Weather, Tides and Communication

Weather in Desolation Sound is quite consistent June through September, mild temperatures with winds rarely in excess of 25 knots. However, Southeasterlies can arrive with little warning. Weather systems generally pass in 24 hours and do not necessarily bring rain. Check the VHF weather broadcast daily, but also remember that if systems decide to move quickly they can be hard to forecast. Always check the and the weather forecast.

Note: 24-hour weather broadcasts are available on VHF WX Channel #1 #3 #7 for our area. If you are having a problem receiving the VHF weather broadcast, call the following number(s) depending on your location:

• Comox (250) 339-9861
• Campbell River (250) 287-4463
• Port Hardy (250) 949-7147

Lighthouse and buoy reports that are in or near our area are:

• Cape Mudge (#11 on map)
• Sentry Shoals (#12 on map)
• Cape Lazo (#13 on map)
• Chrome Island (south end of DENMAN ISLAND)
• Sisters Island (mid Straits off LASQUETI ISLAND south of Comox)

Online Weather Sites:

• www.goes.noaa.gov/ak1.html – satellite photo of West Coast cloud cover
• Weather Office – gives past 24 hr. history of wind for designated stations. This will show you the trend of building or diminishing wind; excellent for making your own forecast when combined with satellite photos.

Tidal predictions can be found in “Ports and Passes” Tides, Currents & Charts. The prediction stations are listed alphabetically and the daily predictions for both Comox Harbour (Henry Bay) and Desolation Sound are listed in this publication.

All tide predictions have been corrected for Daylight Saving Time.

The Flood and Ebb tides meet between Comox and Campbell River, coming north from the bottom of Vancouver Island and south from the top of the Island. There is almost no current in Desolation Sound. The most you will see is 1.5 knots. However, there is a tremendous vertical rise and fall, up to 5.8 metres. Great care must be taken when navigating and anchoring.

We do not monitor VHF because the topography of the area makes this line of sight communication impossible. The Coast Guard does have relay stations in the surrounding mountains so you can always get hold of them.

The Sound is now covered for cellular phone use. All boats have 12-volt receptacles of the cigarette lighter. You can plug in a USB adaptor to charge your phone or tablet.

If you are having trouble, there are two ways of getting hold of us:

• If you are mobile, go to the nearest dock. Anywhere there is a dock, there is a telephone. Call us and we will arrange to have someone look after you. DO NOT arrange anything yourself. We have people in place in the Sound and we will arrange for them to get to you as quickly as possible. Toll-free number 1-877-647-3815 or (250) 339-7222.
• If you are immobile and not near a phone, call the Coast Guard by VHF radio and they will call us. Again, we will arrange for someone to get to you as quickly as possible. NOTE: Do not call us via the Coast Guard unless it is an emergency.