Middle Arm Navigation for Fraser - Sea Island to T10

[tincan]

Hey guys,

Lots of experienced boaters on here so hoping someone knows the middle arm well and doesn't mind sharing some navigation tips.

I plan to do several fishing trips out of Richmond to Sandheads, T10, North Arm and would prefer to save some time/gas by taking the Middle Arm of the Fraser when safe to do so. I've only ever followed other boats out in past years and I do have some marks on my chartplotter from those trips but if anyone here has suggestions/warnings I'd be happy to hear from you.

Specifically, is there a safe tide (say 10ft or higher?) where it's generally safe?
Does anyone have a well marked route on Navionics they can share?
Any super sketchy areas of tides to avoid?

Any tips are appreciated. cheerss

 

[Che]

Nobody runs the middle arm for very good reason.

Put your boat in at Captain's Cove or Wellington Point in Delta. It's about a ten mile run from Wellington to Sandheads. Its a safe route and you won't have to worry about getting waylaid on some sand bar waiting for the tide to come up.

 

[tincan]

Thx @Che and I do realize it's not an ideal place to navigate but I also know that many boats do it on a regular basis. I've spent a lot of time going thru canoe pass on the south arm which isn't a great option for most either but once you learn the water it can be fine at most tides. If I'm able to shave off 15 minutes of run time each way without compromising safety I'm willing to consider do it.

 

[Che]

Is your boat tied up in the middle arm or something? The launch at Galleon is *****.

IIRC there is a speed restriction in the middle arm too.