Nowhere does the tourist motto Super, National British Columbia! come more alive than on Vancouver Island's West Coast. With five great sounds, sixteen major inlets, and an abundance of spectacular wildlife, the largest island on the west coast of North America is a cruising paradise. The Douglasses consider their voyages along this coast to be among their most satisfying adventures. In this guide they give small craft skippers the kind of local knowledge they need to circumnavigate the island and drop hook in an abundance of intimate coves.

When Elsie Hulsizer was little, she lived on the shores of Puget Sound in Washington where she spent the summers sailing in a small open sailboat with her parents. Her parents would always start out by sailing to windward, or against the wind, so they would have an easy ride home with the wind pushing them from behind. When Elsie grew up and got married, she and her husband Steve spent their summers sailing out of Puget Sound and up the Strait of Juan de Fuca, always to windward. This challenging course took them up the west coast of Vancouver Island where they were rewarded with a cruising area of spectacular scenery and quiet anchorages that were almost all their own. They spent the next twenty-odd years delightedly exploring the four sounds, several inlets and countless islands, bays, coves and stretches of unprotected coast between Barkley Sound and Brooks Peninsula. On their trips they survived many hair-raising encounters with wild weather and foaming reefs, met interesting people and discovered the intriguing history of a coast undergoing phenomenal changes. Beautifully illustrated with her own excellent photographs, Voyages to Windward is Elsie's account of their quarter-century of discovery, an absorbing, exquisitely crafted story that will delight all sailors whether or not they plan to follow Elsie's windward course.

“A treasure-trove of useful, well-organized information on sea-going parenting.” —Gary “Cap’n Fatty” Goodlander, Author of Buy, Outfit and Sail Choosing a boat that is right for your family; handling the naysayers; keeping your children safe, healthy and entertained afloat—this inspirational and comprehensive guide may be just what you need to turn your dream into a reality. The three authors, who have each voyaged thousands of miles with children on board, provide a factual and balanced look at the realities of family life on the sea. From their own experience and with information from interviews with dozens of other voyaging parents, they discuss caring for an infant on board, handling the changing needs of children as they grow, education options, ensuring parents find the private time to keep their relationships in tune, and helping children make the eventual transition back to shore life. Added to the authors’ voices are sidebars from other cruising parents with specialized information on subjects as diverse as handling special diets and how your children can keep in touch with friends around the world. A unique bonus chapter, written by a dozen former cruising kids, looks at the long-term effects of breaking away from shoreside normalcy. A substantial appendix of resources provides valuable further information on the subjects covered in this book. It is said that every parent inflicts their lifestyle choices on their children. Read this book to find why heading out to sea with your children may be the most rewarding infliction of all.

The Dreamspeaker cruising companions offer charts, tips and data that enhance the enjoyment and safety of any voyage. The guides feature informative and charming hand-drawn shoreline plans of selected marinas and small boat anchorages, ranging from safe all-weather havens to secluded picnic spots and marine parks. Intended to complement official hydrographic charts, the Dreamspeaker Cruising Guides accurately pinpoint both popular and little-known highlights in British Columbia and Pacific Northwest coastal waters that every sailor, power-boater or kayaker should know. Written in the personal style of a boater's logbook, these guides provide vital information about featured locations, plus notes on recreational activities for adults and children. Here you will find the best spots along the west coast of Vancouver Island from Cape Scott to Sooke including Bull Harbour, the Bunsby Islands and Barclay Sound, with full-colour scenic photographs that showcase the splendour of the Pacific Northwest Coast.