Weathermen and women over the years have talked about how difficult it is to provide accurate weather forecasts in coastal BC. The first problem is that the forecast covers such a wide and long area. And the forecast announces the worst, even though the worst is often a significant smaller area.
A microcosm of this was a personal experience decades ago on a sailboat on the westerly bay on Gambier Island - it has three bays. My buddy was on his boat at the most easterly bay on Gambier. So to bed we both go in our respective boats. I call him the next morning to arrange a meet up at Plumber's Cove and he tells me what a wretched night he had with "the storm." I said: "What storm?" He experienced heavy rain and wind and somehow it never made it to the other end of Gambier. The whole coast is like that. You can be in Grace Harbour enjoying a wonderful sleep while another boat in Tribune Bay is rocking and rolling.
The only reason Qualicum gets it own little forecast is that the confluence of winds happens so much. And they can be confused winds. I don't know how many times sitting in my car beside the Coast Guard office, I've seen winds in three different directions. The flags beside the Coast Guard will be almost ripping off the pole, flags pointing in one direction at this time of the year, pointing north west. But flags on some boats are pointed West and others pointed East, all strong winds.
By the way, for you locals that live close to French Creek, roughly around 15 March will be herring season. Going to the FC marina during this time is very much like attending a small town fair. Lots and lots of activity, both by commercial and sport fisherman. Also the Sea Lions will be there in full force, sometimes around 80 of them, very noticeable into the later hours as they don't shut up.... lol. A lot of the locals who don't normally visit the marina come in to see the "show." I find it a fun time. It will last roughly two weeks maybe two and a half. The fishing boats then proceed north chasing the heron. The Sea Gulls put on a show as they will fly as one flock, in the thousands taking a half hour to cross one point. They will come south to around FC in the morning and head north somewhere close to Comox for dinner. Interesting to see.
At night, again for you locals, jump in your car and come to the beaches in Eaglecrest and other beaches north at around 11 at night. You can see something like 50 commercial fishing boats all lit up, kind of like Xmas Carol ships in Vancouver.