That wraps up our four-night stay in Nanaimo and four great days that Marcia was able to take Desdemona to the Nanaimo Dog Show, where she earned four points toward the ten points needed to become a Canadian Champion. While the dog show was the main reason for and highlight of the visit, Nanaimo itself made for an excellent stop on our cruising adventure.
This marks the 196th night we have stayed on board since purchasing this boat.
Located on the east coast of Vancouver Island, Nanaimo is one of the most boater-friendly destinations in the Gulf Islands and Salish Sea region, offering extensive marina facilities, easy access to provisioning, and a vibrant waterfront just steps from the docks. For boaters traveling north or south through the Strait of Georgia, it serves as a convenient and welcoming hub where you can refuel, restock, enjoy local restaurants, and explore the city’s beautiful harborfront pathways. Between the success in the show ring and the opportunity to spend several days enjoying one of British Columbia’s premier boating destinations, our stay in Nanaimo was both productive and memorable.
We stayed on the dock at the Waterfront Suites and Marina. The dock is fairly new and in good condition. The Hotel part looks really run down, but I guess that doesn’t matter since we didn’t stay at the hotel. They claim to be Nanaimo’s only ocean front accommodation, which seems like a bit of a stretch. The location was perfect to be picked up for a quite ride to the dog show.
The dock staff didn’t seem to know much about boats or docking. On our approach the wind was very strong pushing us away from the dock, Marcia was able to throw a line to the dock staff, but she just stood there letting is slip through her hands. Had she known enough to wrap the line around the cleat, it would have made our docking experience much easier. Later we overheard the dock staff chatting with another boat coming in, they captain asked are we heading for a port side or a stern side tie, and the dock hand replied with is that right or left, and do you need hydro? Hydro being Canadian for electricity.
The marina was gated, so the security on the docks was good. I would certainly stay here again if the yacht club doesn’t have an opening.
While in Nanaimo we had a chance to talk with the Nanaimo yacht club about reciprocal moorage, and next time we plan to stay on the yacht club reciprocal docks, if they have room. They have 600 feet of moorage, with a maximum boat size of 60ft. Your first night is free, then $1 per foot for additional nights, up to a maximum of 6 night in a 30 day period.
Last night we went to the Dinghy Dock Pub by dinghy for dinner. It is always a fun stop for a meal while in Nanaimo.
Here are some photos from our stay.
