Many boaters we have met throughout the years have expressed their desire to cruise the Broughton Archipelago. And who hasn’t yearned to sail through those intriguing, beautiful islands and inlets? For some, it’s a dream yet to be realized.
“The Broughtons” is an all-encompassing term for the inlets, islands, and waterways on the mainland side of Queen Charlotte Strait, north of Johnstone Strait. The Broughton Region includes Knight Inlet, Kingcome Inlet, Tribune Channel, and Mackenzie Sound. The Broughton Archipelago is one large, complex cruising ground that offers anchorages from raw, wind-swept Fife Sound and Blackfish Sound, to the gentler waters of Simoom Sound, Greenway Sound, and Drury Inlet. A few small resorts – no two of them alike – are found throughout the Broughtons. Most boaters anchor out half the time and enjoy the social side of marina life the rest of the time. Lagoon Cove, Echo Bay, Sullivan Bay, and New Vancouver are favorite marina stops.
The rich history of The Broughtons begins with Native habitation dating back thousands of years. On Mound Island, 14 depressions in the earth are evidence of native Big-Houses and Longhouses, each of which held extended families. The ruins of two uninhabited native village sites in The Broughtons are of interest. Karlukwees along Beware Passage on Turnour Island can be viewed from the water, and the village site of Mimkwamlis on Village Island can be visited by permission from the Mamalilikulla First Nation; a tour guide is available during the summer months. See the Waggoner Cruising Guide for more details. Pictographs can be found in several locations in the Broughtons and their locations are noted in the Waggoner Guide.
The Broughtons were homesteaded in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Families were raised on rude farms. The men rowed across Queen Charlotte Strait to Alert Bay for supplies, or rowed 200 miles south to Vancouver or Victoria. Today, boaters can purchase supplies on the north end of Vancouver Island at Port McNeill and Port Hardy. The forest has erased most all traces of homestead sites. One notable exception is the rock wall, called “Monks’ Wall,” at the north end of Beware Passage on Harbledown Island, hidden just inside the trees above the shore in a small bay south of Dead Point. This was the site of William and Mary Anne Galley’s wilderness trading post that was active from the late 1800s until after the First World War.
You will want to take your time cruising the archipelago to really appreciate The Broughtons. Come marvel at beautiful Lacy Falls on Tribune Channel, observe the Grizzly Bears in Glendale Cove in Knight Inlet, anchor out in the coves and lagoons, visit the marinas and meet the locals who run them.
For those interested in visiting the Broughton Region with a group of other boaters, consider signing up for the Broughton portion of the 2026 Waggoner Flotilla, see https://waggonerguide.com/flotillas/ for more information.
Header Photo: Lorena Landon
Text Photos: Lorena Landon
Pole Photo: Mamalilikulla First Nation
