The "Event Log" will be at the posted cords at our Recreation Centre. It will be open for shelter and washrooms. There will be someone there all day so if you have belongings that you do not want to carry around, they can be left there.
There is a parking area in Chester for Tancook residents and visitors (N 44' 32.692 W 064' 14.503) It is a free, park at your own risk lot. You will need to give yourdelf ample time to walk to the ferry which takes about 15 minutes. The Tancook Ferry is not a car ferry! (N 32.258 W 064' 318) The ferry schedule for that day will be:
Departing the wharf in Chester at 10:00 am
Departing the wharf on Big Tancook Island at 5:00 pm
You will arrive on Tancook around 11:00 am and have about 6 hours on the island. Be aware the ferry leaves on time and does not wait! The ferry now has a limit on passengers. When it reaches capacity it will leave. It does return to Chester to pick up any remaining people left behind. Last year it returned for seven.
When you arrive at the ferry you just walk on and take a seat or find your way to the Upper Deck (you get to the upper deck from outside). After the ferry leaves the wharf the crew will come around to collect tickets or money. There are two ways you can pay. The ride is free for 12 and under. A single ticket costs $5.50, while a card with 10 passes is $21.75. If you have 4 or more in your group, over 12, a card is the best value. You can have one person pay for the card for up to 10 people so you may want to ask others if they want to share the cost. You DO NOT have to pay on the return trip to Chester so you can use all the passes on the card or save for another visit. Ferry cards do not expire!
Make sure you get off at "Big Tancook Island". The ferry will stop at "Little Tancook" first! If you are not sure, ask. You may bring a bicycle on the ferry free of charge. Just simply walk it on the ferry. If you see a ferry crew member, feel free to ask questions. There is also a bike rental on the island.
Since Tancook is a large island, the best chance of finding all caches in one day would be by bicycle. There are presently 35 active caches on Big Tancook Island. We are hoping to get a new cache or two published the day before the event.
We have rest areas on the island with a cache very close by. Each of our rest areas has 2 picnic tables, a trash and recycling container. We also have picnic tables at the recreation centre. Feel free to bring your own lunch and a good supply of water. There is a restaurant on the island if you wish to pack lighter. The recreation centre has snacks and drinks in their canteen. There is also a sheltered rest area inside the Gallery at South East Cove where you may also purchase a hot beverage or water.
Please remember any essentials that you may need such as epi-pens, medications, sunscreen, diapers, etc. There are no stores on the island. We do have an emergency response on the island, but let's all be safe and prepared so we do not need to use this service. If you have an emergency, simply call 911.
For more information on our island you may wish to visit our website: http://www.tancookislandtourism.ca
When you arrive on the island, you will be greeted and briefed on the days event. This will be important to new participants, since you will have the opportunity to ask questions. Everyone will also get a chance to fill out a ballot before they leave the wharf for draws at the end of the day.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. If you prefer to give me your phone number, I can call as long as it is a Canadian number, lol.
If you want to reserve bikes for rent I would suggest contacting Patrick @ tancookbikes@gmail.com. This way you are guaranteed to have them for the event. Just in case there is more demand than supply! $10.00 per day and comes with vests and helmets.
Bring you camera and extra batteries. You won't want to miss out on a great pic!
For info at Spruce Cove Wilderness camping , you can contact Martha at: mfarrar43@gmail.com. I also have a pdf form of the wilderness camping with photos and a write-up if anyone is interested! Wilderness means just that as it is free to set up your tent, but there are no facilites, electric or water. Sometimes, I like to go there.
I hope you enjoy the creativity behind some of my caches as I have enjoyed creating them! For those have have been to the island before, please come again. You will be able to log the event, find a new cache or two and have time to enjoy the island with new shops open. Hope to see some familiar faces and new!