Marinas and Destinations Update
   
by Peter Vassilopoulos

On an early season trip to the north coast this year, we found there were many changes at marina facilities. Most of them were small, but interesting if not significant. Among the mariners we encountered along the way there was talk of these changes along with weather (would it ever stop raining), coastal people (note all the young people/students assisting at the marinas or getting involved in outreach programmes) and economies.

One of the changes we noted was the availability of computers on an increasing scale. For example the former Hamburger Shack at Ocean Falls now has a couple of computers free for the use of mooring visitors, there is one at the Sointula Bistro and another at the laundry in Port McNeill. This takes wifi to a new level, no computer on board, no problem. Just use those made available at the destination.

After a trip to the Southern Gulf Islands in which we found and reported (in a previous issue of PY) on a number of marina changes in that area we headed for Desolation Sound, the Broughton Islands and Rivers Inlet. Discussions were rampant on the proposed changes at Squirrel Cove. It was a hot topic with most people expressing their amazement that a marina proposal in that pristine anchorage could even make it to the drawing board. Most people seem to have been under the impression that the cove was a designated marine park. It is not.

Westview is a favoured stop for fuel and shelter as well as marine supplies and groceries. There are new docks and the breakwater has been changed. The opening to the docks is now slightly farther south with the rock breakwater extended over the former opening. New docks have been placed in the north harbour for local permanent mooring and the south fishing harbour has been enlarged, with more space for visiting boats. The waterfront has been substantially upgraded with new roads and walkways.

At Okeover the dock has been expanded with new floats. This move serves the Laughing Oyster Restaurant very well for boats coming down Malaspina Inlet for dinner from Desolation Sound.

At Savary Island there is a brand new lodge inviting mariners to anchor off and stay in comfort. The lodge, Savary Island Inn, suggests using their facility for your overnight guests or for the entire crew. Anchor at coordinates 49° 56’ 30.12” N by 124° 49’ 42.86” W in the “anchorage hole” near the west end of the island. Or leave your boat at Lund and use the water taxi.  While at Savary Island e learned the reason for not crushing empty pop cans. The bags used for collecting them contain a specific number of cans so that when the bags are full, to save time, the cans need not be counted individually.

A Lund Jack’s marine facility is being massively expanded to accommodate more dry storage and service of boats. Nearby Bliss Landing has new, additional docks.

Gorge Harbour keeps improving. The restaurant has expanded its menu and mealtime choices and the store has been renovated with new layout, floor and building improvements. Other buildings on site have also been upgraded and improved. A market is held on Saturdays.

At Refuge Cove the docks have been upgraded with the addition of electrical boxes placed to serve all vessels tied up overnight. The popular hamburger stand was ready to reopen and there was a new Flying Fish Gallery for gifts. There is no garbage disposal at Refuge Cove marina, nor at Squirrel Cove. It was noted that Dave’s Garbage Barge was present to collect trash from boats visiting the area.

There were minor changes at Big Bay including some float modifications at the community dock, additional docks at Morgan’s Landing and confirmation from Sonora Lodge that there was no room at their dock for overnight guests who were not checked into rooms at the facility. At Cordero Channel Resort, the popular diner and overnight guest docks were up and running despite the owner Reinhardt Kuppers having a medical condition that has prompted the family to put the facility on the market. Daughter Kellie was present at the lodge to assist Doris Kuppers during what is hoped to be a transitional time.

At nearby Blind Channel Resort a few additions have been made on the property. These include the addition of accommodations, a gazebo for Tuesday night movies and a hamburger stand to serve light lunches on the deck. It should be noted also that Blind Channel now has a weather station at its location.

There was a lot of talk about bear sightings this year. Notably grizzlies. At Port Harvey they had been seen across the waterway that separated the marina from East Cracroft Island. It is believed these were Glendale bears moving down from the mainland in search of food. More bear sightings occurred farther up the coast but the only one we saw was a black bear at Telegraph Cove. Port Harvey Marine Resort has moved its restaurant/store/office building to a new location on the docks to provide guests with greater comfort in windy or sunny conditions. The marina has a liquor license application pending and its restaurant The Red Shoe is offering pizzas, fish and chips, hamburgers and home made desserts. The store has gifts and art and fresh baked goods
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Lagoon Cove Marina has a new fuel dock office. The old one was a former Union Steamships ticket office and has been taken over by a neighbour for use elsewhere. The nearby post office in Chatham Channel has a gift shop and bakery. Owner Jenny Rucker has rental cabins on her property and bakes fresh goods which she also offers for sale at Lagoon Cove.

Marieke, the daughter of Max Knierim and Anca Fraser at Kwatsi Bay Marina, was not present at the marina. She has taken a position with the harbour master’s office at Port McNeill. A note of interest–the incoming tide rises from either end of Tribune Channel to meet at Kwatsi Bay.

At Pierre’s Echo Bay Marina there are now Italian Nights in addition to the established pig, beef and ribs roasts. The rustic path to Billy Proctor’s museum has been opened with the addition of a bridge connecting the island to the mainland. Cliffside Moorage (formerly Windsong Sea Village) has room for overnight moorage, and is an annex of the floating home community at Sullivan Bay. Flights in and out of Echo Bay and other “Mainland” locations now are available with Pacific Coastal Airlines
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Echo Bay was busy as usual while nearby Greenway Sound had become a veritable ghost town. The marina’s docks were showing signs of disuse, although a number of vessels took advantage of them and tied up overnight. At the time of writing the fate of the docks and buildings was undetermined. An auction that was set for August had been cancelled in favour of a hope to find an organization that would be interested in taking them over.

Among the native villages off Knight Inlet the New Vancouver dock has been given a floating breakwater. Moorage is available and the band offers beach barbeques and big house performances.

Shawl Bay Marina was gearing up for a busy season and new staff were on hand to prepare those popular breakfast pancakes.
 
Sullivan Bay now has 4,000 feet of dock–plenty of room for visiting boats to 300’. Lots of work has been completed to upgrade the standard of the buildings and docks. New float homes have been added and the “town square” complete with store, restaurant and happy hour patio, has taken on a more modern, yet still quaint, appearance.

Jennis Bay Marina has become a popular place in recent years. With Tom Allo no longer there, regular visitors were wondering about the future of the facility. Allyson Major, owner, has assured us that under a good manager, now on site, and her presence there, the marina’s permanence is secure. They offer campfire get-togethers and Cajun Night cookouts.

In McKenzie Sound Nimmo Bay is an interesting place. It is exclusive and not a marina. However, while anchored in the bay mariners may check if there is space at the dining room for guests. Although it is a busy sport fishing lodge there may be times when a few guests off boats will be welcome.

Telegraph Cove has a new set of buildings with hamburger stand and gift stores. This is located on shore adjacent to the grocery store and hotel.  New owners have taken over Stubbs Island Charters while the former owners, Jim and Mary Borrowman, continue to live at the cove and take out charters on their classic yacht Gikumi.

Port McNeill Fuel Dock and Marina’s new extended docks are seeing the arrival of increasingly large yachts. While we were there the 160 foot motor vessel Lady M II and the 190 foot sailing ship Ethereal were tied up for a few days. Being a fuelling station this marina is a very busy place in the harbour. The town has a big public dock and many services and vessels are able to replenish groceries and other supplies and allow crews the opportunity to try out the local restaurants. The local marine store is extremely well stocked and the owner Ray Rosback is busy with many projects. One of these is the construction of a new production boat. It is a lightweight, all wood 22’ cabin cruiser uniquely assembled and finished without the use of any metal fasteners and powered economically by a 30 hp outboard motor for speeds up to 20 mph. Good boat as a dinghy on some larger craft.

Sointula has some changes. There is a new bakery at the ferry landing as well as new owners at the Sointula Gallery and Bistro. The restaurant has a gallery of works by the owners, photographs, books and blown glass, as well as a selection of works by other artists. At the harbour there is a steady flow of customers at the little Burger Barn. Ride to the museum, bakery, store and restaurant with free bicycle use available at the harbourmaster’s office. There is a farmers’ market in summer. The Tourism Association number is now 250-973-2001. At Mitchell Bay, south end of the island, there is a new 113’ float.

At Alert Bay we noted the extensive new boardwalk along the waterfront and visited the U’mista Cultural Society . We learned the meaning of the word U’mista. “In earlier days, people were sometimes taken captive by raiding parties. When they returned to their homes, either through payment of ransom or by a raid, they were said to have u'mista. The return of treasures from distant museums is a form of u'mista.”

We were saddened by the news of the passing away of the former curator Andrea Sanborn. Her replacement is Sarah Holland.

The Culture Shock coffee shop and gift store on the new boardwalk at Alert Bay has delicious coffees, dispensed by Andrea Cranmer. A reminder that there is no fuel at Alert Bay. Nearest fuel is at Port McNeill.

Port Hardy was like a town reborn. We heard that it had installed a cruise ship dock and the town had been revamped to cater to the influx of large numbers of visitors off the ships. Then the ships stopped coming and the flow of visitors ceased. Now the town is left with some fine stores and restaurants but with an uncertain economic future.  Given the fresh personality of Port Hardy mariners could benefit as would the town if more of us checked it out. The fuel dock at the fish plant in the narrow entrance to Port Hardy has been shut down. Fuel is available inside at The Quarterdeck or outside at Bear Cove near the ferry terminal.

There was a lot of rain in the early part of the season. The farther north we went the harder it rained. But it did let up slightly from time to time to allow us an excursion or two in places such as Ocean Falls, Shearwater and Bella Bella. The advantage of the rain and cloudy conditions–it was accompanied mostly by calm seas for easy powering through Johnstone Strait and around Cape Caution.

At Rivers Inlet Duncanby Lodge was very busy with sport fishing. The docks have been extended to accommodate visiting boats and the restaurant is well run and managed to cater to all guests’ needs. Down the bay at Goose Bay Cannery a sturdy new dock accommodates overnight boats with a fee that goes towards restoration of the old cannery buildings. This project is moving along slowly but with impressive results.

At Dawson’s Landing Rob and Nola Bachen are constantly making improvements to their general store and marina. In addition to the usual array of groceries, hardware and snacks there is a selection of interesting gift items.
There are no other facilities for visiting boats in Rivers Inlet. Lodges are scattered throughout, some in full function and others less so. One lodge, Buck’s Trophy Lodge in Finn Bay, was closed due to the recent death of the owner. The word is that his daughter will continue running it.

Bella Bella has a new small coffee shop alongside the liquor store near the landing. In addition to a grocery store and a restaurant in the town, there is a cultural centre in a small room of the building that houses the local school that is worthy of a visit.

At Shearwater Marine we made a pleasant discovery. In addition to the large restaurant with its sizeable menu, there is a gift shop called Rosie’s. They offer cappuccino and it is certainly one of the best cups of brew we found anywhere. The owner Louise Wilson also has a B&B with a magnificent view nearby. A water taxi will take you to Bella Bella if you prefer not to cruise there in your own vessel. Shearwater Marine has a pub, restaurant, grocery store, liquor off-sales, marine hardware store and a substantial fishing lodge. It has a service centre, a ways and a travel lift as well as a fuel dock.

If you are continuing north beyond Shearwater you may want to stop in at Klemtu, a good fuel stop. If you are heading for Bella Coola and you choose to go by way of Dean Channel around the northwest side of King Island, stop in at Ocean Falls where you will find a new, robust dock and lots of available fresh water as well as a good supply of power at the dock. There is a post office, a gift store that opens three afternoons a week and a saloon and grocery store that are also limited to those times.

New Event on Salt Spring Island

In September a festival of local and regional food and wine is expected to draw a lot of interest from the boating and island residential community. The event, Sip & Savour Salt Spring, will bring together vintners representing the wine growing regions of BC, with growers, food providers and chefs from Salt spring Island as well as other Gulf Islands, the Cowichan Valley and the Saanich Peninsula.

Sip and Savour Salt Spring will take place on September 23 and 24 and begin with a seven-course dinner in the gardens of the well-known oceanfront Hastings House Country House Hotel on the Friday evening. The nearby Harbour House Hotel, overlooking Salt Spring Marina will be the venue of the Saturday events that will include wine tasting and sampling of local and regional foods.

There is a unique idea behind this part of the weekend events. It is the bringing together of vintners, chefs and growers to create a mini menu with one another’s products. Guests will be able to communicate directly with the various individuals involved in the food and wine production, supply and preparation. It will also enable people to discover the wines that complement the foods offered.

Mariners visiting Salt spring Island that weekend will be able to enjoy activities at marinas, the special event, studio, winery and farm tours and dine at one or more of several excellent restaurants and enjoy live entertainment at a number of local venues.

Tickets are available in advance. For more information see www.sipandsavoursaltspring.com, email sipandsavour@gmail.com or phone 250-537-8320.

Ganges

New managers have been appointed to run Ganges Marina. Nick and Celine Boychuk have taken over from Daphne and Jack Reeder, who, during the past few years of their tenure, lived aboard their boat White Rose. A new office is to be built along with other improvements to the marina in the coming year. Large-scale upgrades were made during the spring. These include resurfacing of 800’of docks and the addition of a new 500’ dock. The marina also introduced a recycling program in June.

Services at Page Point Marina in Ladysmith Harbour

The marina at Page Point continues to offer permanent moorage and a few slips for transient visitors. The licensed bistro and rental rooms at the marina and lodge are open and catering to guests, but there is no fuel at the fuel dock. New applications are pending for the return of fuel service next year. See www.pagepointmarina.com.

Silva Bay

Pages Marina, expanded and modified, now offers scooters and mountain bikes for rent. Boaters stopping at Silva Bay for a few days will now be able to enjoy riding the island roads and visiting the town restaurants, art shops and stores.

Port Browning

Chuck Spence, well known to the boating community after many years on Pender Island is now consultant to the marina management at Port Browning. He is involved in the direction of marina operations, which falls under the management of Joe Down.

Genoa Bay

This popular destination has a new feature this year. A kiosk has been added alongside the covered gathering area on the dock. It is equipped to sell refreshments and to serve complimentary breakfasts for guests checked into the marina for two nights or longer.

Cowichan

There is always something new at Cowichan Bay. A new marine store has opened near the bakery. Bo’s Boat Store carries a variety of supplies and some used equipment. Also notably, mariners visiting Cowichan have been commenting on the Arthur Vickers art gallery, which has become a popular feature in the town. It is located adjacent to the historic shipyard, near The Masthead and public docks.

Telegraph Harbour Marina

The restaurant at Telegraph harbour Marina now has a liquor license to serve beer and wine.  The dedicated area in the building has been attractively separated from the store in keeping with regulations. An international chef is now on site to prepare fine meals and the menu has been amended accordingly. Ron Faoro, owner, has undertaken another task to enhance the area. He has acquired a number of marine channel markers and, with the sanction of the authorities, will place them in the harbour to mark the waterway between Kuper Island and Thetis Island. This will separate the anchoring and buoy area from the fairway, allowing vessels to more safely navigate into the harbour at low tide.

False Creek

Fuel is coming back to False Creek. At the time of writing it had been announced that the new fuel dock should be in place on June 25th. Managing partner, Mike Short, says the barge will offer all fuels, oils, a coffee bar and convenient store with bait and tackle, snacks, chocolate bars, sandwiches, ice, life  jackets, fuel conditioner, charts and books.  It will also be possible to take the Pleasure Craft Operator’s exam on-line at the barge. Check out www.falsecreekfuels.com or phone 604-638-0209 for more information

Coal Harbour

Wright Mariner has expanded and renovated their marine supply store at Vancouver’s downtown Coal Harbour. The changes have provided better layout of product and marine supplies and created a more appealing ambience.

Shelter Island

There is a new treat for mariners who like to hang around cozy gathering spots. Shelter Island Marina on Greybar Road, in Richmond has a new coffee shop right inside the marine store on the landing.  It is back to back with the popular Tugboat Annies pub/restaurant. Charming Dusti Loiselle welcomes customers with an offering of a variety of coffees and pastries. The marine store has been enlarged and has on display a wider range than ever of marine supplies, hardware, books and charts. Contact them at 1-877-270-6272.

See the Boaters Blue Pages or Docks and Destinations for more contact information.

2010 Marinas Report