Sointula to Port McNeill

The run from Sointula to Port McNeill is hardly a passage at all—just 23 minutes across the water. Our travel day, however, stretched to nearly two hours.

The marina was exceptionally busy when we arrived, and the slip assigned to us was still occupied by a boat dealing with mechanical issues. We spent the next hour or so hovering outside the harbour while everything was sorted out. Delays like that happen, especially during the height of the cruising season.

North Island MArina

What we did miss was the proactive customer service that Port McNeill Marina was once known for. There were several empty slips available, and a temporary tie-up while we waited would have made the experience much more relaxed. We would have been perfectly happy to move if the assigned boat arrived.

That same theme continued with fueling. When we checked in around noon, we arranged for a 2:00 p.m. fuel stop. By 2:30 we hadn't heard anything, so a quick phone call prompted an apologetic response, and we finally took on fuel around 3:30.

Over the years we've watched Port McNeill transition from the exceptionally well-run operation it was under the Jackman family to one that feels a little less organized today. The marina remains an important stop for cruisers, and the staff are friendly, but we couldn't help feeling a bit nostalgic for the polished, service-first approach that built its excellent reputation. Hopefully that attention to detail finds its way back, because it's a facility with tremendous potential.

With the practical matters behind us, we turned our attention to the more enjoyable parts of being in town. A little provisioning, a stop at ShopRite to browse for a few nonessential treasures, and dinner at Devil's Bath Brewing rounded out the afternoon. The beer was very good, while the pizza was respectable, though the kitchen operated at the relaxed pace we've encountered elsewhere on northern Vancouver Island.

The highlight of our stay was Mugz 2.0 Coffee & Bakery. We stopped in the afternoon to ask when their cinnamon buns would be coming out of the oven the following morning. Rather than simply telling us a time, they took our phone number and called when the fresh batch was ready. That's customer service. Better yet, the cinnamon buns were outstanding—easily among the best we've found anywhere along the coast.

The next two days disappeared into the usual marina routine: laundry, provisioning, fueling, boat projects, and planning the next leg of the journey south. They're not the most exciting days of a cruise, but they're essential ones, and leaving Port McNeill with a well-stocked boat and a shorter to-do list always feels like a good way to begin the next chapter of the voyage.

all of Port McNeill in one image