Echo Bay, a popular stop in the Broughtons

From New Vancouver we wound our way through the Broughton Archipelago, heading northeast through Eliot Passage, Spring Passage, Retreat Passage and Cramer Passage, where we stopped at Echo Bay for a two-night stay.

Pierre's Echo Bay Marina

Along with Lagoon Cove Marina and Sullivan Bay Marina, Echo Bay is among the most popular stops in The Broughtons.

Pierre (on left) serving up his prime rib roasts

Echo Bay Marina is known for its family-style dinners, including prime rib roasts, pig roasts, and fish n’ chips night.

Tove (on right, black apron) serving up the sides at their prime rib dinner event

There’s ample moorage at Echo Bay but it fills up quickly in the afternoon; reservations for moorage are a must during the peak season of July and August. When registering for moorage, you can make reservations for the dinner events as scheduled.

Bill Proctor's Museum is a short walk from the docks at Echo Bay

A trail leads from the docks in Echo Bay to Billy Proctor’s Museum. Billy Proctor, now in his late 80’s, lived among The Broughtons since childhood and worked as a logger, trapper, and fisherman for many years and has documented his experiences in two of his published books. His museum is a collection of items he saved over his life time, along with discovered items found throughout The Broughtons.

Echo Bay Marina is one of the few places to pick up groceries in The Broughtons. The supplies are fresh thanks to owners, Pierre and Tove, who make regular runs to Port McNeill and Campbell River to pick up supplies.

Additional guest moorage is available at "The Cliffside" (east side) of Echo Bay

Guests also arrive at Echo Bay by float plane to stay at one of the onsite accommodations, while fishing in the area. After many years of providing great service and events for boaters and other guests, Pierre and Tove have made the decision to retire and have put the marina on the market.

Like many of our fellow boaters, we are hopeful that the right buyer will come along and continue the fun traditions and service at Echo Bay.

Native Village of New Vancouver

After reaching the northern end of Beware Passage, we circled around Dead Point and arrived at the village of New Vancouver on the north shore of Harbledown Island.

The Native Village of New Vancouver

New Vancouver is the ancestral home of the Da’naxda’xw Native Band, who moved from Knight Inlet in the 1960’s. The site was given to the Da’naxda’xw Band as a wedding gift, when a member of the neighboring Mamalilikulla First Nation on Village Island married a woman of the Da’naxda’xw.

During the 1960’s, native children were sent off to boarding schools, which meant they were separated from their parents. Chief William Glendale of New Vancouver did not want to see his remaining 6 children (12 in all) sent away, so he moved his family to Vancouver Island.

Totem in Honor of Chief William Glendale

William Glendale returned to Harbledown Island in the 1990’s to start anew and rebuild his village that had been left to fade into history. The Canadian government was skeptical that such a goal could be achieved. Chief Glendale was not deterred and built the existing Big House from hand, including the beams, ceiling boards and siding. The government later relented and built the pier and docks seen today. Chief Glendale has since passed away, but his legacy remains with the Big House and totems that describe his family history and the Chief’s destiny as the “chosen one” to perpetuate the Da’naxda’xw Band.

There are 10 year-round residents at New Vancouver, with 20 residents present during the summer months. Several of William Glendale’s family members, including his wife and grandchildren live at the village. A mortuary totem in honor of Chief Glendale is located upland near the head of the pier. A tour of the Big House is provided to visitors for a fee, which we felt was well worth the special experience. Carvings and sacred objects are inside the Big House, and the story of Chief William Glendale is both interesting and inspiring. Our tour was conducted by one of his grandchildren.

Karlukwees Village of Beware Passage

Beware Passage

From Potts Lagoon, we crossed Clio Channel to the northwest and transited Beware Passage. 

Beware Passage has two routes, both with tight turns; beware of the rocks!

The passage is aptly named for the many rocks through which you must carefully navigate; it’s not for the faint of heart or inexperienced navigator. The 2019 Waggoner Cruising Guide has a good description for navigating the passage, with two route options. Boaters will want to study their charts and proceed through slowly.

On the southeast side of Beware Passage is the uninhabited native village of Karlukwees, also spelled Kalugwis and Qalogwis, meaning “bent beach.” The midden beach is beautiful and there are still a couple of homes standing that are overgrown with vegetation.

The village was occupied by the Kwakiutl people, who relocated to Vancouver Island in the mid-1800’s. Around 1850, the Tlawitsis moved here from Klaoitsis Island located just south of Beware Passage and west of Potts Lagoon.

Boaters can anchor off the beach at Karlukwees and come ashore by dinghy or kayak. Use caution as there may be debris on the ocean bottom.

The Tlawitsis lived here until the 1960’s and the site was once active with gillnet boats and Seine boats coming and going from the area.

Signage at the village site asks visitors to respect the land and tread lightly.

Cruising The Broughtons

After our stop at Minstrel Island, we continued through The Blow Hole where Lagoon Cove Marina is situated on the southeastern end. Lagoon Cove is one of the most charming and popular stops in the Broughton Island Group. The Ryan family purchased the marina in 2016 and have continued to make improvements to its infrastructure, while maintaining its original charm and character.

Retracing our steps back through The Blow Hole, we turned westward into Clio Channel. We checked out a few anchorages along the northwest side of W. Cracroft Island, including the space behind Bend Island. There is room for one to two boats to fit here comfortably, however, the space may be filled with crab pots. The bottom depths are not as uniform as the charts might indicate. There is an outer and inner area, with a deep hole between. The inner area is nice and flat for anchoring.

Potts Lagoon

Next down the line is Potts Lagoon, where a logging company operated for several years. Potts Lagoon is once again a popular anchorage area, thanks to the removal of the logging operation, which has opened up more space for recreational boaters. Potts Lagoon has two main coves that offer good anchorage.

Potts Lagoon

The dock that the logging company left behind may be a nice option to tie-up the dinghy for a hike on the old logging roads.

This dock left behind by loggers may serve well for dinghies

Minstrel Island Dock – Historic Center of the Broughtons

Morning departure from our anchorage in the Warren Islands was at 9 a.m. in order to make the 10 a.m. slack water through Chatham Channel.

Negotiating Chatham Channel (note the Range Markers on shore)

After reaching the northern end of Chatham Channel, we came to “The Blow Hole,” the waterway between Minstrel Island and East Cracroft Island. Situated at the northwestern entrance to The Blow Hole on Minstrel Island is a public dock that once served as the hub of activity in the Broughton Islands.

The Public Landing on Minstrel Island (new dock on left)

Oscar Soderman was the first European to settle on Minstrel Island, where he built a cabin in 1904. Europeans found the Broughtons an attractive place to live due to its plentiful fish, timber, and wild game. Other Europeans followed Oscar’s lead and the population rapidly increased. Thanks to the steamers that made the area accessible, women lived in the Broughtons as well and raised their families there. A machine shop and boat repair shop were located on Minstrel Island; and by the 1920’s, a hotel, school, and dance hall had been established. In the 1950’s there were several cafes on Minstrel Island serving the area. On “boat day” when the freight arrived, the docks were a center of activity.

New Dock at Minstrel Island Pier

Today, there is little evidence of what was once an important community. The Minstrel Island public docks have decayed over the years due to lack of maintenance, and pleasure boaters rarely stop here. As we motored past, we decided to take a closer look. Upon approaching the docks, we could see that a new dock had been installed and a sign posted at the site.

Signage regarding future plans at Minstrel Island

The signage announced that work would be taking place to remove all unsafe structures, including the old docks and the wharf. The work is being done by “Small Craft Harbours,” run by Fisheries & Oceans, a nation-wide program which maintains a number of public docks. The good news is that the new 160-foot dock or float will be available for transient boaters by the summer of 2020; however, the new dock/float will not be connected to shore. One of the older docks, that's still in acceptable condition, will serve as a second guest dock, also disconnected from land. There will be no fee to tie-up at these guest docks, at least in the near future. Guests may come ashore to the public lands by dinghy or kayak; other surrounding areas are private property.

Perhaps Minstrel Island has a shot at a new lease on life and may rediscover its past through its future.

Timing the Gates

We said goodbye to Derik in the afternoon and departed Campbell River, motoring a short distance northward to Gowlland Harbour on Quadra Island, where we anchored to stay the night and await slack water at Seymour Narrows for a morning transit.

Gowlland Harbour

Gowlland Harbour, a large body of water tucked off Discovery Passage, has room for numerous boats to anchor. The most protected anchorage area seems to be at the east end of the harbour.

Gowlland Harbour looking towards the city of Campbell River

After getting settled, we took the dinghy over to visit Seascape Waterfront Resort on the north shore of Gowlland.

Seascape Waterfront Resort

To our surprise, a building from Point Roberts (U.S. territory near Tsawwassen, BC) had been towed to their docks. Seascape Resort hopes to purchase the building and use it for additional accommodations and a kitchen.

Boaters can tie-up at the Seascape docks as space allows; you can call ahead regarding availability or take an open space. It’s first-come, first-served unless you have arranged for a group rendezvous.

Rocky Islets provide additional anchorage spots in Gowlland Harbour

From Seascape Resort, we motored the dinghy south across the harbour and through a narrow cut to visit April Point, also located on Quadra Island.

Docks at April Point Resort can accommodate mega  yachts (old removed floats are in the foreground)

April Point Resort has a fairly large marina, which can accommodate mega yachts. We noted that docks here are continuing to be replaced and upgraded.

Docks are currently being replaced at the April Point Resort moorage facility

Some guests arrive by float plane at April Point Resort

The resort itself, with accommodations and a restaurant, is located a short distance west of the docks on April Point, and is easily accessed by dinghy. The dinghy docks at this historic resort are still in need of replacement, along with other building-maintenance. Improvements are slowly taking place.

The following morning, we transited Seymour Narrows at slack around 9 a.m.; traffic was light and there were no tugs with barges to contend with.

Seymour Narrows

Seymour Narrows is another one of those “gates” to transit in order for boaters to continue along the northern reaches of Vancouver Island and into the Broughtons, the group of islands lying off Vancouver Island to the north and northeast.

Seymour Narrows leads into the northern part of Discovery Passage, which intersects with Nodales Channel and Johnstone Strait. The Chatham Lighthouse sits prominently at this intersection.

The Chatham Lighthouse at the intersection of Johnstone Strait and Nodales Channel

We turned westward into Johnstone Strait, the wide channel that separates Vancouver Island from the Broughton Islands. The long fetch of Johnstone Strait, coupled with wind and opposing current, can cause the seas to whip-up; but we were fortunate to have only rippled conditions.

After a few hours motoring west along Johnstone Strait, we turned northeast up Havannah Channel and anchored among a small group of islands (Warren Islands) at the entrance to Call Inlet.

Entering Havannah Channel

Anchorage among the Warren Island near the entrance to Call Inlet

The entrance to Call Inlet

We would pass through additional rapids the following morning, making our way through the various areas of the larger Broughton Island Group. It’s all about timing when boating in and around the Broughtons.

Meeting Friends – Comox & Campbell River

Leonard and Knut discussing plans for the day

After transiting False Narrows, we continued northward, bypassing Nanaimo and arrived at Comox, where we spent a couple of days visiting our friends Knut and Christine, who winter their boat in Anacortes. They live in South Africa and come to the Pacific Northwest to enjoy the boating season with their 47-foot Nordhaven. We planned to meet up at Comox, as they headed south and we headed north. As always, we enjoyed their company and shared dinners out, window shopping, and a gelato stop for everyone’s favorite flavor.

From Comox, our next stop was the city of Campbell River, which has several marinas, local parks and museums. Boaters can moor at the large Discovery Harbour Marina, or the smaller, more personable Coast Marina, or moor among the fishing boats at Fisherman’s Wharf. Each marina has something of interest to offer, with shops and cafes nearby.

Discovery Harbour Marina

The Discovery Harbour Marina is owned and run by the First Nations and can accommodate mega yachts. The Ocean Pacific Marine Store & Boatyard is located upland, along with the adjacent Discovery Harbour Fuels. Several good pubs overlook the marina and you’ll find big-box retail stores within easy walking distance. 

A New Promenade leads from Discovery Harbour Marina to Coast Marina

Boaters will be happy to learn that a new promenade now connects the Discovery Harbour Marina and the Coast Marina, providing a much easier walk or bicycle ride to the two different shopping areas.

Coast Marina, located in the middle of Campbell River's three breakwaters

The privately-owned Coast Marina is near the heart of downtown with art shops, boutiques, and cafes; boaters can also enjoy the marina’s fun fish n’ chips café located right on the docks.

Dockside Fish n' Chips is located right on the docks at the Coast Marina

Street Fair near the Coast Marina

We happened upon a fair taking place in town, an art’s festival displaying and selling locally hand-crafted creations.

Play Center at Foreshore Park

Foreshore Park, with a children's play area, is located next to Coast Marina, where the promenade continues south to Fisherman’s Wharf.

We have stayed at the Coast Marina on a number of occasions and have gotten to know the owner/manager, Derik Pallan. Derik is a delightful, charismatic individual who always makes you feel at home and works to fit everyone into his marina. He is a big part of what makes Coast Marina a fun stop.

Derik helping one of his many customers

He seems to enjoy our company and the feeling is mutual. He graciously invited us to have dinner with he and his wife, Tanya, at their beautiful home. In addition to maintaining a marina and maintaining a home with three college-bound daughters, he’s also involved in the logging and lumber business. Definitely a fun couple with lots of stories to share.

The Maritime Heritage Centre and Children's Touch-Tank Shack

Continuing south along the promenade to Fisherman’s Wharf, visitors will find the Maritime Heritage Centre, an interesting museum with local maritime history. The younger children enjoy the touch-tank aquarium located next to the wharf.

Fisherman's Wharf and Coast Guard Station

We discovered that the locals like to walk the large fishing pier; the pier is much larger than it first appears and is filled with picnic tables and shelters; there’s even an ice cream shop on the pier.

Fishing Pier at Fisherman's Wharf

Notches for fishing poles and special chairs for the fishermen are located along the pier, which is a great place to stroll on a Sunday afternoon.

It’s worth spending some time in Campbell River, there’s plenty to see and do. Don’t forget about the Sunday Market held at Fisherman’s Wharf from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., May through August.

Sunday Market at Fisherman's Wharf