Winter Cruising Destination
Vancouver's False Creek
Written by Ian Cook and Susan O'Rourke
Photos by Ian Cook
Vancouver’s False Creek is a well known and popular destination for boaters visiting Vancouver. It is sheltered, the bottom has good holding for an anchor, and there are an endless number of things to do without leaving its periphery. For local boaters who have moorage in some other part of Vancouver, anchoring in False Creek for a weekend can be a relaxed afternoon out, a way to test drive the boat in the spring and then stop for a treat or lunch. In the winter False Creek makes a great weekend away destination — a way to get in a day sail or cruise and then enjoy a change of scene without venturing too far from home.
My partner Ian and I spent a lovely if somewhat chilly late autumn weekend anchored just past the Cambie St. bridge on his trawler. Although I am a frequent visitor to Granville Island, the novelty of hopping in the dinghy to get provisions for dinner was a lot of fun and we enjoyed the lights of the city around us as we warmed up with the diesel heater and cooked a gourmet meal.
Provision in style
Granville Island is a foodie’s paradise. I fell in love with it when I first moved to Vancouver and am still a frequent visitor. On the afternoon that we arrived in False Creek, Ian and I anchored and then rowed his dinghy to the Granville Island dock to buy our groceries and then have a beer at the Backstage Lounge. You can tie a boat to the dock there for a maximum of three hours (no charge) and there is always room for a dinghy
The public market is home to one of the best butchers in Vancouver: Armando’s Fine Quality Meats. Other favourites are The Oyama Sausage Company where you can find a huge assortment of not only sausage but, terrines, pates, cured meats and cheeses. I once had a very complicated recipe for a French cassoulet and was able to find the very particular Toulouse sausage and duck confit that the recipe called for at Oyama‘s. If you feel like cooking up a Thai curry that calls for fresh kaffir leaves and galangal you will find everything you need, including recipes and great advice at the South China Seas Trading Company. Terra Breads is of course amazing - Ian’s favourite is the focaccia with apple, sesame, thyme, and caramel.. (I like making grilled cheese sandwiches with Terra’s walnut bread and extra old cheddar.) And of course there is Dusa’s for spices and Zara’s for every kind of fresh pasta and sauce imaginable and add to this fresh seafood and fruit and vegetable stalls and you will be cooking up a gourmet feast on the boat in no time. You can buy wine to accompany dinner across from the market building at Liberty Wine Merchants at the NetLoft building and beer brewed on the island at Granville Island Brewing Company a few hundred metres south from the market building.
If dining out seems more appealing, there are dozens of options. For more formal fare try upstairs at Bridges, the Keg Steakhouse and Bar, the Dockside Restaurant (at the Granville Island Hotel) or the Sandbar restaurant. More casual spots include pub fare at the Backstage Lounge at the Arts Club, Bridges pub (ground-level), and Cat’s Social House. For a quick meal there are also great choices in the food court at the public market.
A winter morning is a great time to visit some of the local galleries and artisan shops when tourism is at a low point. There is amazing pottery, jewelry, wood work, glass blowing, and hand-made textile production. Or you may want to take in a play at the Arts Club or listen to a band in the Backstage lounge before taking your dinghy back to your boat.
And there is more to do in False Creek than visit Granville Island. If you head inland along False Creek, just before the Cambie Street Bridge, you will arrive at a small dock beside the pilings of Monk McQueen's Restaurant. While often quite crowded, you can usually find a place to secure the dinghy on the side of the dock underneath the restaurant. The other side must be left clear for the Aquabus and False Creek Ferries. Once on the dock, you will find a self-registration kiosk for anchored boats. If you missed registering at the False Creek Yacht Club (see about anchoring permission later in this article), you can register here. At the top of the ramp there are three separate establishments where you can eat and drink.
At Monk McQueen's, on the main floor, is Monk's Oyster Bar and Patio, while upstairs is the more formal McQueen's Upstairs. Right next to this is the Wicklow Public House with good pub grub, an outdoor patio, and lots of TVs for following sports events.
At the head of False Creek is the Telus World of Science. This is housed in a geodesic dome, one of two buildings that remain from Expo '86. There is an Omnimax theatre here as well as numerous hands-on displays that will fascinate adults and children alike.
From here, as you travel along the north side of False Creek, you will first pass the Edgewater Casino, housed in the other remaining Expo '86 building. A short distance from this is the Quayside Marina. You can leave your dinghy here for free for one hour, but let them know you've done so. At the top of the ramp is a roundabout with the remains of a railroad turntable. In fact it was here that the first train rolled into Vancouver in 1887, and the engine that pulled it is on display at the nearby Roundhouse Community Centre. Right across the street from the marina is the Provence Marinaside Restaurant specializing in French fare. A block along, still opposite the marina is Bojangles Cafe.
You are now in trendy Yaletown. Everything close to the water is brand new, having been built on reclaimed railway yards. A block up, though, is the older section, comprised mainly of converted warehouses which now have offices and apartments upstairs with stores and restaurants below. Along both Mainland and Hamilton Streets is a great selection of boutiques and restaurants.
Your dinghy can be a perfect way to get around False Creek, but in some places you might have to pull it up on a rocky beach. If you'd like to avoid this, there are two ferry services that stop at all the interesting spots. Probably the best place to leave the dinghy is at Stamps Landing (underneath Monk McQueens), and take the ferry from there. However you get around, you will find no lack of things to do while visiting False Creek.
Getting There
If you approach Vancouver from the south around the heights of Point Grey and then head towards False Creek, you must remain well away from the south shore of English Bay. There are three red navigation beacons in line parallel to the shore to keep boats from running aground, but there appears to be plenty of water between these beacons and shore.
In fact, this water can be very shallow, with much of it drying at a low tide. As you get closer in, the forests of Stanley Park next to the highrises of downtown will be to port, while Kitsilano Beach, the Vancouver Maritime Museum, and Kitsilano Point will be to starboard as the waterway begins to narrow before passing under the Burrard Street bridge. Do slow down through here. Otherwise your wake will be very disturbing to the smaller vessels that use this waterway, and also there can be a lot of traffic and a slower speed will give time to avoid collisions.
Anchoring
After passing under the Burrard and Granville Bridges, the waterway curves to port and it is here where you will find the first anchorage on the south side of the creek. Remember not to anchor too far out as tugs and barges come through here. A second option for anchoring is at the very head of False Creek by Science World, an unmistakable geodesic dome. To get here, you must pass under a third bridge, the Cambie Street Bridge. The minimum height above the water here is 13 metres -- usually not a problem for a powerboat, but there are marks on the bridge from sailboat masts.
Note that False Creek has implemented new anchoring restrictions after some issues with boats overstaying their welcome and subsequently leaving little room for transient boaters. Today, boats that overstay their welcome are towed. As of August 1, 2006 boaters can anchor for a maximum of 14 days out of 30 during the high season (April 1 to September 30) and 21 days out of 40 during the rest of the year. Those who want to do so simply register at the Boaters Welcome Centre at the False Creek Yacht Club (under the Granville Street Bridge), and then go in and drop the hook.
Anchoring in False Creek is a unique experience. There is the peace of being at anchor with a protective moat around you, yet you are very close to the bedlam of the big city. You can hear sirens and see buses on the bridges, and even rage-induced horns can be heard at times, but you are completely separate from it all. It is kind of like being in a three-dimensional movie where you can see and hear everything yet it can't touch you.
Moorage
Moorage is also available in the creek. The Burrard Civic Marina (604-733-5833), under the Burrard Bridge, offers transient moorage if a resident has vacated, as does the False Creek Yacht Club (604-682-3292). The high end Quayside Marina (604-681-9115 or 66A) on the north side of False Creek recommends one to two weeks notice, but usually has room for boats under 100 feet even on shorter notice.