Vancouver
From CruisersWiki
| Vancouver Port of Entry
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 A view from Burrard Bridge to English Bay |
Vancouver is located on the Strait of Georgia along the British Columbia lower mainland. It is situated just north on the US border and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. While the first European to scout the area had been José María Narváez in 1791 commanding the Santa Saturnina, the area had been settled by several native bands long before his arrival.
The Greater Vancouver Area is Canada's third largest metro area with a population of over 2 million. Vancouver is Canada's busiest port being Canada's trade hub with the Pacific Rim.
Charts
- CHS
- 3481 - Approaches To/Approches À Vancouver Harbour
- 3493 - Vancouver Harbour Western Portion/Partie Ouest
- 3494 - Vancouver Harbour Central Portion
- 3495 - Vancouver Harbour Eastern Portion
or Strip Chart kit 3311
Also see British Columbia.
Weather
Give local weather conditions or refer to another page (a region or island group) that covers these conditions.
Sources for Weather forecasts:
Passages
Islands
See Strait of Georgia.
Communication
Add here VHF channel for coastguard, harbor masters. etc.
Also see World Cruiser's Nets
Please note that before, during and shortly after the 2010 Olympics that are likely to be major restrictions on the water ways around Vancouver.
The important bodies of water around Vancouver besides the Strait of Georgia are English Bay, Burrard Inlet, the Fraser River and Boundary Bay. Of these the two most important to cruisers are English Bay and Burrard Inlet.
English Bay is the entrance to False Creek which is home to several of Vancouver's docks and yacht clubs.
Burrard Inlet is the entrance to Vancouver Harbour. Within Vancouver Harbour is Coal Harbour which borders on Stanley Park and the north end of Downtown Vancouver. The entrance to Vancouver Harbour is the First Narrows which is spanned by Vancouver's famous Lions Gate Bridge. The waters around the bridge are narrow and are used regularly by container ships, cruise ships and barges entering and leaving. There is very little maneuvering room at that point. Pleasure craft entering and leaving should keep to starboard and stay outside of the main shipping lane. Do the smart thing and give the container ships the right of way. Tides at this squeeze point can be rather aggressive, at times just over 6 knots, so an examination of the tide charts is advised. The clearance of the Lions Gate Bridge is 61m. To aid navigation through the narrows there are navigation lights at Prospect Point, Brockton Point and Burnaby Shoal on the south shore and Amble Side Beach and Calamity Point on the north shore.
Once clear of the First Narrows you enter Vancouver Harbour with Coal Harbour and Dead Mans Island on the south side, and North Vancouver on the North Side. Further along on the south shore is the Vancouver Harbour Water Airport. After that is the iconic Canada Place which is also a cruise ship terminal. Next is the Sea Bus ferry terminal which transports foot passengers between the north and south shores. Further along is the Port of Vancouver which is the main container vessel loading area. Traffic control and the Harbour Patrol are on VHF channel 12.
After the Port of Vancouver is the second narrows with 2 bridges. The first bridge is the Iron Workers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing and the second is the Second Narrows bridge. When in the down position the clearance of the Second Narrows bridge is only 10.7m. Passage in the area under the bridge is traffic controlled. If you need the bridge lifted in order to clear you will have to contact the bridge operator on VHF channel 12. Like the first narrows, the currents here can get rather aggressive.
Beyond these two bridges lies Port Moody to the south and Indian arm to the north.
Also see Strait of Georgia.
Entrance
Vancouver is a port of entry/exit for Canada. For details see Entrance: Canada.
The Creek Harbour Authority has a courtesy Customs Dock. There is a map here.
The Delta Marina is an official Canada Customs clearance location.
Berthing
Protected from the open ocean, the calm waters of Burrard Inlet from Vancouver's primary port area, an excellent one for large ocean-going ships. While some of the shorelines are residential and commercial, much is post-industrial, including rail yards, terminals for container and bulk cargo ships, grain elevators, and (towards the eastern end) oil refineries. Freighters waiting to load or discharge cargoes in the inlet often anchor in English Bay, which lies south of the mouth of the inlet and is separated from it by Vancouver's downtown peninsula and Stanley Park.
Marinas & Yacht Clubs
Vancouver is home to many marinas and Yacht Clubs. Some of these are shown below.
Marinas
False Creek Harbour Authority [[Vancouver#False Creek Harbour Authority|False Creek Harbour Authority]] 49°16.350'N, 123°08.333'W
Burrard Bridge Civic Marina [[Vancouver#Burrard Bridge Civic Marina|Burrard Bridge Civic Marina]] 49°16.480'N, 123°08.224'W
Heather Civic Marina [[Vancouver#Heather Civic Marina|Heather Civic Marina]] 49°16.139'N, 123°07.198'W
Coal Harbour Marina [[Vancouver#Coal Harbour Marina|Coal Harbour Marina]] 49°16.141'N, 123°07.219'W
Granville Island Boat Yard [[Vancouver#Granville Island Boat Yard|Granville Island Boat Yard]] 49°16.349'N, 123°08.239'W
Harbour Ferries Marina [[Vancouver#Harbour Ferries Marina|Harbour Ferries Marina]] 49°17.737'N, 123°08.051'W
Pelican Bay Marina [[Vancouver#Pelican Bay Marina|Pelican Bay Marina]] 49°16.172'N, 123°07.817'W
Plaza of Nations Marina [[Vancouver#Plaza of Nations Marina|Plaza of Nations Marina]] 49°16.477'N, 123°06.485'W
Maritime Market and Marina [[Vancouver#Maritime Market and Marina|Maritime Market and Marina]] 49°16.367'N, 123°08.219'W
Bayshore West Marina, Thunder Bird Marina, West Port Marina [[Vancouver#Bayshore West Marina, Thunder Bird Marina, West Port Marina|Bayshore West Marina, Thunder Bird Marina, West Port Marina]] °'N, 123°16.169'W
Bowen Island Marina [[Vancouver#Bowen Island Marina|Bowen Island Marina]] 49°22.715'N, 123°19.900'W
Captains Cove Marina [[Vancouver#Captains Cove Marina|Captains Cove Marina]] 49°06.854'N, 123°04.375'W
Crescent Beach Marina [[Vancouver#Crescent Beach Marina|Crescent Beach Marina]] 49°03.367'N, 122°52.138'W
Deep Cove North Shore Marina [[Vancouver#Deep Cove North Shore Marina|Deep Cove North Shore Marina]] 49°19.907'N, 122°56.315'W
Lynnwood Marina & Boat Yard [[Vancouver#Lynnwood Marina & Boat Yard|Lynnwood Marina & Boat Yard]] 49°18.050'N, 123°01.656'W
Mosquito Creek Marina [[Vancouver#Mosquito Creek Marina|Mosquito Creek Marina]] 49°18.785'N, 123°05.372'W
Reed Point Marina [[Vancouver#Reed Point Marina|Reed Point Marina]] 49°17.565'N, 122°52.929'W
River Rock Marina [[Vancouver#River Rock Marina|River Rock Marina]] 49°11.863'N, 123°07.714'W
Shelter Island Marina [[Vancouver#Shelter Island Marina|Shelter Island Marina]] 49°09.787'N, 122°59.359'W
Vancouver Marina [[Vancouver#Vancouver Marina|Vancouver Marina]] 49°11.452'N, 123°08.115'W
Yacht Clubs
The Royal Vancouver Yacht Club [[Vancouver#The Royal Vancouver Yacht Club|The Royal Vancouver Yacht Club]] 49°16.478'N, 123°11.201'W
Kitsilano Yacht Club [[Vancouver#Kitsilano Yacht Club|Kitsilano Yacht Club]] 49°16.531'N, 123°09.584'W
False Creek Yacht Club [[Vancouver#False Creek Yacht Club|False Creek Yacht Club]] 49°16.406'N, 123°07.979'W
Deep Cove Yacht Club [[Vancouver#Deep Cove Yacht Club|Deep Cove Yacht Club]] 49°19.667'N, 122°56.803'W
Burrard Yacht Club [[Vancouver#Burrard Yacht Club|Burrard Yacht Club]] 49°18.748'N, 123°05.587'W
Stamps Landing Yacht Club [[Vancouver#Stamps Landing Yacht Club|Stamps Landing Yacht Club]] 49°16.139'N, 123°07.198'W - in Heather Civic Marina
Jericho Sailing Centre [[Vancouver#Jericho Sailing Centre|Jericho Sailing Centre]] 49°16.615'N, 123°11.980'W
Anchorages
False Creek
Wreck Beac
Amenities
For details see individual marinas and yacht clubs
Provisioning
Give the names and locations of supermarkets, grocery stores, bakeries, etc.
Store name1 [[Vancouver#Store name1|Store name1]]
Store name2 [[Vancouver#Store name2|Store name2]]
Eating out
Give the name of recommended restaurants, tavernas, pastry stores, etc.
- Location1
-
Name [[Vancouver#Name|Name]]
- Location2
- Name [[Vancouver#Name|Name]]
Transportation
- Vancouver International Airport
- Floatplanes and heliport
- Pacific Central Station, 1150 Station Street, Vancouver
- There are two ferry terminals served by BC Ferries in the Lower Mainland. Both terminals are far enough from the city core that you will need to travel by car, taxi or bus to get into any regional city from them (and vice-versa)
- Metro Vancouver’s public transit is an integrated system of buses, rapid transit (SkyTrain) and ferries (SeaBus) covering the city of Vancouver and all of the municipalities that make up Metro Vancouver
Tourism
History
Give a short history of the port.
Places to Visit
List places of interest, tours, etc.
Friends
Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.
Forums
List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)
Links
References
See Canada.
Comments
We welcome users' contributions to the Wiki. Please click on Comments to view other users' comments, add your own personal experiences or recommend any changes to this page following your visit.
Verified by
Date of member's last visit to Vancouver and this page's details validated:
- Compiled from research (pilot books, internet, etc.) September, 2018 --Istioploos
Travels with S/Y Thetis
| This is a usable page of the cruising guide. However, please contribute if you can to help it grow further. Click on Comments to add your personal notes on this page or to discuss its contents. Alternatively, if you feel confident to edit the page, click on the edit tab at the top and enter your changes directly. |
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Names: Lighthouse, Istioploos |
