New owner, Vancouver BC

[DDean]

Saying hello from Vancouver BC!

We finally did it - took delivery of an R27 NW last week! First time boaters and our goal is to explore the PNW coastline over the next few years from the water.

Our journey to today was interesting but we settled out in the right place with a R27. A captain helped us get the boat across to the mainland from Nanaimo (thankfully, as it was blowing 20kts) to our slip in Richmond. It was a proper shakedown as virtually every hatch leaked. Im confident that it will get sorted. Port Boat House in Port Alberni has been great so far.

Our 2 day orientation went fine and then I practiced getting into the slip for a couple hours with the delivery captain. Good slip but it requires a fair bit of agility and pivoting the boat to make the turn. Im sure everyone walking by the new boat on the dock laughs at how much protection it has all around it! Six fenders out! All the fixed doc protection (runners and 3 more fenders!). Last to go in are wheels for the two rear corners....theyre on the way!

Yesterday was the first time we took the boat out just ourselves - we were able to get the boat in and out of the slip a few times without incident so that was mission accomplished. The biggest lesson so far is that there will be no single path to get the boat into the slip. What works one day might not (didnt!) work the next. My take home is that practice handling the boat away from the slip (spinning it, multiple point turns, etc...) is important.

We live on Vancouver's North Shore - an hours drive from the boat - but feel lucky to have found a good slip in Vancouver at all. We hope to move the boat closer to home as soon as something decent comes up but it wont be a straightforward decision as we have a nice covered slip in very sheltered fresh water.

We are full of questions but will continue searching existing threads.

So hello! Looking forward to connecting during events when we feel more prepared! We have everything to learn but we are so excited! We are thrilled to join the family.

 

[Cutwater28GG]

congrats! welcome!

Enjoy the boat!

For docking its all just practice.
Practice the back-and-fill technique. You will be able to dock the boat without thrusters. I almost never use my thrusters, and it's a good skill to have as the thrusters can quickly get overpowered if there is strong wind or current running.

Furthermore, as you get more experienced, try using lines to the dock with the engine to move the boat.

For instance, if you are being blown off the dock, you can put a spring line onto the dock and drive the boat onto the dock with the main engine. A better explanation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjUMocc1_4w

some more video from others on back and fill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsRxOgmmBK8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdDrYzDdU0w

a good spring line video from the same chap
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4ghjqAf0R4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxaXVa8StOo

 

[DDean]

Many thanks!!!

Those are interesting videos. Indeed, the only way the delivery captain was able to get the boat out of the slip was back and filling it all the way down the fairway. Its easy given the outboard once we are clear of the pressure points. A good amount of the turn has to be accomplished within the slip or we run out of room in the rear. The R27 is too long to exit straight from the slip and then turn (distance from the slip to the rear wall is less than the boat!) So I walk it out gradually decreasing the turn radius in reverse while I try to keep the bow off the stbrd side of the slip with the thruster and try to keep the port side rear corner of the slip off the port side of the tug. Once I’m clear of those, my wife is there with the dock hook in case we need a push off the rear. Thankfully the slip is protected from wind and current (so far). I go slow!

So my strategy is to protect the boat as much as possible by bubble wrapping the slip and throwing all the fenders in the city out (Lol, but you’d laugh if you saw it) and PRACTICE boat handling! It’s mostly intuitive so far - I’ll get there!!! I just want to get there cleanly.

What a great new adventure!!! We are so stoked!!!!

 

[Ed604]

Welcome DDean!
I love the Pacific North West, there is so much to be able to see and explore. I am sure you can get all kinds of great help from the members here!
Enjoy your great new vessel!
Ed604

 

[DDean]

Just registered for Rendezvous in Sept! Looking forward to it.

If anyone else from Vancouver is planning on attending and wants to buddy boat down, we would be interested in the company!

Aside, Canadian and US VHF laws differ in that one does not need a VHF Station License in Canada (just an operators certificate). Do Canadians have experience going into the US for a brief stay (a few days) without the Station License?

 

[watson1987]

I'm going to guess that you don't fall into the requirements of a ship station license, so you will be fine.

https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-div ... o-stations

 

[DDean]

Thank you! I dont know why but I thought that it was a requirement for the US. Glad to be proven wrong. Many thanks.

 

[watson1987]

Do you have a DSC-enabled radio or AIS transmitter with an MMSI? If so, and you want to use that to travel outside of Canada then you need a license obtained from the Canadian side

Per https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/spectr ... n-database

Similar issues happen with US boats going into Canada with MMSI that they've got for free from BoatUSA or similar places. In order to use either AIS TX or DSC enabled VHF transmission you need to get the proper FCC documents (however many don't, and I've never heard of any issues)

It is funny/strange that you don't need anything from the country you are going to, but rather your home country does the international registration.

 

[DDean]

That’s right. That’s why I had that in my head. Yes we have an MMSI number already.

We will look into the license.