Circumnavigate Vancouver Island

OK so you want an adventure and you have long been interested in sailing all the way around this beautiful Island of ours, or a good part of it any way. Well, here is an opportunity to do just that, with confidence, and without rushing, and with a price that is more than competitive.

We are organizing a group of like-minded adventurers to join us on this adventure, either in our boats or with yours. The plan is to assemble a flotilla of up to 6 vessels, each supporting each other and all of us meeting up at predetermined anchorages enroute. This will be a “cruise and learn” opportunity, with experienced sailing instructors accompanying the boats. 

Blackfish Sailing Adventures in conjunction with Oak Bay Sailing School will coordinate this circumnavigation. Our plan is to cruise the roughly 600 miles of this distance in four legs, beginning in Oak Bay, (adjacent Victoria, on Vancouver island). Two such cruises are planned:
Our first circumnavigation of Vancouver Island of 2008 will begin May 3d  and the second will begin some time in August (TBA) . Both trips will last approximately 23 days, including stopovers. You will be able to obtain various levels of sailing certification, from “Basic Learn to Cruise” to “Advanced Off – Shore”, and learn these skills on our boats or on yours. Or you can just tag along in our "flotilla" and use our advice and/or assistance if and when required.

We will limit particpants on this circumnavigation to four (excluding Instructors)  

* Other Dates/Logistics: If the above dates do not work for you, contact us and we  will try to fit you in or customize a cruise that better suits your needs.

San Juan Islands Flotilla Cruise: We are also organizing a flotilla cruise around the San Juan and southern Gulf Islands in September. Call us for more information on this.

Blackfish’s  vessel, the Ibis, is a 35 foot Beneteau “Oceanus” sloop (pictured at top of page).  She is fully equipped for comfortable and safe ocean sailing.  Safety features include radar, auto helm and self furling sails, inflatable with motor. For a better description of our vessel and its equipment go to: Our Boat.

Cost for sail training/crewing  aboard the Ibis will be $190. per day per person for each leg of our circumnavigation (price includes sail training ). For those who stay on for a second or more legs the price will be reduced to $160. per person.The total price for those participating on all four legs (23 days) is $3890. Can. (plus $234. GST)

The above prices include accommodation, food and expenses while aboard our boats, CYA sail training, and any expenses relating to the vessel and arising from the use of marinas and marine park facilities. Participants will be expected to pay for anything they spend while off the boats. Note: This price also includes all course materials and exam leading to CYA certification (Basic Crew or Basic Day Skipper Standard) as well as the required PCOC card. Note also, that the brunt of this sail training will be conducted during the First Leg

Skipper's Bio

Al Lubkowski, her Skipper is a CYA sailing instructor with extensive coastal and off-shore  sailing experience in BC,  the East Coast, Caribbean and Australian waters. His company, Blackfish Sailing Adventures (www.Blackfishal.com is a member school of the Canadian Yachting Association.  Al is also an avid kayaker and kayak tour operator. His other company, Blackfish Wilderness Expeditions (www.BlackfishWilderness.com ) reflects his love of the oceans and his adventurous spirit. And yes, Al is the chap who built North America’s  largest cedar strip sailing canoe and used it as a kayak mothership for many years here around Victoria and along much of Vancouver Island.

Flotilla Sail:

We also welcome those who choose to bring their own sail boat and tag along. It is more fun as well as safer to be in the presence of other vessels and crews. We will have additional instructors with us who will be available to transfer over to other vessels if required, or to provide on-going direction/advice during our evening get-togethers on a wide range of matters, from navigating to boat handling.  There will be a $500. per boat charge to register with our Flotilla for services provided.

To sail in our Flotilla, boats must be deemed suitable to undertake all legs of this journey and be equipped with the necessary safety gear and be adequately insured (requirements will be outlined). Skippers and at least one crew must also be sufficiently competent so that they are deemed not to be a liability to themeselves or to other participating boats. Provision will be made for upgrading participants’ skills and knowledge enroute and before we sail.

Our Itinerary  for both our Spring and Fall Cruises Around the Island will be as follows:

The First Leg (7 days): Departing from Oak Bay (adjacent Victoria, BC), we head north through the Gulf Islands  for Campbell River, exploring a variety of marine parks and beautiful islands enroute (Sidney Spit, Montague, New Castle Island, Jedediah, Hornby Island, and Herriot Bay are some nice options).  If time permits, we can skirt the edge of  Desolation Sound. This will be our “training leg”. At the end of this leg, participants aboard the training vessels will have acquired the necessary skills and knowledge to continue north with us.  Accompanying vessel owners and crew will also be given an opportunity to participate in these training sessions, either on our boats or theirs. 

The Second Leg (5 days): We depart  Campbell River for Port Hardy. This stretch of the Inside Passage will require us to transit Discovery Passage, Seymour Narrows and other interesting if not challenging waters.  There is a good chance we will see the northern pod of Killer Whales while traversing Robson Bight and Johnston Strait. A stopover at Telegraph Cove to view whale artifacts”  and at Alert Bay to view First Nations’ totem poles and their fascinating Museum are trip highlights.  The logging community of Port Hardy (which marks the northerly limit of asphalt highway on Vancouver Island) provides a convenient place to lay over, to provision, and to switch crew before continuing around the northern tip of the Island, to the Pacific Ocean side.

 The Third Leg  (7 days): Leave Port Hardy early May 15 for Tofino. Our first night’s stop is Bull Harbour. We overnight here and do a weather check before continuing our sail around Cape Scott - distinguished by a n immense ring  of surf and beach. Our boats are now open to the fetch of the open Pacific, allowing us to finally experience “blue-water” ocean sailing. Our destination is Winter Harbour, a lovely protected harbour off Quatsino Sound.  The next day we follow the glacially unscathed coastline of Brookes  Peninsula.  Kelp- strewn Kyuquot Sound is a good place to observe sea otters, still a novely on our coast. A bathe in Hot Springs Cove and a meal at anchor is in order here! “Touristy” Tofino beckons the next day, and we succumb to big village pleasures once again. We will stop here to re-supply.

The fourth and Final Leg (4 days): A short sail along the coast from Tofino brings us to Ucluelet.This quaint fishing/logging village is located on the edge of the Broken Islands, a favourite among kayakers. Skirting the edge of this island archipelago,  we follow Trevor Channel to the serious sport fishing village of Bamfield. The Marine Biological Station and other fascinating attractions beckon.  After a short stopover we follow the rugged coastline of the West Coast, alongside the famous West Coast Life Saving Trail to Port Renfrew. This laid back village provides us with another great place to dock, to have a shower and to mingle with local loggers at their historic watering hole next to the Public Dock. 

We depart Port Renfrew the next morning and  enter Juan de Fuca Strait. We now sail in the “lee” of the tallest ocean - flanking mountain range in the world - the snow-clad Olympics. Historic Race Rocks, marks  the most southerly point of Vancouver Island, and heralds our last day at sea.. This granite sentinel guards islands which are home to many herds of California and Steller sea lions, as well as all manner of sea birds, all attracted by its fast tidal currents, boiling waters and teeming underwater life. A short diversion into Victoria Harbour will demonstrate the frenzy and the beauty of this busy harbour. It will  also give us an excuse to visit the lounge of the Coast Harbourside Hotel where we can celebrate our successfull circumnavigation in appropriate manner. Another couple of hours sail along Victoria’s  developed waterfront brings us back to where we started three weeks ago – at Oak Bay, our home base.!

Customized Trips & Other Dates : We can arrange alternate dates for groups of 3 or more. If by yourself, we can place you on a weight list for openings we will have for other trips we will be doing around Vancouver Island this year.

To Join Us on any leg of our Circumnavigation:
All of our stopovers such as Campbell River, Port Hardy and Tofino have good connections by road, air and ferry to Victoria and/or Vancouver/Seattle and other cities.  For air flights check with www.pacific-coastal.com (Port Hardy) and www.flyorcaair.com from Tofino. – as well as with other companies.  Bus service is also good, and the Island is serviced by a number of companies such as Gray Line of Victoria, and  Tofino Bus (www.tofinobus.com ). Call us for more information on how best to make connections.

Go to Top

EMail Us or Tel: (250) 216-2389
Blackfish Sailing Adventures, Victoria, BC. Canada

_____________________________________________

Home - Day Sailing - Multi day Sailing/Charters - Whale Watching & Kayaking Option - Basic CYA Cruising - Intermediate CYA Cruising - Circumnavigation - Navigation - PCOC Card - Private Lessons & Deliveries - Our Boat - Instructors - Questions - Reservations - Links