We have recently discovered cruising in the Strait of Georgia. Home to the Gulf Islands, this inland sea offers a great diversity of marine life, beautiful anchorages and uninhabited marine parks.
At the northern end of the Strait we found the gleaming white sandy beaches of Savory Island. And thanks to the warm southern tide, we swam in the warmest water north of Mexico at Savory Island. The sea provided a great meal of crab and the shore gave up clams. All of this with an unmatched view of the ocean surrounded by snow capped mountains. A small sail from Savory brought us to the tiny seaside village of Lund at the end of highway 101. This is where we found the best fish and chips we ever had at the Boardwalk Cafe overlooking the marina. For cruisers this is the last port before Desolation Sound with all of its warm waters and protected anchorages.
In the Central part of the Strait, Tribune Bay off Hornby Island is a well loved anchorage. Approximately 5,000 years ago, the region’s First Nations people would visit Hornby Island by canoe to fish, dig for clams and roots, and embark on spirit quests. We hiked the cliff out to the tip of Hornby at Flora Island, dug some clams and picked some of the many wild blackberries in the park. Our spiritual quest was when we watched the total eclipse of the moon from our boat. Of course the beautiful sculpted rock formations enclosing a long sandy beach are like no other I’ve seen. Sandstone sculptures, lace and caves invite creativity and calm. On Hornby Island and around, the marine life offers many rare species. We always see the resident stellar sea lions while sailing around the island. If you are adventurous you can snorkel with them. Not me!
Another Favorite find was Jedediah Island, a popular marine park, 640 acres of natural splendor tucked in between Texada and Lasqueti islands in the Strait of Georgia. The only way to visit the quiet but beautiful island is by boat. While exploring the old homestead on the uninhabited island, we saw wild goats and sheep which have roamed for generations. Some say were brought by the Spaniards when they arrived. The homestead has a nice apple orchard and an eerie sense of past lives. Sipping a glass of wine on board that evening we were surrounded by marine life as we watched an eagle swoop down on a sea otter. Life is good with a partner on the water.
We want to share the joy of cruising so created a website to help you find friends on-line and then go cruising by boat in the beautiful Straight of Georgia. For those who love cruising , fishing and snorkeling. finding a mate on-line is a great start to a wonderful West Coast adventure.