The coastline of British Columbia is spectacularly beautiful - indented with small coves and long, deep fjords to form a rugged and beckoning landscape. Although the coast faces the stormy Pacific Ocean, the massive bulk of Vancouver Island and a chain of smaller islands stretching north to Alaska shelter it.
One of the best and least expensive ways to explore this area is with British Columbia's coastal ferry system.
For more than 40 years, BC Ferries has provided vital year-round transportation between Canada's many west coast communities, including the 1-1/2 hour ferry ride between  Vancouver on the mainland, and the Provincial capital of Victoria on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. With 40 vehicle and passenger carrying vessels, BC Ferries serves up to 47 ports of call, most of them on a regular, year-round basis. And their fares are surprisingly low.
You can drive aboard these ferries with your car, pick-up, trailer, RV, motorhome or motorcycle - any highway-legal vehicle in fact. Or you can walk on as a foot passenger. Many of the ferries also carry charter and regularly scheduled intercity buses.
The ferries range in size from 560'-long giants carrying up to 470 cars and 2100 people, to smaller inter-island ships of 16-car capacity. The larger vessels offer a multitude of onboard services including an elevator and/or escalators from car decks to the passenger decks; buffet/cafeteria for hearty seafaring appetites and a snack bar for lighter meals; a gift shop; a baby-changing room, children's play area and video games arcade; ship-to-shore phones; view lounges with huge picture windows; open decks for a refreshing stroll and solariums for brisker days. Brochures, schedules and attractive information packages are regularly updated and are available from BC Ferries or its agents, as well as on-line at www.bcferries.com. Here are some suggested routes to take:

Vancouver to Victoria or Nanaimo
In summer, Victoria, at the southern end of Vancouver Island, is linked with Vancouver by hourly ferries (every two hours in the fall and winter months). They sail between Tsawwassen, 37 kilometres south of Vancouver, and Swartz Bay, 32 kilometres north of Victoria.  Ferries on this route start their 1-1/2 hour crossings at 7am and run until 9pm (10pm during the August  peak). 
Victoria is a delightful blend of the past and present. It was a former colonial outpost of the Old British Empire and this heritage is evident in the Legislative buildings and the Empress Hotel where afternoon tea is still served as a ritual, with scones, cakes and fresh preserves. The picturesque streets of the old town are a shopper's delight, and hanging flower baskets remind you that Victoria is known as the Garden City.
Other routes between Vancouver and Vancouver Island include the Horseshoe Bay-Nanaimo crossing, and BC Ferries' MID-ISLAND EXPRESS between Tsawwassen and Duke Point, just south of Nanaimo.  Both routes operate at least 8 sailings each way, every day, from early in the morning until late at night.
Internationally famed for its annual bathtub race in July, Nanaimo is the starting point to explore the wild windswept beauty of the West Coast of Vancouver Island, or the many sheltered resort beaches of the east coast. The salmon fishing and provincial parklands of this area and those northwards to the top end of the Island are legendary.

Gulf Islands
The Gulf Islands is a group of Canadian islands between Vancouver and Victoria. From both Vancouver (Tsawwassen) and Victoria (Swartz Bay), vehicle ferries regularly sail to these charming destinations, each of which features a unique combination of attractions and personality. A delightful day can be spent on a scenic roundtrip to these islands from Swartz Bay.

The Sunshine Circle Tour
North of Vancouver is the fjord area of the Sunshine Coast. From Horseshoe Bay, 21 kilometres north of downtown Vancouver, a 40-minute ferry ride takes you and your vehicle to Langdale terminal. The roads wind gently through Gibsons and Sechelt, 87 kilometres to Earls Cove. From here another ferry crosses in 50 minutes to Saltery Bay and the clear, perfect diving waters of the upper Sunshine Coast and Powell River. Lund, 32 kilometres farther, is the end of highway, so from Powell River take the 75-minute ferry crossing to Little River (Comox) on Vancouver Island. Comox is just 114 kilometres north of Nanaimo, where you'll catch the ferry back to Vancouver and complete your Sunshine Circle Tour.
This tour includes lots of opportunities to hike or camp in Provincial parks or take fishing charters for some of the world's best salmon fishing. The roads are excellent and the lodgings plentiful.

The Discovery Coast Passage
Your adventure begins the moment you drive aboard. As we sail between Port Hardy and Bella Coola, you'll observe the solitude of sheltered inlets, surrounded by tranquil islands and fjords, where eagles soar, dolphins play and whales surface and plunge. Our mid-coast ports are fascinating destinations in themselves, or great stops along a Circle Tour encompassing Vancouver Island, the Coast-Chilcotin-Cariboo, Whistler Village and the City of Vancouver.
The Queen of Chilliwack sails this fascinating route, and features a cafeteria, a gift shop, a licensed lounge, reclining seats, showers and a lively and sociable travelling atmosphere.

The Inside Passage
Port Hardy, at the northern end of Vancouver Island, a 500 kilometre (8-hour) drive from Victoria, is the southern terminus for BC Ferries year-round Inside Passage service. During the summer, the 410 foot-long vehicle ferry liner Queen of the North sails this 15-hour route every day - one day to Prince Rupert, next day back to Port Hardy, and so on. A breakfast-time departure at 7:30 am. means that the journey takes place almost entirely in summer daylight. Passengers taking the 2-day round trip can reserve an cabin.
The Inside Passage route travels through wild, exciting and largely undeveloped territory - an incredible adventure. Look for eagles, seals, porpoises, salmon and even killer whales. The buffet and cafeteria lounges aboard Queen of the North, along with the vessel's other view lounges, have recently been refurbished, which means the travel experience will be better than ever this year. Other amenities include recliner arm chairs; cocktail lounge and dance floor; parents baby-changing room; a play area just for children; a video games arcade and video movies; a gift shop; ship-to-shore telephones; and an elevator from the car deck to the main decks.

Reservations and Information

Reservations are required for BC Ferries' Inside Passage route between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert. (If you're planning to head further north, please note that reservations on the Alaska Marine Highway must be made separately with that ferry system.) Vehicle reservations are also required for travel on the Prince Rupert-Queen Charlotte Islands and Port Hardy-Bella Coola routes.  On the Vancouver-Gulf Islands service, reservations are strongly recommended.
On the major routes between Vancouver and Vancouver Island, reservations are a convenient option. 
To book passage, or for schedules, fares and additional information on any routes in the BC Ferries system, log onto the Web site at www.bcferries.com. 
You can also contact BC Ferries by phone.  It's a local call in Victoria, 386-3431. Anywhere else in BC it is toll free at 1-888-BC FERRY (223-3779). From outside the province call (250) 386-3431. Recorded information is available 24 hours a day, and Passenger Service Agents are there to help you everyday from 7am to 10pm.
Or write to: BC Ferries, Dept. SC-01, 1112 Fort Street, Victoria, BC, Canada, V8V 4V2. The fax number is 250-381-5452.