I love the photos from Florida, and the Gulf Coast, and Southern California, and even off to Austrailia’s Gold Coast…endless sweeps of sandy beach, for what seem like miles!

Mariner's Cross

That’s not the kind of beach we get in the Southern Gulf Islands, though.

Sometimes, it’s crushed shell and sand tiny coves, sometimes it’s a shingle beach, smooth pebbles, a somewhat larger cove, sometimes it’s sandstone, shelving from exposed smooth rock into deep water….you’d have to travel to Vancouver Island’s west side, to enjoy the long ribbons of wonderful sand, or to parts of the east side of Vancouver Island.

The interesting thing about the Southern Gulf Islands is that they allow for great sailing waters, idling between the various islands, and even extending into the adjacent U.S. San Juans grouping.

With the coves and the mix of beach and deep water foreshore, it allows for docks. Ah…the eternal dream of the mariner…to keep one’s boat at home!

It seems that in the few Paciific Northwest Coast areas that mimic the Florida sweeps of beach, the trade off is beachcombing versus dock/moorage for a boater.

Surfer's Paradise

It’s two kinds of waterfront seekers, always, it seems….those who like to “walk for miles” on a sandy beach and those who want to create a dock/moorage for their yacht, and would prefer that deep water aspect.

And you are what kind of waterfront seeker???