We have been living a ½ block from Coal Harbour Boat Rentals for almost two years and every time we walk by we keep saying ‘why don’t we rent a boat’? Well, last Sunday we got together with some friends and ‘shipped’ off. The rental process was very simple and quick, a few forms, a credit card imprint, a few safety instructions and away you go. We had a choice of either heading up the Burrard Inlet and into Indian Arm or under the Lions Gate Bridge and into the Bay. We chose the calmer ‘seas’ towards Indian Arm and it was a good thing, because ‘calmer’ must be a relative term. As soon as we left the safety of the Harbour it was a bit rough. But of course this made it fun.

Cruising past the new Vancouver Convention Center, Canada Place and the cargo terminals of the Port of Vancouver, it seemed like a completely different world from the water. Approaching the Second Narrows Bridge the currents became stronger and the ride became rougher. A little ways under the bridge, just as we passed the McBarge – the Expo86 Floating McDonald’s, the ride smoothed and the real ‘cruising’ began. A left turn toward Indian Arm and we were upon the Deep Cove Marina. Since living in Vancouver we had driven through Deep Cove one time and seeing it from the water it did not look the same. Being a Sunday the cove was full of kayakers of all skill levels and ages and our ‘captain’ had to do some serious maneuvering to get us to the dock. The Deep Cove Community Center is a great place to stop for a bathroom break and a refill of water. From Deep Cove we headed further up Indian Arm which is actually an 18 kilometer fjord that separates the communities of Deep Cove and Port Moody.

It took us about an hour and a half from Coal Harbour to reach the tip of the ‘Arm’. Along the way the number of cabins and homes that are built along the water, on the side of the rugged mountains is amazing, especially since they can only be accessed by boat. At the end is a very calm bay, with great scenery and the outposts of three of Vancouver’s Yacht Clubs. All of the docks are private but the bay was calm enough to turn off the engine and float for an hour while we enjoyed our picnic lunch. We were on the water for just over 5 hours round trip, and it was an absolutely fabulous way to spend a Sunday.

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