Back to the main page Alaska Cruises from Vancouver and Seattle to Seward/Anchorage Gulf of Alaska / Inside Passage Cruises with Princess Cruises, Holland America Cruise Line. Sightseeing Tours in Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Vancouver, Seattle.  Sailing Charter British Columbia General Information Relax on our luxurious 51' sailing yacht "Dragonsmoke" and let us show you the wonders of the Canadian Pacific Northwest coast. Come whale watching, explore the floating villages, islands and National Marine Parks as we sail in protected coastal waters. Recount the day's adventures over an evening cocktail while your crew prepare you a sumptuous dinner of freshly caught seafood. Join us for a few days or spend longer exploring the stunningly beautiful coastline of the Great Bear Rain Forest, with its abundant wildlife and intriguing history. We offer you a personalised sailing holiday that lets you tailor everything from your charter route to the your style of cuisine, from Thai to Italian. For those seeking more adventure we can also arrange extra's like sports fishing, diving, guided whale and bear watching, and float plane trips. From May to September, we are based out of Port Hardy, on Vancouver Island, which is a short flight from Vancouver. This is an excellent sailing area for novice and experienced sailors, with generally calm mornings and increasing winds in the afternoon. Winds tend to drop again in the evening for a quiet night at anchor. From October to April we charter out of Vancouver. This is the perfect base for day or weekend charters in Vancouver Harbour and Howe Sound. The Yacht With 2 ensuite double guest cabins, a large comfortable saloon and cockpit, and a swimming platform with fresh water shower, she is an ideal cruising boat. Dragonsmoke is equipped with a DVD and multi-CD player. So bring along your favourites for those quiet hours when you want to relax with a G&T in hand while your freshly caught salmon is prepared for dinner. A hot water central heating system and a spacious fridge and freezer were installed this year. As well as entertainment gadgets, she is fitted with a number of navigational aids including radar, integrated GPS and autopilot and safety equipment exceeding Transport Canada safety requirements. Her sail inventory includes an asymmetric spinnaker (cruising chute) for sailing in calmer winds. We also have a mini library on board consisting of travel writing, sailing reference, local wildlife and history, cookery books and contemporary novels, board games and cards.  Destinations The choice is yours! Our only limits are time and tide. Each day we will time our travels to make the most of the tide and strong currents. It may mean a few early starts, but with breakfast prepared underway there is no rush for you. Here are some of our favourite destinations - follow the links to see a picture. Port Hardy, Vancouver Island Port Hardy is the northernmost city on Vancouver Island, and our base. Port Hardy is a small city with many good hikes and walks accessible from our berth in the Quarterdeck Marina, as well as a fantastic view of Queen Charlotte Strait. Queen Charlotte Strait This is our sailing playground. Winds are generally light in the mornings, for those who want a quiet passage. In the afternoon the wind picks up for an exhilarating sail. By evening, winds are dying down as we make our way to a quiet anchorage. Sointula, Malcolm Island Sointula is a fishing and arts community founded in 1901 by Finnish settlers who were trying to create a utopian community. The experiment didn’t work, but the community still has a very independent nature. There is a museum, a pub, and shops to explore including the oldest continuously running co-op in Canada (est. 1906). Alert Bay, Cormorant Island Alert Bay is a First Nations community and home to the world’s largest totem pole! In Alert Bay, you may wish to visit the U’mista Cultural Centre, the museum, an Anglican Church that is over one hundred years old, or the Gator Gardens, where there aren’t any alligators but there are many varieties of local wildlife to be seen from the boardwalks. The U’mista Cultural Centre houses a collection of masks and ceremonial regalia which have been reclaimed from museums all over the world, and stages dances in the summer to show how the masks were used. Robson Bight Robson Bight is an Orca Sanctuary where you stand a good chance of seeing a pod of Orcas. This is also a major logging area – so it’s all hands on deck to watch out for tugs pulling log booms as big as 80 metre x 80 metre, or the occasional stray log and its resident seagull. Blackfish Archipelago Blackfish is a name used by fishermen for Orca. This area is jumping with fish and their predators. Seals, dolphins, Orca and Minke whales can all be found here. There are beautiful small islands, clam shell beaches, calm anchorages and hikes ashore. Mamalilaculla, Village Island The deserted First Nations settlement of Mamalilaculla, and the remnants of totem poles and long houses are on Village Island. This was the location of an illegal potlatch in 1921 where the government seized many headdresses, masks, and copper shields which were on display in museums across North America and Europe until they were returned to the U'mista Cultural Centre on Cormorant Island. There is a fascinating tour of the village bringing the First Nations history to life. Minstrel Island Resort, Minstrel Island Minstrel Island, in the early 1900s, was home to a hotel saloon, which could attract 500 loggers at a time and where more beer was downed than at any other lounge in BC. There is a marina here now with a pub, hiking trails, and two big friendly dogs. Lagoon Cove Marina, East Cracroft Island Lagoon Cove is always full of boats and everyone comes ashore for Happy Hour, a Potluck Dinner or a campfire with song sheets! The Marina always provides the prawns, and it is a great chance to meet the cruisers who come back to this area year after year. For those who want some exercise, Station No. 4 is a log pile with an axe at the ready! Glendale Cove, Mainland Keeping our eyes open for grizzly bears, we sail up Knight Inlet to Glendale Cove. We explore the area from the deck of our yacht as we sail around the upper inlet, and if you are very lucky you might see the Kermode Bear, also known as the Spirit Bear in the Tsimshian legend that tells of a Spirit Bear who could become human and fight evil. Kwatsi Bay Marina, Mainland Kwatsi Bay is a family run marina with a welcome committee of the resident dolphins and Marieke and Russell, Max and Anca's children, who will tell you all about the area and take you on a walk to one of the waterfalls. There are three waterfalls in the bay, and the sound of falling water will be your lullaby. Wahkana Bay, Gilford Island From the bay, the channel and the world disappears. It is gorgeous here, and if you get tired of the view there is a walk up to a lake to stretch your legs on. Echo Bay Resort, Gilford Island When we arrive at Echo Bay Resort, we might tie up to the main dock – which was once part of the Lake Washington floating bridge, before exploring the area. There is a marine park, hiking trails, an arts and crafts store and a Post Office where you can send a post card home. This is also an opportunity to buy a fishing license, if you didn’t get one in Port Hardy, so that you can catch supper tomorrow! Shawl Bay Marina, Mainland Shawl Bay is a floating village made up of converted logging camp cabins, and another family run marina. Happy Hour here is always fun, and the prawning and fishing in the area are great topics of conversation and dinners! Every morning everyone gathers round for coffee and pancakes on the dock before setting off to explore Kingcome Inlet. Sullivan Bay Marine Resort, North Broughton Island This is the place to put your partner in jail, practice your golf swing (there is a one hole golf course) or relax in the community centre. Sullivan Bay is a private floating home village with lots of dock space for a walk and lots to look at. One of the floating homes has a helicopter pad on the roof, and everyone else arrives by boat or one of the daily float plane flights. Turnbull Cove, Mainland A narrow entrance leads into this big bay, which has fabulous sunsets and scenery. There is a short hike to Huaskin Lake which has a float and is great for swimming, trout fishing or just lying back in the sun. Mackenzie Sound, Mainland This is a beautiful sound, wide enough to sail up and with many anchorages to choose from. Our favourite is Steamboat Bay, where we saw eagles, heron, dolphins, seals and deer. Next to the entrance to Mackenzie Sound is Roaringhole Rapids, which really do boil as the water rushes in and out of Nepah lagoon. Blunden Harbour Blunder Harbour was the site of a First Nations village and is protected by Canadian Heritage Law. This is a large harbour with lots of islands to explore by dingy as well as hikes ashore. Walker Group This is a protected anchorage between two of the islands where you can hear the wind whistle overhead and see the waves in Queen Charlotte Strait. It is a great placed for a lunch or overnight stop while enjoying the great sailing in the Strait. Southgate Group The Southgate Group is another group of island with lots of protection while still being able to see the wind and waves outside. Here the coast starts to look even more wild as the rock cliffs rise strait out of the sea and the trees are short and windswept. Allison Harbour Allison Harbour has small anchorages all the way to the head. It is calm and shallow with a rocky shore perfect for lying on in the sun or jumping off of for a quick swim. Skull Cove Skull Cove is more beautiful than it's name would suggest. A quiet haven with eagles, cormorants, ducks and seals, it overlooks Queen Charlotte Strait. Miles Inlet A long narrow passage ends in a T junction of bays leading to lagoons to explore in the dingy. Once at the head of the inlet, solitude and peace descend. Hope Island Bull Harbour on Hope Island is the last anchorage before rounding Cape Scott to sail down the west coast of Vancouver Island. The Island is an Indian Reserve which is slowly being resettled by the Tlatalsikwala Native Band. At the head of the Bay is a short walk to Roller Bay, where the swell has come all the way across the Pacific. Nigei Island There are two great anchorages here. Port Alexander faces back to Vancouver Island and is a long wide beautiful bay with a beach at the head. Clam Cove is entered through a maze of rocks and kelp beds. It is small, with rocky beaches, islands and lagoons to explore.  Charter Rates  Weekly – Winter Season from October – May (2 Clients) $4890.00  Weekly – Winter Season from October – May (4 Clients) $6990.00  Daily - Winter Season from October – May (2 Clients) $890.00  Daily - Winter Season from October – May (4 Clients) $1290.00  Weekly – Summer Season from May – October (2 Clients) $6990.00  Weekly – Summer Season from May – October (4 Clients) $9990.00  Daily – Summer Season from May – October (2 Clients) $1280.00  Daily – Summer Season from May – October (4 Clients) $1820.00