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[arimaBOATER]

Have spent literally 1000s of hours on the Fraser R from Pt Coq. to Sandheads using 4 dif. boats.
1st one a fibreglass car topper with a 9.9 hp.
One chap doing some electrical work on our 13 ft runabout mentioned to me "Stay out of the way of the big boys".
The big boys are those big vessels that navigate up & down the river.
The vessels that carry rail cars or truck trailers or trans ocean vehicle transport ships.
There are large barges that have a bow & the tug pushes it instead of towing it.
You can just imagine the mentioned vessels need room.
Plus many times the wake can be very powerful.
Once a BC ferry was going up river to dock at their maintenance facilities across from Captain's Cove area. Plus the dredger ship was near & another freighter. All navigating in close quarters in the Fraser east of Steveston.
We just stayed closer to the north shore.
Once when coming up river from Sandheads I switched the fuel line to a full portable fuel tank.
Only one thing; forgot to open up the air vent.
Suddenly our outboard stopped. The wind & waves were from the south & our boat started to drift more into the main shipping channel.
There was a large vessel barreling down river.
One's mind works quick & does a math.
Our boat will be way too close to this ship if I cannot get the outboard restarted.
With the heart beating extra, noticed the closed air vent thus twisted it open & gave a few quick pumps to the fuel bulb & cranked the key to the right.
Outboard started right away,thus pushed the throttle & headed straight south & out of the shipping channel.
Another time we were on the south side of the river east of Steveston  along the rocky jetty.
It's quite deep even a few metres from this jetty.
A big sucker ship was heading up river & they navigate about 25-35 yards from this jetty.
Was thinking maybe I'll just stay between this rock jetty & the big ship.
But thoughts of "what if ?"
If big wake shovels us onto the rocky shore.
Or ship is just too close to our boat & it would feel like were sandwiched between.
Decided to play it safe & cross the river & give plenty of room between them & me.
Once did see a guy on high tide with an inflatable & oars in the middle of the shipping channel by Steveston.
He had his wife & 2 small girls on board.
Large vessels passed by them.
Convinced the guy to give us a rope & we slowly towed them closer to Shady Is.
Many many stories of boating accidents in these same waters thru the years.
Yes stay away from the big boys is a safe thing to do.
Kicker is a must on these waters incase your main stops.
If the big boys do not scare you, the currents & standing waves will or other big recreational boats racing up behind you & or deadheads or near submerged logs.
Boating in the Fraser to Sandheads is an adventure.
Did it for 20 years aprox. & many many close calls & frights but never had a major happening.
Me have no 9 lives. Things on the water can happen so fast. Whale watching boat accident on the westcoast of Van. Is. a few days ago is case & point. 5-6 killed.

[doja]

If you are broken down and unable to navigate you need to use your VHF radio and contact either Vessel traffic or Coast Guard Radio so that others operating on the river can provide assistance or at least avoid running you over assuming you are simply anchored while fishing.

Coast Guard... Yes my boat has lost power (may have turned engine off)  and I am anchored and I've decided to throw out a line. I may need assistance but for the mean time advice others not to run me over and if I need assistance (big fish)  I'll radio in....  Thank you.

Lol

[ShaunO]

^ Good plan

Also, *16 works on most cell phone networks, but nothing beats a radio!

[doja]

^ Good plan

Also, *16 works on most cell phone networks, but nothing beats a radio!

Are you saying you can access this Chanel (16) from a cell phone? Please do tell....

[TNAngler]

Are you saying you can access this Chanel (16) from a cell phone? Please do tell....

I'm pretty sure he meant dialing "*16"

[Damien]

deleted

[ShaunO]

Are you saying you can access this Chanel (16) from a cell phone? Please do tell....

Dialing *16 will connect you via phone line with the nearest Canadian Coast Guard Marine Traffic and Communication Services (MCTS), ie. Vancouver Radio, Victoria Radio, Comox Radio, etc.  Its a phone connection and cannot be heard by any other mariners in the area.  However, the Coast Guard will broadcast on your behalf using their high power broadcast antennas as well as coordinate rescue resources should you need them.

[ShaunO]

HOWEVER...


Not everyone on here operates near the coast where the marine VHF radios are monitored.  A lot of us operate inland in remote lakes and rivers.  Calling the Coast Guard from Hihium lake isn't going to help you.  If that is the case, you'll want to put this number in your phone. 

Joint Rescue Coordination Centre
Emergency Numbers (24 hrs/day)

Toll free (within BC & Yukon)

Telephone: 1-800-567-5111
Cellular: #727
Satellite, local, or out of area: 250-413-8933
Email: jrccvictoria@sarnet.dnd.ca

JRCC is manned by the Canadian Military and Canadian Coast Guard and they are the ones that dispatch rescue resources such as the Coast Guard or Search & Rescue Technicians from the military. 

http://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/e0003868

[doja]

Dialing *16 will connect you via phone line with the nearest Canadian Coast Guard Marine Traffic and Communication Services (MCTS), ie. Vancouver Radio, Victoria Radio, Comox Radio, etc.  Its a phone connection and cannot be heard by any other mariners in the area.  However, the Coast Guard will broadcast on your behalf using their high power broadcast antennas as well as coordinate rescue resources should you need them.

Great info,  thanks!!!

[Morty]

a reminder to all when fishing the Fraser to pull anchor and provide plenty of room for a tug boat and boom coming down.

ditto for trees coming down stream.

[arimaBOATER]

Gotta love the title of this post. "Tugs in the Fraser"
May I add some stories about tugs on the Fraser......
Going down river after going all the way to New Westminster & now returning to Richmond.
We are on the north shore side going at about 10 mph.
Ahead on the other side of the river are 2 of the biggest tugs I've ever seen. & they are full throttle & no tow from what I assume.
Big white spray  & waves are at the front of their bows. Literally wake with white caps are heading our way  & the waves are about 6ft high at least. It seemed about 30 of these wake waves hit us.
Water came over the bow & over the windshield into the boat.
Tug operators seen us & throttled down but their previous wake still came at us.
Another time we left McDonald Beach boat launch into the North Fraser R.
My dad in the passenger seat was rather hot as the sun was blazing & very little breeze.
He kinda scolded me to get the boat at a higher speed thus to create some wind in our face thud to cool us down.
Well this huge tug was going by with no tow & the wake waves were such that they literally came over the bow & over the windshield & buckets of water splashed us in the face shirts & pants.
So.....asked my dad if he was cooled down ?
Ha !!!!
Well it was a sunny day & within 2 hrs our cloths were dry as we trolled English Bay.
Great memories.
My dad is now 90 yrs old. & we sold the boat this past summer.
The cycles of life.