Wells as Domestic Water Source

Wells bring up the real pioneer vibe for so many people. That's because wells have always been a good, practical way to get fresh water to a home or property. Many recreational developments will put in wells of some sort, often shared between two or more properties. Older properties, especially on the islands or further outside of residential centres, will often have a well as their main water source. (Newer properties are as likely to have rain water collection or spring water collection into a cistern system.) 

Wells generally come in two forms - dug wells and drilled wells. A dug well does not mean necessarily dug by hand, a bucket auger may be used for deeper wells. You will often hear these types of wells referred to as shallow or deep dug wells, meaning the general depth of the well. Drilled wells are just as they sound, drilled by a machine to reach water.

The level of the underground water aquifer, the type of ground material, and the cost of the project all help determine what type of well will be installed. In BC a well should be installed by a qualified well pump installer, and there are specific rules that should be followed during installation. These rules are set out in the Ground Water Protection Regulations of BC.

Well documentation is something that is very useful to have when it comes to selling a property - well logs, installation, etc - so keeping good records if your property has a well will definitely be of benefit. If it is a property we are listing we will research any suspected well for location, well id tags, well logs, etc.

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!

BCO Coastal Gem: Port Neville

Central to all outdoors activities and wildlife, Port Neville is a picturesque 8-mile long mainland inlet that provides relatively well-protected areas for outdoor activities, including excellent salmon and halibut fishing, crabbing and prawning. Port Neville is situated in Johnstone Strait on a portion of the mainland of British Columbia that extends towards and is the closest geographically to Vancouver Island. 

Port Neville was once the site of a busy service community and until approx 2010 still had a post office. Like many of the waterways in this region it is also of significance to First Nations. Mariners appreciate the location during stormy weather as it provides a calm spot to hide.

 

The inlet and the waters of Johnstone Strait are known for their abundance of wildlife. There is a tremendous variety of mainland wildlife such as deer, cougars and bears including resident Grizzly bears who can be viewed seasonally at the head of the inlet as they feed on returning salmon. Marine wildlife includes sea lions, seals, dolphins and orca whales. 

 

Access to Vancouver Island is approximately 20 minutes away by boat - 9 miles southeast and across Johnstone Strait to Kelsey Bay, just north of Sayward. The Port Harvey Marine Resort, situated to the north of Port Neville between East and West Cracroft Islands, offers a general store, moorage and a licensed restaurant.

 

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!

 

The Murkiness of Moorage in BC

 Over the years we have watched the rules around moorage in BC change drastically. From the documents and permissions required to the rules around building a dock, things rarely stay constant.

Moorage in BC is overseen by the Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. Their rules for private moorage for residential use are posted on their website. The gist of the rules as they stand now are that the Ministry allows for General Permission within certain guidelines. If your proposed dock and property fit within those guidelines, then you can follow the rules for General Permission and do not need to make an actual application to the Crown. 

If for any reason the General Permission guidelines do not fit, then you will need to apply to the Crown for what may be either Specific Permission or possibly a lease. Specific Permissions do not have a required renewal date, while leases/licenses of occupation do.

General Permission is only for docks which will be in front of the dock owner's personal property, with no other property in between. In other words, the dock owner must also be the upland owner. We have seen this cause issues in places where the Crown has retained a strip of land in front of properties in remote locations, originally intended to be a common walkway or access when the land was first surveyed but then never developed or used as such.

When it comes to requesting a transfer of an existing license of occupation or Specific Permission for moorage, patience is required. The Ministry can take years to complete this process and there are no guarantees when dealing with a third party. 

We would not be surprised if just as we all became comfortable and familiar with the current moorage rules they change again - seems to be the way. 

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!

5 Steps to Prepare Your Recreational Property for the Off-Season

 Fall has begun and with it comes the promise of rain and wind and storms on the west coast. Just like you should clean your gutters, unhook your hoses and put away the patio furniture at your home, you should take some time to prepare your recreational and remote properties for the fall and winter seasons.

1. Water - if you are not going to be using your property over the winter your water supply should be properly shut down. Turn off at the source, drain the hot water tank, and leave both indoor and outdoor taps open. 

2. Exterior tidy up - make sure all the loose items from summer, such as chairs, tables, planters, tools, etc are put away in a secure place. Winter weather can wreck these items, and winter storms can send them flying. If you have to leave canoes/kayaks or boats outside, make sure they are turned upside down so they can’t fill with water and that they are secured to something so they can’t blow about.

3. Interior – Clean out the fridge, and make sure that food stuffs are either well packaged, stored somewhere else or thrown out. Mice love a winter meal! Putting linens, towels, dishcloths, etc somewhere extra dry will help keep mould from growing on damp fabrics. Consider a moisture absorber container (no damp, damp rid, dri-z-air), especially on the coast or near water.

4. Lock up - make sure the property is closed up properly. Windows and doors should be latched so wind doesn't blow them open and so that critters can't get in. As an added security measure, and especially in wooded areas where debris and branches may come down, consider boarding up the windows.

5. Trees, shrubs, etc - now is a good time to prune any dead branches or long/heavy branches that are getting too close to buildings or look like they will block a driveway. These can come down during winter storms and do a lot of damage with no one around to clean up. Better to deal with it now.

Plus a bonus for those properties with docks:

6. Docks - make sure the surface is "gripped" or cleaned so that if someone needs to use the docks they won't slip on the slick surface from all the winter moisture. This will also deter mould build-up over the winter.

A small amount of time spent shutting down, cleaning up and locking up will save time and possibly money come spring. Time to get it done before the rain and colder weather come!

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!

How Remote is Your Remote?

Here in the BCO office we are always cautious when someone tells us they want a remote property. That's because over the years, wehave learned that one person's remote just might be another person's crowded community. 

When you picture a remote property, what do you visualize? What do you really want? Here are some questions that can help start defining what that might look like for you.

1. Do you want/need road access?
For some people remote means no one can drive to the property (generally getting there by boat instead, although some may even be hike in) while for other people having road access may be important, even if it's hours away from civilization and a dirt or gravel road.

2. Do you want/need any services?
Does your version of remote mean absolutely no services and either creating off-grid systems or just doing rain water collection, fire and an outhouse? Or do you still want access to power or cell service or telephone/internet service?

3. How close do you want other people?
Remote for you might mean no one within sight or sound of your property or even within a day's walk. For someone else it might mean being part of a small community of properties.

4. How close do you want to be to a service centre or amenities?
While someone may want to live off-grid, they may not want to be more than a couple hours from a service centre or at least access to basic amenities such as food shopping or fuel. Someone else may not care about access to amenities, being willing to travel over a distance to get to any sort of services.

Whatever your remote may be, the BC Oceanfront Real Estate Team can likely find the right property for you!

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!

BCO Property Visits

 The end of summer has seen the team very busy out of the office, visiting a number of remote properties. Unlike going to a residential property that can be driven to, visiting these types of properties involves a great deal of planning and a very long day of travel (sometimes even two days).

Early morning boat trip out of Zeballos to Centre Island 

meant an overnight in Zeballos for Greg.

One of the first considerations is what is the best way to get there? Many times that is by boat, either by water taxi or with one of the team boats. The decision to take a team boat includes where the launch will be from and whether it makes sense to trailer a boat to that location or is it more expedient to arrange for a water taxi pickup? When boat is not practical or going to be very time-consuming, then we might look at a float plane. This can sometimes be an economical option and definitely can save on travel time.

Float plane drop off at Hot Springs Oceanside.

Recently Shelley and Greg visited our new listing at Hot Springs Oceanside to get photos and put a sign up. This was done with the services of a float plane company out of Tofino (Atleo Air). Even if a property is undeveloped it can still be quite a visit, as we try to get lots of good photos, to ascertain the lay of the land, follow any trails, etc and also find the right spot to get a sign or two up (depends on the size and dimensions of the property).

Walking the property at Hot Springs Oceanside.

Before heading to the property a lot of work needs to be done. While we can pinpoint a property on a map, being able to identify it either from the air or water is another matter! So lots of satellite images and google map closeups of the shoreline, etc are prepared to assist with finding the property. If it has improvements on it, or a dock, that makes it easier. Making sure there are signs, nails/screws and tools for putting up a sign, paperwork and data sheets so all the needed information is collected and the general gear required for a remote outing is all done the day before.

Satellite cadastre map for Hot Springs Oceanside listing.

These are full day excursions, starting with a drive to the launch point (or float plane dock). Then the ride to the property. Once on the property, there is a lot of work to be done. And while doing it, don't forget to be taking lots of photos! The team feels a lot of pressure on these trips to get as much done as possible, as a return trip isn't something that can be done quickly or off the cuff.

Nootka Sound fieldtrip.

We call these types of property visits BCO field trips, and while they are a lot of work they are also a major highlight of the work we do. Every trip is an adventure!

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!

Coastal Marine Parks of BC

 The coastline of BC has over 40 designated marine parks (ocean parks that is, there are many more lake and river marine parks in addition to this). These are parks that include both water and land areas but are generally accessible by float plane or boat only (with some exceptions). Many of them allow wilderness camping but only a few offer even basic services (an outhouse, water, cleared campsites). 

Raft Cove Marine Park, northwest Vancouver Island

These marine parks run along the entire coast of BC and among the numerous islands that dot the coast. They are an attraction for boaters, kayakers, hikers and many others. The largest marine park on the coast is the Broughton Archipelago Marine Park, off the NE coast of Vancouver Island, which consists of dozens of small islands and the waters around them. This park is very popular with kayakers and for whale watching.



Marine parks often provide a welcome refuge for people traveling along the coast, and are common meet-up spots for boaters.  Desolation Sound Marine Park, along the central mainland coast, is very popular with boaters due to its protected waters, easy access to the Discovery Islands and beautiful beaches.

private properties within Desolation Sound Marine Park



Some of the remote and recreational properties we have listed through the BC Oceanfront office either border or are very near to marine parks. A select few are even lucky enough to be private property within a marine park - very rare.

flying over Surge Narrows Marine Park

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!