BOATING THE INSIDE PASSAGE | Victoria to Juneau Part 1

Destination Inside Passage- Vancouver Island and Beyond- • Destination Vancouver ...
North to Alaska- • North to Alaska
In this two part series I pass along some of the things I learned over the summers of 2022 and 2023 boating the inside passage of British Columbia and Alaska. Part one covers the British Columbia Portion of the trip.
It is generally accepted that the southernmost point of the Inside Passage is Olympia, Washington, which is also the southernmost point of Puget Sound. Moving north, the passage continues into the waters of the greater Salish Sea. It then passes through the Strait of Georgia and Johnstone Strait, between northeastern Vancouver Island and the coast of mainland British Columbia. From there it continues further northwest into the Alaska Panhandle. The northernmost points of the Passage are Haines and Skagway at the head of the Lynn Canal. As a result of often uncertain weather, large tidal range, fast or unpredictable currents, and infrequent safe anchorages, navigating the Inside Passage can be difficult.
British Columbia's portion of the route includes the narrow, protected Strait of Georgia between Vancouver Island and the B.C. mainland, the Johnstone Strait and Discovery Passage between Vancouver Island and the mainland, as well as a short stretch along the wider and more exposed Hecate Strait near Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands). From Fitz Hugh Sound northwards, the route is sheltered from Pacific winds and waves by the various large islands in the area such as Princess Royal Island and Pitt Island. This section includes a series of channels and straits, from south to north: Fisher Channel, Lama Passage, Seaforth Channel, Milbanke Sound, Finlayson Channel, Sarah Passage, Tolmie Channel, Princess Royal Channel (includes Graham Reach and Fraser Reach), McKay Reach, Wright Sound, Grenville Channel, Arthur Passage, and Chatham Sound.

[@MVSKOOKUM1]

Looks like you guys had a great time!!! Those Skookumchuck rapids look intense too!! Wow

[@clearlycoastal2102]

Thanks! We had a blast and wanna go back! Yeah skookumchuk was crazy how fast and big they are!

[@gailheadge6041]

Great information Jeff! Thanks. Princess Louisa is beautiful! We loved it in there. Only place that I have seen purple starfish.

[@clearlycoastal2102]

Thank you!!, Yes id love to get back to Princess Louisa!

[@rodmiller9502]

I’m jealous…thanks for sharing. Love that you did it with your family

[@clearlycoastal2102]

Thank you, it was a trip of many memories

[@Bigfishfun333]

Awesome!

[@clearlycoastal2102]

Thank you!

[@travishuisman1817]

Great video! Thank you. Love that you are exploring when the kids can experience it. And I like that you are doing it in a bit more of a working man’s boat. Did you guys ever sleep on the boat? That’s our biggest concern as the welded aluminum berths aren’t very roomy or comfortable looking.

[@clearlycoastal2102]

Thank you! We slept every night on this trip but one on the boat.

[@mikecowan3222]

Love to see more about the boat too. I have a 250 alaskan in SE Alaska but I am considering something larger.

[@clearlycoastal2102]

Hi, I made a video last year when I first got it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/apjNnn17j7Fsrqssi=Ncn5JHKTYaRAEfHP I plan on doing a better one in the spring about the boat now that I've had it for awhile

[@raysboatingandadventure1277]

Nice video, thanks.

[@clearlycoastal2102]

Thank you and you’re welcome

[@gotthyme]

Thanks, did you spend any nights on the hook. Were heading north to Sitka from the San Juan Islands in May 2026 and like you I'm gathering all the info I can. Were traveling with dogs so will need beach access if and when anchoring.

[@clearlycoastal2102]

We didn’t on this trip I’m hoping to go back up there this summer and plan to spend some nights on the hook

[@warrior4christ777]

That trip must have cost a fortune. All I kept,thinking was mooring fees food for 4. ⛽ I wish you would have told us the cost approx of the trip. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@clearlycoastal2102]

Thank you it was a great trip. The fuel was around $4000

[@leighmcarthur6575]

How do you like cruising and fishing on the Pacific Explorer vs the Ranger R23? Seems like the Ranger would be difficult to fish from.

[@clearlycoastal2102]

The hewes is a lot nicer for fishing. There’s a lot more room on the back deck than the ranger.

[@ryanolson2258]

Great video! What was your overall time spent from Victoria back to prince rupert? I live in ketchikan and love to make this trip!

[@clearlycoastal2102]

Thank you. Our entire trip was 2 weeks. The stretch from Rupert to Port Hardy either direction we did in two days each way so we could have as much time down south as possible

[@rlpatton1970]

What guide books Did You use ?

[@clearlycoastal2102]

I actually used mainly Garmin active captains, the navionics app and google maps

[@shawncordeiro]

scookcumchuk narrows vs butze rapids which would you rather not be in ?

[@clearlycoastal2102]

Definitely Svookumchuk

[@themoneyclub6008]

What kind of boat do you have?

[@clearlycoastal2102]

It’s a Hewescraft 270 pacific explorer