NEXT ADVENTURE
6 LEFT!
September 2 - 20, 2027
Arrive & Preboard on Thursday, September 2
Provision & Check-out on Friday, September 3
Depart on Saturday, September 4
Disembark on Monday, September 20
The Broughtons flotilla begins in Bellingham on September 2, with two days on the dock for arrival, preboarding, provisioning, and check-out. Lines come off September 4, and the fleet returns September 20: 19 days and ~578 nautical miles. It is our most approachable long-range trip and a natural next step after a San Juan or Gulf Islands charter. The route runs north through Ganges and Garden Bay to Prideaux Haven in Desolation Sound, where the water is among the warmest on the coast, then takes a passage timed for slack water at Gillard Passage and the rapids beyond. A week in the Broughton Archipelago follows, with short hops between Lagoon Cove, Echo Bay, Sullivan Bay, Turnbull Cove, and Joe Cove, leaving afternoons free. The fleet returns down the Strait of Georgia through Comox and Nanaimo. You skipper your own boat, chartered from our fleet or your own vessel, with our Mother Goose lead crew alongside.*
*Note: This itinerary is tentative. The final route is set by weather, currents, group input, and the lead boat captain. Participants may cruise on their own or with the group during the day, but must rejoin the group at each day's destination.
Mother Goose2027 FLOTILLA
Desolation Sound and the Broughtons: Your Next Step North
This 19-day flotilla begins with two days at our Bellingham dock, then heads north through the Gulf Islands to Desolation Sound and on through the rapids into the Broughton Archipelago. If you have chartered in the San Juan or Gulf Islands and wondered what lies farther north, this is the trip. Early September brings quieter anchorages after the summer peak, water that is still warm, and settled weather more often than not.
EXPERIENCE
BEYOND DESOLATION SOUND
After customs at Bedwell Harbour and stops at Ganges and Garden Bay, the fleet rafts up at Prideaux Haven, where the water is some of the warmest saltwater on the BC coast. A passage timed for slack water carries you through Gillard Passage and the rapids beyond to Forward Harbour. In the Broughtons you visit Lagoon Cove, Echo Bay, Laura Bay, Sullivan Bay, Turnbull Cove, and Joe Cove, with several legs of only five or six miles. The return runs through Blind Channel, Quadra Island, Comox, Nanaimo, and Montague Harbour.
CONNECT
WITH FELLOW BOATERS
The Broughtons are known for small, family-run marinas, several with a tradition of evening gatherings on the dock. It is an easy place to get to know the rest of the fleet. With short hops between anchorages, afternoons stay open for kayaking, exploring by dinghy, or a swim. During the day you may cruise with the group or on your own, rejoining the fleet at each day’s destination. It is a good trip for couples, families, and friends cruising this far north together for the first time.
LEARN ABOUT THE
REGION'S HISTORY
Desolation Sound lies within the traditional territory of the Tla’amin Nation, whose people have lived and harvested here for thousands of years. George Vancouver named it in 1792, finding the steep, quiet inlets bleak, and in 1973 much of it became Desolation Sound Marine Provincial Park, now one of the most visited cruising areas on the coast. North of the rapids, the Broughton Archipelago carries the name of William Broughton, who sailed with Vancouver’s expedition, but the islands are the homelands of Kwakwaka’wakw nations. The white shell beaches at many anchorages are ancient middens, built up over generations of clam harvesting. Later came handloggers, float camps, and the small floating communities that still give places like Echo Bay and Sullivan Bay their character. Middens and cultural sites are protected, so we ask every boat to leave them undisturbed.
SKIPPER
YOUR OWN BOAT
You skipper your own boat for the whole trip. Charter from our fleet or, for the first time in decades, bring your own vessel. The two dock days in Bellingham give you time to settle aboard, provision, and complete a boat check-out with our team. Our charter team asks each captain for a cruising resume so we can confirm the fit. A training course or Gulf Islands charter is a good step first.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
AN EXPERIENCED LEAD CREW
This is where many boaters learn the skill that opens up the rest of the coast: timing tidal rapids. Our Mother Goose lead crew runs the lead boat alongside the fleet and walks you through the planning, working back from a target time at Gillard Passage so each rapid is taken near slack water. Each morning they brief the fleet on weather, tides, and currents, and they book marinas along the route; moorage is paid separately. Weather, currents, group input, and the lead boat captain set each day’s final route.
ADVENTURES
QUOTATIONS
Your efforts to keep the boats running smoothly, surprising us every day with a walk, and taking the time out to buy us a beer in the local pub, give us a car tour in the larger towns, and deliver us with bags to the airport made the adventure really enjoyable.
We have chartered with NWE nine times now and Change of Latitude is the best equipped boat we’ve used. Kirk was impressed by the spotless engine room and premium navigation equipment. I appreciated the quality cookware and little touches like hooks in all the right places.
I can say without exception we have never had an experience that came close to matching our adventure. You and your staff were accommodating and gracious at every step of our arrangements. The NW Explorations staff operates at a Ritz Carlton level of service.
MAGAZINE REVIEWS
The trip of a lifetime. That’s how everyone described my upcoming assignment to Alaska on a 10-day charter with NW Explorations. After returning I have to say, it was that and so much more… I can now say without a doubt that I wouldn’t have wanted to experience Alaska any other way. The flotilla allows clients to visit the immensely beautiful Alaskan coast independently on a chartered boat, while providing the comfort of guidance from a lead vessel (hence the name Mother Goose) and the camaraderie of fellow charterers doing the same thing.
By joining NW Explorations on one of the company’s guided flotillas, you will be embarking on an adventure with fellow cruisers–and have the comfort of knowing an experienced captain is aboard the lead vessel. Along the way, you’ll hear from the lead boat regarding native culture, local history, and wildlife. Once the flotilla arrives at an anchorage, you have the option of participating in guided on-shore and dinghy explorations, or relaxing in your chartered Grand Banks yacht. NW Explorations is a first-class operation, but you don’t have to take my word for it. Consider the fact that 70% of their charters are taken by repeat customers.
QUESTIONS
Guests often fly in and out to join our charter clients for portions of their trip. There are certainly locations along the way where scheduled flights facilitate this happening. In other cases, we must employ the assistance of chartered float planes. There is always a way to make “crew changes” happen along the way!
Each flotilla has a detailed itinerary which will specify areas that have cellular and/or Internet service to help our clients plan ahead if they will need to check in with family or business while away.
The flotilla price includes the rental of the vessel, insurance, moorage fees, and the support of the lead vessel. The lead vessel has a USCG licensed captain, a marine technician, and a naturalist. Our crew will be there to catch your lines, assist with any maneuvering needs, communicate over VHF on wildlife sightings/important sites, and even collect your garbage & recycling at the end of each day! Fuel and provisions are at the expense of the client as well as transportation costs getting to and from the specific port of call where your vessel is moored.
Each flotilla has a detailed itinerary that will specify locations where provisioning opportunities will be available. We do recommend for those charters that originate in Washington and cross into Canada shortly thereafter to wait and purchase their fruits and vegetables until they have crossed into Canada. Certain restrictions apply and can change regarding these items.
CANCELLATION FEES: (1) All cancellations must be received in writing. (2) Final payment is due 120 days prior to your departure date. If you must cancel your charter, the following terms shall apply:
- 120 or more days: Cancellation Fee of $500 per week, no proration
- 119 – 90 days: Entire reservation deposit
- 89 – 0 days: Entire charter fee
Each flotilla participant is asked to fill out a Medical & Emergency Form. The purpose of this form is to provide the crew on the lead boat with valuable information to use in the case of an emergency. To the extent that the crew is able to assist, they will make every effort to do so. For those situations that are outside our level of training, we have VHF radios and a satellite phone that allow us to be in constant communication with the US Coast Guard. Although it is not a situation that we anticipate or hope for our clients to have, we are prepared to make arrangements to have guests flown out to receive medical treatment if needed.
