MONTAGUE HARBOUR

Spoiled for choice

By Walt Whittaker

IIt is mid-morning in Montague Harbour and my partner and I are tied up to one of the 35 marine park mooring buoys located at the northwestern end of the bay. The buoys, which last night were fully occupied, are now freeing up as boaters untie and head off for their next destinations. We are staying put for another night so instead of firing up the engine and casting off from the mooring buoy, we are firing up the barbecue for breakfast pizza (egg, sausage, salsa and cheese on naan bread).

On this trip we’ve chosen to take advantage of the park buoys, but this isn’t the only option for boaters cruising to Montague Harbour—and for first time visitors it’s good to know your options.

Moorage Option 1

Montague Harbour Marina

On previous trips, we’ve chosen to reserve a slip at Montague Harbour Marina, located next to the old BC Ferries landing. It’s a full-service marina which happily accepts transient boaters—reservations are highly recommended. The well-stocked store includes snacks and drinks, ice, books, fishing gear, clothing, coffee and baked goods, as well as an impressive selection of must-try ice cream. A fuel dock offers zero-ethanol gas and diesel and there is 15 and 30-amp power available on the docks. Like most Gulf Islands water is scarce on Galiano, so there is no water on the docks and no showers or laundry available for visiting boaters. For nearby explorations, both by sea and land, the marina is also home to scooter and kayak rentals. The Galiano Moped shed is located in the marina parking lot and rents mopeds and e-bikes hourly or daily. When we came to Galiano two summers ago we rented a scooter for a couple of hours and had a blast exploring the long stretches of country road snaking through the hills to the north end of the island—ask about the secret caves near Retreat Cove. Take advantage of the scooter and load up on supplies at the Daystar Market which sells fresh produce, bread and a selection artisanal goods. The Corner Store across the street is a licensed liquor store with groceries and snacks. Between the two, you can get most everything you need, so long as you can carry it back to the boat. Gulf Island Kayaking is located at the top of the ramp. Kayaks, paddleboards and canoes are available and are a great way to explore the bay out toward Phillimore Point or Gray Peninsula.

Culinary Adventures

The Hummingbird Pub is a short drive away and the famed Hummingbird Pub bus will pick you up from the entrance to the marine park or at the top of the road down to Montague Marina. The bus ride is a festive affair and if you’ve never experienced a musical ride with Tommy Transit, it’s definitely worth the price of admission (free, tips accepted). The bus makes return trips to the marina and park until 21:00.

For fine dining, Pilgrimme is a 10-minute walk from the marina. This acclaimed restaurant offers locally sourced farm-to-table food in a charming West Coast sylvan setting. They recently started serving naturally leavened sourdough pizza under the name Charmer. Reservations are recommended.

We come to Montague every year or two, and for the past few years one of the main draws has been the Crane and Robin restaurant. With its idyllic setting overlooking the marina, it continues to draw boaters back for top-notch tacos and refreshing cocktails. We read online that the restaurant closes at 17:00 daily so after doublechecking our mooring we clambered off the boat and into the dinghy for the short row to the marine park dinghy dock. It’s nose-in only and for good reason. These docks get a lot of traffic on summer weekends.

The walk to Montague Marina and the Crane and Robin restaurant overlooking it, takes about 15 minutes. It’s a pleasant stroll and we stopped to take in the views overlooking Montague Harbour and to investigate the numerous tent caterpillar infestations enveloping the trees along the road.

We arrived at the restaurant just in the nick of time (or so we thought) only to discover a sign displaying updated hours: “Open until 20:00.”

Moorage Option 2 Marine Park Dock

An alternative to the marina is the park dock. The 60-metre-long linear dock offers first come first served side-tie moorage and provides easy access to the park and the campsites within. When we last visited the park, the dock was crammed full with many boats rafted two deep. There is no power or water at the park dock but there are pit toilets and garbage and recycling bins at the top of the ramp for paying guests. The docking fee is $2 per metre per night. Arrive early for your best chance to get a spot on summer weekends and be prepared to raft up. The park dock is a lively place in the summer, with kids jigging for perch off the wharf, folks strumming guitars and dinghies coming and going from the many boats anchored out. If the dock is full and you don’t feel like rafting, there are other options.

Moorage Option 3

Mooring Buoys

Gone are the days of questionably maintained moorings so we often choose to tie up to one of the buoys in the sheltered northwest end of the bay. Mooring is $14 a night and a park host will come by in a tender in the evening to collect fees. If you are away from the boat when the attendant comes around you can place your payment in the deposit vault at the top of the ramp. These buoys fill up on weekends, but if you arrive before 14:00 you stand a good chance of snagging one. For only $14 we appreciate avoiding the hassle of anchoring and having the quick access to shore. In the evening it’s hard to beat the view across the isthmus of Gray Peninsula as the sun sets behind the boats anchored on the other side.

Navigation

There is easy access to Montague through both the north and south entrances. The south entrance, between Phillimore Point and Julia Island is straightforward with minimal current flow in either direction. The north entrance, between Gray Peninsula and Parker Island, has a depth of 5.2 metres through the centre of the fairway. There’s a two-knot current through here at times. Watch for kayakers and paddleboarders and give the southern tip of Gray Peninsula a wide berth before turning in toward the park dock.

Several overhead cables cross both the south and north entrances to Montague Harbour; the vertical clearance through both entrances is 38 metres. Red and white spheres are attached to the cables to increase their visibility.

So, there was no need to rush but we were happy to be there early and it was a nice reminder that Galiano is still on “island time.”

After picking a table with the perfect mix of sun and shade we chatted with the proprietor who told us that the lease was renewed so the Crane and Robin isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

After dinner we walked back toward Montague Marine Park along the same road, this time noting the chipmunks scurrying among the rocks and downed trees. They provided cute (and noisy) entertainment. We had some time to kill before sunset, so we walked the looping path around Gray Peninsula (approximately 30 minutes) noting the numerous sand and shell beaches, ideal places to set up a picnic for a day of relaxation.

When we had circled back to the isthmus separating Gray Peninsula from Galiano, we found a log to sit against, set up our beach blanket, dug our feet into the shell beach and took in the last rays of the summer sun. We walked back through the campsites to the dinghy dock and rowed back to the boat where we settled in for a quiet evening aboard.

Tomorrow morning we’d be moving on. Another mooring buoy up for grabs.

Moorage Option 4 Anchoring

This brings us to the final option, which is to anchor, and depending on weather conditions you have a couple sub-options here. The holding is good in Montague Harbour, but it does fill up with hundreds of boats anchored in Montague Harbour at any one time. Nevertheless, because of the size of the bay there is always room for one more. If you choose to anchor in the middle of the bay note that there is a seaplane terminal near the marina—watch for floatplanes taking off and landing. In settled conditions many boaters choose to anchor on the northwest side of Gray Peninsula. From here it is an easy dinghy ride to the shell midden beach which offers spectacular sunset views up Trincomali Channel. When we last visited, even this usually quiet anchorage had 20+ boats in it, plus day-trippers from Vancouver Island who motored over to enjoy the warm water fronting the beach.

When You Go

Taverns

8 Taverns on the Sunshine Coast

Treat yourself and your crew to a burger and a brew at one of these top pubs

BY GORDON CURRIE

IIn the August, 2022 edition of PY, Cherie Thiessen introduced us to six great taverns in the Gulf Islands, several of which we have enjoyed ourselves.

Our Grand Banks 36 spends its winters at Coal Harbour Marina in downtown Vancouver, so we have a choice to make when we head out under the Lions Gate Bridge in the summer. Do we head for those pubs in the Gulf Islands, which involves crossing the Strait of Georgia, or do we head up the Sunshine Coast toward Desolation Sound? There’s no wrong answer. But here are eight taverns to draw you north

1Doc Morgan’s Pub & Restaurant Bowen Island

If we opt for the Sunshine Coast and Desolation Sound, our first (and last) stop is the Union Steamship Marina on Bowen Island. At trawler speed we can be tucked into Snug Cove in under two hours. This is a well-run marina with the best showers on the coast. The property was purchased by Rondi and Dorothy Dike in 1985 and is still managed by their daughter Oydis Peterson. At the top of the ramp is a large expanse of grass where people may be playing jenga, or beanbag toss (cornhole for our American visitors) or just sitting in Adirondack chairs watching the world go by. Across the lawn is a nice gift store (with ice cream), laundry facilities and, of course, a pub.

Doc Morgan’s is named after the original owner of the building, a doctor from Vancouver. It has an extensive patio with lots of shade for hot summer days, and a cosy interior for cooler days in the spring and fall. It supports local brewers, distillers and wine makers, and hosts community events throughout the year, including “light up the cove” at Christmas.

A bowl of Doc’s crowded seafood chowder goes for $13. Pub fare starts at $18 for Pacific fish tacos and goes up to $29 for two-piece halibut and chips. Large plates start at $24 for cashew cream linguini and top out at $38 for a NY strip steak.

The Union Steamship Marina has a half-day rate so you can pop in just for lunch.

2Bowen Island Pub Bowen Island

There was a time when Glenn Cormier couldn’t find Bowen Island on a map but his wife Meredith has a long history there. In 2012, they bought the old Bowen Island Pub, which dated back to the late 1980s, and set about building a newer version right next door. The new pub opened in the spring of 2018, with a West Coast feel, and has tried hard to cater to the local community.

Their New England style salmon chowder sells for $12. There are burgers of course, running from $18 to $22, pizzas going for $31 to $34 for the large version, a kids menu offers the usual favourites and they do benny brunch on weekends from 11:30 to 14:30. There are TVs for watching sports and the bar gets busy for live music on Friday and Saturday nights.

For pub alternatives try Tuscany or Barcelona, located on the main street between Doc Morgan’s and the Bowen Island Pub. For breakfast you can pop into The Snug featuring coffee, muffins and sandwiches.

If you go to Snug Cove, keep an eye out for the ferry that runs between Bowen Island and Horseshoe Bay roughly every hour. The Bowen Island Pub is a 10-minute walk from the marina docks. It slightly uphill getting there but that means the walk home is easy.

3

Gramma’s Marine Pub Gibsons

There are two marinas to choose from when visiting Gibsons. Gibsons Marina caters mainly to pleasure craft and takes reservations. It has a small marine hardware store and good showers but is a short walk from the bars and restaurants.

We often opt for Gibsons Landing Harbour Authority, which caters more to commercial craft, but not exclusively. It’s first come, first served though so get there early. Gramma’s Pub is just up the ramp. The building began as a dance hall and went through several iterations before being purchased by the Janowski family in 1978. Apparently, Gramma Janowski enjoyed a pint!

You don’t go to Gramma’s for the ambience, although there is an enclosed porch looking out at Keats Island. Gramma’s is your basic pub but if you just want a beer and a burger or to catch up on the Blue Jays, it serves the purpose well. They have loads of beer and cider from all over, but they really like to show off local breweries.

One summer weekend we couldn’t get into Gramma’s. Like a lot of other restaurants during Covid they were short- staffed. No problem, we’ll have fish and chips to go. Problem, they were out of fish! We were lucky to get linguine vongole to go from Buono Osteria on Marine Drive. Other good options for dinner include Smitty’s Oyster House and Lunitas Mexican Eatery, both looking out over the marina.

4

Tapworks Brewing Company Gibsons

Six years ago, Geoff Gornall and two of his buddies quit perfectly good jobs in Vancouver, moving to Gibsons for lifestyle reasons and opening a craft brewery. At first it was just the three of them and their wives, now they employ as many as 45 people during peak season.

Tapworks Brewing is a short five-minute walk up the hill from the Gibsons Landing Harbour Authority dock—only one block above Marine Drive. They brew their own beer, including One Sailing Wait IPA, Crispy Buoy Craft Lager or Backwoods Hazy Pale Ale. Crispy Buoy won gold at the 2020 Canadian Brewing Awards and still lives up to the honour.

Tapworks’ menu is limited, but if it’s a patio kind of day, this is a great place for a beer and a burger. It has a nautical theme so boaters will feel right at home.

AUGUST 18 - 27, 2023