To drop anchor as closed as possible from VANCOUVER downtown, the solution is  FALSE CREEK: cruisers  must obtain an authorization; This is easy n immediatly available through internet but you cannot extend your stay inside FALSE CREEK more than 2 weeks/month; this to avoid the way some no sailing people use wreck to leave permanently on board without paying anything. . .A smart system many other places could inspire especialy NEW CALEDONIA where space in the 2 main bays of NOUMEA is very scarce.

Anyway ALCYONE is a large baby n the creek is still pretty popular, even mid september; the swinging room is not enough for a boat wich a no insurance at all (third party almost impossible to get in CANADA N USA); we anchor outside the inlet in front of KITSILANO beach with a good holding in 7m,  not so closed, but we have a fast dinghy. You must in any case  do a deal for the dinghy dock, n inside Marina are pretty open to do it with you on a day or a week basis. We did it with Steeve, a very nice and interesting flocal figure from the marina straight under the north part of Granville bridge, just next to the False Creek Yacht Club.

VANCOUVER is pleasant to visit, particulary adapted to big cruiseship visit with mass but very interesting attraction like FLY OVER CANADA closed to the docks, old down town and green STANLEY PARK next door and GRANVILLE island where you can find anything to eat. We found here canadian "Saucisson" for the first time and as good as the one we can buy in France.

The only cancer we find in VANCOUVER is the "yellow cabs": Among 5 experiences only one was right; I write this as I'm  far to be the only one. this is even worse than the taxis you could find in PARIS in the past, as many french drivers, even with an obvious lack of education knew the city. If you want to miss your plane, never book one of these cabs, especialy if it' raining as you can wait for ever. Fortunatly, I hear that UBER will arrive soon and ll clean this net of indo-canadian kind of mafia. More than  giving a bad image of the city, they develop with the tourists a very strong and bad anticommunautarism feeling.

What a contrast with the majority of the canadian we met n we never saw anywhere in the world a so gentle  way of driving, particulary when we are walking in the streets.

We sail later to SALT SPRING n prepare ALCYONE for his trip to MEXICO...

Our headquarter on shore in FALSE CREEK on the other side, under the bridge, easy walk downtown..

So easy (good) food refill in GRANVILLE MARKET

On the north, Many things are designed for the visit of numerous cruise ship n we do all the same pictures...

...as this nice tribute to first nations with these famous TOTEMS

...or the busy seaplane base: lack of bridge give a lot of work on the sea as in the air n a very particular feeling

What a nice n smart way the dead can live n help in STANLEY PARK

Walking in VANCOUVER help to understand why this city offer one of the most pleasant way of life in the world !

Automn arrive n it's time to leave VANCOUVER... n  British Columbia

SALT SPRING in offer a very good foodstore closed to the dock...

...but not only if you like books...

n to chat with a good beer or a perfect mojito

We want to stay more around,  BC is really a cruiser's paradise but not too long and we have to leave...

We make a last stop to prepare ALCYONE  in PIERS ISLAND, the house of our sailor friend met in Hawai Steeve...

Add caption

with view on active Schwartzbay ferry terminal, ALCYONE,  his monohull SEAHORSE...

...and, I could'nt believe it a real hummingbird , the last surprise we got in BC...for this year as we ll come back !

Steeve sailed n his sailor's family...(Tina, his wife missing)

...and, as it's written on the wall of his kitchen, let's sail south now !