A wide, well-protected bay on the west side of South Pender Island, Bedwell Harbour is the busiest Canadian port of entry in the southern Gulf Islands and the doorstep to the popular Beaumont Marine Park anchorage.
Bedwell Harbour is the primary Canada Customs port of entry for vessels arriving from the U.S. San Juan Islands, with the seasonal customs dock (open roughly May through September) tucked alongside the upscale Poets Cove Resort and Marina. Cruisers crossing Boundary Pass clear customs here before settling in for fuel, showers, a restaurant, and Wi-Fi at the resort.
Just inside the harbour on the South Pender shore lies Beaumont Marine Park, part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, offering a fine anchorage plus about 15 mooring buoys set east of Skull Islet. The bottom shoals gently toward the park beach, and most boats anchor in 20 to 40 feet over good-holding ground, tucked in toward shore where the holding is most secure.
The combination of a sheltered, roomy basin, easy shore access to park trails, and full resort services makes Bedwell a civilised and very popular first landfall in Canada.
Approach notes, hazards to watch for, and what's available once you're tied up.
The harbour is entered from the north off Swanson Channel, with the customs and resort docks on the west (Pender) side near the entrance. The fairway is deep and generally clean, but skippers should give Skull Islet and the unmarked reefs surrounding it a wide berth, as the islets and rocks off the Beaumont shore do not offer good anchorage and have caught out the unwary.
Vessels arriving from U.S. waters must report directly to the Canada Customs float before docking or anchoring; contact Poets Cove Marina on VHF 66A. Holding is good once well inside; anchoring close to the park shore is recommended, as positions further out in the basin can be lumpy in a fresh breeze.
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Source: OpenWeather One Call API + WorldTides.
A curated photo + map walkthrough showing approach, mooring options, and points of interest.
A guided walkthrough of Bedwell Harbour with approach photos, depth notes, and points of interest — written by members who have been here recently.
Member-uploaded images of this anchorage.
Real first-hand reports and questions answered by members who have actually been here.
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