Canada - Yachting Essentials
Canada Yachting Essentials
Electricity
- Voltage: 120 V
- Frequency: 60 Hz
Electricity is available at all marinas and many docks.
Fuel
Most main marinas have fuel docks or one nearby.
Water
Water is available at nearly all marinas and docks and all is potable.
LPG
Propane cylinders are widely available and can be exchanged or re-filled.
Cylinders must be inspected and re-qualified every 10 years. It is against the law to fill an outdated cylinder.
Chandlery
There is a large number of chandleries and one can be found at all major settlements.
Provisioning
Provisioning is very good in larger ports, but only adequate in some of the smaller places.
In Newfoundland, apart from in St. Johns, most grocery stores are not very well stocked and have poor or no fresh produce. Prices for some staples are high – for example, milk.
On the west coast, north of Vancouver, grocery stores are far apart. Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island, is a good provisioning place used by the local fishing fleet, so docking space is sometimes limited. There are several marinas in Pender Harbour, with stores and a post office. Similar services are available at Sullivan Bay on North Broughton Island and there are good facilities in Prince Rupert.
Repair Facilities and Yachting Services
There are good facilities in all major yachting centers. Marine equipment and fuel are more expensive than in the USA, whereas Canadian charts are cheaper than US charts.
On the west coast, the best stocks of chandlery and general boat repair facilities are in Vancouver as well as Richmond, one of its suburbs. There are good docking facilities at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club as well as the nearby marina and Vancouver Rowing Club, all of which welcome visitors and are close to the center.
Particularly north of Vancouver, fueling stations are far apart. There is a fuel station in Pender Harbor and at Sullivan Bay on North Broughton Island. Prince Rupert provides good services, although the place gets crowded when the fishing fleet is in.
On the Atlantic coast, Halifax, in Nova Scotia, has a wide range of repair facilities and services. There are three large yacht clubs in town and visitors can moor at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in the main harbor.
Best repair facilities are at Lunenburg, an important fishing port, which has a very interesting fishing museum.
Although there are barely any yachting facilities in St. John’s busy commercial harbor, these are concentrated in Long Pond, a narrow inlet on the west side of the Avalon Peninsula. This is also the home of the Royal Newfoundland Yacht Club, which is particularly welcoming to foreign visitors. Fuel and water are available on the dock.
Navigation:
The tidal range in BC can be over 15 feet (5 meters) and tidal/ocean currents in some passages reach over 7 knots in Flood or Ebb. See this very useful report by JJ Holcman, about cruising the coast of British Colombia, with a plethora of advice and recommendations.
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Note – CANADA has some very specific and different VHF channels and you will need to be sure your VHF radio can access them.
Example: Channel 21B, and 83B provide Continuous Marine Broadcast (CMB) service (in English)
Most VHFs can switch between USA/International and Canada (check your manual). For more specific details check out this helpful site: https://www.boat-ed.com/canada/studyGuide/VHF-Marine-Radio-Channels/101199_116029/
Link to Waterways guide / Lakes loop is not working
This should do it.. https://www.waterwayguide.com/knowledge-center/news-post/3895/Choosing-your-Great-Loop-route-Atlantic-to-Great-Lakes,
As of early June, Canada Border Services has placed a temporary hold on Shelburne, Nova Scotia as a port of entry
The latest information we have (as of 9 June, 2020) is that Newfoundland has closed its borders indefinitely including for citizens of Canada. See https://www.noonsite.com/place/canada/formalities#biosecurity-section for updates.
Quebec City marina
The best advice is to contact the Canadian Reporting station and ensure that your passports are properly stamped on departure and to have all your official boat papers (including insurance) in order. The USA Customs & Border Protection (CBP) service does not normally issue a zarpe for boats leaving their shores and, conversely, does not appear to expect one on those arriving either.
I have a British-flagged vessel and will be leaving Canada for the US in May. I can find no reference anywhere on Transport Canada, or elsewhere, of ‘outbound clearance’ requirements. I am familiar with the entry requirements for the US… Is there a zarpe or equivalent, in order to leave Canada?
Regarding pepper spray: bear spray is fine. There is a size limitation and it to be designed for use with bears (it’s all in the labelling).