's of your albums.

Very very beuatiful it must be to boat there!

What a difference compared to the flat pancake we live on! :D

[Kuredu]

Thanks Roel.

The PNW is boating heaven and I bet if you boat here for 10 years there will still be places you want to see and things you would want to do. For some the winters are a little off-putting but we enjoy winter cruising almost as much as summer, just different.

I have not updated the website for a long time and really should spend some time adding cruises....

[coolchange]

Where do you leave your trailer in Port T, and what do they charge for keeping it?
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And if anyone has similar information about Blaine I would like to hear about it.
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Enjoy the weather....( it looks like an Oklahoma dust bowl down here with the wind blowing fresh tilled fields into the next county)

Gene: if you see this we got a pretty good day for sea trial compared to what we gots now)

[Numbknots]

Coolchange,

so you be back together and running strong with the help of the "magic"??

Tim

[coolchange]

Had a lovely afternoon on the sound...needs a little tweek and some warmer weather :evil:

[Numbknots]

Awesome!!!! ditto on the warmer Weather. I am waiting to reinstall my "new Heat exchanger on the Stbd engine and to get the oil changed, then we be good to go!!

Tim

[HBH]

coolchange,
i have info on blaine as my boat is there. two marinas: semiahmoo and port of bellingham (at blaine harbor). semiahmoo has the hotel and higher end resturants and gas and pump out but nothing for groceries or other supplies. Blaine marina has new floats and new shoreside facilities, gas, pump out, AND you can walk to westmarine or ace hardware or two good restaurants (Big Als and the mexican place across the street, or walk to the skate park (a must for my family)) the visitor dock at blaine is good. you can also take the "plover" water taxi across to semiahmoo in the summer for a nice meal at packers restaurant.

hope that is helpful

[stargazerwa]

We spent a night at Poets Cove last summer and really enjoyed it. I did not find the Marina exspensive espicially since it had free wifi. The kids hada a great time at the pool and my wife and I enjoyed a wonderful meal ($$$) at the resteraunt. Fuel was pricey but not much different than Ganges or Sideny. After paying more than 2$/gal for fuel all summer last year spending less than $30 cdn to stay in the marina of a nice resort is a deal!

We cleared customs in Sidney and spent our first night there and then up to Ganges for the Saturday Market ( a bit of a zoo). We really liked Sidney, lots of great bookstores.

[Go Aweigh2452]

Coolchange... We purchase a season pass at the Port Townsend ramp. Cost is $35 for the year or you can pay $5 per day. I have kept my trailer there for upwards of 2+ weeks and no problems... The ramp is good at low and high tide and they have fresh water washdown after pulling your boat. If not crowded, i usually do a quick engine flush and trailer wash before heading home...
url is below. Fuel dock is at end of ramp with tackle shop too. But if trailer then the best place for gas is the safeway directly behind the blue roofed building in the second pix down on the url. You can see the wet pavement from the water washdown area between the trailer parking lot and the ramp. The check in is directly to the right of the ramp and further to the right is a West marine store less than 1/2 block away. Can't beat the price of admission. We normally will bring the boat up the night before, get an overnight slip and head out the next morning (early) to miss the winds and possible rough crossing of the straits...
http://www.portofpt.com/boat_launches.htm#boat_haven

[coolchange]

Doug and HBH: thanks for the reply(s)

Doug: does the marina charge you for leaving the truck and trailer, or is it included in the annual fee?

HBH: Is there a launch at the Blaine marina? I went out of Belllingham last summer and the launch was $5 and the truck and trailer stayed for free (over a month with no hassle)


FYI: as much as I like the process of "getting there" by boat the cost of fuel for a round trip is forcing me to trailer as far as I can. This summer I plan to get to Desolation Sound (Starting point is in Portland....or maybe Budd Inlet..that remains to be seen)

Going to Bedwell was a blast from Bellingham...San Juans for 5 days then into Canada.....

[Go Aweigh2452]

The $35 is for the truck and trailer parking and all the ramp use you want to use all year long... no other charge unless you decide to overnight in one of the guest moorages right between the ramp and the fuel dock. That runs around .50/ft or less I think...