Birds of a Feather Marine Services
Gulf Islands Private Boat Charters & Tours & Marine Transportation
West Coast Marine Adventures
Private Marine Tours
Choose one of our private boat tours, or tweak one to build one of your own. If you're not sure choose our Signature Captain's Tour to experience the Gulf Islands like a local. Depart from Sidney (25 mins north of Victoria) at 11:00 am and are typically out on the ocean for 5 to 6 hours. There is no set agenda but to enjoy the beauty of the Gulf Islands and the San Juans.
Custom Private Charters
We are based in Sidney, BC (25 mins north of Victoria) and offer commercial Marine Transportation throughout the southern Gulf Islands. Our clients have included National Geographic, Alex Thomson & Hugo Boss, and government agencies such as DFO for research. Plan your own day. Island weddings, nature photography, island hopping, shuttle water taxi.
Axopar Adventure Boat
Our 28’ Axopar Cross Cabin offers outdoor seating and also comfortable car like interior seating in the heated cabin with sunroof ideal for all ages.The Axopar’s wave piercing bow, & the unique stepped hull offers a smooth and comfortable ride; perfect for mitigating sea-sickness. It also has running water, a toilet and a refrigerated ice box.
What We Do
Private Boat Tours & Custom Charters out of Sidney in Greater Victoria, BC
Offering bespoke boat tours, charters, excursions, and water transportation in the southern Gulf Islands. We are based in Sidney (near the Swartz Bay ferry terminal and Victoria international airport) on Vancouver Island servicing the southern Gulf Islands, and the San Juans. We have created a few popular tours for you which we can modify to your preferences, or simply help you create your very own custom tour. Set your own course. Plan your own day. Boat, Captain and crew are yours to command.
We do offer a private whale watching tour but this is not the focus of our services. That said on every tour we network with the whale watching boats and stay alert for nearby whale sightings in case the opportunity to see Orca killer whales, Greys, Humpbacks, or Minkes arises. Alternatively, public scheduled whale watching tours are found here
Birds of a Feather Marine has an Axopar 28 Adventure boat with heated cabin, plus comfortable forward and aft outdoor seating areas. The Axopar has a unique stepped hull and wave piercing bow ensuring a smooth and safe ride also mitigating concerns of sea sickness.
Looking for an alternative to schedules and crowds, or just want to do something different? Tell us what you like; boat and crew are yours to make it so. Want to experience our backyard like a local? Ask for the Captain’s Tour and “hang out with us for a “friends and family” experience with the locals.
Private custom boat tours and charters we’ve done include: sightseeing island coastline cruising, visiting Gulf Island wineries and cheese factory, island markets, historic lighthouses, island wedding guest cruises and water taxi shuttle, beach picnics, private functions, Saturna Island Lamb roast, nature, wildlife & Swiftsure photography, filming documentaries for National Geographic, scattering ashes, on location science & research boat for private and government agencies, and trips to Race Rocks Marine Park.
Perhaps our most memorable gig was in Vancouver shuttling Alex Thomson, crew, media and Hugo Boss executives to and from their IMOCA 60 racing yacht HUGO BOSS built for the Vendée Globe while it was under sail.
We’re a small family run business offering personal service with local knowledge.
Our most Popular Tours
We're Excited To Have You On Board
Click any of the photos below for more details
Every Saturday we offer a 4 to 5 hour private round trip from Sidney to Ganges where you'll find the famous Salt Spring Island Saturday Market. Our return trip route is different to allow you to take in more scenic views
Several Day Trip (5 - 6 hour) tours to choose from. Our Captain's Tour is our signature "friends & family" tour. Experience the southern Gulf Islands like a local with stops on several islands. Customize your excursion if you wish. It's your day!
There are numerous sandy beaches in the southern Gulf Islands. Ideal for exploring, perhaps a picnic, or just rafting amongst the other boats at anchor. There are also numerous island hiking trails, some of which are only accessible from the water.
Enjoy a 4 to 5 hour historic lighthouse tour of Fisgard (oldest on the west coast), Discovery & Trial islands, Active Pass on Saturna, Turn Point on Stuart Island in the San Juans. Race Rocks can be added with a fuel & time surcharge.
Typically we sail out of the marina in Sidney for about 20 minutes towards the area between and just beyond Sidney and Moresby Islands towards the Canada / USA border. Other custom locations can be arranged with an additional time & fuel surcharge.
Our water taxi marine shuttle services are custom scheduled exclusively for private transportation to any of the southern Gulf Islands including some of the lesser known smaller islands where we can secure dock, or beach landing access.
Orcas, Minke, and Humpback whales. This tour is completely private and can be custom scheduled to accommodate your preferences. We can also stop along the way for lunch, or dinner. Public scheduled less expensive whale tours are also available.
Private Tour. First stop Ganges from where you would take a 10 minute cab ride to Salt Spring Vineyards Winery, then Salt Spring Island artisan goat cheese. Then to Saturna at Sage Hayward Vineyards, or Sea Star Vineyards & Winery on Pender.
Have Any Questions?
We're looking forward to hearing from you, Contact us today to make an inquiry!
Why Choose us
Come experience the Gulf Islands this summer like a LOCAL
Our marine services are an extension of our warm hospitality we also extend to our guests at Birds of a Feather Oceanfront B&B; #1 on TripAdvisor. Come and experience our “backyard” – the Salish Sea!
You have complete control over your itinerary without being constrained by the fixed schedules and routes of typical tour operators. Your boat, captain, and crew are exclusively yours to command, allowing you to spontaneously extend your time at favorite locations or change course to explore unexpected opportunities that arise
Authentic insider's experience of the region that mass-market tours cannot replicate with their scripted presentations. Our deep local knowledge and "friends and family" approach creates intimate, personalized experiences where you're treated as a guest rather than a customer, resulting in more meaningful connections to the places you visit
Our Axopar 28 Cross Cabin has a wave piercing bow, and a smooth riding stepped hull for comfort, and minimal chance of sea sickness. Designed with passenger comfort as a priority, featuring a heated cabin and the ability to freely move around during the journey unlike standard tour boats where passengers are confined to assigned seats. Axopars are built for Adventure
We offer an impressive diversity of specialized experiences from historical lighthouse tours to island winery visits that go far beyond standard sightseeing packages. Our long-range cruising comfort & capacity capability enables us to access remote locations and provide unique experiences that most competitors simply cannot offer due to vessel limitations or operational constraints
Destinations
Treat yourself to the ultimate adventure experience on a private adventure boat
Check out some of the more popular Gulf Islands destinations that you will see on our tours
FAQ
Most Popular Questions
Boat Tour:
Our boat tours are pre-planned, private experience where you purchase a specific itinerary. The route, time, and activities are set by us, however, every private tour can be modified to make it bespoke for youBoat Charter:
Our boat charters are more customizable, and can be anything you need it to be. Customize one of our tours to suit your preferences, or come up with your own. You typically rent the whole boat with a captain for yourself, your friends, or your group. You choose where you want to go, how long you want to stay out, and what you want to do.
Our boat is safe and comfortable for all ages. Our indoor seating is ideal for seniors and children.
We use an Axopar 28 Cross Cabin, which features a heated cabin, toilet facilities, and comfortable car-like seating ideal for all ages.
Our Axopar 28 is a cross cabin meaning a blend of indoor and outdoor seating and viewing areas. We recommends layered clothing, long pants, flat-soled shoes like running shoes for good grip, sunglasses, and optional gloves and head covering. Of course we provide life jackets in all sizes.
$500 prepaid non-refundable Deposit. Balance due 20 day's before trip, or deposit is lost. If we cancel due to unsafe marine conditions you will receive a complete refund. We will not cancel just because of rain, but you can also reschedule due to inclement weather without extra charge subject to availability. Payment policy applies to original date; not rescheduled date.
There is always bottled water, however, we do not serve food or other beverages. We have an ice box and you are welcome to bring your own. We also typically stop over on one or two of the islands along the way where you can snack, or enjoy excellent lunches / dinners.
The costs will range from $265 / hour capped at an $1,100 day rate based on 2 persons. The one exception is private whale watching tours which are more expensive (fuel)
We are based in Sidney near the BC Swartz Bay ferry terminal approximately 30 minutes north of downtown Victoria. We can also pick you up from anywhere within 2 hours of Sidney; fuel surcharge will be quoted.
10 - with indoor seating for up to 4 passengers, and additional outdoor seating for another 6 passengers. For longer day trips we reccomend a limit of 8 for most comfort, however, this can increase when some of the passengers are smaller; children
Sorry our boat does not have the ability to accept passengers reliant on wheelchairs, crutches, or any other significant mobility issue
Contact Information
Tsehum Rd, Sidney, BC V8L 2P6
birdsofafeathermarine@gmail.com
+1-250-858-7308
Send us a message
If you have questions before you book please reach out to us.