The BC Sunshine Coast is an easily accessible cruising area from Vancouver, offering everything from bustling marinas and ocean view restaurants to peaceful anchorages in secluded coves and inlets. Communities and stops along the way include Gibsons Landing, Halfmoon Bay, Sargeant Bay, Smuggler Cove, Secret Cove, the Thormanby Islands, Pender Harbour and Egmont.
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Gibsons Landing
Calling itself a scenic seaside village, Gibsons Landing is tucked beneath the spectacular Coast Mountains on Howe Sound just a few hours' cruise from Vancouver. One of the most famous local attractions is Molly's Reach, the restaurant where the long-running Canadian TV series The Beachcombers was filmed. Small markets, shops, restaurants and art galleries abound, not to mention a new waterfront park and a pioneer museum featuring the history of the BC Sunshine Coast. The lively little town hosts a jazz festival in June, international outrigger canoe races in July and an arts festival in August. Two small islands in the sound, Gambier and Keats, are also fun to visit. Full-service Gibsons Marina offers moorage or check out Gibsons Harbour Authority, which provides berths on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Halfmoon Bay
This quiet area along the BC Sunshine Coast was originally occupied by a native tribe of the Coast Salish First Nation, and has 38 provincially protected archaeological sites. It features small bays and coves with protected anchorages and peaceful wooded shores, including Sargeant Bay, Secret Cove and Welcome Woods. A government wharf in Halfmoon Bay offers moorage and the Heritage General Store, a local gathering place, provides food and liquor sales, as well as great ice cream. In the village, there are two art galleries that display the work of local artists and craftspeople, many of whom also open their home studios to visitors.
Sargeant Bay
This quaint, quiet bay provides a protected anchorage in most weather, with views to beautiful Sargeant Bay Provincial Park, known for its marine wildlife and lovely hikes. A brief trip to the sandy shore reveals an easy trail through a cedar forest to a nice little cove with pebble beaches and tidal pools.
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With most boaters opting for the Gulf Islands or Desolation Sound, those in the know, stop in at the many excellent anchorages which the Desolation Sound bound boaters go right by in their rush to get up north.
There are 13 Marine Parks to choose from, many of them right in the heart of the excellent salmon fishing spots along the coast.
Of course many of the 10 major marinas on the BC Sunshine Coast will make you feel right at home if you prefer tying up to anchoring.
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Secret Cove
Secret Cove is one of the most popular cruising stops on the BC Sunshine Coast, especially for boaters heading up to Desolation Sound. The tiny entrance to the area disguises a series of small bays and coves offering perfectly protected anchorages. There are three full-service marinas providing extensive moorage facilities and marine services, as well as two popular restaurants -- the Upper Deck and the Jolly Roger. There is also a government dock, and the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club has a facility here. Tucked onto the wooded shores are many cottages and cabins.
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Thormanby Islands
South and North Thormanby Islands, just across Welcome Pass from Secret Cove, are mostly private property or undeveloped parkland. South Thormanby offers Simson Marine Park, an undeveloped area covering most of the island. Anchorages are available, and boaters can head to shore to check out the pebble beach, the forested upland and the trail up Spyglass Hill. At the southern end of North Thormanby is Buccaneer Bay Marine Park, with one of the most beautiful sandy beaches on the Sunshine Coast. There are safe anchorages in the large, protected bay, and the shoreline is only accessible by dinghy. Buccaneer Bay is also home to a small summer community of cabins and cottages.
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Pender Harbour
This popular BC Sunshine Coast area, known as the Venice of the North, is a complex maze of inlets, islands, coves, and reefs with more than 50 km of shoreline and gorgeous sunsets. The harbour is comprised of three main communities. Irvines Landing, a historic settlement in Joe Bay at the mouth of the harbour offers a grocery store and a restaurant and pub, while Garden Bay, a small, picturesque community tucked between Hospital Bay and Garden Bay, provides marinas, a general store, restaurants, a heritage inn and a beautiful marine park. Madeira Park on the southeastern shore is the main shopping centre where government floats provide more than 400 m of moorage. Pender Harbour is also one of the most popular scuba diving areas on the Sunshine Coast, and there are numerous freshwater streams and lakes in the surrounding area great for fishing.
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Egmont
Just past Pender Harbour, a scenic trip up peaceful Agamemnon Channel takes BC Sunshine Coast boaters to Egmont. About 60 nautical miles from Vancouver, it's the perfect stopping-off point on the way up Jervis Inlet to awesome Princess Louisa Inlet. Lovely Egmont is also the entranceway to Sechelt Inlet, through the rapids at Skookumchuk Narrows -- skookumchuk meaning strong water in the language of the Sechelt Natives. At the narrows, tidal waters are forced through the small, shallow channel between Jervis and Sechelt inlets, creating a difference in water levels of up to two metres and currents of more than 30 kilometres an hour. Moorage, a general store and services are available at Egmont Marina, where there is also a wonderful pub/restaurant famous for the Skookum Burger, well known as the biggest, best burger on the coast. Boaters can also take a short tour from Egmont to see the pretty waterfalls at Harmony Islands.
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Smuggler Cove
This incredibly scenic, all-weather anchorage is popular in the summer months, with three bays big enough to hold several cruising boats. The provincial marine park here offers walking trails with spectacular views of Welcome Passage and the Strait of Georgia, walk-in campsites and a picnic area, but there is no fresh water. There are lots of rocky nooks and islets to discover, with tidal pools and cool forests on the shores.
» Click here to book your BC Sunshine Coast Yacht Charter.
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