Cruise / Sailing

Spectacular sailing a sailor’s delight

It’s a clear-skied summer’s day in Northern B.C., and for those ready to set sail to see the coast’s amazing beauty, there are endless possibilities.

One of the most popular sailing departure points is Prince Rupert, located at the end of the Yellowhead Highway (Highway 16). The community of about 15,000 people is actually situated on Kaien Island, just north of the mouth of the Skeena River. The port of Prince Rupert, also called Cow Bay, is the deepest natural ice-free port in North America, and the closest to Asia, a factor contributing to its growing importance as a shipping centre.

Prince Rupert’s importance as a major departure point to Northern B.C. leisure-seekers is also soaring. Cruising the Inside Passage, where sightseers commonly spot killer whales, eagles and grizzlies is a most relaxing excursion.

BC Ferries offers a cruise from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy via the Inside Passage, with the summer cruises averaging 15 hours and winter trips averaging 18 to 25 hours. Reservations are recommended, however walk-ons are often accommodated. Sailings from Prince Rupert to Haida Gwaii are also popular, bringing visitors to the ancestral home of the Haida First Nations, and opportunities to see their incredible totems and other artifacts. It’s a six-hour sailing, with reservations recommended.

Ferries from the Alaska Marine Highway also stop in Prince Rupert, offering passage up the Alaska Panhandle as far as the Gold Rush town of Skagway. From there, tourists can travel by road to the Yukon and the rest of Alaska.

The Douglas Channel at the village of Kitimat provides another outstanding gateway to Northern B.C. beauty. The channel in itself is a huge recreation area, and the longest deep-sea channel in North America. It’s hugely popular with the fishing enthusiasts, with stocks of halibut, Dungeness crab, salmon and the colourful red snapper. For those wanting a longer adventure, vacation outfitters offer sightseeing sailings through the channel, for breathtaking views of fiords and inlets, and abundant wildlife.