Our 2013 Desolation Sound Cruise is set to get underway in late July!
Emails are going out today to those that are on the list. If you do not receive an email and feel that you should be on the list then please contact Sara at
receptionist@rangertugs.com If you have signed up for this event and are unable to attend any part of this event then please contact us as soon as possible at
receptionist@rangertugs.com We do have a waiting list and would like to accommodate as many boats as possible.
Our first stop on the cruise is Ganges Marina on Saltspring Island. Arriving on Friday July 26th and departing on Sunday July 28th. Reservations have been made for these dates. You DO NOT need to contact Ganges unless you are arriving prior to July 26th. If you are arriving prior to July 26th then please contact Celine at (250) 537-5242.
Our second stop on the cruise is Nanaimo Boat Basin in the Port of Nanaimo. Arriving Sunday July 28th and departing Monday July 29th. Reservations have been made.
Our third stop on the cruise is Comox Harbour. We will be arriving on Monday July 29th and departing on Tuesday July 30th. Reservations have been made.
Our final destination is Gorge Harbour Marina on beautiful Cortes Island!
http://www.gorgeharbour.com/ We will be arriving on Tuesday July 30th. We have reserved two nights at Gorge Harbour. Departing on Thursday August 1st. If you would like to stay at Gorge Harbour beyond August 1st 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.
We will have a captains briefing each evening at 5:00 P.M.. During the captains briefing we will cover our plans for the following morning including route, tides/currents, departure time, and departure and arrival procedures.
Events
Friday July 26th All of our American friends will clear customs and make their way to Ganges. ( if you can’t make it until Saturday that is fine, but most will want to arrive Friday in order to take in the world famous Saturday Market in Ganges.) The Canadian contingent will not need to clear customs!! 5:00 P.M. Cocktail hour and appetizers on the dock. Bring your favorite appetizer. Welcome packets will be distributed.
Saturday July 27th. There will be plenty of time to enjoy the market and the town of Ganges. Thrifty Foods grocery store, and the Local Liquor Store are within easy walking distance of the Marina and both businesses will deliver directly to your boat. Fuel is available at Ganges Marina, and Mouat’s Hardware is the go to place for anything else you might have forgotten. During the day: World famous farmers market. 5:00 P.M. Captains briefing on the dock followed by cocktail hour and appetizers. Bring your favorite appetizer!
Sunday July 28th We will make our way leisurely to Nanaimo, where we will stay at the Port of Nanaimo Boat Basin (we were there last year). Our trip will be timed to get all boats safely through Dodd Narrows at 0 current . Port Boat House will host a barbecue on the rooftop deck above the marina office (where we were last year). Fuel is available here as well, as well as stores nearby for any provisions you may have forgotten in Ganges!!! 5:00 P.M Captains briefing on the roof top deck above the Nanaimo Port Authority immediately followed by cocktail hour. Dinner 6:00 P.M. Bar-B-que Salmon, chicken and dessert provided by Port Boathouse. Please bring a side dish!
Monday July 29th Captains briefing 5:00 P.M on the dock followed by cocktail hour and appetizers. Bring your favorite appetizer!
Tuesday July 30th Reservations have been tentatively made for two nights but some boats may be ready to head out on Wednesday to begin exploring beautiful Desolation Sound. Others may choose to spend one or more additional nights enjoying the luxurious setting of Gorge Harbour with its store, restaurant, pool and more. On Tuesday night we will be treated to another barbecue hosted by Volvo Penta. You are requested to bring your favourite salad to share, as the meat will be provided. 5:00 P.M. Appetizers, 6:00 P.M. Dinner
By the time we reach Gorge Harbour, we hope that all of you will have had plenty of opportunities to network with the other boat owners and that groups of like minded boaters will organically form to head out to explore Desolation Sound. Some of us who have been there before will be happy to tell you about our favourite spots and the guide books are full of spots that we have not yet had time explore. We will also have an idea by then of when various folks are planning to head for home, and hopefully you can find a few boats to convoy with, if you so desire. If you have a specific date by which you must return, you may wish to post on Tugnuts to see if anyone else has a similar schedule.
If you plan to join us only for part of this itinerary please also email
receptionist@rangertugs.com with the marinas at which you will be joining us. IF YOU ARE ON THE LIST BUT NOW DO NOT PLAN TO COME or IF YOUR PLANS CHANGE AT ANY DATE IN THE FUTURE, please let us know as soon as possible as we have boats already on a wait list.
Recommended publications
Tide/Current book Ports and Passes
http://www.fineedge.com/HALE%20BOOKS/ports_passes.html
Waggoner Cruising guide
http://www.fineedge.com/NAUTICAL%20BOOKS/waggoner.html
Desolation Sound Cruising guide
http://www.fineedge.com/NAUTICAL%20BOOK ... aker2.html
The Curve of Time:
http://www.amazon.com
Essential equipment (Partial list)
Stern line 200-400ft. (Essential if anchoring).
Garmin chip for Canadian waters. (Garmin does not preload Canadian charts)
Spare anchor (Anchors can get hung up on old logging cables)
Passport
Vaccination certificate if traveling with a dog or cat. (Canadian customs will not let you into Canada without this)
http://www.canadawelcomesyou.net/travelreminders.html
Identification (You are required to have proper identification for everyone on the boat. This includes children. If traveling with grandkids be sure to get a note from the parents.)
