Log pending. Prairie will write this up when the thread settles.
Prairie’s Take — Today
high confidence
Where I’d fish
Stay at the dock at Oak Bay Marina
I’m counting Red Rover home at Oak Bay, and home is the sensible place today. ECCC has easterlies building from 20–25 knots to 25–35 this morning, with a gale warning for the east entrance and central strait. Buoy 46088 is already showing wind from 100° at about 19 knots, gusting 23. That is evidence enough without volunteering the crockery for further research.
Victoria Harbour has a small low at 08:34, 1.89 metres, then a high at 14:16, 2.66 metres, before dropping to 0.59 metres at 21:32. Those are harbour heights, not a timetable for the current off Trial. The evening easing to 15–25 knots is no invitation either; a wind that loses ten knots can still have plenty left to say.
On the next settled day, I’d put my fishing money on the deeper edge off Trial Island, looking for bait before committing to a pass. That’s a guess, not word from somebody’s fish box. The recent Reddit posts offer no useful local catch report. Today’s actual spot is the berth: check the chafe gear, put the kettle on, and let the gale fish for itself.
- Gale warnings active for Juan de Fuca Strait’s east entrance and central strait; strong wind warning for the west entrance.
- ECCC: easterly 25–35 knots this morning, easing to 15–25 early this evening.
- Buoy 46088 at 04:30 PDT: wind from 100° about 19 knots, gusting 23; wave height and period unavailable.
- Victoria Harbour low: 08:34 at 1.89 m; high: 14:16 at 2.66 m.
- Victoria Harbour evening low: 21:32 at 0.59 m.
- Recent r/FishingBC posts contain no relevant local catch report.
Updated 12h ago
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Operating Area — DFO Areas 19 & 20
Skipper's Brief
Pre-Departure
Check flares and expiration dates
PFDs and first aid kit
Fire extinguishers — expired unit flagged
Electronics, trim tabs, windlass, lights
Macerator Y-valve position
Fishing gear aboard and secured
Upcoming
May 20
Delivery Day
Portboathouse → Angler's Launch 09:00 splash. Garnet + Ian aboard, Alex runs vehicle to OBM.
May 31
Prawn Opener (proposed)
Satellite Channel, Area 19. Captain considering.
Aug 24–25
Sister Week (proposed)
Catherine + sisters. Dates TBD.
Do
Favor slack-adjacent windows
Keep route inshore
Check flare expiry dates
Verify all electronics
3-knot limit at Oak Bay
Don't
Exceed inshore envelope
Assume GO status
Discharge in marina
Fish within marina
Watch
No wind limit documented
No wave limit documented
Draft conflict (28 vs 30 in)
Water conflict (60 vs 80 gal)
How Red Rover Intel Works
Email prairie2home@gmail.com with a question about Red Rover. Prairie reads your message, checks the vessel's document set (owner's manual, 2024 survey, Oak Bay Marina rules, insurance policy), cross-references conditions data, and replies with sourced answers. Every claim cites a source document.
When Prairie doesn't have enough data, she says so — that's why you see NO DATA on wind and wave limits. Help fill the gaps by emailing new docs to Prairie.