Pierless Blog - 2026-05-22 - Bedwell Harbor to Nanaimo

 May 22nd:  Departure Time 6:30 a.m.

  Route North

We got up early to beautiful weather, raised anchor and departed Bedwell Harbor for Nanaimo.  There are two common routes north to Nanaimo.  One stays on the inside of the Gulf Islands and the other goes outside into Georgia Strait.  The inside passage is more scenic as you wind through the many islands along the way.  The challenge is going through Dodd Narrows south of Nanaimo.  Since currents in the narrows can reach 8 Kts and above, timing your passage is critical in order to avoid hazardous conditions.  The outside option is exposed to Georgia Strait, so weather and sea conditions are a greater concern.

With Dodd Narrows, it comes down to timing.  If you can be there near slack tide, going through is not a good idea.  We monitored our progress north and decided we needed to take the outside route.  This required us to traverse Porlier Pass, which was flowing fast against us.  We cranked up the engine and powered through, albeit slowly.  Once through we picked up speed north toward our destination, enjoying a calm and sunny day.  Nearing Nanaimo we took a shortcut through a cluster of small islands off the end of Gabriola Island.  It was quite scenic and even included a nice marina.

 Nanaimo

Upon arrival, we went directly to the custom/quarantine dock to clear in.  This was done quite easily with just a phone call.  We then crossed the harbor to Newcastle Marine Park (Saysutshun) and tied to a mooring ball for the night ($14 CA) to facilitate a quick departure.  It had been a long day, so we retired early to rest.