Canada - Rugged and Untamed Solitude
The Desolation Sounds and the San Juan Islands are the most spectacular Yacht Charter escapes of Canada. Just outside Vancouver starts the wildlife with deep green forests and pristine fjords. After a sailing day you can finish your day with some fishing, sea kayaking or simply inhaling the nature experiences.
General Info
It’s hard not to fall in love with the vast open and literally wild spaces that Canada has to offer. It’s been called one of the true last spaces untouched by man. This is because there is actually a lot of territory to cover (Canada occupies the biggest part of the North American continent) and even if Canada is economically and technologically advanced, most of it is covered by national parks.
For Yacht Charter enthusiast that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do, as Canada boasts some of the most remote and picturesque coastlines (especially in British Columbia and Nova Scotia) this side of the Atlantic. And the best part is that you’ll never feel out of place here because Canada prides itself with being a “mosaic of cultures” meaning that it embraces all peoples and cultures.
The country’s modern history begins in the early 1600s when the first Europeans settled colonies here. After a tumultuous period of intercolonial and independence wars, Canada was born in 1867 with its four provinces: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. From then on it embraced the numerous cultures that make up its population, a testament to this being the country’s bilingualism.
Yacht Charter sailors all head out to Desolation Sound when in Canada because of the region’s spectacular landscape molded by glacial erosion. The name couldn’t be more far from the truth because there’s nothing desolate about this place, with the numerous fjords and dramatic granite cliffs that often hold waterfalls cascading straight into the ocean.
Law & Order
A high percentage of the native population is big on sailing and boating so foreign Yacht Charter crews will find a very well developed infrastructure and services catering to all their nautical needs. But before you go heading out on the waves there are a few legal issues that need addressing.
First off, every person sailing a boat in Canadian waters needs a valid license or permit. The local authorities issue what is called a Pleasure Craft Operator Card for anyone who applies for it. This card is required for Canadian residents but also for foreign tourists that sail a powered boat for more than 45 consecutive days or that use Canadian registered boats (Yacht Charter boats apply too).
If you already have a skipper license from a previous Yacht Charter experience, that will be sufficient certification of your skills, but you should carry it with you at all times when on the boat. Sailboats are exempt from the Pleasure Craft Operator Card, but if the vessel does have an auxiliary motor, then it falls under the motorized boat category and thus its operator requires a permit. The good news is that such a permit can also be obtained online.
When you take into consideration that more than 5 million people come to Canada each year you realize the need for a visa system. Fortunately, many countries are exempt from visas, generally the United States, Australia and most of the countries from the European Union. For a complete list, check with your Canadian embassy or online.