The Official Magazine of the Bluewater Cruising Association
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Updates on Our Ever-Changing Coast

Ralph Lapp

Exodus IV
Catalina 470
January 5th, 2025

Be Prepared for Major Changes

Bluewater Cruising Association is one of 46 associations or yacht clubs that have representation on the Council of BC Yacht Clubs (CBCYC). It is an umbrella organization for the Marine Parks Forever charitable arm to which many of us donate, either individually or through an annual amount donated by our respective yacht clubs. The Council’s purpose is to advocate for recreational boaters. As an alternate representative for BCA to the council I would like to update you on some of the Council proceedings.

In light of well-established clubs such as Ladysmith having to forego their use of the marina, and the Sunshine Coast being under close scrutiny, the boating community needs to be prepared for major changes to foreshore rights and existing docks.

The Howe Sound Biosphere

The Howe Sound Biosphere Region is one of the next focuses of attention by the Provincial Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. The CBCYC is proactively collecting information regarding the status of yacht club leases in Howe Sound. The data will go into the Council’s members-only section of the recently very well updated website. This information on the website will be accessible to club delegates who can then be better prepared to respond to future BC Ministry proposals in a proactive and timely fashion.

Sunshine Coast Dock Management Plan (DMP)

A year ago the maritime public and the CBCYC were scrambling to respond to the Sunshine Coast Dock Management Plan (DMP). More than 1700 letters of concern were received by the BC Ministry reacting to the initiative, which was seen to have many flaws. A Waterfront Protection Coalition (WPC) was organized on the Sunshine Coast, Pender Harbour in particular, to respond to the Ministry’s DMP, which included far-reaching drastic changes to existing and future docks. Through the CBCYC support for the WPC, the Council has benefitted by opening a direct link to senior managers in the Provincial Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. There has already been positive movement on behalf of the government. Their latest amendments to the Sunshine Coast DMP in April 2024 allowed for existing facilities to be exempted and a much more realistic timeline and criteria for dock compliance.

Princess Louisa

The docks at the head of Princess Louisa Inlet have deteriorated to become virtually unusable. The Princess Louisa International Society is prepared to fund the necessary repairs, but getting BC Parks to agree to this and support the effort has been difficult.

Stern-Ties

An important initiative of the Marine Parks Forever Society arm of the Council, with the guidance of President Jim Phillips, is the continued installation and upgrade of stern-ties in popular anchorages along our BC coast.

Other Issues

  • CBCYC has accessed funding to promote scientific research in support of informed development of coastal management regulations.
  • Two members of the CBCYC (Phil Aldrich and Steve MacDonald) have presented the history and accomplishments of the Council to several yacht clubs in the past year.
  • A particular interest is the search for volunteers to monitor the proliferation of mooring buoys and derelict vessels. This starts with an inventory followed by providing guidance for the public to address the issues.
  • Continued vigilance by the Council includes eel grass closures in the Prideaux Haven-Desolation Sound area and Southern Resident Killer Whale exclusion zone infractions. Council delegates are encouraged to remind mariners of the restricted areas and to respect the various restrictions.
  • Excessive wake concerns in sensitive areas like Princess Louisa Inlet and Indian Arm, to name a couple of many, are being addressed.
  • We are being asked to report dangerous or disruptive marine practices.

Next Meeting and Contacts

The next quarterly General Council meeting the CBCYC will be a Zoom meeting February 15, 2025. If you have any specific concerns you’d like brought to the Council’s attention, Stephen Carlman and I, Ralph Lapp, are your representatives to carry those forward.

Comments


  1. Dave Wilson says:

    What is the possibility of implementing a cruising permit for foreign vessels visiting the water of British Columbia to offset some of the costs incurred by MARINE parks. A system similar to the one in the US and Mexico

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