2024: Gibsons - Setting for a Popular TV Series

-




Gibsons is just north of Vancouver on the BC mainland.  As cities go, it is a bit of a celebrity due to being the location of a long running, and popular Canadian TV series, The Beachcombers.  Having heard about it during our travels, we just had to stop and visit.  


The Ferry between Gibsons and Horseshoe Cove 

You cannot drive from Vancouver to Gibsons.  You must take a ferry from Horseshoe Cove.  This ferry also provides access to the Sunshine Coast.  We arrived in our trusty vessel, Amy Marie.  As you look seaward over the harbor, the distant snow-covered mountains grace the skyline.  The view is quite impressive.  Overall, you feel as if you are in an Alaskan fishing village or a Norwegian coastal enclave.  Immediately you feel a sense of tranquility as Mother Nature overwhelms your senses with her grandeur.

 


The Harbor

We arrived at low tide.  Docks close to shore were resting on shore.  High tide line was much higher.  In fact, we found that the tide was expected to rise 16 feet which would easily refloat the grounded docks.  Fortunately, our slip was a sufficient distance from shore that we had 12 feet of water under our keel.  We climbed the steep ramp, registered in the marina office, and headed into town.  The main street has a nice collection of restaurants and shops, a liquor store, and venues from The Beachcombers TV series.  The Visitors Bureau, and the town library were one street higher.  A full service market was about a mile from the marina and a bit further uphill.



Docks at Low Tide
 

As we explored the town, we saw several landmarks from the TV series.  Prior to arriving we watched a half a dozen episodes on YouTube.  The series ran for 18 years, starting in 1972. 

Unfortunately, it rained while we were visiting and that kept our walks short.  On the positive side, we did complete some boat projects and were able to read our books. Perhaps on our next visit we will be able to enjoy the full breadth of what Gibsons has to offer.  It was clear the town had much to offer.


References





Voyage Log






Location: Gibsons, BC, Canada

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Summer 2024: Amy Marie Returns to the Pacific Northwest

-
Image
Kingston Washington Waterfront The majestic terrain and contrast of mountains, forests, and water have lured us back to the Pacific Northwest for another summer of cruising.  It is simultaneously peaceful and powerful.  It is the essence of harmony until a storm arrives and then it is the chaos and fury of wind, rain, and tumultuous seas.  All attract us to visit.  We are outdoor people and spend as much time as possible outside.  However nothing, with the exception of backpacking, has ever brought us continuously closer to nature than boating the PNW.   It's second virtue is it ability to slow and focus your life.  The stress of city living melts away as soon as we splash the boat.  The many competing electronic connections of our overly intrusive push communication world are put on hold.  It is such a relief.  Have we perhaps overdone it?  Instead the focus is on weather, sea conditions, tides, currents, winds, provisioning, anchorages, whales, birds, bears, eagles, minks, otters
Read more

Amy Marie Visits: The Day the Diesel Died...

-
Image
Every boater dreads the day their trusty diesel quits singing its sweet tune.  We experienced this once before in a boat with twin diesels.  Much less drama as you can easily travel on a single engine.  Amy Marie is equipped with one diesel, any unexpected stoppage is cause for concern.  Especially when you are in the middle of a bay in Desolation Sound with eight hundred feet of water under the keel.  You can't just drop the anchor and begin troubleshooting.  You drift at the whim of the currents and wind. Once a diesel is running, only one thing will cause it to cease operation.  That is the lack of fuel.  Combustion occurs as the piston compresses air to a temperature sufficient to ignite the diesel fuel that is injected into the combustion chamber.  Our task was to discover why the engine was experiencing fuel starvation.  The most common reason is contaminated fuel which can cause fuel filters to become clogged and prevent fuel from reaching the engine.  We changed the fuel fi
Read more

August PNW Cruise: Hood Canal to Alderbrook

-
Image
In 1792, George Vancouver, British Royal Navy,  ventured into Hood Canal in longboats. He left his ships, the  Discovery  and  Chatham , in nearby Port Townsend. Vancouver and his crew journeyed as far as the mouth of the Skokomish River, near the present day town of Union, where Menzies, his botanist, was amazed by the rich vegetation as well as the natural beauty of the area. He wrote in his journal, “here the arm was hemmed in by lofty Mountains on one side and low flat country of considerable extent on the other.” We also have been captivated by the beauty of Hood Canal.  There are no large towns, so it looks much the same today as it did when initially explored.  Its beauty continues to be defined by the clear blue skies, blue water and lush green forests descending all the way to the water.  The Fjord, which is often more than 500 feet deep, separates the Kitsap Peninsula from the Olympic  Peninsula.  The towering mountains of the Olympic Range dominate the skyline to the west. 
Read more