Way above the more popular San Juans and the Canadian Gulf Islands, the Broughton Islands, on the mainland side of Queen Charlotte Strait in British Columbia, are an inviting (and often over-looked) cruising grounds, with remote anchorages, deep channels, sharply-creased fjords and lots of peace and quiet. Most cruisers, of course, stay farther south, but if you head up to the Broughtons, which basically are opposite Port Hardy, about two-thirds of the way up Vancouver Island, you’ll find that as the crowds thin out, the wildlife population increases; it’s not unusual to find dolphins playing next to your boat in a protected anchorage.
Here’s a great story from Sea about five anchorages there, with directions about how to find them, and descriptions of what you’ll find once you’re there. In some cases, you’ll need to time the tides; in others, you can cruise right in. My favorite, because I can’t resist the name, is Let Her Rip Cove. That’s now on my cruising to-do list. Read more:
