Port Alberni: Discovering the Wild Side of West Coast Boating
- Rick Layzell
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
Port Alberni, British Columbia, has always held a special place in my imagination. I’ve often wondered what boating and fishing on the West Coast would really be like, with its rugged coastline, deep waters and mountains rising in every direction. After years of imagining it, I finally had the chance to find out for myself.
My imagination was the first step toward getting me there. I am an ‘Easterner’ by admission, having grown up in the suburbs of Toronto and raised my family in central Ontario. Business travels have taken me across Canada dozens and dozens of times, but my many West Coast trips always left me hoping I'd make it to Port Alberni. A potential western business trip that could also include a visit to Port Alberni put me over the top.
When the Boatdealers.ca and BoatBlurb.com team was invited by Suzuki Canada to head west for a weeklong photo mission with multiple boats, not to mention a full four days on the water in stunning Port Alberni, I did not say no.
Getting to Port Alberni starts with a flight from Toronto to Vancouver (or Calgary, depending on the next part of your plan). We chose Vancouver. From there, we hopped on a puddle jumper over to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. This flight takes you over the Strait of Georgia, where the waters are rich in colour, commercial boats move alongside recreational vessels, mountain backdrops abound, and the Galiano and Salt Spring Islands offer stunning views.
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The drive from Nanaimo to Port Alberni is picturesque, to say the least. The closer we got to our destination, the twistier the road became and the more beautiful the views. For the first time, we took the opportunity to stop and walk among the glorious, massive Douglas fir trees, which are meticulously managed by the province.
We arrived in town and within minutes of dropping my gear in the well-appointed Best Western Barclay Hotel I was off for my first wander around the town. I am always drawn to water, and a quick search led me to the excellent paved trail of the 'Quay to Quay' Waterfront Pathway that took me to my chosen destination. Construction of a new roundabout was underway and, while this was a modest inconvenience, it was easy to see how this will improve navigation once completed.
Within 20 minutes I found my first target – Clutesi Haven Marina. This is a small and well-equipped marina that offers up all the basic services one would expect, with a mix of both charter and recreational boats. Outboard power is the dominant choice here and this was especially noticeable on the newer hulls in the marina.
I wandered on past several local food trucks, eyeballing the Mexican menu on one but promising myself the walk was the main goal so I kept to my commitment. The second target was the Clutesi launch ramp, as this would be our shooting location for video content with Suzuki.
While a launch ramp may not seem exciting to some, I was legitimately pumped to witness the harmony of the launch from all types of boats and boaters. The blend of commercial and recreational boats here is staggering. How they flow together is beautiful. I was filled with even more excitement for the days ahead. It's the mariner in me, I guess.
The next morning, we were blessed with awesome weather. With experienced and knowledgeable locals on hand, we ventured into the waters of the Alberni Inlet— a deep fjord that stretches 34 miles (54.3 km) to the Pacific Ocean. Boat rides through here continue the harmony first witnessed at the launch ramp as commercial fishers dot the waterway alongside charter operators taking guests out for their first catch. Cruise boats deliver their guests to remote locations while recreational enthusiasts ease out for boat rides. Did I mention the stunning landscape? On either side of the inlet, the land is both remote and rugged with hectares of forest climbing as high as your eyes can see. It's a sight only British Columbia can provide.
On another day, we docked in Bamfield, which rests on the edge of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Here we stopped at the Market & Café for an awesome lunch on their nicely appointed patio just a few short steps from the docks. The store is well stocked with everything from provisions to souvenirs, prices are reasonable, and the washrooms are super clean. The Bamfield Marine Sciences Center offers tours as well as educational opportunities for K-12 students and university credits for mature students.
Next up, our experienced crew took us into the Broken Group Islands, which featured everything from sandy beaches to crystal clear waters to rocky shorelines. And it’s all nestled into an incredibly quiet and serene setting. This was a highlight reel moment for me.
On that note, the variety of fishing that occurs here left me in total awe. The region is already a well-known haven for salmon since it's part of the migration route for Chinook, Coho, and Sockeye, but to say the waters come alive is an understatement.
I was blessed with the opportunity to experience this firsthand.
With our video and content development work complete, and an open morning on our hands, a few of us decided to hire a local fishing charter. We were instructed to be at the marina at 6 a.m. By 6:15, we were away from the dock and headed into the inlet. Sockeye salmon were currently running (this was mid-June, by the way) and by the time we reached the fishing grounds there were over 100 boats already working the open waters—their downriggers set and eager charter guests, just like us, awaiting a catch.
With four of us onboard (including our charter captain), we were allowed to keep up to 16 of these sockeye beauties. Getting the required local licence was easily done online and reasonably priced. Kudos to the province for making this easy. I was pumped and prepared for what I figured would be six or more hours of fishing. The captain moved like a man on a mission around the boat—setting downriggers, planer boards, and bait. He was constantly adjusting to the environment, watching lines for a twitch (which was our job), and always smiling. He advised us that we would likely miss a fish at some point because a sockeye’s soft mouth doesn’t always hold the hook, allowing the fish to slip off during the fight. In the end, we lost ten or so. I can tell you that our first bite happened within seconds of the lines getting set. Within two minutes, we had our first fish on board. Then we immediately began hitting fish after fish, with our captain moving from line to net, then back to downrigger, while the three of us did our best to monitor the lines and bring the sockeye close to the boat.
By 8:30 a.m. we were back at the dock with 16 fish—our full allowance—on board. Wow, what an incredible experience. Then our captain went on, with the three of us watching in awe, to meticulously clean and prep the fish, feed the eager birds hovering overhead, and send us home with our share. A pair of us from Ontario went to nearby St. Jean’s Cannery to have our catch frozen and flown home. So delicious.
Port Alberni is an experience that can easily underpromise, but always overdelivers. My impressions going in were of potential rain delays, endless wind, and conflicts between commercial and recreational boaters vying for their favourite spots. My experience, on the other hand, is that Port Alberni is where the waters are a treasured resource, where respect for the fishery is paramount, and the pace of life settles over everything and everyone. Call it a bucket-list trip, a thrill of a lifetime, or whatever you want, but I’ll be forever grateful for an incredible experience.
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