Cruising destinations: Saanich Inlet

The 12 mile inlet that cuts into Vancouver Island is a perfect place to relax with its calm waters and light winds. Boat traffic is minimal in the inlet.

Things to see and do: Visit the award winning French restaurant, the Deep Cove Chalet. With its outstanding menu and gold medal winning wine cellar, you are sure to have a meal to remember! Anchor your boat out in the bay and tender in with your dinghy, or tie up at the Deep Cove Marina and staff from the restaurant will pick you up in their limousine. There are also a few wineries to visit on the Saanich Peninula: Muse Winery, located behind the Deep Cove Chalet, produces award winning, hand crafted wines. Wine tastings, wine terrace, bistro & gift shop open during summer months. Further up the Inlet, another small inlet breaks off: Tod Inlet. Here you can anchor your yacht and take your dinghy to the Butchart Gardens' dock. Stop in for high tea and visit the 50 acres of beautiful floral displays. Enjoy the fireworks display from the comfort of your yacht, or for a better view, bring a picnic blanket and stay late at the gardens. At the end of Tod Inlet, you can access the Gowlland Tod Provincial Park with 25 km of good hiking trails.

Marinas and anchorages: Brentwood Bay Marina is a 40-slip marina with great on-site facilities, including washrooms, showers, laundry, a fitness room, pool, an adult's only hot tub, and cable TV. There is also an elegant restaurant and spa a short walk from the docks. Anglers Anchorage Marina also offers transient moorage and is walking distance to the village of Brentwood where you can find all amenities. Alternatively, anchor in the heart of Tod Inlet for some peace and quiet - perfect for those looking to relax in a pristine, natural environment!

Hazards in the area: The Inlet is very sheltered and during the summer months is typically quite calm with light winds. When entering the Inlet stay well off the coast, and be aware of Wains Rock 0.2 miles off Moses Point (refer to chart 3441). When coming into Brentwood Bay Marina approach the docks from the north side, keeping the red Buoy on the starboard. Buoy marks dangerous rocks.

Cruising the Gulf Islands

Some very popular boating areas in British Columbia are the Gulf Islands. The islands are protected from the winds and rains of the west coast and marine life is abundant. During the summer, you might see killer whales, seal lions, harbour seals and porpoises. Blue herons, Canada geese, bald eagles, grebes and cormorants make up the bird species found on the Gulf Islands and surrounding waters. In and around this region, are over a dozen marine parks, designated for public use. Some offer small craft floats, buoys, interesting hiking trails, picnic and sanitation facilities. To protect and study the plant, mammal and bird life many places are set aside as ecological reserves. Please respect these fragile areas. Summer weather in the Gulf Island region means mornings of calm winds and seas. The afternoons can bring westerly winds and choppy conditions. It is a good idea to do your boat cruising in the mornings.
To Read more go to http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/boating/island/cruz.html

Cruising Destinations: Salt Spring Island

Ganges Harbour is an excellent port of call; whether you're just beginning your vacation and need a place to provision your boat with local organic produce, or whether you've been out cruising for a while and need a little break.

Things to see and do: The possibilities are endless on Salt Spring Island: from restaurants and pubs, to the arts & crafts market on Saturdays, to the farmers' market on Tuesdays, to art galleries, wineries, hiking, snorkeling, scuba diving and more! Salt Spring Island is a must on any cruiser's itinerary.

Marinas and anchorages: Located at 48°51' N 123°28' W, Ganges Harbour is a single day sail from the Island Cruising base at Port Sidney. There are several marinas and anchorages to choose from at Ganges: Ganges Marina is a good choice if you're expecting strong winds blowing southeasterly, as there is a floating breakwater there. It is also the closest marina to the town centre. Other services offered are refueling, wireless internet, and laundry facilities. Best of all, the marina offers complimentary coffee and muffins from 8.00 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. every morning in the summer months! Another option is Salt Spring Marina, which has the best views of Ganges Harbour! Located next to the popular Moby's Pub, Salt Spring Marina offers affordable overnight moorage, wireless internet, laundry facilities, and car, scooter & bicycle rentals. There are also good anchorage sites east of Money Makers Rock and the marinas, where the anchor will hold well in the sticky black mud of the ocean floor.

Hazards in the area: Be aware of Money Makers Rock to the SE of Salt Spring Marina. This area is well marked on both the charts and in the water. Nevertheless, boaters do touch bottom at this location each and every year, so be vigilant! According to Northwest Yachting, "the real problem area is in the Chain Islands between Ganges and Long Harbour. Just north of the Third Sister Island is an area of shoal and rocks that over the years has claimed its share of boats. Last fall, it added two fatalities to its score as two boaters attempted to cut through this area in a fast boat, late in the day, hitting the rocks at full speed. The best advice is not to cut through the Chain Islands. On the surface the area looks clear, yet as the charts show, lurking below the surface are many areas with rocks and shoal. We are often complacent thinking that cruising on the water is safe, safer than driving on a solid highway. But underwater rocks, logs and other obstructions, combined with speed, can lead to fatal results".

Submit your best photo!

Submit your favourite photo from your last charter and it could be published in Cruising World! Send anything: from your favourite anchorage to your crew provisioning! We'd like to see them all. Don't forget to include the name of the photographer and your contact details for credit in the magazine!

Submit photos to info@islandcruising.com

Start Diving Today!

START DIVING TODAY!
Get certified now, just in time for summer

PADI OPEN WATER COURSE
Starting May 4th - 4 pool sesssions,2 classroom sessions & 2 open water dives

Get your PADI scuba certification. If you’ve always wanted to learn how to scuba dive, discover new adventures or simply see the wondrous world beneath the waves, this is where it starts.
• Knowledge Development to understand basic principles of scuba diving
• Confined Water Dives to learn basic scuba skills
• Open Water Dives to review your skills and explore!

Tuesday May 4 - 6:30 - 8:30 (CLASS) 9:00 - 10:15 (POOL)
Wednesday May 5 - 6:30 - 8:00 (POOL)
Tuesday May 11 - 6:30 - 8:30 (CLASS) 9:00 - 10:15 (POOL)
Wednesday May 12 - 6:30 - 8:00 (POOL)
Saturday May 15 - OCEAN DIVES
Sunday May 16 - OCEAN DIVES

$399.00 per person
Includes: Instructor fees, pool fees, PADI Crew pack, Equipment, PADI Ceritification Card

Safety in the BC Waters

The waters of British Columbia are cold year round. If you fall overboard, remember the 1-10-1 principle!

YOU HAVE:

1 minute to get your breathing under control

10 minutes of meaningful use of your arms and legs to stay afloat

1 hour before you become unconcious due to hypothermia

Prevent cold water shock: Don't just carry a lifejacket on board - wear it! Without a lifejacket on, you likely won't survive the first few minutes of cold water immersion.

• Check the weather before departing
• Don't overload your boat
• Always tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return

To learn more about safe boating and cold water survival, visit http://www.boatingsafety.gc.ca/

Go to http://www.coldwaterbootcamp.com/ to watch video clips showing the crippling effects of cold water immersion.

The Vancouver outdoor adventure & travel show - April 24 & 25

Island Cruising will be at the Vancouver Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show April 25 & 26 at the Vancouver Convention Centre. With over 300 exhibitors from a wide variety of recreational pursuits, this show has something for everyone. For those who like to get their feet wet there will be a variety of paddle sports and scuba diving options to explore. While for those who prefer to stand on solid ground we offer everything from camping and travel destinations to rock climbing & biking!

Round Saltspring 2010: May 21-23

Memo from the Saltspring Island Sailing Club

We extend a special invitation for you and your crew to join us again, for the 36th annual Round Saltspring Race. You will remember the camaraderie, the magnificent course and scenery, and the friendly weekend events which make up this whole race.

Features still include our Sunday afternoon Lamb BBQ (this year with mint sauce if you wish) and awards presentation. There is an array of trophies and fabulous donated prizes for winners in a variety of areas.

Friday afternoon and evening registation (3pm until 8pm) will be accompanied by a no-host bar, salmon BBQ dinner, unique fashion show, and great music by a local band. Friday dinner salmon BBQ tickets may be pre-ordered and we strongly encourage you to do this, to avoid a repeat of last year's disappointments. A free continental breakfast will be available on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Register online (for the race, the lamb BBQ and the salmon BBQ): www.saltspringsailing.ca/rss10

Entry fee: $65 per boat for registration prior to May 7, and $80 per boat thereafter. Deadline for registrations is midnight May 19.

Call Island Cruising today to book a boat for the Round Saltspring Race! Get a crew together and have a great weekend of fun and camaraderie out on the water.