There are only a few options for boating up to the Broughton Archipelago north of Campbell River and the Sunshine Coast. The route is packed with islands and inlets. The easiest/most direct way is to go up Discovery Passage, which connects to Johnstone Strait. This is the route most commercial traffic and big cruise ships take.
Coming back south this summer, Anne decides to take the other option, a complex set of dual rapids and narrow channels often referred to as the Yucultas. This is a region of the Discovery Islands she has never been through, and she was excited to navigate it and check out some new scenery.
Due to the strong tidal currents in this choke point, it is best transited at a specific tidal point when the current is as slack as possible. This is critically important in a slow 7-knot boat like our trawler Vestri. Currents in the narrows and passages can reach well beyond 7 knots when racing at full force, generating back eddies and whirlpools up to 13 feet across!
To help with the timing, we stayed on a public marina dock in Shoal Bay, about an hour away from the first rapids called Dent. The optimal time to transit the Yucultas on this day was around 11 a.m., so we could set off at around 10 a.m. to be on time. Shoal Bay was a lovely spot with a gorgeous view down Philps Arm. The cost for moorage was $1.50 per foot.
We cast off a bit early, at 9:30 a.m., and spent the extra time slowing down to observe a humpback whale traveling in the opposite direction. Thanks to Anne’s diligent planning and superb boat piloting, we easily navigated the tricky passages. The weather couldn’t have been better, with scant wind and temperatures in the mid-20s Celsius (around 80F).
I was stunned by the beauty of the scenery and astonished by some of the large private estates, fancy resorts/fishing lodges, and a massive yacht moored off Stuart Islands. I never knew this area was a playground for the wealthy, but I can see why. One notable highlight was viewing several colonies of Stellar Sea Lions hauled out on the coastal rocks. Some of the males were humongous!
Video Footage of Shoal Bay and the Yacultas
For more videos, check out my complete boating video playlist or the 2024 BC summer boating playlist
