Captain's Review on Kismet, Ganges, B.C.
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Local Knowledge is Important When Cruising Desolation Sound

When setting out to explore new cruising grounds it’s important to have a plan, ours is created first by doing as much research as we can from charts and guide books followed up by input from other cruisers we know, ones with a great deal of experience in the area we are headed to. However, over the years we’ve learned the best way to make sure you hit the high spots of an area is to talk with a boater who lives and cruises there. We Sought Local Knowledge Before and During Our Cruise in Desolation Sound. With that in…

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Ranger Tugs Captain's Meeting, Comox B.C.
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Fresh Shrimp Tonight in Comox, British Columbia

Leaving Nanaimo, we decided not to cruise with the pod on our way to Comox. It was an easy run with calm seas and sunny skies. Once settled in at the dock, there were more Ranger Tug owners to meet and hot showers to take. Happy hour consisted of another Captain's briefing on the outer dock. Jeff reviewed the events of the day and covered what would happen the next day. Cruising runs like we've done the last two days takes a lot out of you. Not much lingering on the dock in Comox after happy hour tonight. After reviewing…

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Ranger Tugs Desolation Sound Cruise, Naniamo, B.C.
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Rafting Up in Nanaimo, BC

From Ganges to Nanaimo, we could choose to join one of the pods or cruise on our own. After two days of socializing with other Ranger Tug owners at Ganges, the time came to organize the three-day cruise to our mutual destination of Gorge, BC. After that point, we will all be on our own to explore Desolation Sound and the surrounding areas. But first, we had to get our “gaggle” organized. This is the third year Ranger Tugs has organized this Desolation Sound Cruise for their owners, we think they have all their ducks all in a row. Our first…

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Forty-Five Ranger Tugs Gather at Ganges, British Columbia

Ganges Harbor, on Saltspring Island, is a short 10-mile run from Montague Harbor and the gathering point for the boaters participating in the Ranger Tugs 2013 Desolation Sound Cruise. We left early for Ganges, with yet another blue-skied day with just a light breeze and fairly calm waters. We looked forward to meeting up with about 45 Ranger Tugs and their owners for five days of socializing, pot lucks, and finally taking three days to cruise together up to Desolation Sound, and this was just the Ranger Tug boats, we would meet up with a group of Cutwater's (about another…

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Swinging and Singing in Montague Harbour, Canada

Montague Harbour, on Galliano Island, is part of the Gulf Islands. When we left Sidney, we had one more day to explore before we met up with the Ranger Tug group (sixty-some Ranger Tugs and Cutwater boats) to begin our cruise to Desolation Sound. So we left Sidney for Montague Harbour on Galliano Island part of the Gulf Islands. There is a Provincial Park in Montague Harbour which offers campsites, a dinghy dock, hiking trails, a bakery on the shore, and mooring balls – we picked up one of the thirty-odd mooring balls available in the harbor. We'd heard from a…

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A Top-Notch Marina in Sidney – Vancouver Island, Canada

Sidney, not Ohio or Australia, a city on Vancouver Island was our next stop after Butchart Gardens. Working our way north out of Saanich Inlet and then east through Satellite Channel we ducked into John Passage, at less than slack tide, for a short cruise south to Sidney. We'd heard Sidney was a busy and robust little town with all the charm of a small seaside resort. Upon arrival at the beautiful Port Sidney Marina, I went up to the showers. After quickly shaving I walked into the shower stall, got completely undressed, and prepared for my nice hot shower…

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Butchart Gardens – Time to Stop and Smell the Roses

After checking in with Canadian Customs at Bedwell Harbor, we continued our day's cruise over to Vancouver Island, down into Saanich Inlet continuing south to Todd Inlet's Butchart Cove. We wanted to pick up one of the free mooring balls for the night. We could then dinghy over to have a tour of the famous Butchart Gardens, located in Tod Inlet, Vancouver Island. Butchart Gardens provides five free mooring balls for visiting boaters for a one-night stay while they spend time in the gardens. One of those mooring balls ahead of us has our name on it, we lucked out, there…

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Checking In with Customs at Poet’s Cove Marina – Bedwell Harbour, BC

Bedwell Harbour – Physical check-in with Canadian Customs at Poet's Cove Marina When entering Canada by water, boaters have to check into Canadian Customs at the first available Customs Station. After anchoring in Prevost Harbor off Stuart Island in the San Juan Islands, we headed into Canadian waters early the next morning. The San Juan Islands are located off mainland Washington (at the northwestern furthest point in the 48 contiguous United States). Our destination was only six miles or so north, across the Canadian border to South Pender Island where we docked for a physical check-in with Canadian Customs at…

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Kismet's Captain Jim Chart Review
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Preparing, Packing and Planning for Our Trip West

Planning for the trip west! After spending this past winter holed up at home in northern Michigan remodeling our kitchen, we feel we're more than ready for some new cruising adventure. We are preparing, planning, and packing to head west soon to begin another fun boating season. First, we'll visit the Flaming Gorge  Reservoir on the Green River in Northeast Utah/Southern Wyoming. Then we'll continue on to Puget Sound in Washington State, there we'll put in at Anacortes and cruise north into Canada's Gulf Islands, Desolation Sound, and more. Check back often, the fun is soon to start.

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