Kwatsi Bay Marina sold
One of the most pleasant marinas in one of the most beautiful bays in the Broughton Archipelago has been sold and will be closed for 2021, and perhaps much longer.
Max Knierim and Anka Fraser announced on their Facebook page that after 25 years of building, maintaining and managing Kwatsi Bay Marina they have sold the facility.
The docks will be closed to boaters in 2021 as the new owners complete redevelopment projects.
In an interview with Salish Sea Pilot, Max said he has been asked by the new owners not to reveal their identity. While saying he did not know their plans for the facility, he added it was possible that the facility will not be reopened as a marina, rather as a “wilderness outpost” which would complement the new owners’ business.
Many boaters who cruise the Broughtons would be heartbroken if the marina does not reopen. When the marina first went up for sale a few years ago, I daydreamed about owning this marina and certainly wasn’t alone.
Asked what he planned to do next, Max chuckled and said: “Recover.”
He and Anka are working on their home in Sointula on Malcolm Island, where the couple will retire and use as a base for future explorations.
“What I’d really like to do is go cruising,” Max said.
Fitting.
Kwatsi Bay and marina have always been “go-to” places for us when we do our annual trip to the Broughtons. Max and Anka have always been welcoming as has their daughter Marieke whom we have met several times. I wish them well, thank them for a job well done and hope that the new owners will welcome us as well
I still have Kwatsi Bay as the first thing that opens in my Google Maps. I was happy for Max and Anka but sad to hear it was no longer available. I thought the government stipulations required it to be available to loggers and such, as a pit stop? I truly hope this wilderness outpost isn’t to exploit the areas natural resources~
Heading up that way in a few weeks on our way to Ketchikan! Gonna try to cruise by and see how it looks. Great place…a bit on the rustic side, but a great place to stop. Here’s hoping it comes back as a marina open to cruisers.
We just left Kwatsi Bay. We will miss the Pot luck dinners and happy hours which have been enjoyed since 2011. Several boats tied to the dock, however all were concerned if they were actually safe to walk on. The ramp has been pushed aside and is in the water. My thoughts are that what is left is not salvageable. My personal opinion is that whomever now owns the property should be ashamed of their actions and the actual owners be let known to the public. We are very upset that our government turns a blind eye to this situation.
Bill Manahan
July 4, 2022
Does anyone know it Kwatsi Bay has re-opened?
Sad news. We last visited in 2008 after which we sold out boat. It was always one of our favorite spots in that beautiful corner of the world.