A Visit to Pierre’s Echo Bay is Always a Treat

Photo: Cruising Odyssey

   One of our favorite places to dock is Pierre’s Echo Bay Marina on the north side of Gilford Island in the Broughtons. It’s also a favorite of a lot of other boaters, so In the busy summer hours it’s good to make a reservation. Call them on the phone or radio, or email them.
   Try to arrive when the current’s not heavy, as you’ll be docking perpendicular to it. But Pierre and crew are excellent hosts; they’ll come grab your lines and make your docking experience easy. Then sit back and enjoy all the loveliness of the brightly painted float houses that trim Echo Bay. 

Pierre’s is one of the Broughton marinas where you can easily take a hike. Many people trek over to Billy Proctor for a visit with an original ancient mariner and to see his maritime museum. It’s a step back in time! And all you have to do is ask Billy a question, and he’ll start in on some the most hilarious stories you’ve probably heard in a long time. (Caution: Blue language sometimes slips out.)
   The facilities at Pierre’s are pretty comprehensive. There’s a room for showers and laundry on the southern end, and there’re groceries and a meeting hall on the north end, just above the fuel pumps and the sea-plane landing. Tove, Pierre’s wife, keeps the store well stocked with food goods and artisan wares. Tove will keep a running total of all your expenditures up in the store, so you only have to pay once when you leave, which I think is pretty handy, and is a usual practice in the Broughtons.
   The meeting hall is where speakers talk and dinners happen. Make it a point to be at Pierre’s on a day when they’re having one of their famous dinners: pig roast, Christmas in July (or August), prime rib (!!!!), spaghetti, etc. They just make dining with strangers a thing of joy! Bring your own cutlery and beverages, though. And know that on some nights they’ll expect you to bring a side dish to share with others.
   Does Pierre’s have WiFi? Pretty much. When we were there in July, it was excellent. We almost didn’t want to leave, it was so good.
​   Another thing that’s good at Pierre’s is the fishing. Our friend from Garden Bay, John Payne, caught a 29-pound King just throwing his line off the meeting room’s deck while he waited for a seaplane to arrive for a guest of his. 29 pounds! Others have caught halibut. We got some nice-sized prawns.
Phone: (250) 713-6415; VHF Channel  66A

Photo: East by West

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