Anchorage: Telegraph Harbour, Thetis Island, BC

Copyright © 2005 Telegraph Harbour Marina

Though we think of "defection" as something that is to the US, we had a desire to defect to Canada when we visited Telegraph Harbour on Thetis Island! As you can see above, the harbor is in a beautiful nook between Thetis and Kuper Island, and the facilities and grounds of the Telegraph Harbour Marina are outstanding and very casual-resort-like in their feel.

Which brings me to a digression: The Admiral knows that my real motivation for anchoring out is cheapness - yes, I know that boating is inherently un-cheap - and I found a new way to extend that for this trip. In bays like Telegraph Harbour, the magic combination of extremely well-protected harbor with a marina that doesn't span the entire harbor (as it usually does when the marina exists only because of an artificial breakwater) is a sure-fire way to skip transient moorage charges. Plus, we don't feel bad, since we're likely to spend an equivalent amount at the marina on coffees, ice creams, or anything else that allows us the chance to get off the boat and wander the grounds.

Anyway, back to the main story: In addition to the wonderful Telegraph Harbour marina, the Thetis Island Marina is also reachable by rowed dinghy and has a pub with great Canadian beer. We found the two marinas coexisted perfected since Thetis Island Marina served beer in the evenings and Telegraph Harbour Marina served fresh scones in the morning. No destructive competition! From either marina's dinghy docks, you can enjoy beautiful walks with stunning views in all directions. Our favorite view, as seen at right, was looking Westward toward Vancouver Island with its dramatic mountain peaks indicating that these waterways are about as fjord-like as can be found in this part of the world. In short, this is a destination highly recommended by Cap'n Will and the Admiral.