Ucluelet

Days 19-20 | West Side of Vancouver Island Flotilla | Hot Springs Cove to Ucluelet

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Today’s 45nm cruise from Hot Springs Cove to Ucluelet takes us back out into the ocean. The Environment Canada forecast was for a southeast wind 5-15kts, and Windy showed light winds in the morning, building to southeast 10-15 knots along our route, accompanied by a lazy 5-6 foot swell. Why are we skipping Clayoquot Sound? The short answer is timing. We waited for weather in Port McNeill, at Brooks Peninsula, … Read more

Circumnavigating Vancouver Island Flotilla | Days 20 and 21| Ucluelet to Joe’s Bay

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September 8 – The weather in Ucluelet was breezy and foggy, with pouring rain this morning. The forecast called for worsening conditions through tomorrow, when winds were predicted to climb to 30-40 knots with heavy rain. Might  this be the first taste of fall? With a lousy forecast, we headed for Joe’s Bay. This is a huge anchorage, with moderate depths, excellent protection, and good holding. We’d stay for a few … Read more

Circumnavigating Vancouver Island Flotilla | Day 19 | Ucluelet

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Sometimes, when on a flotilla, it’s fun to take a commercial fishing charter from a port where fishing is good and expert guides are available. You get to see what gear an expert professional fisher-person uses, what techniques they apply to maximize the catch for their clients, and some of the current local hotspots for bagging fish. Occasionally, everyone has a bad experience with a business. Usually, we all just … Read more

Circumnavigating Vancouver Island Flotilla | Day 18 | Hot Springs Cove to Ucluelet

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We’ve been spoiled by the weather this trip. Other than a few hours of beam seas around Cape Scott, and maybe 45 minutes of head seas north of Seymour Narrows, conditions have been pretty darn calm. What little wind we’ve had has been from behind us—northwesterlies are typical during summer—and we can’t imagine a smoother trip around Vancouver Island. Unfortunately, the summer weather pattern is beginning to fall apart. Today … Read more

West Side of Vancouver Island Flotilla | Day 12-13 | Tofino to Ucluelet

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We left Tofino in the morning and headed for Ucluelet. The sky was mostly gray but not foggy. Wind was light, with a low, lazy westerly swell and light chop on top, making for a very pleasant cruise. The biggest challenge was avoiding crab traps—hundreds of them, and several crab boats actively fishing! We arrived in Ucluelet by about 11:00 a.m. and got space in the Ucluelet Small Craft Harbour. … Read more