Taking the ferry

[Cleta]

I would like some advice from those of you who live in western British Columbia. I will be exploring BC during the first two weeks of August 2022 and then taking the ferry from Horseshoe to Namino around the 15. Would the ferry be busier on Sunday or Monday? Also I will be returning on the Black Ball from Victoria to Port Angeles at the end of August. Again are some days of the week better than others.

[dunnet]

On both of the ferries it is wise to book a reservation, they both have good web sites.

https://www.bcferries.com/RouteSelec...RoCU2wQAvD_BwE

https://www.cohoferry.com

[Cleta]

Thank you for the links. I had planned on booking in advance. I am just trying to determine which dates to choose.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Cleta

Thank you for the links. I had planned on booking in advance. I am just trying to determine which dates to choose.

I expect the sites have peak time charts.

[dunnet]

It is alway difficult to judge which days are the busiest, sometimes earlier in the day is better.

[Chris R]

Both will be busy, although I would avoid weekends. Sometimes the challenge is the traffic either going to the ferry or on the other side. Both ferry systems require you arrive at the ferry terminal within a certain time range, check the websites. On the BC ferry you will be on the bottom deck with the trucks, usually lots of space, lanes are wider than the car deck. On the Coho, everyone is on the same deck and may require backing up within the ferry. It all depends on the number of cars/truck/RVs taking the trip.

[JeffinBC]

Agreed with booking a reservation anytime in the summer or on a weekend. You may get lucky on the Monday by just showing up early without a reservation but I’d still reserve.

[GregWCIL]

Hey Cleta,

Sounds like you have a great adventure planned. Diane and I are heading to Sumas three weeks from today to pick up our new 5.0 - complete with the sink you recommended. Lol
Then spending the rest of June exploring and photographing the coasts and waterfalls of Washington and Oregon.
My “get ready” list is growing faster than I’m checking it off I’m afraid.
Safe travels on your trip if we don’t visit beforehand.

Cheers,
Greg and Diane

Ps for other readers: Cleta was an Escape ambassador who helped us decide on many options for or 5.0.

[Bobccat]

We live in North Vancouver and take the Horseshoe Bay ferry to Nanaimo often. The best is to book the dates you want. Sunday is usually quieter than Monday. If you can't get a reservation then go to the terminal really early or the night before and sleep in front of the gate. They will wake you up in the morning when the gate opens. There is a percentage that is not reservable. Note there are larger ferries running from Tsawwassen to Nanaimo and they sometimes have discounts but may only be for BC residents. Enjoy BC!

[Janet H]

I take ferries often in WA state and have occasionally run into trouble at extremely low tides with the angle of the approach ramp. As noted earlier reservations are a good idea and you will likely be required to turn off your propane. The Blackball in Port Angeles has a gentle slope at the ramp - no worries there but some others are steepish at low tide.

[WanderBred]

I live in Port Angeles Washington and always make a reservation on the coho. And it is never affected by the tides.