2023 Tuna Adventures
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kaelc
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Do they show up in OR in early August?
Just renewing my insurance, my current broker was useless to get offshore. Anyone manage to get offshore and US/Mexico insurance?
Still a pipedream with two young kids to go that far but I want no excuses if Bluefin tuna are biting off of San Francisco or I get off my lazy but and take the inside passage north.
Just renewing my insurance, my current broker was useless to get offshore. Anyone manage to get offshore and US/Mexico insurance?
Still a pipedream with two young kids to go that far but I want no excuses if Bluefin tuna are biting off of San Francisco or I get off my lazy but and take the inside passage north.
bryce
Crew Member
Guys have got them in June off of Tofino/bamfield
Oregon should be around the same
Last couple years in the Charlottes they have showed up between aug9-12
BC Coast Pilot
Well-Known Member
Ask them for the definitions of their territorial limits. But to be honest who's going to insure a 24ft Hewes to go out in that environment ?
kaelc
Well-Known Member
Thanks will do, last one was 20 miles or less I beleive.
25 C-Dory, but I’m sure it warms your heart about the same. Sold my hewescraft years ago but still love em.
ryanb
Well-Known Member
My boat is around the same size and I had no issues extending my coverage for further offshore. To my surprise, it didn't even cost me any extra premium. Johnston Meier insurance is the broker, underwritten by RSA.
Capt_Ed
Crew Member
Who's putting it on , where is the 50k coming from and what is the entrance fee?
On a side note On Sept 13 1976 my brother sat in a life raft for 6 1/2 days 80 miles of the southern tip of the Charlotte's when he was fishing Tuna on his 50' troller and it turned over in a HUGE storm. I still thank God every day that I took that trip off.
bryce
Crew Member
That is a crazy story!!
And Steve from northwest fishing team will be putting it on he will be releasing the details within the next week or two
Capt_Ed
Crew Member
Please post the details
bryce
Crew Member
Will post as soon as I get them!
wdlfbio
Well-Known Member
Ok, tell me this is just a bad idea and that we should wait for another tournament further south….
4 of us hop in the dually and tow the new cat from 0lympia, WA to Vancouver or Port Angeles. Ferry over to Vancouver Island. Tow all the way up 19 to Port Hardy. Launch the boat and run her to Queen Charlotte. Other 1-2 guys can fly in. Do some slow pitch jigging. Take first place, have a great time….
How would the drive up be with the dually and cat? How’s the boat ride from Port Hardy to the island? I heard that the “canal”’can be a bit interesting getting through depending upon tides and currents.
This is for the folks who fished Canada for their first time at the Tofino Derby. We know nothing about that far north.
4 of us hop in the dually and tow the new cat from 0lympia, WA to Vancouver or Port Angeles. Ferry over to Vancouver Island. Tow all the way up 19 to Port Hardy. Launch the boat and run her to Queen Charlotte. Other 1-2 guys can fly in. Do some slow pitch jigging. Take first place, have a great time….
How would the drive up be with the dually and cat? How’s the boat ride from Port Hardy to the island? I heard that the “canal”’can be a bit interesting getting through depending upon tides and currents.
This is for the folks who fished Canada for their first time at the Tofino Derby. We know nothing about that far north.
I would recommend you look into the Bamfield Tuna derby.
BearCove
Crew Member
If it was me going up to the derby I would catch BC Ferries from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert, then another ferry from Rupert to QCI.
Born and raised in Hardy, have done the trip by boat on the water many times as well as the ferry. Ferry is much safer and a nicer way to travel up there
That being said, not cheap to take the ferry with truck and trailer. Couple thousand dollars each way just for ferry, now add fuel, hotels, food, any incidentals (which there will be)
Not a cheap trip but definitely doable.
Feel free to message me if you want more details on the trip, as mentioned, done it many, many times
Cheers
CBsqrd
Well-Known Member
Would be an adventure for sure, but I think it would be one where you'd want to be prepared to have a window of 5 - 7 days minimum both coming and going to make sure you can sit out any weather, especially at that time of year.
Port Angeles to Tofino is like driving up I-5 compared in terms of traffic to the run north from Port Hardy. Other that Shearwater, not many places to stop for provisions (although Dawson's Landing and Hartley Bay available if you are willing to detour).
If the weather was perfect, you could make it in a day if you beelined from Port Hardy, but again, pretty rare for that to happen especially that time of year. On the other hand, you could easily make it in two days if you ran PH to Shearwater and then Shearwater to QCC. Bonus is that almost all of the run would be in protected waters if you went this route.
The two stretches of water where you need to really pay attention are the Queen Charlotte Strait (open water north of PH) to Cape Caution and the Hecate Straight crossings - everything else is fairly protected, but the long channels can get pretty bumpy if you have the wind blowing. An ebb tide into a NW wind is a big no-no for the QCS - CC run as the waves can really stack up. Hecate Straight is notorious as well as it is open water but quite shallow and the wind can howl.
Once you're up there you'd be running the channel to the west side and your timing may depend on the tides. Gas isn't cheap once you get north of PH, was over C$3/L in the early last summer in Shearwater.
I think a more realistic way to do this derby would be to spend at least the better part of August cruising the central coast / north coast / Alaska and then catching it at the end of the trip. Could get the boat to QCC or Prince Rupert in advance and then fly home for a week or two before the derby and then plan for a week to get home. Keep in mind that the weather and fishing last year in Tofino was almost unheard of - 10 days without rain and lots of calm days with fish in close.
If you do it, take lots of pictures and give us a full write up!
Port Angeles to Tofino is like driving up I-5 compared in terms of traffic to the run north from Port Hardy. Other that Shearwater, not many places to stop for provisions (although Dawson's Landing and Hartley Bay available if you are willing to detour).
If the weather was perfect, you could make it in a day if you beelined from Port Hardy, but again, pretty rare for that to happen especially that time of year. On the other hand, you could easily make it in two days if you ran PH to Shearwater and then Shearwater to QCC. Bonus is that almost all of the run would be in protected waters if you went this route.
The two stretches of water where you need to really pay attention are the Queen Charlotte Strait (open water north of PH) to Cape Caution and the Hecate Straight crossings - everything else is fairly protected, but the long channels can get pretty bumpy if you have the wind blowing. An ebb tide into a NW wind is a big no-no for the QCS - CC run as the waves can really stack up. Hecate Straight is notorious as well as it is open water but quite shallow and the wind can howl.
Once you're up there you'd be running the channel to the west side and your timing may depend on the tides. Gas isn't cheap once you get north of PH, was over C$3/L in the early last summer in Shearwater.
I think a more realistic way to do this derby would be to spend at least the better part of August cruising the central coast / north coast / Alaska and then catching it at the end of the trip. Could get the boat to QCC or Prince Rupert in advance and then fly home for a week or two before the derby and then plan for a week to get home. Keep in mind that the weather and fishing last year in Tofino was almost unheard of - 10 days without rain and lots of calm days with fish in close.
If you do it, take lots of pictures and give us a full write up!
Trailering up the island is fine, roads good. It's easier to get secure parking in Port McNeil. If you run up the coast, behind the islands, Fitzhugh sounds etc it's easy easy running. I've done it a few times in an 18' whaler as far as Campania island. Crossing the Hecate Straight can be among the worst places to be in the world, or a mill pond. Like anywhere, depends on the weather, but bad weather there can be worse than most. It's crossed in kayaks and 12' tin boats with 9.9's in good weather. The narrows in Skidegate inlet are nothing to worry about. just don't go on a really low tide. I've done it in a 14' zodiac on a -1ft and almost had to get out and drag the boat, maybe 4" of water in shallowest spot that time. Currents run fast, but that only matters if you're a displacement hull. Like 5-10 knots I think? West side of Moresby is my favourite place on the coast. There's nowhere else like it. If you want an awesome trip, see amazing places go, if you just want another tournament, there are a couple around Tofino/Bamfield.
If you have the range and want to see some cool scenery. Cross to Cape St James and run up the west side of Moresby.
Also, there's probably nowhere else that the tuna come in closer. I think there was a report last year from 3-4 miles out.
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