Sucia Small Boat Rendezvous

Safety

About Sucia

Getting There

Tides

Safety

Who's Coming

2004

2005

2006

This is not an "organized" event - we do not solicit attendance, charge fees or offer support.  It is a gathering of sailors who have the knowledge and expertise to safely travel the waterways.  If this describes you, welcome!  If you do not have the knowledge and expertise, or are not sure, then join your local Power and Sail Squadron or other certified body to acquire the skills you need.

Everyone is welcome, but your safety must come first, and YOU are responsible for your actions.

Equipment

Every boat should carry, at a minimum, the equipment required by law. If you don’t know what this is, refer to Canadian Coast Guard or US Coast Guard Auxiliary sites.

Crossing open water

Consider travelling with other boaters. There'll be a group coming from Lummi or Bellingham (and I'll be travelling from Sidney, so if you want someone to travel with, contact me at small_boat_rendezvous@yahoo.com.  Even if you are crossing from Orcas, the tides could be a problem for small, slow boats, so travel with a buddy if you have any doubts.  We also have a Sucia group established on Yahoo which will link you with other boaters.  Don't be shy!

Some folks carry a cell phone and/or VHF radio and will be monitoring both, the VHF should be on channel 16. I'm posting last year's contact list here as I believe all of these folks will be returning -- please confirm that, guys.  If anyone else would like to volunteer their phone numbers or VHF call signs, send them to me and I will post them too.  Channel 16 is the call-up channel, but it is also emergency channel, so as soon as you have established contact, switch to another channel, such as 68.  If anyone is carrying an FRS family radio, let me know and we'll agree on a common channel for the group.

There is a printable version of the information below plus some VHF guidance here.

Warning --this list may be out of date or the boats named may not be coming, do not rely on this for more than convenience.

I don’t want to dwell too much on safety issues, or make a fun weekend sound like a dangerous expedition. However, I do stress that we must each do our part to keep it safe. The most important part of that, to my mind, is in being prepared. ‘Nuff said.