Tsawwassen's Anne Vipond and William Kelly recently released the second edition of their Best Anchorages of the Inside Passage guidebook.
One of the updates the husband and wife team, which has been cruising the Inside Passage for 30 years together, made for the new edition is the inclusion of Fitz Hugh Sound.
"It's a stunning area to go to, great beaches, great anchorages," says Kelly.
It's probably the premier boating destination on the coast right now, he says, because of the wildlife, including humpback whales. "Every day you'll see two or three humpbacks breeching or feeding."
The remote destination is north of Port Hardy.
"You need a good stretch of time to get up there," says Vipond.
They first visited the area in the early 1990s on their way to Alaska.
The area has hundreds of islands and several dozen beautiful anchorages, a press release for the book notes.
"Perhaps one of the most stunning is Fury Island which is surrounded by a beautiful white sand and shell beach with clear views out to the open Pacific Ocean," the release states.
Vipond and Kelly started out as freelance writers, submitting articles to Pacific Yachting and other boating magazines before getting into the book publishing business.
One of their books, Alaska By Cruise Ship, has sold a quarter of a million copies, Kelly says.
The first edition of Best Anchorages of the Inside Passage was released in 2006. The expanded second edition is described as "a comprehensive selection of boating destinations on the South and Central Coast of British Columbia" with some being well known while others are secluded getaways.
The book covers over 250 anchorages, with tips on getting through the passes.
The book, which has a retail price of $39.95, is available at local bookstores like Black Bond Books in Ladner, Kelly notes.
Visit www.oceancruiseguides.com for more on Best Anchorages of the Inside Passage and other guides.
