About

In 1997 two young fishermen, Norm and Jodi Brochno, produced the first edition of Ports and Passes.

Here, in her own words, Jodi describes how and why they began this publication.  

We came through Porlier Pass one windy night before the days of real time GPS tracking with digital charts and affordable navigation software.  Norm had the chart folded like a street map on his lap.  He checked it often and compared it to the radar display.  The current seemed stronger than we expected.  He had checked the tide book which was now tucked away behind the radar hood.  I dug it out and found the page to confirm we had the right hour.  We were both tense.  It was a rough, rough night and Porlier Pass has a few obstacles that we were determined to avoid.  Once we were safely anchored behind Reid Island, we agreed that we should look for a small book, similar to one used by VFR aircraft pilots.  We asked at The Harbour Chandler if they had such a book.  They didn’t, but said we should let them know if we ever found one.  We never found such a book and decided to make our own.  Our commercial fishing and pleasure boating friends all loved the idea of our book and many of them had great ideas of how to make it more useful.  The Past Commodore of the Nanaimo Yacht Club, Dennis Dusenbury, encouraged us to add the Services & Amenities section and became the first paying advertiser.

Ports and Passes has come a long way in 26 years, growing each year, but remaining true to the original philosophy of Norm and Jodi.  That first edition included all the waters from Sooke to Stuart Island and now includes Puget Sound, British Columbia, and Southeast Alaska.  You, our readers, have shown that we’re doing it right.  We want to thank you for helping and supporting us in this constant endeavour of providing the best information possible for your boating needs.