Thankful For Each and Every One of You!

As November sweeps in we wanted to take moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to each one of you. Here at Bellingham Yachts, we’re not just about yachts; we’re about building long lasting relationships. Without you, our valued customers, we wouldn’t be where we are today!

Holiday Hours

Please note that our office will be closed November 23rd and November 24th for the Thanksgiving holiday. We will be back in the office ready to serve you on Monday the 27th!

Stories that Warm our Hearts

Rick and Cheryl's Google review, shared below, speaks to the connections that we cherish. We love helping you find and care for a boat that is more than just fiberglass; it’s a vessel for your dreams and cherished memories. And we are grateful for every journey we embark on with you.

"I can’t say enough about the people at Bellingham Yachts.

I bought a Sabre 38 from them 3 years ago. It was my first “big” boat. I was hoping to get a new boat but inventory was low. They helped me find a previously owned Sabre 38 with low hours that had been meticulously cared for. They took care of everything in the purchase process including getting a survey of the boat.

Over the past 3 years they have always been helpful with any questions I might have. The service department is very professional. The whole business is just great. After owning our boat for 3 years I’ve come to appreciate the boat and Bellingham Yachts even more.

We took our Sabre up to Port McNeill this summer spending about 6 weeks on the boat. It’s simply been a fantastic trip that was all made possible with the family run business of Bellingham Yachts."

-Rick and Cheryl, Sabre 38

Life Aboard a Sabre 38: Rick and Cheryl's 6-week Boating Adventure

We started in Anacortes where we keep our boat (Theodora) at the Anchor Cove Marina. We are members of the Seattle Yacht Club. So we used the outstations and our first stop was Friday Harbor.

We proceeded to Poets Cove to go through customs. Then to the Ganges outstation where we provisioned our trip. Rather than guess what foods are/aren’t allowed in Canada, we just shop after we cross the border. We enjoy Ganges because there are many restaurants, bakeries, yoga, hiking and biking. The farmers market is full of life and fantastic produce. With folding bikes (Brompton) and folding kayaks our fun range is expanded.

Next stop was Garden Bay in Pender Harbor. We went north through the inside of Galiano and Valdez Island. Paying attention to the tides and currents. The narrow passage on the north of Valdez must be transited at slack tide which allowed for a quick crossing of the Straits of Georgia. Make sure to pay attention to the winds and waves before you cross. The water here can be a challenge if the winds are high and coming from the south.

Garden Bay provides incredible kayaking on the calm and beautiful waters. There is a nice IGA store in Garden Bay to reprovision.

We journeyed north to Desolation Sound and enjoyed the SYC Cortes Island outstation. Once again used our kayaks and bikes to exercise and explore.

From Cortes the scenery is incredible. You are surrounded by snowcapped peaks with whales and dolphins in the water around you. Our next stop was Dent Island. You must transit Yuculta Rapids and Gilliard Passage and pay attention to the tide tables for this section. Also, a call to the Dent Island Resort gives you some wise council on transiting these waters.

The Dent Island Resort has a marina and full-service resort. We met friends who arrived by seaplane. They enjoyed resort life on land, and we stayed aboard Theodora. We used Dent as home base to explore Desolation Sound and the fjords of Bute and Toba Inlets. Spent 1 day on the water with fishing guide, Harley, who took us to his secret spots and ended up with a few beautiful king salmon. The resort filleted, packed, and shipped the salmon back to the US arriving on the day we designated. The jet boat ride to giant tidal whirlpool Devil’s Hole was so great we did it twice! Experiencing Devil’s Hole swirl as a 100ft whirlpool will convince you to pay attention to the tide tables while transiting these waters.

Our next stop was Octopus Islands which was quiet and remote. We anchored there with a stern tie. The islands are on the other side of a narrow channel called Hole in the Wall. Again, pay attention to the tides and currents. These islands have a maze of channels that are wonderful to kayak through.

Lagoon Cove was next and a long day on the water with 2 navigation hazards. The rapids in Okisollo channel and the waves and winds of Johnstone Strait. The rapids called for a late departure to avoid the currents, while Johnstone called for an early departure to avoid the swells. We split the difference accepting a bit of current and some moderate swells. Johnstone was the most exciting water we encountered on our trip, but Theodora handled Johnstone Straits well. We have a Seakeeper and used it!

Lagoon Cove is in The Broughtons where there are fewer people, fewer boats, and fewer marinas. Long spells on the water where we didn’t see much humanity but loads of gorgeous wilderness. Lagoon Cove was a welcome site that has a prawn feed every night. Every boat brings a dish to share in a potluck. You get to meet some new friends and learn of places to visit and adventures of other boaters. We liked Lagoon Cove so much we visited on the way back. They have power, gas, and don’t miss the Shopping Emporium!

Port McNeil at the northern part of Vancouver Island was our turn around point. This portion of the trip was flat water though you do need to keep an eye out for floating logs due to lots of logging in these parts. While Port McNeil is not the “big city" it was the largest town we visited after leaving Ganges. If you call ahead to the Marina and tell them you need fuel, they will give you moorage and bring the fuel to your boat! And the fuel is inexpensive (relative to other places). There are a couple nice restaurants in town all within walking distance of the marina. We rode our bikes to explore. We spent a couple days here and could have spent a couple more.

On the way back we followed a similar itinerary though we added a couple new stops. From Lagoon Cover we went south to Blind Channel Resort. There are nice hiking trails to explore and a fancy restaurant and store to provision. They also have fuel. Be aware of the tides and currents coming in.

Next stop was Shoal Bay which is just north of Dent Island and has a very remote feel. There are a couple cabins they rent on Airbnb which are quite popular. There is also a public dock. The dock has no power, so you need to run your generator.

We spent a few nights at anchor in Prideaux Haven and Walsh Cove. Both these places are beautiful at the center of Desolation Sound. You should plan on a stern tie because it does get crowded in peak season. The BC parks have put up rings and chains to stern tie. Kayaking at both places is peaceful. And the water is warm enough to swim in. There can be many boats so be prepared to make friends. Refuge Cove is close by for fuel and provisions.

From Desolation Sound we made our way back to Garden Bay, then to Vancouver. We spent 4 nights at the Royal Vancouver, our sister club. Reciprocity is one of the great benefits for being part of SYC. We rode our bikes around the city and entered civilization again.

Our final stop on our way home was to the Henry Island outstation just across from Roche Harbor. Took the dingy to English Camp and hiked a bit. Or take the dingy to Roche for a morning donut. After a couple nights we returned Anacortes. We didn’t want the trip to end. Our 38ft Sabre did a fantastic job of keeping us safe and comfortable.

What was the most unforgettable moment of your trip?

The most unforgettable moments were At Dent Island. A humpback whale breeched within 10 minutes right in front of our boat when we took our friends on a day trip. 20+ dolphins were swimming around my kayak one morning. The Devil’s Hole whirlpool. And hundreds of eagles feasting on the fish. Dent Island was the highlight of our trip which is why we spent 8 days there.

How did your Sabre 38 enhance the enjoyment and comfort of your journey?

Our Sabre is a beautiful boat and I love getting compliments from other boaters. We also enjoy inviting them on board for a tour. They often comment on the beauty and craftsmanship of our Sabre. She handled all conditions well and got us through fast current if needed. The Seakeeper handled the swells of Johnstone Strait just fine.

Cheryl loves to keep our boat ship shape and enjoys doing a little bit of cleaning in the afternoons whenever we are at a marina. It is a nice way to meet new neighbors and share a story or two.

Any Hidden Gems or unique experiences in Port McNeill?

If you have the time, there are some short ferry trips to the adjacent islands. The best part of Port McNeil was fuel delivery. I’m not sure why I liked it so much…but it is nice. Having a bike to explore the surrounding area got us off the boat for a few hours. I bought some fresh berries on my bike ride that I found at a local farm.

What was your favorite Marina?

I would say Dent Island. But Lagoon Cove and Blind Channel are right behind. Dent is fancy and expensive while Lagoon and Blind Channel have a family feel to them. So it depends on your preference.

What made this trip particularly special?

Being relatively new boaters (our 4th year), the vastness of the journey was much more than we felt comfortable with in prior years. We transited 6-700 miles of water, anchored, we stern tied, we saw whales and bears. We did it on our own for the most part. Up in the Broughtons you may go for 20-30 miles without seeing a soul. The nature is overwhelming. There is no other way to see this part of the world except by boat.

Rick and Cheryl's Tips for Planning your Next Boating Adventure

1) Know how all your equipment works before you depart. Practice anchoring. Practice stern tying. Make sure your generator works. Know how to use your chart plotter. Know how to deal with issues that may arise.

2) Plan well with tides, currents, and wind. Have a plan B if things change. We used the PredictWind app for weather and waves. We used the current version of tides and currents to plan for tides and currents. The Wagoneer guide is very helpful for planning. Don’t take unnecessary risks. Safety is no accident.

3) Get a Starlink. As you get north you lose internet coverage from cell towers. We had Starlink and it gave us coverage the whole way. We got the RV version and simply put it out on our foredeck when we anchored or came to port. It takes 5 minutes to put up or take down. The internet speeds were sufficient for video streaming and zoom calls. It is a safety feature as the internet connectivity is important for checking wind and weather conditions.

4) Plan your exercise. Living on a boat for 6 weeks can feel sedentary. But if you do some planning you can find places to exercise along the way. Hiking is always available. Cheryl did online yoga with Starlink. We had folding Oru kayaks and folding Brompton bicycles. Both Brompton bikes fold up and are come with carrying bags so the boat stays clean. Both bikes store under the stairs. There are gyms in some of the ports like Ganges and Dent Island. Exercise will make you feel better on a trip like this.

5) Buy a range finder for anchoring if you argue about how close you are to shore!. The range finder takes the guesswork out of it. In our case, I always over estimated the distance while Cheryl consistently under estimated. The rangefinder resolved the marital dispute that always accompanied anchoring.

6) Measure your anchor chain. We measured ours during this trip. It turns out the marks on the chain were half of what I thought they were. So we had half as much chain out as we should have before we did the measuring.

7) Get a lot of line for the stern tie. We bought the ultra line reel. It is expensive but great. Get the biggest reel you can. I had over 300ft.

8) If you don’t have the luxury of a washer/dryer on board, do laundry every chance you get.

9) Bring along a bug bite zapper

10) Bring some books, art projects and any other small hobby projects you enjoy and never find the time.

11) Bring some water shoes, some boat shoes, and some exercise shoes (hiking or gym). The water shoes are important for stern tying. You will either dingy or kayak bringing the line to shore and back. You may need to walk on barnacle covered rocks.

12) Bring warm non-slip slippers!

We want to give a huge thanks to Rick and Cheryl for sharing their story with us! We hope it inspires you to take your vessel on extended voyages next season.

And if you want to see more stories from their adventures follow Rick and Cheryl's on their Blog, Facebook and Instagram!

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