Posts In The “Victoria to Desolation Sound” Category
The Pacific Northwest often has wonderfully clear fall weather, with temperatures warm enough to eat outside, and this year was no exception. Except for a couple of days of heavy rain, we experienced September temperatures that often were above 70°F (21°C) and enjoyed many meals outside under a cloudless blue sky. And the wonderful weather…
In late September, we made a long-planned weekend trip by floatplane to Victoria to celebrate the 70th birthday of James’ uncle Neil. We spent two nights in our home town, exploring the city, visiting old haunts and new places, and catching up with the Hamilton clan. Taking a Kenmore Air floatplane from South Lake Union…
One upside to winter\’s shorter days is the nighttime lights. Whether from a passing ship, a moored boat, or a nearby house, we enjoy being snug inside with a view to lights twinkling in the distance. The show gets even better during the Christmas season, when colorful holiday light displays are put on afloat and…
Teakerne Arm Marine Park is a popular summer destination in the Desolation Sound area (map). The main attractions are Cassel Lake and the waterfall draining it that spills over a cliff into a basin at the inlet head. The park is even more spectacular in the winter, when two waterfalls gush from the lake, churning…
On our Christmas trip to Desolation Sound this year, we were looking forward to testing the boat in some rough winter weather. We’ve been out in a few gale warnings, and the boat has handled well, but we wanted something more serious. We got our chance one morning on a trip from Gorge Harbor to…
We spent Christmas this year in Desolation Sound (map of area). The area is so popular in the summer that Kenmore Air has regular float-plane service to one of the anchorages there at Prideaux Haven (pictured above). That’s way too busy for us–we prefer the winter, when we can have it all to ourselves. We…
We’ve cruised as far north as the Broughtons in winter, but this year’s winter cruise to the Gulf Islands (map of area) was colder, with more snow and stronger winds, than any other. This was the first time we’ve had to actually shovel the boat off. The cold weather gave our furnace a workout, but…
We didn’t think we’d ever stop at Pirates Cove Marine Park, at the north end of British Columbia’s Gulf Islands. The BC Marine Parks Guide bills it as one of the more popular parks in the Gulf Islands, with room for 75 boats. This is remarkable, given that the cove from shore to shore is…
Mount Tzouhalem is the 1,500-foot bluff directly west of Genoa Bay. We’ve eyed it every time we’ve anchored in the bay, but this year, we finally climbed it. We’d arrived on a cold, crisp winter day, after a recent snowfall. The weather was cold enough to freeze the surface water around the marina. …
Tod Inlet is a busy anchorage in the summer months. The basin has all-weather protection, but the main attraction is nearby Butchart Gardens. The gardens have a dinghy dock that makes for easy landing and access to the spectacular garden display. And boats crowd the waterway on Saturday nights to watch their firework show. …
Francis Point Marine Park, established in 2000, is a relatively new addition to the BC Parks system. The park takes up about a third of Francis Peninsula, just south of the entrance to Pender Harbour on the Sunshine Coast, and has sweeping views across Malaspina Strait to Texada Island. We visited one winter while at…
We’ve spent Christmas and New Year’s afloat for the past several years. Sometimes we travel long distances to Desolation Sound or the Broughtons. Other years we just poke about Victoria and the Gulf Islands. Last year, we split the difference and cruised the Sunshine Coast.
Historic Esquimalt Harbour is an often overlooked but worthwhile destination. Here lie two national historic sites, several waterfront parks, two good pubs and secure anchorage. Also within reach is the 55-kilometre Galloping Goose Regional Trail, which extends from Victoria beyond Sooke. There’s enough to do and see at Esquimalt Harbour to keep you here for…
British Columbia’s glacial-carved fjords rival any in the world for magnificent scenery. However, their steep shorelines funnel and accelerate winds, while offering little shelter to the traveling boater. Jervis Inlet, which stretches 46 miles, fits this mold, with one anomaly that makes all the difference. Near the head is an opening so unobtrusive that Capt….
We wound our way slowly through the entrance to Prideaux Haven just before sunset. It was one week before Christmas and the cove, normally so crowded during the summer months, stood silent and empty. We felt caught in M.Wylie Blanchet’s book We would not have been surprised by the arrival of her Caprice, piloted by…
After a week spent over Christmas in Desolation Sound, we traveled south on Boxing Day to Princess Louisa Inlet. We considered stopping for the night at the Harmony Islands, but were eager to see Chatterbox Falls that day, so we forged ahead. It was very cold, but the mountains were so magnificent that we bundled…
In the winter of 2002, rather than our usual trip to the Gulf Islands, we instead traveled to Desolation Sound. Upon learning of our trip, everyone’s first question is always about the weather. It was cold of course — we did not spend any time sitting around in shorts — but we saw very little…