A few years back while anchored in Winter Cove off Saturna Island, we decided to take the tender out and venture over to Bennett Bay off Mayne Island. Bennett Bay is a lovely afternoon outing, it offers a long sandy beach for endless fun and a nice short trail to Campbell Point. Bennett Bay offers no dock, but the big sandy beach makes it very easy to take a tender ashore. Bennett Bay is part of the Gulf Island National…
British Columbia’s west coast offers endless places to explore by boat. From the Gulf Islands, Desolation Sound, and the Broughton’s, to Nootka Sound and Quatsino Sound, there are endless options for your boating adventures! Amongst all these fantastic options is lesser known Hesquiat Harbour in Clayoquot Sound. Hesquiat Harbour was the home of Ada Annie Rae-Arthur, better know as Cougar Annie (June 19, 1888 to April 28, 1985). Cougar Annie was a pioneer who settled on a remote homestead in…
Forget the crowds, Dionisio Point Provincial Park on the north tip of Galiano Island is one of the best sandy beaches in the Gulf Islands. This beach is absolutely gorgeous, and as it faces the Straight of Gorgia, the water is actually swimmable! This beach is passed regularly by boaters going through Porlier Pass, but as it’s marine access only and doesn’t offer great anchorage, this beach is largely visited by powerboats and kayaks. Dionisio Point Provincial Park does offer…
In a previous post, Hidden Robertson Lake Part I, I mentioned along the trail heading back to our tender we met some local Cortes hippies that gave us some island insight. At the time, I was nodding in agreement that the place sounded nice, but really, once we were on our way I thought ‘a lovely person’, but that was pretty much useless information. …so you want to know what she shared? The women was welcoming us to the island…
Winter Cove on Saturna Island is one of my favourite anchorages in the Gulf Islands. It offers beautiful views, a walking trail in the marine park and it’s only a short dinghy ride to the public dock in Lyall Harbour. Saturna Island can sometimes feel a little more out of the way than other Gulf Islands for a weekend destination, but depending on your home port, it can be a shorter trip than going to Salt Spring Island. As you approach…
Years ago I had a friend from the northern part of Vancouver Island tell me that there was this special beach you could go to watch whales rub on the rocks. She was telling me that killer whales absolutely love the way the rocks are positioned in this little bay, and like to rub themselves on them. I wasn’t really sure if this was just a side effect from living in a rural town where your entertainment options are minimal,…
For all those times you’ve been anchored in Von Donop and wished there was a lake nearby to go for a swim, there is! There seems to be a lovely hidden lake that barely any cruisers know about since it’s off the beaten trail. We have been going to this lake for years and have only ever seen anyone else on the trail twice. Each time we’ve gone we’ve had the entire lake to ourselves. Yes, Cortes Island seems to have…
Jedediah Island is my favourite stop every year en route to Desolation Sound. Only a few hours north of Nanaimo, yet you feel like you’re hundreds of miles away. For me to feel like my Jedediah Island visit it complete, my visit must include a picnic in the orchard. Each and every picnic never disappoints. For this particular trip, we were relaxing on our picnic blanket when we realized we weren’t the only ones with the thought of hanging out…
Been as far as Desolation and haven’t ventured further, take a break from the warm waters and hike to an old goldmine! East Thurlow Island was once the home of an active gold mine. Shoal Bay as we know it today is the home of a rustic marina, but it once was an active gold mine town with a school and two hotels. As with most logging and mining activity, once the mine shut down some of the equipment was…
Selby Cove on Prevost Island is a lovely anchorage. The anchorage is protected from most winds and is one of my favourite places in the gulf islands to watch the sunset. While I loved the view from the anchorage, I didn’t love the fact that it didn’t offer me any hiking options, ….until I realized it did! The access to the hike is in a little indent at the base of a mosey rock in deep water. I would recommend a…