Hotspots on the Sunshine Coast

Boaters planning a trip to Desolation Sound often ask us to suggest anchorages enroute, on the Sunshine Coast, with the intention of getting north as quickly and safely as possible. Desolation Sound is indeed a stunning marine park, and if your time is limited, getting there quickly might be a necessity. But you’ll be passing coastline that has so much to offer, including the remoteness you may be seeking.

Our list of favourites is obviously subjective, with a combination of marinas and anchorages that is sure to provide a good choice of places to stop on the way. Better yet, boaters from points west or south should consider making the Sunshine Coast a destination on its own. You won’t be disappointed, with enough to easily fill weeks of exploring. For those like us, who like to incorporate hiking into cruising, this link will be helpful and could help determine the destinations you visit.

If you are coming north from the US, a stop in False Creek, off Vancouver’s English Bay, is always recommended, but for the purposes of this article we’ll start in Howe Sound.

Here we go:

At the entrance to Howe Sound, Plumper Cove on Keats Island is a great place to start, with good hiking trails (one to an ice cream store), a park dock, mooring buoys and protected anchorage options. The park has drinking water, fire pits and picnic tables. There is a small beach and the swimming is good.

A bit farther north is Gambier Island, with three popular bays with anchorages along the southern shore. Our favourite is Port Graves, which has plenty of room to anchor and is well protected from all but southerly winds.  It’s great for those who like to stretch their legs, with splendid trails to interior lakes and beautiful views from atop Mt Artaban.

Charming Snug Cove and funky Gibsons Landing in Howe Sound have great marinas with captivating on-shore attractions and services for those looking for more.

Northwest of Gibsons, about 22 NM, is Smuggler Cove, which might just be the most popular anchorage along this stretch of Georgia Strait coastline. There are 38 stern tie pins that you’ll need to secure to. It can be busy, and some find stern tying in close quarters daunting, but it’s a stunningly tranquil anchorage with hiking trails ashore .

Buccaneer Bay, just a couple of miles southeast nestled between the Thormanby Islands, is an option for those who love sandy beaches and have an aversion to Smuggler Cove and stern tying for the benefit of an audience. The bay offers protection from all but strong northerly or westerly winds.  It is much less crowded than Smuggler Cove and offers several anchoring locations.

Pender Harbour is an all-weather anchorage with ample opportunities to anchor, tie to a dock, provision, hike and refuel. There are several roomy anchorages, all well protected and peaceful, with good holding. We usually drop a hook in Wellbourn Cove, off the docks at Madeira Park, or in popular Garden Bay if it’s not too busy.

Another favourite for us is Ballet Bay, farther north at the entrance to Jervis Inlet. Ballet has excellent shelter and numerous anchoring options. There is room for numerous boats to swing on anchor. Ballet is calm and sheltered, but there’s not much opportunity to stretch your legs with many private homes on shore. So, have a good book on the go and finish it here! Two miles away, Musket Island Marine Park is a pleasant option if Ballet Bay is busy.

A popular place to spend a night or two is Harmony Islands, a perfect spot to break up a trip up the coast to Desolation Sound or up Jervis Inlet to Princess Louisa Inlet. Stern tying is common here and shore rings have been installed on the large southernmost island. The views here are stunning, but it can feel like a squeeze if there are many boats. Visit the base of Friel Lake Falls for a swim in the pools below the falls. Fit and well-insured sailors can trudge a ways up the falls and have something to brag about for years, though do be careful — the going is treacherous.

Then there’s Princess Louisa Inlet. What can I say that isn’t a repeat of us and others extolling its many virtues? It’s famous among boaters, beloved and always exceeds expectations…well worth the detour. We’ll save the rave reviews and remind you to use the Canadian Hydrographic Service tide table for Point Atkinson as reference for transiting Malibu Rapids, where slack is 25 minutes after high water and 35 minutes after low water at Point Atkinson. Check out our blog for tips and more information.

On the way up Jervis Inlet, boaters pass Skookumchuck Narrows, leading southeast toward Sechelt Inlet, home to several scenic anchorages, marine parks with kayakers camps, splendid views and the town of Sechelt. There are several exceptional anchorages up both Narrows and Salmon inlets, while Porpoise Bay, off the town of Sechelt, offers safe anchorage or a chance to tie up at the government dock. Enjoy the views while sitting on the deck at Lighthouse Marina with a burger and a beverage.

On the southern shore of Skookumchuck Narrows is found the Backeddy Resort and Marina, with its popular restaurant, good transient moorage and accommodations ashore.

Further along the narrows is the community of Egmont with a public dock from where it is convenient to time a transit of the rapids into Sechelt Inlet. It’s also fun to pack a picnic and hike 4km to the provincial park lookout and watch the force of the rapids at peak flows, or if planning to go through at slack, go to see just how calm it is to ease your fears. Be sure to stop at the café and bakery on the way for a sweet treat.

From Skookumchuck Narrows, the rapids into Sechelt Inlet are rightly feared, but at slack water are very manageable. Be sure to time the rapids according to official current tables and adding an hour for daylight savings time if applicable.

On Texada Island, or “the rock” as it’s known to locals, is Sturt Bay. It is one of the few well-protected anchorages along the shore of Texada. The marina here is also a popular spot for transients, and community of Van Anda here has a well-stocked grocery store and is charming to walk around.

Across Malaspina Strait, on the southern reaches of Powell River is Beach Gardens Resort and Marina, with a panoramic view out to sea and a lovely bistro that spills out onto a patio. It has a fuel dock and shuttle service into Powell River about five miles north, for provisioning.

On Jedediah Island are several coves with excellent opportunities to stern-tie ashore. The island has a network of trails as well as an ancient homestead and orchard to explore.

There as good, sheltered anchorages on Lasqueti Island, including Scottie Bay which ranks on our favourites list for its excellent protection should conditions change as you head across the strait, and its access to the French Creek ferry if needed.  Lasqueti is known for being in an area of high winds from both the southeast and northwest, but its remoteness is its charm in settled weather.

Technically not a part of the Sunshine Coast, but convenient to it, is Tribune Bay on Hornby Island. It is renowned for its extraordinarily beautiful beach and its ’60s-era island vibe. The anchorage is safe in all but strong southerly winds, when you will definitely want to seek alternative shelter, maybe in Deep Bay on Vancouver Island. Tribune Bay offers excellent hiking and swimming off its beach and is a real treat on a warm summer day.

And if the weather gods are smiling down on you, the tidal flats around Sandy Island off the northern tip of Denman Island, about a 16nm sail north from Tribune Bay, are a wonder to explore. Popular with day-trippers from Comox, beaches of fine sand, shells or boulders offer something for everyone. Anchor in the lee of tiny Sandy Island off the south shore. Not suitable in a southerlies, but really any brisk winds can be uncomfortable.

The distance from Howe Sound to the northern tip of Texada Island is only about 50nm, but within that short stretch of coastline there are detours to hundreds of miles of shoreline to explore and hike, anchorages to tuck into and rapids to test your adventurous spirit. Marinas are never far away to recharge and get off the boat for an evening. Provisioning is accessible and indeed, the sun shines on boaters who make this their summer cruising grounds.