Mount Baker rises
above BC Gulf Island sailboats | Few
cruising grounds in the world can match British Columbia's coastline for stunning
scenery, majestic fjords, half-hidden inlets, hundreds of islands, abundant wildlife,
and, to complete this picture-perfect wonderland, a temperate climate as well!
Offshore, mariners
can explore the sheltered waterways and the popular marine parks nestled amongst
the BC 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 provincial marine 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.
Marine Parks in North Vancouver 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.
Marine Parks in Central
Vancouver Island:
South Vancouver Island
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.
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. 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.
Marine Parks in South Vancouver Island:
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. Marine
Parks on the West Coast and Pacific Rim of Vancouver Island:
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.
Marine Parks in the Gulf
Islands and Discovery Islands of BC:
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.
Marine Parks on the Sunshine Coast and Howe Sound 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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