Day 2: Vancouver to Plumper Cove

The weather forecast was right—today is windy. Twenty knots in Howe Sound and probably worse on the Strait. Howe Sound is relatively small, and my destination for the day, Plumper Cove, is less than 20 miles away.

I was in no rush to leave the marina, and didn’t until about 11 am. Having never visited Vancouver by boat, I headed into False Creek and tied up at the Granville Island dock. I wandered around the market for a bit, grabbed a slice of pizza for lunch, and filled up with gas (3.6 nmpg on the trip from Anacortes to Vancouver cruising at about 12 knots). Then I left for Plumper Cove, on Keats Island.

Entering False Creek 

Moored at Granville Island

English Bay was a bit choppy, but not too bad. The trip over to Plumper Cove was uneventful, and once again, beautiful. Howe Sound is gorgeous. The mountains rise out of the water right here; it’s dramatic.

These seals hitched a ride on a log boom.

Quite a few boats were at the dock when I arrived, but there was still plenty of room. I got tied up and a group of boaters at the end of the dock started asking questions about my boat and where I was going. They generously gave me several beers as cocktail “hour” stretched on for more like four hours. 

Plumper Cove Provincial Park dock

After dinner I wondered around Keats Island a bit. Plumper Cove Provincial Park isn’t that big, but you can walk on some adjoining properties.

18.4 nm today

85.3 nm total