Mount
Baker rises above Gulf Island sailboats |
Few cruising grounds
in the world can match British Columbia's coastline for stunning scenery:
majestic fjords, half-hidden inlets, and hundreds of islands. And
to complete this perfect picture, a temperate climate!
Offshore, boaters
can explore the sheltered waterways and the popular marine parks
nestled amongst the Gulf Islands - a dazzling playground for kayakers
and pleasure boats, both large and small.
Government wharves, safe anchorages and quaint coves all contribute
to memorable boating vacations. Captain your own ship or join a
skippered charter as you share our calm, clear waters with porpoises,
whales and swooping eagles. The coastal waters around Vancouver
Island, and the Marine Provincial parks that dot the BC coastline,
offer recreational boaters great places to anchor for a few hours,
or overnight. These marine parks provide essential facilities for
boaters while maintaining the natural surroundings of the area.
Vancouver
Island
North Vancouver
Island
Port
Hardy is located at the northern tip of Vancouver Island, and
serves as the gateway to some truly wilderness cruising grounds, while
also the southern terminus of the BC Ferries' Inside Passage and Discovery
Coast routes. Port hardy has excellent marina and moorage facilities,
and long-term parking for RV's and vehicles.
Telegraph Cove is one
of the last boardwalk communities on eastern Vancouver Island and
definitely worth a visit. Telegraph Cove offers a boat launch and
moorage, fishing licences, tackle and bait, and is the place to
begin exploring Johnstone Strait and Robson Bight. Long-term parking
can be arranged here for those setting out on extended boating trips
in Johnstone Strait.
Broughton Archipelago Marine Provincial Park offshore from Telegraph
Cove is a wilderness area consisting of a maze of several small
islands, numerous islets and adjacent foreshore at the southern
extremity of Queen Charlotte
Strait. Good, safe, all-weather anchorages can be found at Waddington
Bay, Farewell Harbour on Berry Island, Joe Cove on Eden Island,
and the cove on the southeast side of Crease Island.
Central Vancouver Island
From Parksville
or Qualicum Beach, cruise
across the Strait of Georgia to Jedediah Island Provincial Park
or to nearby Lasqueti Island,
which attracts boaters each summer to its sheltered coves and bays.
Sailing
the Strait of Georgia |
Comox
is a good base from which to charter boats to prime cruising areas…the
Discovery Islands, Tribune Bay, Princess Louisa Inlet or Desolation
Sound. Most yachtsmen regard the Desolation Sound area as the
most beautiful cruising ground in British Columbia, and one of the
premier sailing playgrounds in the world. The sixty miles of breathtaking
coastline, intricate waterways, small islands and numerous attractive
bays and coves will delight even the most demanding of adventurers.
Campbell
River is the gateway to the Discovery Islands, located between
Vancouver Island and the BC mainland. The islands form a picturesque
and pristine archipelago that attracts boaters every year. One must
take time to explore these islands, many of which are situated in
marine parks, as each has its own history, distinctive charm, culture
and colourful characters.
Boat launches are situated at two locations on slender, steep-sided
Buttle Lake in Strathcona Provincial Park. One is located beside the
Auger Point picnic tables in the Buttle Lake Campground; the other
is located about 15 miles (25 km) south of the campground near the
Karst Creek picnic area. Note: Buttle is a flooded lake, and along
the shoreline submerged deadheads are an ever-present threat. Beware
of the sudden winds and storm conditions that can quickly channel
through this mountainous region. Boaters can head to four wilderness
marine campsites on the western shore of Buttle Lake, as well as a
site on Rainbow Island just offshore from the Buttle Lake campground
at the north end of the lake.
South Vancouver
Island
Known as the Harbour City, Nanaimo
is second only to Victoria as Vancouver Island's largest and most
vibrant city - famous for its varied landscapes. This city possesses
a great waterfront, and many boaters find Nanaimo to be the ideal
centre for exploring the Gulf Islands to the south, or Desolation
Sound to the north. There's a public boat ramp at Pipers Lagoon
Regional Park. It's one thing to putt-putt around the sheltered
lagoon, but quite another to brave the open water of Horswell Channel
on the east side of the narrow headland that shelters the lagoon.
There is a municipal
boat launch in the centre of Ladysmith, the place to begin exploring
the 5-mile (8-km) length of Ladysmith Harbour. Dunsmuir and Woods
Islands on the north side of the harbour are good destinations in
summer.
Sidney
is a picturesque town that combines the charm of a small port, first
class marinas and the rustic character of a farming community. Sidney
is the gateway to the enchanting Gulf Islands, and is an ideal spot
for cruisers, whether passing through or just taking a day trip.
Launch from either the boat ramp or wharf in Sidney and head across
the channel to Sidney Spit Marine Provincial Park on Sidney Island
or Princess Margaret Marine Provincial Park. To locate the launch,
drive to the east end of Beacon Avenue. James Island shelters the
waters of Cordova Channel in front of Island View Beach Regional
Park. A boat ramp is conveniently located at the entrance to View
Beach Regional Park.
A public boat launch is located beside the federal dock at the north
end of Lands End Road at Swartz Bay. This is a good place to put
your boat in the water and head for any number of nearby islands
or to explore the coastline of the Saanich Peninsula. Those in small
craft should be cautious of the wash from BC Ferries' boats and
larger marine traffic around Swartz Bay.
Sooke Harbour is separated from the Strait of Juan de Fuca by Whiffen
Spit - the sheltered waters are ideal for a leisurely cruise.
West Coast of
Vancouver Island and the Pacific Rim
The rugged and remote west coast of Vancouver island features six
main inlets and sounds, listed from south to north: Quatsino Sound,
Kyuquot Sound, Esperanza Inlet, Nootka Sound, Clayoquot Sound, and
Barkley Sound. This coastline is known for it's ocean swells, superb
outer reef systems, and long expanses of pristine and deserted beaches.
Marine wildlife in the area includes killer whales (Orca), migrating
gray whales, seals, porpoises and sea otters.
Many visitors to the west side of Vancouver Island may never have
the chance to boat in the wind, the rain, and the ever-rolling seas
that characterize the world of the "outside" waters, as
the open ocean here is often called. However, the opportunity exists
to do this, aboard the freighter MV
Uchuck III, which plies the waters between Gold River, Tahsis,
Nootka Sound and Kyuquot Sound. These exciting journeys present unparalleled
views of the rugged and remote wilderness beauty that is the west
coast of beautiful Vancouver Island.
Quatsino Sound on the northwest
coast of Vancouver Island is a huge sound that leads in from the Pacific
Ocean, almost separating the northern tip of the island from the rest
of Vancouver Island. Situated on or near Quatsino Sound are the small
communities of Winter Harbour,
Quatsino, Coal
Harbour and Port Alice.
Kyuquot Sound is a wilderness
area, except for a number of logging camps and the village of Kyuquot,
the northernmost of the 14 Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation bands. Kyuquot
with its homes built into the forest above the tideline is a welcome
sight for boaters turn into a small bay and find civilization after
rocking and roiling for several hours in the open waters of the Pacific
Ocean.
The rugged and remote Esperanza
Inlet and Nuchatlitz Inlet
are accessed by boat from the nearest towns of Tahsis and Zeballos.
Nootka Sound is steeped in
history and surrounded by the natural beauty of the west coast of
Vancouver Island. Nootka Sound is a paradise for sport anglers and
outdoor adventurers seeking to explore and enjoy the magnificent wilderness
surroundings and weather-beaten landscape. The community of Tahsis
sits at the head at the head of Tahsis Inlet, a deep fjord that cuts
northwards off Nootka Sound. Tahsis offers complete facilities for
boaters and sport angles, including moorage marine supplies, boating
and fishing gear, fishing licences and bait, fuel, ice, showers, laundromat,
and restaurants. Road access is available from Tahsis to the east
coast of Vancouver Island.
Located in Nootka Sound is the birthplace of British Columbia; the
small community of Yuquot,
also known as Friendly Cove. Historical Friendly Cove was the site
of the first contact between Europeans and First Nations people in
British Columbia.
The sheltered waters of Muchalat Inlet run inland from Nootka Sound
like a long corridor through steep-sided fjords to the terminal south
of Gold River. Bligh Island
Marine Provincial Park (part of the Spanish Pilot Group) sits at the
mouth of Muchalat Inlet. There's much to explore in this group of
six islands, scattered where Muchalat Inlet converges with two adjacent
inlets and their channels. The waters in this region can get choppy,
so small craft must cross with care. Large Bligh Island is named for
a much-maligned British Navy captain who sailed here with the equally
well-known Captain Cook in 1788. A cairn at Resolute Cove near the
small community of Yuquot commemorates the landing.
North of Barkley Sound is Clayoquot
Sound and the community of Tofino. Boating in the waters of Clayoquot
Sound is one of the most rewarding ways to experience this environment.
Day trips close to Tofino include Meares, Stubbs, Wickaninnish, and
Vargas Islands, all within sight of the federal dock in Tofino. Farther
afield is Flores Island. The sandy beach on Stubbs Island makes it
an ideal getaway within sight of Tofino. You can land on the east
coast of Vargas Island, 3 miles (5 km) north of Tofino, and make the
one-hour journey across island on foot to Ahous Beach. If you boat
to Ahous rather than hike, be prepared for a stretch of open ocean
as you round the exposed southwest corner of Vargas. If it's blowing
too hard, check out isolated and delightful Medallion Bay on the south
end of the island. Nothing on Vargas, however, tops Ahous Beach's
lengthy expanse, which rivals Long Beach in size. So vast is its hard-caked,
sandy surface that light planes occasionally land here.
Boating in the waters off Clayoquot Sound is spectacular. Take a side
trip to Maquinna Provincial Park, accessible only by boat or floatplane.
From here, a pleasant half-hour stroll through lush, dense old-growth
rain forest leads to Hot Springs Cove
and it's series of enticing natural rock pools -perfect for a rejuvenating
soak!
Grice Bay is a sheltered niche of ocean waterway tucked in
beside Meares Island in the backwater of Clayoquot Sound. At low tide,
the bay drains so low that it takes on the appearance of a green marshland.
Eelgrass covers much of the mudflats in Browning Pass, which links
Grice Bay with Tofino to the north. A boat launch is located at the
end of Grice Bay Road, which leads east from Highway 4, almost 9 miles
(14 km) south of Tofino. Grice Bay lies within the northern limits
of the Long Beach Unit of Pacific Rim National Park.
As intimidating as the ocean can be at Long
Beach, there are wonderfully long, calm days in summer when boaters
and paddlers can safely enjoy an excursion offshore. A boat launch
is located beside the parking lot at the north end of Long Beach beside
Hwy 4.
Barkley Sound and the
Broken Group Islands comprise one of the three main recreational components
in Pacific Rim National Park, and is not as exposed as the other sounds.
The popularity of these islands with paddlers and boaters has soared
over the past decade, as they provide a true west coast experience
in sheltered water. Barkley Sound is not normally subject to the extreme
ocean conditions farther west in the open waters around Ucluelet and
exposed sections of the West Coast Trail and the Long Beach Unit,
the two other areas that attract visitors to Pacific Rim National
Park.
Sprinkled throughout Barkley Sound are the Broken
Group Islands - over 100 of them - an intriguing archipelago forming
an intricate network of waterways. Boaters can explore sheltered coves
and uninhabited islands. The exquisite scenery, rugged coastline and
white sand beaches beckon to be explored - cruising among the Islands
will foster unforgettable memories. Ucluelet
and Bamfield are the two main
communities on Barkley Sound, both of wish are commercial fishing
villages and popular tourist destinations.
The
Gulf Islands and Discovery Islands
Some of the more
popular and easier-to-reach parks in the Southern
Gulf Islands include Montague Harbour Marine Provincial Park and
Dionisio Provincial Park on Galiano Island, and Beaumont Marine Park
on the Pender Islands, as well as Winter Cove Marine Park on Saturna
Island . Other marine parks include Cabbage Island, off the northeast
coast of Tumbo Island east of Winter Cove Marine Park, and the large
Princess Margaret Marine Park on Portland Island between Saltspring
Island and the Pender Islands.
In the Northern Gulf Islands,
Jedediah Island, which nearby Lasqueti
Island residents refer to jokingly as Club Jed, stands
apart from other Gulf Islands because of its size (about 600 acres/240
hectares) - one of the largest island parks in the province - and
the fact that visitors are free to camp anywhere on Jedediah. Some
of the best sites are near the shoreline around Long Bay, particularly
as the drumming sounds of diesel-driven marine traffic in Sabine Channel
don't reach this side of the island. Most island parks are intended
as way stations and provide sheltered anchorage for those travelling
in liveaboard boats. Home Bay is semi-sheltered by Mother Goose Island,
which lies just offshore, but it lacks the tranquillity of Long Bay.
Both bays teem with shellfish: when the tide goes out, the exposed
mudflats are ripe for clam raking. For those who journey past the
south end of Lasqueti Island, there's good reason for putting ashore
at Squitty Bay Marine Provincial Park. Not only is there freshwater
from a pump in the park's picnic area, there's also an interesting
adjacent ecological reserve, and great views of Vancouver, distant
Mount Baker in Washington, and the white expanse of the Comox Glacier
in the Comox Valley.
Sandy Island Marine Provincial Park is located so close to the north
end of Denman Island that at low tide you can wade to the park from
the tip of Longbeak Point. These islands are a holdover from a distant
time when the entire Strait of Georgia was filled with sand. In more
recent geological times, glaciation gouged out the trench that is
now filled with seawater.
Octopus Islands Marine Provincial Park is both remote and accessible
at the same time. Nestled among the maze of islands through which
the waters of Johnstone Strait funnel into the Strait of Georgia,
the Octopus Islands are most easily reached from Quadra Island. Tidal
currents around Quadra Island are notorious for their strength, particularly
at Surge Narrows on the east and Seymour Narrows on the west, which
should be transitted at slack tide. Boaters should be well versed
in the reading of tidal-current charts to safely explore the fascinating
waters around tightly packed Quadra, Cortes, Maurelle, Read, and Sonora
Islands.
Sunshine
Coast
The Sunshine Coast on the BC mainland, between Desolation
Sound to the north and Howe
Sound to the south, is prime exploring and cruising territory.
Desolation Sound is considered amongst the best cruising grounds in
the world. This seaside paradise of the Sunshine Coast offers something
special for everyone, with unspoiled wilderness, marine life, and
a beautiful scenic coastline stretching past Gibsons,
Sechelt, Pender
Harbour and Powell River.
Click here for more information on Boating
on the Sunshine Coast of BC.
| Sailing
Season |
 |
January
sees good strong winds out of the southeast |
|
Spring
(March/April) - good blows and great sailing |
|
Summer is flat - great for power boating or running the motor
to charge the batteries! |
|
Fall
(September) - time to hoist sail again |
|
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