western canada
We bought Pino in North Saanich, British Columbia, Canada in 2016. After that, we explored a few spots in the Gulf Islands.
We spent our first night off grid at Sidney Spit, tethered to one of the many BC Parks mooring buoys. It was March then, still plenty cold. We left North Saanich marina in April, and began exploring the Gulf Islands. We also visited Vancouver, staying in False Creek for 2 weeks. Our time exploring was cut short, because we began our preparations for sailing south, and our cruising in Canada stopped there.
We returned to British Columbia in August 2020 after our north pacific ocean crossing from Japan.
Summer Routes
Since 2020 we've spent our winters on the Victoria docks, and summers cruisings in the Salish Sea. Dotted lines indicate the return trip, with some overlap with the starting routes.
Summer 2021 route: Victoria > Cadboro Bay > North Saanich > Wesport Boatyard > Genoa Bay > Glenthorne Passage > Ganges(SaltSpring Island) > Montague (Galiano) > Southey Bay > Gabriola > False Creek(Vancouver) > Gabriola > Clam Bay > Montague Harbour > Lyall Harbour (Saturna Island) > North Saanich > Victoria. Note. We had engine problems that year, so we didn't cruise around too much. See engine rebuild. We also did a lot of boat projects, like installing our woodstove, our dry toilet and dealing with thruhulls.
Summer 2022 route: Victoria > Sidney > Glenthorne Passage (Prevost Island) > Montague (Galiano) > North Cove (Thetis Island) > Nanaimo > Secret Cove > Pender Harbour > sturt bay Texada Island > Grace harbour > Melanie Cove > Refuge Cove > hathayim marine park > Melanie Cove > Tenedos Bay > Sturt Bay > Bargain Bay (Setchel Peninsula > Gabriola (Silva Bay) > Montague (Galiano) > Lyall Harbour (Saturna Island) > Sidney > Montague > Sidney > Cadboro Bay > Victoria.
Summer 2023 route: Victoria > North Saanich > Glenthorne Passage (Prevost Island) > Montague (Galiano) > Glenthorne Passage > Westport Boatyard > Genoa Bay > Maple Bay > Telegraph Cove (Thetis Island) > Gabriola (Silva Bay) > Smuggler Cove (Setchel Peninsula) > Pender Harbour > Princess Louisa Inlet > Baker Bay (Hotham Sound) > Thunder Bay > Sturt Bay (Texada Island) > Roscoe Bay (West Redonda Island) > Melanie Cove > hathayim marine park > Heriot Bay > Octopus Islands > Waiatt Bay > Octopus Islands > hathayim marine park > sturt bay > Ballet Bay (Nelson Island) > Smuggler Cove > Gabriola > DeCourcey Island(SE anchorage) > Montague Harbour Galiano > Glenthorne Passage > Sidney > Oak Bay > Victoria.
Everytime we visit a new place, we'll update our notes here:
Gulf Islands
The Sunshine Coast
- Cathedral Grove
- Sturt Bay(Texada Island)
- Smuggler Cove
- Princess Louisa Inlet
- Ballet Bay
Desolation Sound
Discovery Islands
- Octopus Islands
- Heriot Bay
- Hathayim Marine Park(Von Donop inlet, Cortes Island)