Pacific
Odyssey Yacht
Cruising Destinations
Beautiful British
Columbia offers you the opportunity on your luxury yacht charter to
leisurely cruise the protected waters of Canada’s inside passage while enjoying
the spectacular vistas of soaring mountains, miles of wilderness, sandy beaches
and fishing streams teeming with trout and salmon. Come visit the Gulf
Island’s, unique galleries, microbreweries, artisan markets or see the majestic
city of Victoria on the Saanich Peninsula, that is described as being just like
the English country side with its rolling meadows and tree-lined lanes.
Chartering a luxury yacht is the perfect way to explore this coastline.
The Pacific Odyssey
has the latest in Pacific Northwest Chart Guides and Tide Tables for a majority
of the cruising areas identified below.
In addition, the latest in Platinum Series electronics charts are
included in the onboard, integrated Raymarine Navigation and Display system.
These will provide great assistance for planning a local cruise or even longer
voyage.
Cruising locations within the protected waters of Canada’s Inside Passage
The coastal waters of British Columbia are considered to be amongst the finest boating destinations in the world, with over 27,000 kilometers of ocean coastline harboring over 6,000 idyllic islands and islets, deep fjords and a plethora of sheltered and pristine bays and pocket beaches. The Strait of Georgia, between the mainland and Vancouver Island, is protected from the mighty Pacific Ocean by the 450-kilometre long island, providing wonderfully sheltered waters for sailing and boating. The Gulf Islands, the majority of which lie in the rain-shadow of Vancouver Island, are exceptional cruising destinations with a near Mediterranean climate. The northern and Southern Gulf Islands offer protected anchorages, marine parks, marinas, and meandering channels.
Gulf and San
Juan Islands are all close to the Delta Charter Berth of the Pacific Odyssey
Yacht
A magnificent and unique network of over 80 provincial marine parks protect the scenic coastline and marine
ecosystems, stretching from Discovery Island at the junction of Haro and Juan
de Fuca Straits in the south, to Kitson Island off Prince Rupert in the North.
These pristine parks provide a chain of sheltered havens and secluded, cozy
anchorages for all boaters cruising the west coast of British Columbia. Mooring
buoys are provided, government floats are available for transient moorage, park
dinghy floats are provided, and a number of the parks have rings installed for
stern lines where swinging room is limited. Camping ashore is permitted in
designated locations in most marine parks.
Dock and US Customs area of
San Juan Island
In some places along the coastline, like Gambier Island on the Sunshine Coast,
log booms are stored along the shoreline in log boom storage areas. Small craft
are permitted to moor alongside the log booms for short periods of time. If you
elect to stay overnight, be ready for the tug's horn to jerk you out of the
land of nod at any time of the night!
Protected
anchorages within the many protected coves of British Colombia
Off the coastal mainland, Desolation Sound north of Powell River, Princess
Louisa Inlet, Jervis Inlet and Howe Sound complete the list of the region's
best. Smuggler's Cove, with it's fascinating history, and is considered to be
the most popular anchorage on the Sunshine Coast. The sailing season in BC is
year-round, with coastal waters boasting an abundance of marine life, including
sea lions, porpoises and Orcas (killer whales), which provide great wildlife
viewing and excitement under sail.
Once securely anchored in your tranquil little haven, the crew can plunge
overboard and swim, snorkel or dive in the warm waters, or dinghy ashore to dig
for clams or beach comb along the extensive tidal flats and pools. Many of the
coastal areas and marine parks protect ancient middens, pictographs,
petroglyphs and historical sites in areas steeped in First Nation culture.
If you are on vacation to escape the grind of work, and you want to be
pampered, then book a skippered sailing cruise in the Gulf Islands, Desolation
Sound or the Queen Charlotte Islands. Relax and enjoy a real west coast sailing
adventure on a charter that meets your needs, allowing you to experience the
beauty of the Gulf Islands or explore the coastline and shores of Vancouver
Island. The more adventurous can accompany a naturalist guide and embark on an
outdoor adventure package combined with sailing or boating. The less
adventurous can concentrate on the marine pubs and interesting shops located
near the docks in each port.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a gateway to great sailing
adventures and magnificent cruising grounds.
Pacific
Odyssey at free anchorage area in False Creek
The winds and waves at Jericho Beach have been familiar to local Native people
for a mighty long time. Thick middens of clamshells on the nearby hills testify
to where the Musqueam people once maintained a seasonal residence. Now wild
bunnies and coyotes cavort among the brambles, while on the beach windsurfers
and kayakers get their kicks being blown around. Jericho Beach is easily
reached from Fourth Avenue west of Alma Street in the Point Grey neighborhood.
The Jericho Sailing Center Association maintains an old Royal Canadian Air
Force office building as a staging area; located at 1300 Discovery Street, off
NW Marine Drive.
Howe Sound
Sailing in Howe Sound is a delightful
experience, with so much to see and explore - a fabulous weekend getaway from
Vancouver. A great place to learn to sail, the protected waters of the Sound
provide exciting circumnavigations of Bowen Island and Gambier Island, with the
Coast Mountain Range as a stunning backdrop.
So strong is the force of the breeze that carries across Howe Sound that unwary windsurfers in the waters off Squamish Spit often can't right themselves if they get dunked. An emergency rescue service is on standby to pluck such hapless types from the water.
Snug Cove on emerald Bowen Island
is a 'must-do' stop, with an array of attractions, historic old
turn-of-the-century buildings, quaint boutiques, and boardwalks.
Sparsely populated Gambier Island is a great place to go ashore and explore.
The southwest coast of Gambier Island is deeply indented by a series of
secluded bays, providing good anchorages in West Bay, Center Bay and Port
Graves. The easternmost of the three finger-like bays, Port Graves is the most
picturesque of the anchorages, enclosed by high, soaring hills and magnificent
scenery.
The charming seaside village of Gibson’s Landing overlooks a sheltered harbor
on the west shoreline of Howe Sound. The unique scenic seaside village of Gibson’s
acts as the gateway to the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. The harbor is
everything it should be, chock full of boats, with an atmosphere as thick as
fog on a fall morning.
Sunshine Coast and Desolation Sound
The Sunshine Coast, between Desolation Sound to the north and Howe Sound to the
south, is prime exploring and cruising territory. This seaside paradise offers
something special for everyone, with unspoiled wilderness, marine life, and a
beautiful scenic coastline stretching past Gibson’s, Sechelt,
Pender Harbor
and Powell River.
Desolation Sound
sits at the northern end of British Columbia's Sunshine Coast. The tiny hamlet
of Lund
is an ideal staging area for Desolation Sound. Although Lund is located only 95
miles (153 km) north of Vancouver, it takes five hours (including two BC
Ferries' rides) to get there.
Desolation Sound Provincial Marine Park possesses a magical magnetism that draws boaters and
paddlers from distant shores. Cruising boats tend to congregate in popular
anchorages, such as Prideaux Haven, Tenedos Bay, and Grace Harbor, but there
are plenty of isolated bays and campsites throughout Desolation Sound's more
than 37 miles (60 km) of coastline.
Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands
Information on Boating, Sailing & Cruising around Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.
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Victoria