Princess Cove to Nanaimo: A Salty Sprint North

We slipped lines early this morning, aiming to catch Dodd Narrows just before the 9 a.m. slack. The run north was a dream—calm waters, clear skies, and barely another pleasure boat in sight.

As we neared the Narrows, a small sailboat and a catamaran hovered nervously, waiting for a southbound tug and barge to barrel through with the last push of current on their stern. Once they passed, the parade north began. With 2 knots of current on the nose, the sailboats struggled for speed, but OceanFlyer powered through with ease.

Exiting Dodd, the conditions shifted fast. The breeze kicked up, the seas grew, and our once-pristine decks got a proper saltwater baptism. Approaching Nanaimo, we were welcomed by the whoosh of a Harbour Air floatplane landing just off our starboard side—a reminder that Nanaimo is always bustling.

We tucked into a slip on the inside of S Dock at the W.E. Mills outer moorage. Strong winds tried to shove us off, but with a few extra lines and some teamwork, OceanFlyer was snug and secure with a front-row seat to all the harbor action.

Nanaimo isn’t a destination for lounging—it’s a vital provisioning stop before crossing the Strait of Georgia. Over the years, we’ve curated a list of reliable suppliers:

• MacLean’s Specialty Foods: A must-visit for specialty cheeses, English bacon, and irresistible sweets. Even with new owners and ongoing renovations (including a future coffee bar), the soul of the place is the same.

• Nesvog Meats: An outstanding butcher. We pre-order via email, pick it up frozen and perfectly packed—saving us hours of chasing down supplies and repackaging on board.

• Harbour Chandlery: Just a short walk away and a treasure trove of boating and fishing gear. Serious eye candy for anyone who loves gear.

Lunch was dockside at Penny’s Palapa—an old favorite for good reason. After light provisioning at Thrifty Foods, we wrapped up the day with a relaxed dinner at La Stella.

port of Nanaimo and the city at sunset

Alaska beckons, but first, a good night’s sleep in Nanaimo's lively harbor.

Port Browning to Princess Cove: Calm Waters and Hidden Gems

With a big, stubborn high pressure parked overhead, we woke to another morning of flat seas and light winds—perfect conditions to move on. But first, a mandatory fuel stop: breakfast at the Copper Otter. A few years back, new owners took the helm, and if anything, the food and warm hospitality have only gotten better.

the walk up to the driftwood shopping center is all on the roads

The copper otter; Yummy!

breakfast sandwich at the copper otter

Back aboard OceanFlyer, we motored out into quiet waters. Pleasure boats were few and far between this early in the season, but the commercial traffic was in full swing. At the intersection of Active Pass and Navy Channel, we found ourselves threading between four BC Ferries—the Coastal Celebration, Queen of New Westminster, Queen of Cumberland, and Salish Raven—plus a SeaSpan freighter for good measure. We held course and speed, weaving cleanly through the ferry ballet without a hitch.

the park sign looks refreshed and inviting

Another visit to Princess Cove on Wallace Island has long been on our list, but it’s usually packed in season. Today? Just one lonely sailboat tucked inside—our lucky break. We dropped anchor and enjoyed a leisurely afternoon walk to Conover Cove, about 35 minutes at Bob’s signature "trudge" pace. The trail is well maintained, with only a few muddy patches to dance around. Along the way, we paid homage to the island’s quirky landmarks: the rusted-out truck and the tiny cabin overflowing with boaters’ handmade signs.

the trails on wallace island are very nice

every visitor must stop and check out the car

the cabin is the other must stop on your walk between conover cove and princess cove

a small sample of the boat signs that cover every inch of the cabin, both inside and out

early season in conover cove

oceanflyer and one sailboat in princess cove

its setting up for a nice sunset; where’s the drone?

The day closed with a jaw-dropping sunset—calm waters, brilliant colors, and the feeling that adventure is just beginning.

sunset in princess cove

Bellingham to Port Browning: Alaska, Here We Come!

After six months of upgrades and elbow grease aboard OceanFlyer, we’re finally pointing the bow north—Alaska bound! We’ve got five months of cruising ahead and couldn’t be more excited. It’s our fourth run to Southeast Alaska, but the first in nine years. Time to rediscover some old favorites and chart a few new ones.

Calm Seas, And that’s just fine with us

Today marked our crossing into Canada, making us the first among our cruising circle to test the waters after recent political frostiness between U.S. and Canadian leadership. Would border agents be in a mood? Not at all. Canadian Customs was smooth, professional, and just as courteous as ever—zero drama.

Our first stop? Port Browning—a perennial favorite for clearing in and winding down. There’s usually plenty of room to anchor, and it’s a quick dinghy hop to shore and the welcoming Port Browning Pub. Stretch your legs another 20 minutes and you'll hit a solid grocery store, a liquor shop, a charming bakery, and the Copper Otter—a restaurant well worth the walk.

karen walks under the leaning tree at The Pub

Bob settles in for some good pub food

we celebrate the start of our trip with an over-the-top dessert

well stocked grocery store at port browning

Prefer docks over swinging on the hook? Good news: the marina’s been steadily improving under the Oak Bay Group’s stewardship, and we now recommend it without hesitation.

Great view of the Port Browing Resort and docks

there is always room to anchor at port browning

Next stop: northward and onward. The Inside Passage awaits.

Kendrick Island to Port Browning

Our original plan was to overnight in Lyall Harbour but the forecasted 25 knot westerly winds overnight indicated a change was prudent. We decided to go to Port Browning a day early.

As we had morning coffee and prepared to haul the anchor, we were entertained by eight river otters feeding in the shallows at low tide.

We went through Gabriola Pass about an hour after slack – had around 3 kts on the nose but it is such a short, straight, easy passage that there was no issue, even with opposing traffic.

As we headed down Tricomali channel, we were surprised at how few boats were out. Of course, that changed as we neared the more popular areas of the southern Gulf Islands.

To break up the trip today we planned to stop for a walk around Wallace Island, anchoring in Princess Bay. When we got there, there was just no room at the inn. So we changed plans and headed for Glenthorne Passage on Prevost Island and dropped anchor for lunch. We have a favorite spot toward the end of the Passage where you can look out to Captain Passage. This length of the Passage now has more permanent mooring balls than we remembered, right down the center of the fairway.

There were 4 boats already at anchor, but our spot was available. We had a nice lunch and enjoyed watching the traffic go through the gaps in the rocks.

As we departed after a 2-hour stop, 3 more boats made their way into the passage. We are most definitely in the height of the summer season.

The trip to Port Browning was uneventful, other than dodging local traffic and the BC ferry Coastal Inspiration.  We had it timed perfectly, the ferry took our stern. The anchorage at the head of Port Browning was very busy, but you can always find a spot if you take your time. The docks at the Port Browning Marina were also full. Mostly power vessels at the docks and overwhelmingly sailing vessels in the anchorage.

busy port browning

Happily anchored amidst the sailboats, we had a relaxing evening.

Pender Harbour to Kendrick Island

Predict Wind let us down today. Only the second time on our three-month trip. But, according to Karen, it let us down quite badly.

We have been monitoring the forecast for the Strait of Georgia days before we arrived at Pender Harbour. There are lots of open water crossings we have made this trip, and they have been quite good. We wanted this to be the same, so we were really watching weather. Earlier on, yesterday (Monday) was the time to cross, but that had changed to today a few days ago. That’s why we spent an extra day in Pender Harbour. We knew the winds would be from the SE – not our preference for this crossing – but they were to be only 5-15 kts until afternoon and the seas were to be small.

Well…the winds were from the SE as forecasted, but the winds were not 5 – 15 kts. Instead, the base winds were over 15kts with with gusts to 22kts and the waves easily reached 3 feet for the first part of our trip rather than the one footers in the forecast. The ride was very wet, the boat was continually doused in salt water. We got salt spray as high as the flybridge windows.

The only good news was that the restricted area, Whiskey Gulf, was inactive, so we were able to tack and get a better ride than staying on our initial course. Despite our best efforts, though, things went flying in the galley as I was trying to cook while underway. Nothing broken though!

As we got closer to the Vancouver Island side of the strait, the wave action diminished some and the ride was still sporty but more comfortable.

The water sandwiched between Kendrick Island and Valdes Island is not well known. It is just off the eastern entrance to Gabriola Passage, so many people go right past Kendrick when they are transiting the pass.

The West Vancouver Yacht Club has an outstation with docks and mooring balls there but the anchorage itself is roomy enough to accommodate us non-yacht club boaters. It’s also close enough to easily dinghy to Silva Bay or visit the park marine park in Wakes Cove.

We have been to the Kendrick Island anchorage many times and like it because it a nice place to rest after crossing the Strait of Geogia. We are also fans of Gabriola Passage, as it has far more latitude and far, far, far, less traffic than Dodd Narrows. Plus, it is a straight and short shot through the passage.

looking southest down the Strait of georgia from Kendrick Island

When we arrived, there were only two sailboats anchored and no one on the Yacht Club dock or moorings balls. We expected more neighbors, but given the strong SE winds, that might have kept the boaters away as the head of the anchorage is open to SE winds. That said, the anchorage is protected from SE fetch, except for a brief time at the highest tides. We were happy for the breeze as the sun came out in force once we arrived.

the view back to the north east toward silva bay

WVYC docks attached to kendrick island and their mooring balls in the anchorage

A few more boats came in during the afternoon hours, a triple raft on one yacht club mooring and a few smaller sailboats. We were happy to just relax after our crossing, which was more lively than we had wished for.