Porlier Pass Galiano Island

Porlier Pass.  Porlier Pass separates Galiano Island and Valdes Island.  Several times a year, currents on the large tides reach 9 knots.  Current predictions are shown in the Tide and Current TablesVol. 5, and Ports and Passes.  The current floods north into the Strait of Georgia, and ebbs south into the Gulf Islands.  The best time to transit is at slack water.  A study of the chart shows it is safest to transit Porlier Pass on the south sides of Baack Rock and Vitago Rock, Staying toward the Galiano Island side of the pass.

From the Strait of Georgia, is your approach near Lighted Bell Buoy U41.  South of the buoy, pick up the range on rAce Point and Virago Pint.  Follow that range into Porlier Pass to clear the rocks extending from the northeast tip of Galiano Island.  Once clear of the rocks, you can turn to follow a mid-channel course between Virago Rock and Galiano Island.  Charts 3442 and 3443 show the range of the rocks to be avoided on both sides, but the larger scale chart 3473 really helps to understand.  Chartbook 3313 also shows the pass in excellent detail.

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