nature, Photography

Inside Passage to Port Hardy, Part Two

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You can read Part One here: https://lynettedartycross.com/2024/07/29/inside-passage-to-port-stanley-part-one/

On our return from Haida Gwaii which is off the northern coast of British Columbia, we took the ferry ship Northern Expedition through the Inside Passage to Port Hardy on Vancouver Island.

Our route to Port Hardy.

We had an incredibly smooth passage with one section through open water that was also an easy sail. One of the perks of summer sea travel!

The tranquility allowed the passengers to really enjoy the scenery while on the outside decks.
Although somewhat overcast, the temperature and weather were perfect.
The ship’s passage through the water made very gentle ripples.

We passed other vessels, especially small cruise ships, travelling north.

This one is called Le Boreal, a small cruiser with ice-breaking capabilities.
Exiting the Inside Passage and heading south toward the open ocean on the last leg of our journey to Vancouver Island.
There was a small amount of chop and the wind picked up a bit, but it certainly wasn’t rough.
We passed a scenic lighthouse as we neared Port Hardy.
Port Hardy is small but quite busy with commercial fishing boats, ferries, small cruise ships and many private vessels.

The B.C. ferry system is reliable, comfortable and clean. It’s an excellent mode for exploring British Columbia’s coastal waters as the scenery alone is definitely worth the trip. As I mentioned before, the one drawback is the onboard food services which aren’t great, but you can go a long way to rectifying that by bringing along your own in a cooler.

22 thoughts on “Inside Passage to Port Hardy, Part Two”

  4. Hi Lynette! Ferry rides can be so fun! We recently did a ferry ride from Cape May NJ to Lewes Delaware and the waters were really rough – we loved it. It was exciting, but I didn’t feel like we were in any danger. But we couldn’t go outside during the really choppy parts.

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    1. I agree, Barbara, and you get to see the country from completely different vantage points. I loved this particular trip. I’ve been on some very rough seas but even though I don’t suffer from motion sickness I don’t care for it much. I’ve done a lot of sailing too but actually am not a very good sailor!

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      1. I grew up sailing small sailboats, so I’ve always enjoyed being on the water. That said, really rough waters don’t appeal to me! I once felt seasick sailing in Boston Harbor once there was no land in sight.

        This trip was fun because the boat, despite leaning in the big waves, was stable enough to make me feel confident. Aye Aye!

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        1. I really only enjoy it when it’s calm as I’m not a talented sailor, that’s for sure. Years ago I got stuck on Lake Ontario in a bad storm at night. My electrical went out, the wind ripped a mainsail and after a very bad night I managed to limp into Kingston harbour the next morning under sail only. I kissed the ground! I’ve since left sailing (and boating in general) to the experts! You sound like you might be one of them. 😊

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    1. It was an incredibly calm 15-hour voyage, especially considering that it’s the Pacific Ocean. We spent much of the time outside viewing the scenery. Agreed; the protected waters really made a huge difference. Cheers.

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