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 On Canada's Southern Pacific Coast, Vancouver Island stretches for 300 miles from top to toe, and is Continental North America's largest Island. Its mountainous backbone creates a natural breakwater from the vast expanse of the open Pacific's wild waves and weather. In the lee of Vancouver Island lie the sheltered waters of the Strait of Georgia. This protected body of water becomes a temperate oasis between the months of May and September, offering a diversity of cruising destinations, scenery and history; shoulder season often presents glorious boating weather, without the crowds.
Vancouver International Airport serves British Columbia's major charter bases operating out of Vancouver on the Mainland, with regional and sea plane connections to those in Sidney, Comox and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.
Fuel docks, marine services and well-maintained marinas and resorts are well spaced along the coast. Even among the islands and wilderness regions, good provisioning facilities are available with many stores carrying local and organic produce.
The Pacific Northwest is also reputed for its watercolour sunsets, choice of stunning marine parks, snug hideaway anchorages, peaceful one-boat nooks and fun picnic stops, and you are never too far from an inviting beach, hiking trail or fresh water lake.
The Gulf Islands and Southern Vancouver Island – British Columbia
In the southern Strait of Georgia, straddling the 49th Parallel and offshore of east Vancouver Island, an inviting 40-mile chain of low-lying islands stretch north from Sidney to Nanaimo. The sheltered waters of these Gulf Islands create a natural cruising ground and offer boaters many accessible pockets of paradise. Saturna, Galliano, Gabriola, Pender, Mayne and Pylades islands give evidence to the initial Spanish and British explorations in these waters between 1592 and 1792; the "orchard islands" of Portland, Russel and Salt Spring were settled by Hawaiian (Kanaka) families –a the little know fact in Gulf Island history.
From Saturna Island in the southeast to Gabriola Island in the northwest, boaters will be charmed by each island's distinctive character while discovering fresh West Coast cuisine, community markets selling homemade island cheeses and organic produce, and family vineyards offering wine tastings. Clean sandy beaches, sheltered bays, hideaway anchorages, spectacular sunsets and an abundance of wild life only add to the pleasures of cruising in these islands.
Boat charters into the southern portion of the Gulf Islands will often begin in Sidney with the first night spent in popular Bedwell Harbour on North Pender Island; the perfect spot to relax and enjoy the amenities of family-friendly Poets Cove Marina and Resort. Nearby Saturna Island Vineyard is a delight to visit – here you can combine wine tasting with a bistro style lunch and stunning views over Plumper Sound.
Salt Spring, the biggest and most populated in the island chain, provides an excellent provisioning base in the mini-metropolis of Ganges Village. Most boat-related services can be found here along with coffee bars, bistros, fine dining and a lively Saturday market. In contrast, Funky Fulford Harbour and Village, despite its busy ferry terminal, is peacefully laid back with an eclectic assortment of enterprises and a first-rate bakery.
The former site of an ancient Coast Salish settlement and the first marine park in British Columbia, Montague Harbour Marine Park on Galliano Island ranks as a "superstar" and is a favourite with many generations of boaters. The park encompasses a maintained trail through fir and hemlock forest, a fresh water lagoon, a shell midden and fine sand beach, and commodious anchorage.
En route to the busy anchorage and marinas in Silva Bay on Gabriola Island, picturesque Pirates Cove Marine Park is well protected and conveniently located at the northern end of the Gulf Islands, making it easily accessible from boating hubs of Vancouver and Victoria and Nanaimo on southern Vancouver Island.
Vancouver and Howe Sound
North of the 49th Parallel, the US border and the mighty Fraser River Delta, Burrard Inlet indents British Columbia's southern coastal mainland; east from Point Atkinson this 18- mile inlet floods through the Port of Vancouver to its head in Port Moody, and is surrounded by the urban metropolis of Vancouver.
The City of Vancouver is one of the most beautiful in the world, with a spectacular natural setting surrounded by mountains and interlaced with waterways. Although it's known as a port city with a large commercial harbour, it is also renowned for abundant green space, and thanks to the city's rich multicultural mix, an overwhelming selection of excellent restaurants, bistros and cafés that can be found around every corner.
Indian Arm, the most southerly fjord in North America extends another 12 nautical miles north from Burrard Inlet to scenic Deep Cove and peaceful Granite Falls Marine Park, near the head of the arm.
West of Queen Charlotte Channel, Howe Sound is a deep-water inlet that extends north into the spectacular Coast Mountain Range. At the entrance to the sound, Bowen Gambier and Keats island's indented shorelines provide a host of anchoring opportunities and a fine marina. The protected channels between the islands experience gentle summer breezes making these waters a sailor's heaven.
The Sunshine Coast
A stretch of water known locally as the Sunshine Coast extends 50 nautical miles northwest from historic Gibsons Landing to Powell River; this coast is often blessed with above average hours of sunshine in the summer months. The initial portion of exposed coast extends from Gibsons to Welcome Passage - beyond lie the sheltered waters of Malaspina Strait which continue to Pender Harbour, known locally as the "Venice of the North", and the entrance to Jervis Inlet.
The inlet then branches northeast via Agamemnon Channel to Skookumchuck Narrows and the powerful waters of Sechelt Rapids before heading into serene Sechelt Inlet. It then snakes due north via the upper reaches of Jervis Inlet to magical Princess Louisa Marine Park and magnificent Chatterbox Falls, a pilgrimage no northwest boater should miss.
A westerly detour explores laid-back Nelson and Hardy islands and lower Jervis Inlet, south of Texada Island. Historic Jedediah Island Marine Park is a must-visit with its original homestead, orchard and meadows, flocks of woolly sheep and wild, long-horned goats who originated from the Spanish explorations.
Well-loved anchorages in Welcome Passage include the all-weather sanctuary of Smuggler Cove Marine Park – with three cosy basins, stunning sunset views and a maze of nooks and crannies to explore, it provides much more than a shelter from the storm. Nearby Secret Cove offers fuel, moorage and a floating restaurant, and the sandy beaches and warm water swimming off 'The Spit' in Buccaneer Bay Marine Park make for a boater's paradise.
Desolation Sound and the Discovery Islands
Just north of the 50th Parallel, the renowned cruising area of Desolation Sound provides an expansive wilderness backed by the lofty, snow-capped Coast Mountain Range. The sound is home to one of the largest marine parks in the world, and is far from desolate in the summer months.
Northeast of Sarah Point, where the Strait of Georgia ends and Desolation Sound begins, boaters will find large tracts of accessible wilderness, mountain-fringed inlets and an opportunity to observe wildlife at close quarters. Summer winds are fickle but the opportunity for warm-water swimming and freshwater bathing is the best to be found in British Columbia.
There are scheduled sea plane connections to Powell River (Cooper's charter base for Desolation Sound), Lund on the mainland and Refuge Cove on West Redonda Island. These are also the two main fuelling and provisioning stops while exploring Desolation Sound's protected coves and anchorages. Every boater has their favourite spot – from the stunning sunsets in Grace Harbour and the warm waters of Prideaux Haven, Melanie and Laura coves, to the fresh water pools of Lake Unwin in Tenedos Bay. For those wishing to experience this coastal jewel in its undisturbed glory, consider cruising Desolation in the months of May or September.
Cortes Island, on the northwest shore of Desolation Sound is in the heart of this spectacular cruising area. Steeped in pioneering history with many generations of original families still living in the community, this charming island is indented with a selection of cosy nooks and all-weather anchorages; provisioning stops, cafés and restaurants scattered around the island take pride in being able to offer home-grown organic produce in season. White sandy beaches, warm-water swimming, crystal clear lakes and the gentle pace of island life complete this wonderful island package.
The locally named Discovery Islands with their interconnecting waterways and series of tidal rapids make up the area east of Campbell River, which is also a major provisioning stop on Vancouver Island. Quadra is the largest island in the group with a fine selection of island stores and a Saturday Market to stock up on boat provisions, a well-run marina and resort in Heriot Bay, and maintained coastal hiking trails.
Boaters will discover a wealth of protected anchorages, hideaway picnic stops and tranquil marine parks with Rebecca Spit Marine Park being the jewel in Quadra's crown. Year after year it continues to entice boaters to its sheltered waters, picnic meadows, shaded trails and gently sloping beaches. With Heriot Bay and its amenities close at hand this is the perfect spot to begin or end a voyage when cruising in Desolation Sound and the Discovery Islands.
The Broughtons and Northern Vancouver Island
Just below the 51st Parallel, on the eastern fringe of Queen Charlotte Strait, the vast cruising area nestled between northeast Vancouver Island and the coastal mainland is simply known as 'The Broughtons'. Connected from the east via the infamous waters of Johnstone Strait, and south via Discovery Passage to the Strait of Georgia, this region offers stunning vistas, dramatic mountain backdrops and wild beauty interspersed with many navigational challenges; the cruising boater can experience many adventures just getting there.
On a chart the Broughton Archipelago and surrounding islands and islets resemble a complex jigsaw puzzle, with the joints between pieces being navigable water. This locally named "Village of Islands" offers an abundance of anchorages - from commodious bays to one boat nooks. An eclectic sprinkling of island communities and marine resorts provide safe moorage, fuel, provisioning and ample camaraderie. The areas 1,200-year coastal history is still evident with First Nation's clam gardens and ancient middens creating numerous white shell beaches throughout the area.
On the shores of Vancouver Island, Port McNeil and Port Hardy offer moorage, marine and provisioning facilities and provide convenient stopovers when exploring the Broughtons. Telegraph Cove, Sointula on Malcolm Island and Sullivan Bay on Broughton Island have retained their history and pioneering, west coast style while the First Nations community at Alert bay on Cormorant Island keep their native culture alive and accessible through traditional celebrations and museum displays of original ceremonial artefacts.
A rich variety of friendly marine resorts can be found in Port Harvey, Lagoon Cove, Kwatsi Bay, Shawl Bay, Pierre's Echo Bay, Sullivan Bay and Jennis Bay in Drury Inlet. These family-run enterprises allow boaters to intersperse their quiet explorations with a night or two of socializing with old friends and new acquaintances during "happy hour" or while sharing a hearty pot-luck supper.
For boaters seeking additional challenge and adventure, the rugged West Coast of Vancouver Island entices exploration, while further north, beyond Cape Caution, the inside passage to Alaska and the open waters of the Queen Charlotte Islands await discovery.
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