Western Canada

[leedav]

Hi All

has anyone taken the BC Ferry to or from Bowen Island or Salt Springs Island? Anyone stayed on Salt Springs Island? We are looking at mid-October for a family event.

thoughts?

thanks in advance

[jcl]

We used to live on Bowen, and commuted daily. Saltspring less frequently.

Do you have a place to park the trailer on Bowen? The ferry is straightforward. If the tide is very low the ramp can be steep. The deck crew used to adjust the ramp to help anyone with low clearance.

Any specific questions?

Jeff

[leedav]

Originally Posted by jcl

We used to live on Bowen, and commuted daily. Saltspring less frequently.

Do you have a place to park the trailer on Bowen? The ferry is straightforward. If the tide is very low the ramp can be steep. The deck crew used to adjust the ramp to help anyone with low clearance.

Any specific questions?

Jeff

thanks Jeff,

We have a place on Bowen Island. Understand there are no campsites or dumps there. Both Bowen and Salt Spring might be much for this trip. We have to be at Salt Spring Island Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. Any pointers there?

[Fly at Night]

Ugh. Ferries are extremely busy on the Friday and Monday of the Thanksgiving long weekend. You can make ferry reservations. Or, take the ferry on Thursday and leave Sunday.

[jcl]

Originally Posted by leedav

thanks Jeff,

We have a place on Bowen Island. Understand there are no campsites or dumps there. Both Bowen and Salt Spring might be much for this trip. We have to be at Salt Spring Island Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. Any pointers there?

I haven't camped on Saltspring, sorry. My initial reaction would be that it isn't worth taking the trailer. Bowen and Salspring are accessed from different ferry terminals, so I am not sure of the connection. If you have a place to stay on Bowen I would leave the trailer on the mainland. If you can walk on to either ferry that solves the lineup issue that weekend.

If I was going to Saltspring anyway I would do a loop involving Vancouver Island, lots to see there.

Jeff

[leedav]

Thanks. This one is about who to visit. Sightseeing will have to slide :-(

[mixedpuppy]

I would check the ferry price before you decide to take your airstream, I looked a couple months ago, very pricey (something like $250 each way iirc) to take it for a couple days.

If you're not local and need to store it somewhere, I'd suggest Peace Arch RV Park, it's not far from the terminal you need for Salt Spring. You'd have to pay for month of storage, but it is generally around $80 for my 27fb, much less than the ferry, and it is secured storage.

[Isuzusweet]

I'm an expatriate of SSI, living there for 10+ years and have taken more ferries than I care to remember.

If you want to attempt taking a trailer to SSI I would strongly suggest you look at the tide charts and pick a sailing close to high tide, as the docking ramp will be in its highest position and the loading and unloading would be fairly flat. I plan on taking my 310 to SSI next summer and it would be almost impossible to get on or off a ferry at low tide, even with my rig.

Saltspring is a beautiful island but beware, the main roads are trailer towing friendly but a number of the back roads would be very difficult to traverse (even with a 16') as it's not uncommon to come across off camber hairpin corners, like the road from Central to the Fernwood road which leads to the road to Long harbour or the turn off to Sunset drive if you're coming from Vesuvius Bay ferry.

There use to be two provincial parks on the island, Ruckle and Mouat but neither are trailer friendly with low branches and small sites. If I were to boondock on SSI I would aproach the local RCMP detachment on the island and ask them if they knew a quiet spot that would be easily accessible, private and the cops would leave you alone.

Last resort feel free to PM me and I would ask my parents if you could park on the property they manage or they would know someone that could accomodate you.

Cheers
Tony

[Arcticfox]

While this thread is talking about island issues. Does anyone know what it cost to take a truck and trailer from lower mainland to Vancouver island?
Thanks


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[Isuzusweet]

Originally Posted by Arcticfox

While this thread is talking about island issues. Does anyone know what it cost to take a truck and trailer from lower mainland to Vancouver island?
Thanks


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Depending on what route you wish to take will determine rates. Click on link to find routes and fares.

http://www.bcferries.com/travel_planning/fares/

Vancouver (Tsawwassen Terminal) - Victoria (Swartz Bay Terminal)
Vancouver (Tsawwassen Terminal) - Nanaimo (Duke Point Terminal)
West Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay Terminal) - Nanaimo (Departure Bay Terminal) Powell River (Westview Terminal) - Comox (Little River Terminal)

For example Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay with my 310 (33' overall) with four adults would cost me $230+ dollars one way. If I continue to SSI it would cost $150.00 for a two way or return fare to and from the island and then another $230+ back to the mainland. It gets very expensive in a real hurry.

A F150 (17'9")towing a 16' Bambi (21'8") would be almost 40' in length.

Cheers
Tony

[Arcticfox]

Originally Posted by Isuzusweet

Depending on what route you wish to take will determine rates. Click on link to find routes and fares.

http://www.bcferries.com/travel_planning/fares/

Vancouver (Tsawwassen Terminal) - Victoria (Swartz Bay Terminal)
Vancouver (Tsawwassen Terminal) - Nanaimo (Duke Point Terminal)
West Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay Terminal) - Nanaimo (Departure Bay Terminal) Powell River (Westview Terminal) - Comox (Little River Terminal)

For example Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay with my 310 (33' overall) with four adults would cost me $230+ dollars one way. If I continue to SSI it would cost $150.00 for a two way or return fare to and from the island and then another $230+ back to the mainland. It gets very expensive in a real hurry.

A F150 (17'9")towing a 16' Bambi (21'8") would be almost 40' in length.

Cheers
Tony

Thanks for this Tony.

So using you figures my F150 pulling a 28' should be around 17'9" (truck) and about 34' for the trailer. That would make us about 52' long.......... (Yicks ). I think I will need a calculator to figure out the costing....lol

We are looking at a trip west in mid Sept and thought we would tour around the island for a couple weeks before we head south and do the Oregon coast and into the California redwoods.

If anyone has an must see places on the island I'm all ears. At this point we have not even looked at a map yet so we are completely open to any ideas..... By the way is there some type of circle route one can take?

Thanks

Doug


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[jcl]

Originally Posted by Arcticfox

If anyone has an must see places on the island I'm all ears. At this point we have not even looked at a map yet so we are completely open to any ideas..... By the way is there some type of circle route one can take?

Thanks

Doug

Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo on BC Ferries.
Visit Parksville.
Visit Pacific Rim National Park, near Tofino
Visit Victoria
Return via Schwartz Bay, or the ferry to Washington State.

Jeff

[Arcticfox]

Originally Posted by jcl

Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo on BC Ferries.

Visit Parksville.

Visit Pacific Rim National Park, near Tofino

Visit Victoria

Return via Schwartz Bay, or the ferry to Washington State.



Jeff

Thanks for this Jeff.....
Cheers
Doug


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[leedav]

Thanks kindly to all of you for this information. Thinking that we will just fly in for the family event and save the trailer tour for post retirement

[mixedpuppy]

A much larger circle route: vancouver->vancouver island->prince rupert->prince george->vancouver