This summer we're cruising in British Columbia between Vancouver Island and the mainland.  Here's a map of Vancouver Island to give you a better idea of where things are.  Vancouver Island is 290 miles long by 50 miles wide at its widest, and it's biggest city - Victoria - is the capital of British Columbia.  Victoria is about 90 miles as the crow flies from Seattle.

Right now we're in the area circled in blue - the Gulf Islands, and in about a week we'll head across the Strait of Georgia to Desolation Sound (circled in yellow), and then we'll head north to the Broughtons (circled in orange) in later July and August.
It is very beautiful out here, with temperate weather, mountains, and tons of islands to explore.  The tidal range is about 10 feet in the Gulf Islands, so that means a lot of water is moving through some narrow spaces between islands.  There are some places that you can't transit unless the current is slack.
Logging is still a big industry in coastal BC so there are always logs in the water.  Some are quite large and we always have to keep a sharp lookout. 
With so many islands there are two primary means for people to move around - by ferry or by seaplane.  Ferries are everywhere, ranging from the 550' behemoths that run between Vancouver and Victoria or Nanaimo... 

or the much smaller ferries that run among the small islands... more things in the water to keep an eye on!

And just to add to the fun, seaplanes take off and land all over the place, especially in harbors with towns.  We had a thrill watching some take off and land right around us yesterday!

Wildlife is all around us - so far we've seen otters, bald eagles (daily), guillemots (sea birds), and lots of harbor seals like this one, sunning on a rock at low tide.

We are surrounded by mountains, rocks, and very tall pine trees.  When the air is clear and dry we can see snow-capped mountains on the mainland, and the combination of the sea air and pine smells so good.

We're really enjoying hiking, exploring, and learning about our new cruising grounds.