A working cruiser's reference for the Vancouver Island east coast and the Gulf Islands — transient moorage, breakdown tie-up, and haul-out yards. If you're running north from Puget Sound this summer, this is the catalog you want bookmarked. We provide mobile marine electrical service at all of these locations.
These are the default choices for cruisers booking a slip in advance — proper transient moorage, water, power, and (usually) shore facilities. Book through the marina's reservation system; summer slips fill weeks ahead.
The main transient destination in downtown Nanaimo. Multiple basins including Cameron Island Basin and the Boat Basin. Walk-on to the seawall, restaurants, provisioning. Three-hour courtesy ties for vessels ≤20ft if you just need to grab something — hail VHF 67 for slip assignment. Year-round.
Resort-style marina at the location historically known as Page Point Marina — same dock, current management is Mañana. Transient slips up to 150 ft, restaurant, shoreside amenities. Quieter alternative to the downtown Nanaimo basins; good staging point if you're working through electrical or systems issues and want to be away from harbour bustle. No on-site fuel — nearest are Stones in Nanaimo or Cowichan Bay / Maple Bay south.
The natural stopover between the Strait of Georgia and Baynes Sound / Comox. Working harbour with transient moorage on Float D; rafting is normal in season. Does NOT take reservations — call the day you intend to arrive. See our Deep Bay service-area page.
Resort marinas that accommodate breakdown moorage and short-term emergency tie-up when something fails mid-passage. These aren't your everyday transient slips — they're the places to call when you need to get the boat out of the channel now and sort the issue.
Sheltered marina south of Nanaimo. Privately owned — facilities, fuel, and protocols aren't well-documented publicly and can change, so call ahead: (250) 802-9963. Four guest mooring buoys when the docks are full. Note the marked no-anchor zone (private water lot).
Resort marina at Schooner Cove on the north side of Nanoose Bay. Guest moorage to 80 ft, gas + diesel at the fuel dock, pump-out at the fuel dock (Mon–Fri 9–4). Convenient breakdown option for boats running between Nanaimo and Parksville/Qualicum.
When the job needs the boat on the hard — running gear, through-hulls, hull electrical penetrations, bonding, or anything else that demands out-of-water access. Most electrical work doesn't need this, but if you're chasing a galvanic-corrosion issue or a through-hull electrical problem, these are the local options.
Full-service marina with 83-ton travelift (85 ft LOA, 19'10" beam max), dry storage, fuel dock on the lift-dock approach, 30/50A, washrooms, showers, laundry, cable + internet. 300+ slips. The mainstay for haul-out in Nanaimo. Stones doesn't monitor VHF — call ahead: (250) 716-9065. We coordinate with Stones for jobs that need the boat out of the water — through-hull electrical, bonding system work, lower-unit electrics.
130 slips and a 60-ton Marine Travelift for haul-out + dryland storage (mid-October to mid-March). Beam limit is tighter than Stones (~13 ft vs. Stones' 19'10") — so Newcastle is the natural pick for narrower-beam sailboats and motoryachts, while Stones handles the wider hulls. Confirm beam/draft against the lift slings before arrival.
Community-run marina by the Ladysmith Maritime Society. 800 ft of guest moorage, 30A, water, ice, pump-out, free Wi-Fi, garbage/recycling/compost. Ladysmith Harbour itself doesn't currently have an open community gas dock — for fuel, head north to Stones in Nanaimo or south to Cowichan Bay / Maple Bay. See our Ladysmith service-area page.
Cruisers running the Gulf Islands circuit naturally stop at these — covered in more depth on each location's service-area page.
Year-round guest moorage, 30A + limited 100A power, water, washrooms, showers, laundry. Diesel + mid-grade gasoline at the fuel dock historically — fuel + water status sometimes disrupted by ongoing construction, verify on arrival. No on-site pump-out (nearest is Port of Nanaimo's eco-barge). Pages Resort & Marina is a smaller neighbour facility in the same area. See our Gabriola service-area page.
The Gulf Islands social and provisioning hub. On-site fuel dock with diesel + premium gas (summer 10am–4pm daily, winter Thu–Sun 10am–4pm), mobile pump-out, full provisioning ashore. Inside our 120 km radius; Saltspring calls usually batched 2–3 boats per visit. See our Ganges service-area page.
Separate facility from Ganges Marina & Fuel Dock — 3,500 ft of visitor moorage, vessels to 100 ft inside the breakwater, up to 400 ft outside with reservation. 15/30/50A power, water. The bigger-boat option in Ganges. (250) 537-5242.
If you know which marina or anchorage you'll be at, message ahead. We carry the cabling, fusing, NMEA tooling, and common parts to handle most cruiser fixes in one visit — but knowing the boat and the slip in advance lets us bring exactly the right gear and avoid a second trip. Call, text, or send us the details.