Exploring the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Canada
The Sunshine Coast
The Sunshine Coast
is majestic, with high mountain peaks and protected waters. W
e
can sail up the Sound and anchor at Gambier Island where there is a nice trail
to walk or a "cardio" climb up to a magnificent view. Snug Cove on Bowen Island
is also a great place to visit with a marina, pub, miles of hiking trails and
parks to enjoy.
Plumper Cove Provincial Marine Park is one of the BC coast's oldest marine parks, and a very popular anchorage in the summer months. The 57-hectare par
k is located on the northwest shore of Keats Island, immediately to the east of the town of Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast. The park has a well maintained hiking trail system, a grassy upland picnic area and 20 forested walk-in campsites toward Observatory Point. Hiking trails lead from the picnic area to Lookout Mountain and Stony Hill. The pebble beach is great for swimming and beachcombing.The unique scenic seaside v
illage of Gibsons
acts as the gateway to the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. The harbour is
everything a coastal town should be, chock full of boats, with mountain views
and ocean smells. Many generations before the arrival of the first European
settlers, the Squamish First Nations people occupied a summer village just east
of Gibsons harbour, near present-day Armours Beach. The location offered fresh
water, a sheltered shoreline, and easy access to the sea. Captain George
Vancouver sailed through this region in 1792, and came ashore with his party at
Gower Point, a few kilometres west of Gibsons.
Gibson's Landing was established in 1886 when George Gibson's boat blew off course and he and his two sons landed here by accident. Incorporated in 1929, local residents persuaded the Post Office in 1947 to drop the "Landing", so today this lively community is known simply as Gibsons.
In this unique setting on Howe Sound, surrounded by Mount Elphinstone to th
e
north, Howe Sound to the east, and the Strait of Georgia on the southwest,
you'll experience the best of the Sunshine Coast lifestyle. A mild west coast
climate, breathtaking mountain-to-ocean scenery, and year-round outdoor
recreational activities make Gibsons a rather special for the 4,000 permanent
residents of the community.
From 1971 to 1990, Gibsons was the setting for the internationally popular CBC
television program The Beachcombers, and has not been slow to cash in on
its fame. Molly's Reach, once a TV soundstage, is now a real cafe. Treat
yourself to a walking tour of the harbour. At times, you'll find fresh seafood
for sale right off the side of a working fisherman's vessel moored at the
government wharf. A stroll on the Seawalk will introduce you to both the
commercial and the natural sides of the harbour, complete with barges, fishing
boats, tugs and float planes.
Take the Gibsons Heritage Walk
A trip to Gibsons and Howe Sound includes two Georgia Strait crossings, each way is about 23 nautical miles of great sailing.
Sunshine Coast Itinerary
We sail across the Strait of Georgia 27 miles to arrive at Gibsons. The sail should be great as we will be on a beam reach, a comfortable and fast point of sail aboard Takuli III. The next day we will cruise into the
Sound, taking in the spectacular sites of the mainland mountains, Bowen, Gambier and Anvil Islands. We will anchor out this night in a protected bay. We will sail the next day to Snug Cove on Bowen Island to walk the many hiking trails and perhaps visit the pub and marina in Snug Cove. On our last day we will sail back across the strait and head into Nanaimo, going the other way around Protection and Newcastle Islands. On a longer trip, we will visit other islands and experience other anchorages. Total distance for this trip is approximately 100 nautical miles.