We took a group of ten people (6 adults and 4 kids aged 10-14) for a four hour sail tour. Captain…read moreSteve was great - very relaxed and knowledgable about the area and sailing. The kids got to take turns steering, and fishing. We even dropped a crab pot and came home with four large crabs! Great fun and a really nice afternoon on the water enjoying the beautiful inlet.

Spectacular afternoon sailing on Canada's southern-most fjord with David and Crew…read more A few turns at the helm and some grinds of the winch gave me an even greater appreciation for the power of the wind and the sport of sailing. If you're visiting Squamish, this is an experience not to miss!

Wow! What an experience out on the water with Michael and Michelle! Super-friendly, engaging and…read moreentertaining - letting us get involved with crewing, grinding and unfurling the sails - in THE MOST spectacular setting. We're only giving it 5 stars because there is no option to give 10.

JSCA is a fantastic organization with a great facility located in the perfect location. Really…read moregreat events to support the local sailing / windsurfing community such as regular racing on Tuesday evenings and Sundays as well as periodic larger regattas - all for the small boats that JSCA supports - dinghies and catamarans. Really excellent staff help the clubs at JSCA support their goals and events and a very well maintained facility. Hard to be critical of these guys. Not to be confused with The Galley Patio and Grill (http://www.yelp.ca/biz/the-galley-patio-and-grill-vancouver) which is the restaurant located upstairs at the JSCA offering fantastic views, cold beers and decent pub fare (tho a bit pricey). This restaurant is an added gem and makes for the perfect end to a day of sailing sitting in the sun on the balcony sharing a pitcher. Check the JSCA website for a list of the clubs at the center or just come down and rent a boat for the day or take a lesson at Mac Sailing. Excellent and welcome community at the JSCA!

After a fun and long tennis match we decided to find a casual spot to tingle our taste buds and the…read morefun atmosphere here caught our attention. The member's only part of the patio had a band going with some drum pipes in the background. Arguably one of the best patios in the city with a non pretentious crowd all back from being on the water and needing to fill the empty stomach. We ordered the salmon burger which was although generous in size not that tasty. The fries were thick and nicely cooked so I was binging on them as opposed to my burger. All in all the food is ok, view is fantastic and the crowd is friendly.

Stressful & unsafe two weeks. Minimal and unhelpful response from Nanaimo Yacht Charters (NYC)…read more This was our 2nd time chartering from NYC and decided to charter the same boat (52 foot power boat - Rock n Rye). Previous year had small issues on the boat but overall positive experience. This year was drastically different. Boat had not been maintained and we were sent out on a very unsafe boat. Night 1: Windlass stopped operating and lost generator power. This began two weeks of major power issues, the inability to anchor due to slow response and service, and incurring unexpected costs. We were forced to stay at marina's the entire time. At one point, the anchor came dislodged in the middle of Johnston strait banging against the boat. We were stressed and exhausted after week 1. We spent two days in Port McNeill waiting for the windless to be fixed. Going in to week 2, the windshield exploded above the galley - yes- while sitting at the marina on a calm evening. We then had a broken windshield, continued power issues (not enough power to operate much of anything while not on shore power). The first night we attempted to anchor after the windlass was supposedly fixed, there was not enough power to drop or pull up anchor without re-setting the fuse every 10 seconds. After two very expensive and stressful weeks we met with Andrew, the owner, who assured us he would 'make it right' and 'cover our costs'. It's been three months and we have been trying to reach him and he has not responded. We hope you don't make the same choice we did . Go with a different, reliable, safe and responsive charter company.

We just returned from our 4th year of chartering with Nanaimo Yacht Charters. As usual, the boat…read morewas well-prepared (we've used a different boat each time), Ian was as generous with his time as he needed to be, and the equipment was all present and worked (we didn't ever use the anchor windlass, though). We sail early in the season, when the wind is best, but also know that wind usually is a bit variable in this area, and very light as summer whams up. We've always found Ian, Sherry and Lorraine to have plenty of suggestions and advice about where to sail and stop, different activities, and they want to see us have fun (without breaking the boat, preferably). When we've had problems, Ian has been quick to answer the phone and offer suggestions. And it's worth the price of admission to watch them bring the boat back into the slip at the return. Nanaimo is also a great location for going to Princess Louisa Inlet, Desolation Sound, or the Gulf Islands, better than Vancouver or Sidney if you're interested in those destinations. Dodd Narrows is a great introduction to navigating BC waters.

this is one of the best marinas I've stayed at, such a good environment, staff are great, facility…read moreis outstanding, such a great experience all around. The docks are so new.

Best marina I've ever been to. The staff is incredible - Carter is the hardest worker out there!…read moreFish tables - SO clean. Docks are super new and also SO clean! The amenities are great, they have showers, laundry, gas, and even ice cream in the summer! Definitely add Fairwinds Marina to your next trip!

Beautiful boat cruise, very nice tour guide. We got the option of sitting in the cruise or climbing…read moreup the stairs and sitting outside on the deck. Beautiful boat inside, beautiful view very informative tourguide. It was an overcast day nonetheless the views were still stunning. There are snacks and drinks that can be purchased within the criuseship. We saw an eagle on the pole which was interesting.

Unreliable. Sail at your own risk!…read more Harbour Cruises of Vancouver completely failed to deliver on the promise of their Indian Arm cruise. They claimed smoke in the engine room and limped back to port before we even turned into the Arm. Other reviews have reported unexplained itinerary changes that eliminated the main part of the trip. One has to wonder if they don't go up the Arm simply to save money when it's not fully booked or if their boats are that unreliable. While I understand mechanical issues, their compensation policy was completely inadequate. They offered a free drink on board and a coupon for 15% off a future cruise. Anyone booking on the internet can get a 20% discount off any cruise! After much back and forth they finally offered a 20% refund. The final price after this discount was approximately double the price of a narrated harbor tour. We received an un-narrated tour of the container port instead of a tour of the natural environment, which is what we were promised. We feel cheated by Harbour Cruises of Vancouver. Sail at your own risk!

Under new ownership, captain Scott made me feel like part of the crew. NW sailing is classy. It was…read moregreat learning so much about weather, currents, local history, and exploring the islands. Go for a multi day charter, you do not want to miss Scott's coffee. I am a vegetarian and the food was so healthy and delicious! Scott has a clear love for sailing and sharing the islands with guests. Best vacation ever. If you are going sailing in the San Juan's don't mess with other charter companies.

Captain Scott and First Mate Todd were excellent sailors and hosts again. We have sailed with them…read more3 times now , once in the San Juan Islands and twice in the British Virgin Islands. They make sailing in the BVI easy, arranging the boat charter, provisions and details. Todd is a great cook. We always felt safe. This team is highly recommended and we will be sailing with them again.

Purchased an intro to stand up paddleboarding lesson for my mother's birthday and we had a blast…read more 80% of your lesson time truly is spent out on the water (It actually ends up being more like 90%!) Our instructor, Maxim was awesome. He helped people carry their boards down to the water, and gave verbal instructions as well as demonstrations. I was the only one in my group who had done SUP before, and I thought that he did a wonderful and thorough job explaining to the group how to get onto the board, kneel. paddle, stand up, and pull yourself back on if you were to fall. He was pretty easy going, very friendly and quite helpful, paddling to the different pairs of people, coaching some of the more wary students how to get standing on their board and making general conversation as well as giving good tips and tricks from everything to paddle boarding to sailing. I would definitely go back to Mac Sailing and do another lesson, or just take a board for hire out on the water for a bit. I definitely recommend Mac Sailing for anyone who wants to learn to sail, paddle board, or take part in any of the courses that they recommend as the staf are all awesome.

Thorough, fun and educational instructors that give you the confidence to sail - flexible schedule…read moremakes it easy to learn, not to mention the location is beautifu!