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Kayaking, Sailing & Boat Cruises
FEATURED MARINE SIGHTSEEING COMPANIES |
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Feature Article Archives:
- Overview of coastal communities by water
- Sailing excursions:
feature articles from Suncoast Sailcruise and C&D Sailing Adventures - Sailing companies
- Kayaking excursions
feature article from Halfmoon Sea Kayaks
Destinations:
The Inland Sea | Jedediah Island | Thormanby Island | Skookumchuck | Princess Louisa Inlet | Gibsons & Keats/Gambier areas
Courtesy of Sunshine Coast Tours
The Sunshine Coast is all about water. It’s all around us. While on the Coast you’re never more than walking distance from a major waterway of some sort. During your visit make sure to go on a sightseeing tour that will help you explore and appreciate our marine environment.
From the earliest time water has helped form life on the Sunshine Coast. In a previous geological era big rivers dominated our landscape. Today the extensive sand and gravel deposits that formed as the deltas of these rivers remain, shouting out evidence of their presence.
Stunning Chatterbox Falls in Robin Millar photo |
Then came the ice. Glaciation changed our landscape. It carved out the Inlets that declare our presence as separate from the mainland. Creep of the ice flow sculpted the sheer walls we view today. SCUBA divers venturing into our underwater world can participate in the drama, perhaps even more so than hikers working their way up towards the sky. Only the highest terrain escaped glacial influence.
Today the Sunshine Coast can boast about the vast amounts and variety of our watery influences. From the awesome power of the Strait of Georgia and certain isolated narrows like Skookumchuck, through the much more protected Inlets and Desolation Sound, to the tranquil lake regions; we have it all.
The relative isolation created by our waters has held Sunshine Coast development to a limited area. Once you leave the road it is quick and easy to enter a wilderness area. Early settlers came by boat and settled in areas that our automobile world has since forgotten. Marine sightseeing can take you back.
During your stay you may want to consider taking an adventure trip into one of our more open areas. You take your chances with weather and the marine conditions that follow, but the seaside features are spectacular. Evidence of the potential power of our water is all around. An adventure program like fishing or kayaking in these areas can be fulfilling.
For the less adventurous a sightseeing tour in the Inlets offers a more predictable outing. Protection from the weather reduces the range of conditions experienced. The softer side of our water is enjoyed. Travel is generally never cancelled due to effects resulting from weather. If your program is to take place in one of the many Harbours, you’ll have even more protection.
Consider all of the marine sightseeing options. Traditional travel is by boat but the Coast we know today can also be defined by the float plane. This workhorse of the Coast continues to be one of the major modes of transportation. You can quickly move across separate regions. Look for tours that combine a float and fly option for a unique experience.
Enjoy our water. From the initial access on BC Ferries through daily recreation, you can’t get away from it. Water is a part of our every day life here on the Sunshine Coast.
Cruising coastal waterways is a pastime and passion for many on the Sunshine Coast. From early spring you can charter a tour boat or sign up for any number of cruises along the myriad inlets and fjords of the Coast, including great sailboat cruises. Sightseeing begins in earnest as soon as the days begin to lengthen and the sun tames the April showers responsible for our luxurious greenery, but tours are available year-round with a number of sightseeing charter companies - click to view.
Written up in Sail Magazine, March 1999!
"British Columbia's Princess Louisa Inlet, which some have named the most scenic anchorage in the world; others call it 'Yosemite at sea level'." - Gary Wyngarden, Sail Magazine
If you know anything about the Sunshine Coast, you probably know about the majestic Princess Louisa Inlet. This crown jewel of the Coast is a mere hour and a half away from the north end of our peninsula, and is accessible only by air or sea. There are several tour companies that ply the waterways of Princess Louisa - ranging from full-service luxury tours to no-frills excursions.
This is not the reason for the name "Chatterbox Falls"People come from all over the world to visit Princess Louisa Inlet and Camp Malibu, and no wonder. It's a place of incredible beauty that's not to be missed!
Sailing & Cruising Adventures
The Sunshine Coast, Desolation Sound and Gulf Islands areas offer some of the finest sailing anywhere in the world. There are a multitude of unspoiled anchorages and protected bays just waiting to be explored by adventurous boaters. You can either make your own way up the coast with your boat from points south like Vancouver, Seattle, coastal Oregon and California... or better yet, hitch a plane ride and come on up for a fabulous cruise with Gibsons Sailing School.. When you consider the time and cost involved in bringing your own boat, the school’s all-inclusive sailing packages are a steal and come with the benefit of veteran skippers John Roper and Greig Williams who are knowledgeable about our area and the challenges it presents to deep-keeled boats. It's also a great way to introduce yourself to the pleasures and skills of sailing to test whether you're ready to invest in your own boat and make a regular thing out of this terrific recreational activity.
For more information about sailing in our region, please read John Roper's excellent article about the subject. For current specials and getaway packages visit the getaways section of www.bigpacific.com.
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