Port Angeles Ferry

[Hydraulicjump]

Starting to plan the land-based portion of our trip from San Francisco to Campbell River, BC, where we will launch to head to northern Desolation Sound and possibly the Broughtons. We were wondering if any Tugnuts have used the Port Angeles ferry to get across to Vancouver Island. For those of us coming from the south, missing the traffic of Seatlle and/or Vancouver might make the extra expense worth it, but I note that the ferry boards and unloads only from the stern.

I realize most of you Salish Sea/Puget Sound sailors start at or north of Seattle and are not likely to have used this route. But was just seeing if anyone had tried it.

Thanks

Jeff

 

[pleeson]

I presume time factors or other issues mean that you want to skip the San Juan's and Southern Gulf Islands? The cost of putting your rig on any of the ferries to the island would more than cover boat fuel and even a few nights at visitor docks cruising north to Desolation Sound after launching from the WA coast.

 

[Hydraulicjump]

Yes. Time constraints are driving us to drive the boat up on its trailer. It is a long haul to northern Desolation Sound when you launch in Bellingham (which is what we did last summer) and our goal is to jump right into Deso by driving past that stretch.

If money was a primary concern, I would most certainly not own a boat: my beloved hole in the water I pour $ into!

 

[pleeson]

Hmmm, good point! Can't help you on the Port Angeles option - Bc Ferries will be about $400 one way to Nanaimo for your rig.

 

[Auklet]

Jeff --- I have only taken the Coho as a walk-on, but as I recall the vehicles drive onto the stern and then make a big U turn in the bow of the boat. I have seen huge mobile homes and trailers onboard, no problem. My only concern is the height. Don't know how your "on trailer" measures up. Best to call or google them (Black Ball/MV Coho). The choice for me is Seattle traffic or Victoria traffic. At the right time of day I would choose Seattle. Victoria is a very large city shoved into a very small space. They do have freeways out of town but you have to drive on crowded city streets to get to them. --- Cary
p.s. Hey Lobo, tell me if I'm wrong.

 

[walldog]

A suggestion may be to trailer up to Lund. You can launch there and be only a short distance on into Desolation Sound. A couple of R21s did this a couple of years ago and said it worked really good for them.

 

[Don and Brenda]

Jeff, you might want to post this on the C-Brats site or do a search there as many have used the ferry system both the Coho and the BC system, you will still have to take a ferry to get to Lund, but as Herb points out you are almost there from Lund. We'll be in the same are this summer, so see you in the water.

Don

 

[coreychamness]

Jeff, although I live in the Washington DC area, I have taken the ferry from Port Angeles over to Vancouver, BC. The ferry fills up so you need to be ready for that. The queue line for cars is lengthy enough that you get in the queue really early and have to wait. It was a long enough wait that my wife and I went and rented another from a place nearby for a few hours. We drove to the next town for lunch and sightseeing, dropped off the rental and then returned to our car in the queue line. When we departed BC, we used a different ferry that departed from NW of Vancouver and returned to Seattle. The ferry rides were great - both of them.

 

[coreychamness]

Shoot forgot to add that we saw vehicles pulling trailers and they were able to get by

 

[Don and Brenda]

The Coho ferry actually runs from Port Angeles to Victoria on Vancouver Island, you can also take the Wash. state ferry from Anacortes, Wa. and that takes you into Sidney, BC. also on Vancouver Island. You can then travel north and launch toward the north end of Vancouver Island.

 

[Hydraulicjump]

Thanks Don. The Anacortes ferry appears to only take cars, not trucks with trailers.

Thanks everyone for the advice. Don and Brenda look for us tied to a dock on the SW shore of Cortes, west of Gorge, in August. You know our boat.

Jeff

 

[jimschu]

I worked on the MV Coho for many years maintaining the vessels fire equipment and am sure the vehicles enter on the stern ramp in Pt Angeles and unload on the fwd stbd door in Victoria.

Good luck on your trip.

Jim

 

[Longbranch Louie]

As I recall the Victoria ferry takes reservations, or used to. That season of year and with a trailer I would try to reserve a time. Ferry lines can be long.
As you get to the Tacoma area you will take hwy 16 towards Bremerton crossing the Narrows bridge. There isn't a toll north / west bound. The traffic coming into Tacoma can be busy at rush hour and on weekends. The exit to Bremerton comes up pretty quick so work your way to the right lanes early.

 

[jcarrdive]

HI, we have used the Coho, with my 20 ft Zodiac pulled by a longbed extra-cab ford Pickup with no worries in the world. Lots of room to pull in. We loaded in Victoria and went to Port Angeles. For the trip over we had reservations in Tsawwassen on the BC Ferry to Naniamo. Each trip, for that rig and boat, was around $250 but that was 4 years ago now.
The ferry reservation (we did not need one for the Victoria to Port Angles leg) was nice to have as we knew we had a spot no matter how busy. I think it cost an extra $40 or so for that piece of mind. Well worth it. WIth the reservation, they required us to be there a bit earlier than the regular non-reservation crowd, but only by an hour or so.
jc

 

[j&lgray]

As a northwest boater and user of the ferries when we had our Ranger 25, we found the BC ferry to Nanimo was the way to go. The traffic up the Olympic Peninsula is definitely do-able, but it is not an interstate and the time to get to Port Angeles will be longer than you may think. Regardless of the ferry to Victoria, the highways out of Victoria are not freeways and there is a stretch that is driving on the side of a mountain. With an R-27 behind you, this can be a tough drive.

I have trailered a Bayliner 25 to Lund and would not recommend this for a Ranger 27 as the road is very narrow, very curvy and the parking at Lund is very problematic for anything longer than a 22 foot boat. Also, the parking is quite expensive in Lund.

Experience taught us to go to Nanimo on the BC Ferry. Get a reservation for the ferry a few days in advance, take the interstate, Seattle traffic can be slow but it is not a deal breaker. After Nanimo, drop your tug at Campbell River and you have arrived at Desolation Sound. Go up the highway some more (like for two hours, and drop your tug at Port McNeil and you are in the Broughtons.

Explore our website, www.laurieann-ranger25.com for photos and the narrative.

 

[STELLA L]

I just took a friend's boat on the ferry from Tsawwwassen to Nanimo. Great trip and easy on and off both ways. The only thing not "easy" is the cost which has risen dramatically since I was there a couple yrs ago. 2 of us with truck and 26ft boat was $310.00 (U.S.). One way!!!!!!!

Jim H
STELLA

 

[Hydraulicjump]

Jim,

Ouch! About the same for the Port Angeles ferry as far as I can tell. And as an earlier post pointed out, it is close to the same price to take your time and just drive the boat up on its bottom.

Full disclosure: part of the time we are up there we have rented a gorgeous house with a dock to spend time leisurely exploring the natives on Cortes and Quaddra (we had fun there last summer, and we went to grad school in Santa Cruz which feels like these islands). Having our truck there makes this easy to explore the land side.

When John and Laurie Gray say to go to Nanaimo instead of Victoria, our plans will adjust and we will do as recommended. For you other Tugnuts who have not seen their blogs from their early, smaller displacement years (R-25 Laurie-Ann), I recommend it. It is full of good stuff for those of us who tow our floating assets behind us and like cruising the PNW.

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Jeff