Serving as Canada’s primary port on the West Coast, Vancouver is clean, safe, thoroughly cosmopolitan, and well served by many marinas with ample public transportation. Its trademark reach-for-the-sky architecture serves as the backdrop for its wonderful parks, museums, hotels, and dining. When you’re ready to get out of the fast lane, the Sunshine Coast is directly north of the city, stretching from Howe Sound up to Jervis Inlet. Take your pick in Howe Sound from delightful destinations with boutiques, bars, cafes, farmers markets, and good eats. Continuing north, population is sparse until you reach top destinations like Pender Harbour and Lund. Jervis Inlet leads to the unparalleled beauty of Princess Louisa Marine Park.
Top Destinations
White Rock to Vancouver
Boundary Bay • Fraser River • Steveston
Vancouver & Howe Sound
False Creek • Vancouver Harbour • Indian Arm • Horseshoe Bay • Gibsons
Gower Point to Sechelt Inlet
Buccaneer Bay • Smuggler Cove • Secret Cove • Pender Harbour • Egmont • Sechelt Rapids • Sechelt
Jervis Inlet
Blind Bay • Ballet Bay • Hotham Sound • Jervis Inlet • Princess Louisa Inlet
Malaspina Strait to Sarah Point
Grief Point • Westview • Lund • Copeland Islands
Plan Out Your Trip
Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast are fully covered in the latest Waggoner Cruising Guide. It provides all you need about marinas, anchorages, passages, and attractions. Plan your day’s route with the guide’s detailed planning maps. Get your copy of the Waggoner Cruising Guide book!
Plus, there’s more to help you plan a great cruise around Vancouver and along the Sunshine Coast. Read on…
In Search of Bears and Salmon Runs – Part II
Field Correspondents Brian and Laura DeNault continue their wilderness adventures in search of bears and salmon runs, exploring rivers and deltas by tender during the shoulder season. Brian and Laura share more of their discoveries in this second article in the...
Protecting Eelgrass Meadows in Bedwell Bay, British Columbia
Dive into the world of eelgrass meadows with us as we explore boating destinations across Washington and British Columbia. Along the way, we’ll hear from local partners who help protect these unique underwater ecosystems. This Fourth in a series is part of the Anchor...
Savary Island – British Columbia’s Caribbean Paradise
There are certain places on the British Columbia coast that seem almost too beautiful to be real. Savary Island is one of them. The first time I saw its long stretch of white sand and impossibly turquoise water, I remember thinking that someone had accidentally...
Foam Turn-in Event for Sunshine Coast Dock Owners
The Dock Management Plan finalized in 2024 for Pender Harbour and the Sunshine Coast calls for existing dock owners with open Styrofoam floatation to make repairs with encapsulated Styrofoam or alternative floatation, and provide light-penetrating decking. This Dock...
Temporary Marine Closure – Agamemnon Channel
Work by BC Hydro to upgrade power lines across Jervis Inlet and Agamemnon Channel, which began in 2025, will continue in the spring of 2026 with a temporary closure of Agamemnon Channel this April. BC Hydro will be removing a 138KV overhead powerline that crosses...
BC Imposes Non-Resident Fees for Camping/Mooring Buoys
Starting in May 2026, BC Parks is increasing camping fees for residents, with an added $20 fee for non-residents (those who live outside British Columbia). The non-resident fee applies to rental cabins, campsites, and per vessel for use of mooring buoys and docks. 59...
Cruising the Sunshine Coast
The extensive cruising area along Mainland BC from Boundary Bay to the south, and Lund to the north, is known as the Sunshine Coast and offers a wide variety of destinations. The border town of White Rock, BC on the east side of Boundary Bay is lined with cafes and...
New Provisions Store at Crescent Beach Marina
When you pull into Crescent Beach Marina, you expect the usual marina suspects: fuel dock, washrooms, maybe a dusty store stocked with engine oil, crab traps, and a lonely freezer of bait. A place to grab a last-minute filter or some fishing tackle before heading out....
Mitlenatch Island – a Hidden Paradise in Plain View
On a clear June morning, I set out from Cortes Bay for a short adventure. The destination: Mitlenatch Island — a name that sounds like a tongue-twister but rolls easily off the lips of local boaters who know its secret. Tucked between Vancouver Island and the...
Union Steamship Marina, a Family Endeavor
The Union Steamship Marina in Snug Cove on Bowen Island has long been a favorite destination among boaters. The cozy village feel is so inviting that boaters come back every year to experience the friendly “bygone” atmosphere. It was Rondy and Dorothy Dike who created...
Pender Harbour Now Officially Kalpilin
Pender Harbour located along the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia is now officially known as kalpilin. In June of 2023, seven geographical names were officially changed at the request of the shi’sha’lh First Nation, including Pender Harbour, formally known as...
Dock Management Plan – Sunshine Coast
Since 2018, the Province and Shishalh Nation have been working together to improve guidelines for dock development to protect natural and cultural resources for the Greater Pender Harbour area. Updates to the Dock Management Plan (DMP) for best management practices...
Derelict Vessels Removed from Vancouver’s False Creek
Vancouver BC, one of the most beautiful, cosmopolitan cities on the West Coast, offers expansive city parks, fountains, and incredible architecture; a city of glass rising in contrast with the surrounding mountain peaks. Visiting by private boat is perhaps the best...
Adventuring to Princess Louisa Inlet
“We enjoyed boating together from the beginning.” They met at a Junior Yacht Club, Jim was the Commodore and Betty was the Secretary. Betty started sailing around eleven years old on small Sabots in Alamitos Bay. In her early high school years, Betty raced an 8-foot...
Take a Ride on Vancouver’s Aquabus Ferry
You see them zipping around False Creek.Colorful and enthusiastic, these vibrant ferries hustle along their water route with a zest for adventure as they deliver riders from one location to the next.With 13 vessels, an Aquabus Ferry takes tourists and...