Desolation Cruise July 25, 2014 Cutwater Boats Cruise

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Jeff Messmer

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Drum roll please.....The dates have now been set for the 2014 Desolation Sound Cruise! Over the past few years the cruise has grown from 25 boats the first year to nearly 70 boats last year! In an effort to provide the best experience for everyone we have decided to break the cruise up into two smaller groups. One for Ranger Tug owners and one for Cutwater owners.

We are pleased to announce that the Cutwater Cruise will once again be lead by Matt Ouilette with Bellingham Yacht Sales. Mark Mansfield will be representing the factory and assisting Matt on the cruise. Our first meeting point as a group will be July 25th-27th at Roche Harbor Marina http://www.rocheharbor.com/ Our final stop will be July 28-29 in beautiful Gorge Harbour http://www.gorgeharbour.com/

This is considered an advance cruise. The Points North seminar and a prior factory cruise are a pre-requisite for this cruise. If you would like to attend this cruise then please email sales@bellinghamyachts.com and Matt will get you on the list. Limited space available!
 
Thanks Jeff! We are all looking forward to yet another fun filled trip up to Desolation sound together. If any of you have missed this trip in the past, make sure to get our list. It is truly an unforgettable experience.

Matt Ouilette
Bellingham Yachts Sales
 
Aurora and her crew have joined the Cutwater fleet for the Desolation Sound Cruise. Looking forward to cruising with you all.

-Nick
 
Please remember to reserve a spot on this Cutwater cruise as space is limited. You can claim a spot by responding on this thread, or sending us an email at sales@bellinghamyachts.com. We will also have a sign up sheet at the Seattle boat show starting on Friday. See you all there!

Matt Ouilette
Bellingham Yachts
 
We still have space available on the Desolation Sound Cutwater Cruise this July. If you are considering joining us, please let me know so we can get your boat reserved.

Thanks!
 
JUST RIGHT C28 would like to attend the Roche Harbor portion only John and Mary Kalbert
 
I have a question for those who have done this cruise before:

How do you make up your budget for it? I assume the journey back will be about as long as going up, plus a few days exploring the area, but also assume prices at the stops are going to be high. Any words of wisdom for us newbies?

--Nat
 
The biggest budget item is time; I wish we had more of it to have stayed longer to cruise this magnificent area of BC.

I can't remember offhand what engine hr total was, but we spent about $1400 US in fuel for the trip, including a fillup in Cap Sante at trip start, and about a week exploring aside from trip up and back.

I think most US credit cards add a 1% foreign transaction fee as well as a surprise gift at billing time.

Dang, wished we were able to come back this year.

Bill
 
Bill is correct to figure foreign transaction fees, 1-2% depending on credit card. Also some credit cards have member banks in BC to get ATM funds at no fee. We used B of A for certain ATM's and another card for 1% transaction fees.
Make sure you check your phone service. We switched to a Canadian plan for the trip so we could call, text without huge fees.
Garbage is big, lots of recycling in Canada and fees for trash. Some places only will let you fill 10 gallons of water, so plan ahead.

Fuel can be expensive, check the Waggoners guide for the lastest prices and plan ahead for your next stop.

Enjoy!

Don
 
Our Desolation Cruise is in sight and spots are filling quickly! If you have not signed up for this exciting annual cruise, now is the time to do so. We encourage Cutwaters from all regions to join on this unforgettable trip North to Desolation Sound.

Please take a minute to review this post and contact Matt Ouilette or Sara Livingston if you’d like to join our Cutwater Cruise. We have put a maximum cap of 25 boats this year and are close to full capacity.
matt@bellinghamyachts.com
receptionist@rangertugs.com

Our first stop on the cruise is Roche Harbor on San Juan Island. Arriving on Friday July 25th and departing on Sunday July 27th. Reservations have been made for these dates.

Our second stop on the cruise is Nanaimo Boat Basin in the Port of Nanaimo. Arriving Sunday July 27th and departing Monday July 28th. Reservations have been made. We will leave Roche Harbor early so we have ample time to clear customs at Bedwell and safely navigate thru Dodd narrows. Nanaimo will be the best place to re provision once entering Canada as there is a long list of food items you are restricted from bring thru customs

Our third and final stop as a group is Gorge Harbour Marina on beautiful Cortes Island! http://www.gorgeharbour.com/ We will be arriving on Monday July 28th. We have reserved two nights at Gorge Harbour. Departing on Wednesday July 30th.

Cruise Recap

Roche Harbor- Arriving July 25th and departing July 27th
Nanaimo Boat Basin- Arriving July 27th and departing July 28th
Gorge Harbour Marina- Arriving July 28th and departing July 30th

I look forward to cruising with you all!!
 
Our 2014 Desolation Sound Cruise is less than 2 weeks away!

All reservations are made, events have been planned, our group of 15 Cutwaters have all confirmed there attendance, and now it’s just about time to get out on the water and have some fun!! I have listed the itinerary below along with dates and events. Please pay close attention to these itinerary notes as there are specifics for each stop that you’ll need to know.
Our first stop on the cruise is Roche Harbor on San Juan Island. Arriving on Friday July 25th and departing on Sunday July 27th. Reservations have been made for these dates. You DO NOT need to contact Roche unless you are arriving prior to July 25th. If you are arriving prior to July 25th then please contact Roche Harbor marina at (800) 451-8910 for reservations. Boat will be arriving throughout the day on the 25th. When you pull into Roche please hail the harbor master on channel 78A and tell them you are with the Cutwater Cruise. They will need your boat name, and boat length and dates that you plan to stay.
FRIDAY 7/25- We will gather at the tented float at 5pm for a little happy hour and Meet/great. We ask that you bring a small appetizer to share along with whatever you’d like to drink. Everyone is on their own for dinner this evening after happy hour. There will be 2 BBQ’s available on the float for your convenience. Also, if you feel like dining out, there are two restaurants above the marina open until 10pm every evening.
SATURDAY 7/26- This is a full day for you to enjoy everything San Juan Island has to offer whether it be on your boat or on land. There is a fantastic farmers market in Friday Harbor and wine tasting at San Juan Vineyards for anyone interested. Transportation (a cab, or shuttle) can be arranged if you let me know ahead of time. If you’d like to stay on the water, this is a great place for Kayaking, Crabbing or Whale watching throughout the day. We will gather at 6pm for a nice BBQ dinner hosted by Bellingham Yacht Sales. Please bring a small side to share along with whatever you’d like to drink. Also please be sure to bring a deck chair, a plate, utensils, and your own cup to each location.
Our second stop on the cruise is Nanaimo Boat Basin in the Port of Nanaimo. Arriving Sunday July 27th and departing Monday July 28th. Reservations have been made.
SUNDAY 7/27- We will leave Roche Harbor early so we have ample time to clear customs at Bedwell and safely navigate thru Dodd narrows. Nanaimo will be the best place to re provision once entering Canada as there is a long list of food items your are restricted from bring thru customs. A BBQ spread will be provided by our fellow Cutwater Dealer in BC, Port Boat House. Please bring a side dish to share. Also, don’t’ forget your deck chair, plate and utensils!
Our third and final stop as a group is Gorge Harbour Marina on beautiful Cortes Island! http://www.gorgeharbour.com/ . We have reserved two nights at Gorge Harbour but some boats will choose to head out on Tuesday to start exploring Desolation Sound. If you would like to stay at Gorge Harbour beyond July 30th then please contact Gorge Harbour directly at (250) 935-6433. Gorge Harbour is the gateway to Desolation Sound. If you prefer to stay at a dock rather than anchoring out this is a great place to return to each night after a day of exploring Desolation Sound and the surrounding area.
MONDAY 7/28- We will head out of Nanaimo mid-morning and start our final leg of the journey together up to Gorge Harbour Marina. Monday will conclude the cruise as a group but you may decide form small groups with fellow Cutwater owners who you’d like to continue cruising with. Monday night, we will cap off the trip with a final BBQ up in the picnic area above Gorge Harbour Marina. This dinner will be hosted by Volvo and we ask that you bring a small side to share. Jeff and crew, John and crew, and Andrew from the factory will also be joining us at Gorge Harbour Marina to Welcome us into Desolation Sound!
We will have a captains briefing each evening after we all settle in at port. During the captains briefing we will cover our plans for the following morning including route, tides/currents, departure time, and departure and arrival procedures.

Cruise Recap
Roche Harbor- Arriving July 25th and departing July 27th
Nanaimo Boat Basis- Arriving July 27th and departing July 28th
Gorge Harbour Marina- Arriving July 28th and departing either July 29th or 30th based on your personal preference

See you on the water next week!
 
Also, there are still spots available if any of you would like to join us all the way up to Desolation Sound or even just for the weekend at Roche next Friday. If you are interested, please send me an email at matt@bellinghamyachts.com

Matt Ouilette
 
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