Little did I realize that Desolation Sound is one of Canada’s best kept secrets. When my husband, Ed, suggested we charter a powerboat to explore the remote area off the western coast of British Columbia I needed to do some research before being as enthusiastic as he was. But I was hooked the moment I saw the glacier-topped mountains, forested bays and endless areas of clear (even warm) water for standup paddling. The area is a SUP dream come true.

Desolation emerges from the northern end of the Salish Sea just 90 miles north of Vancouver. Since the nearest road is 20 miles south, where the Pan American Highway ends in the tiny fishing village of Lund, the marine park is only accessible by boat or floatplane. Desolation Sound’s thick forest of cedar, fir, and honey-barked madrone feels like the traditional territory of four First Nations, which it’s been for thousands of years. This waterfall is just one of dozens tumbling their way from the glacial mountains to the sea.

Leaving Tenedos Bay toward Prideaux Haven you’ll view Mount Crawshay reaching heights of 5,700 feet just 6 miles off the shore, while a breathtaking Mount Denman tapers off at 6,590 feet, with its smaller peak at 5,940 feet only 3 miles off the shoreline. These majestic peaks protects the many inlets of Desolation Sound from harsh winds.

The more we read about the area the more excited we became. The first step in planning our 8 day adventure was to find the right boat. For the past 50 years we primarily adventure by sailboat, but the fickle winds in and among the islands of Desolation Sound made a power boat the best decision for our short time frame for exploration. We contacted Desolation Sound Yacht Charters (DSYC) located in Comox on Vancouver Island and after much communication about what we hoped our boat would be – we found just what we wanted from their extensive fleet of sail and power boats.

Directing the operations at DSYC, Merion (aka Maz) Martin is one of the yachting community’s most highly respected, knowledgeable, and trusted mariners in the business. Maz has accomplished several transatlantic crossings and travelled over 100,000 sea miles. The stories of his adventures captivate any audience. What captivated us most was his detailed and comprehensive pre-departure chart briefing, technical knowledge and obvious passion for what he does.

The DSYC website has a variety of itineraries posted online each designed for maximum destination awesomeness for whatever time frame you might have. We brought inflatable Starboard paddleboards but you can also rent kayaks or paddleboards from DSYC.

Below is a photo of the DSYC base in the lovely town of Comox.