Dodd Narrows closed July 14 - July 18

[Greg S]

Who knew you could close an ocean? * IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR THOSE BOATING IN THE Canadian GULF ISLANDS.* PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE ON TO YOUR FRIENDS

Dodd Narrows will be closed to boating traffic July 14 - July 18 .
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Dodd Narrows Closure
July 14, 2019 to July 18, 2019
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This notice is to inform all concerned boaters that Dodd Narrows will be closed to all vessel traffic starting at 0915 on Sunday, July 14, 2019 until Wednesday, July 17, 2019 and possibly extending to Thursday, July 18, 2019. The reason for this closure is that BC Hydro will be upgrading, and replacing, the cables across Dodd Narrows. They will be using a helicopter for some of the time as they replace the cables and put them on some new towers.
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The Nanaimo Port Authority will have vessels on site to stop vessels from transiting the narrows during the closure periods.
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This work is scheduled to start on a Sunday as that is deemed to be the least disruptive to BC Hydro customers on Gabriola and Mudge Islands as they will be without electricity during the duration of this job.
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There will be a scheduled opening for vessels to transit Dodd Narrows for one hour around slack water on Sunday evening. The scheduled closure times are shown at the bottom of this notice.
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The information on the closures will also be broadcast on VHF radio. At this time I’m not sure if it will be on Ch. 16 or there will be a short notice on Ch.16 directing you to the complete notice on the weather channel.
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I apologize for the short notice on this and the impact it may have on weekend plans. My assistance was only requested earlier today, Wednesday, and the NPA was only informed of this work on Monday, July 8.
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Having said all this, there is a chance that none of this will happen and the work will be put off for several months. At this time that is not a likely option but a slim possibility.
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Bill Wilson
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Work Activity Date Dodd Narrows – Closure
Outage Day Sunday – July 14, 2019 09:15-15:30
- Flying Rope 16:30-20:00
- Pulling New conductor
Pulling new conductor Monday – July 15, 2019 10:15-16:00
Stripping old conductor Tuesday – July 16, 2019 11:00-16:45
Wednesday – July 17, 2019 11:45-17:15
Thursday – July 18, 2019 12:15-17:45
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Sheila Boutcher
COBCYC Secretary

 

[rochepoint]

Do you have a link to this announcement that I can use for our yacht club?

 

[Greg S]

Do you have a link to this announcement that I can use for our yacht club?

No, I got it in an email from our Power Squadron. They got it from the COBCYC (Council of BC Yacht Clubs).

 

[dhays]

Wow, that would suck if a boater was planning to go through Dodd Narrows and got turned back. Particularly if the conditions were bad in Georgia Strait.


If there was a high enough tide I might be tempted to try the North side of Mudge Island.

 

[Ken E.]

Gabriola Pass is going to get a lot of traffic.

 

[dhays]

Gabriola Pass is going to get a lot of traffic.

True. I don't know what the time difference is between the slack current in Dodd vs Gabriola, but I can imagine heading North for the high tide slack at Dodd and getting turned back. By the time to you make it to Gabriola, would you be running against a strong ebb? While not as bad as Dodd, Gabriola Passage can run pretty fast.

 

[rochepoint]

I tracked down Sheila Boutcher, Secretary of the Council of BC Yacht Clubs, asked her for a link for our clubs website as we have members that use Dodd Narrow regularly and just received this email from her.......

"Thanks Mike, for being willing to spread the news. Actually I have just been notified that the planned closure of Dodd Narrows has been cancelled until further notice. Who knows what is going on with BC Hydro!"

Sheila

 

[dhays]

I tracked down Sheila Boutcher, Secretary of the Council of BC Yacht Clubs, asked her for a link for our clubs website as we have members that use Dodd Narrow regularly and just received this email from her.......

"Thanks Mike, for being willing to spread the news. Actually I have just been notified that the planned closure of Dodd Narrows has been cancelled until further notice. Who knows what is going on with BC Hydro!"

Sheila

LOL, much ado about nothing.

 

[C lectric]

Yeah, I just got the same cancellation notice.

Maybe they decided to do it in the off season. I'll bet there was some serious flack including about the short notice.

 

[C lectric]

I can understand the closure but the timing was poor. Middle of the busy season when LOTS of traffic is transiting , commercial and us.

I don't know what the voltage would be but any interference causing a problem could be deadly for all concerned, workers and boaters.

 

[koliver]

Wow, that would suck if a boater was planning to go through Dodd Narrows and got turned back. Particularly if the conditions were bad in Georgia Strait.


If there was a high enough tide I might be tempted to try the North side of Mudge Island.

Not for towboats with tows, or very large vessels, but False Narrows really is a viable alternative for small pleasure boats. I first transited False Narrows with a fleet of sailboats on an organized YC cruise, over 30 yrs ago. I have used it many times recently.
Do it in the daylight, as you need to see the unlighted range marks on the shore. Pay close attention to your chart, which accurately tracks the preferred channel.
If you are thinking of passing through Dodd, and the weather is nice, give False a look, so you are not spooked if Dodd does get closed and you need that alternative.
And please, please stay off 16 as you approach Dodd or any other passage in the Gulf islands. Leave 16 for hailing and distress only. Nobody needs to hear pleasure boats calling "Securité" at those locations.

 

[dhays]

Not for towboats with tows, or very large vessels, but False Narrows really is a viable alternative for small pleasure boats. I first transited False Narrows with a fleet of sailboats on an organized YC cruise, over 30 yrs ago. I have used it many times recently.
Do it in the daylight, as you need to see the unlighted range marks on the shore. Pay close attention to your chart, which accurately tracks the preferred channel.
If you are thinking of passing through Dodd, and the weather is nice, give False a look, so you are not spooked if Dodd does get closed and you need that alternative.
And please, please stay off 16 as you approach Dodd or any other passage in the Gulf islands. Leave 16 for hailing and distress only. Nobody needs to hear pleasure boats calling "Securité" at those locations.

Thanks Keith. I'll give that a try sometime. It has got to be less of a zoo than Dodd can be during a busy summer day. I think I'll make sure my depth sounder is working reliably beforehand though.

 

[syjos]

And please, please stay off 16 as you approach Dodd or any other passage in the Gulf islands. Leave 16 for hailing and distress only. Nobody needs to hear pleasure boats calling "Securité" at those locations.

koliver,

I agree 100%

I've ranted on other threads about low information pleasure boaters unnecessarily announcing themselves through Dodd clogging up Ch 16.

A lot of them think Dodd is a one way passage and try to make passing arrangements or taking turns going through.

We stay off the radio, ignore the announcements and just go through.

 

[Doug]

Rather than not announcing passage through narrow channels I would suggest using low power mode on your radio and requesting conflicting traffic call back on a working channel rather than 16.

 

[rsn48]

Rather than not announcing passage through narrow channels I would suggest using low power mode on your radio and requesting conflicting traffic call back on a working channel rather than 16.

Ditto.

 

[Greg S]

Apparently calling Securite by recreational boats before entering Dodds was promoted by Pacific Yachting magazine. Or so I was told.

 

[syjos]

Securite announcements at Dodd Narrows was promoted by Waggoner and now they are back paddling:

https://waggonerguide.com/dodd-narro...t-to-announce/

Only vessels posing a hazzard to others need to make the announcement.

 

[BDofMSP]

Wow. As a non-local boater, I did everything I could think of to prepare before I chartered up there. That included professional training which taught me to raise securitie calls in such situations, which was reinforced by the charter company materials and publications such as Waggoner.

Who knew I was being such an idiot? I wonder how I was supposed to know that?

 

[C lectric]

You wouldn't know once the "PROS" told you to do so. Not your fault they were wrong. But do pay attention, keep your speed down. Washes can be nasty made worse by current although we all know some just don't care.

I used to but realized it is not needed for small fry.

I don't use Dodds much but a couple times there was a north bound log tow and a south bound log tow waiting for the north bound to clear.

But the only vessels we needed to hear were those tow boats making arrangements with each other. Stay well clear of them as the tow can swing quite well out of the path WE think they will take.

 

[syjos]

You wouldn't know once the "PROS" told you to do so. Not your fault they were wrong. But do pay attention, keep your speed down. Washes can be nasty made worse by current although we all know some just don't care.

I used to but realized it is not needed for small fry.

I don't use Dodds much but a couple times there was a north bound log tow and a south bound log tow waiting for the north bound to clear.

But the only vessels we needed to hear were those tow boats making arrangements with each other. Stay well clear of them as the tow can swing quite well out of the path WE think they will take.

We were going through Dodd Narrows a few years ago at first light when a log boom came apart. We were going south and when we came around the corner, the Narrows was full of loose logs. There was a small tug running around pushing logs against the shore as fast as he could.

There was a securite warning about the mishap on Ch16 but we were already committed. The small tug cleared a path for us to go through.

 

[syjos]

Another time, I heard a tug with a tow announcing his intention to go through Dodd Narrows at a certain time. He made the securite announcements at one hour, half hour and 15 minutes prior to his planned transit.

At about slack, all the pleasure boaters are making their inane securite announcement about their intent to transit Dodd and arguing about who goes first. The tug makes his final announcement to transit and the pleasure boaters begin telling the tug that they were first, not to come through because there were boats already in Dodd.

The tug tells the boaters that he will hug the eastern shore and there was plenty of room to pass. The pleasure boaters object and claims there is not enough room for them to pass.

The boaters then start to call the Canadian Coast Guard on Ch16 wanting to file a complaint against the tug. Boaters complain to the Coast Guard that the tug and tow is causing a major hazard at Dodd Narrows. They complained that there was not adequate time for them to change plans since the tug did not make the securite announcement until right before the tug entered the narrows.

The Coast Guard was taking this seriously and had the complainers switch to VHF CH21. Boaters were demanding a formal complaint and investigation of the tug operator.

I got on CH21 and told the CG about the tug operator making securite announcements at 1 hr, half hour, 15 minutes and just before entering Dodd Narrows. Boaters claimed no announcements were made until the tug/tow entered the narrows. Several other people then got on CH21 and confirmed the earlier announcements.

Shows the futility of making a securite announcement since most low information boaters do not have the VHF on or listen to it if on.

 

[Greg S]

...

The tug tells the boaters that he will hug the eastern shore and there was PLENTY OF ROOM TO PASS. The pleasure boaters object and claims there is not enough room for them to pass.

At slack, totally true, at full current it can be tricky but a tug and tow wouldn't be going through at that time.

 

[dhays]

I certainly would not want to go through Dodd at the same time as log boom. Even at slack, there can be some interesting eddie's.

 

[syjos]

Went through Dodd at the 9:48 am slack today.

Misinformed, by Wagoneer, boaters announcing themselves on CH16 when they are not a hazard to other boats. One sailboat going south tried to halt a gaggle of northbound sailboats. Some of the northbound sailboats stopped and others slowed. We proceeded through at about 6 knots. The southbound sailboat saw us coming through and made a 180 even though there was plenty of room. He did not wave to us.