Ganges marina

[nzfisher]

Probably old news for most people. Sitting in Ganges marina as I Write this with no water, no Wi-Fi and a slip bill for $70 per night. Haven’t seen the bathrooms yet not not hopeful (mediocrity runs in herds). I don’t think anybody’s done any upkeep in this place in 10 years? So just a heads up.

Swims with Tuna

 

[glider4]

We were at Ganges Marina 3 weeks ago. It’s in much better shape than it was an decade ago. We’ve stayed there every year for 11 straight years now. There is fresh water at the fuel dock. Showers are quite cramped but functional. The WiFi worked just fine for us. Almost all of the broken or rotting dock planks have been repaired. The slip fingers are no longer super wobbly. The electrical shore power outlets are now much more likely to work. In days past it seemed like half the shore power outlets were nonfunctional. Ganges Marina’s location can’t be beat if you want an easy walk to downtown. At $1.60 USD per foot per night it’s not that expensive. Shore power adds $7.30 USD per night to the bill but we rarely use it - no need. If you need diesel, it’s about $6 USD per gallon which we find typical in BC.
If your expectations are that everyplace should be like Roche you will be disappointed though. If you want a more modern dock go to Saltsprings Marina just 500 yards away. But it’s a much, much longer walk into downtown from Saltsprings and the showers aren’t much better than at Ganges.

 

[SJI Sailor]

We can recommend Saltspring Marina, which was massively updated with new docks, etc. Good restaurant, Moby's, too. The walk into town is a few blocks farther but not unreasonable. Also, Saltspring Marina is closer than the other marina to the large grocery store up the hill, which (if I recall correctly) will also deliver to the marina.

 

[glider4]

Good points SJI Sailor.
We are almost always in Ganges for just one night at a time. Either headed north or south.
We really like Salt Springs Marina when we aren’t there for provisioning. Salt Springs Marina really has a much nicer dock and shore power setup.
But Ganges is almost always our first provisioning stop after entering Canada for cruising to places further north. We need milk, poultry, eggs, vegetables, fruit and wine (and all the other things you can’t cross the boarder with) in Ganges. Ganges Marina is 1/6 mile from the grocery store in town. Staying at Salt Springs Marina adds 2/3 mile round trip to the walk on the shoulder of a busy road for provisioning. We are in our 70’s and that additional 1/3 mile walk back to Salt Springs Marina carrying 20-30 pounds of provisions in direct sun is a pain. You can dinghy from Salt Springs Marina over to the Public Dock but frequently it’s very hard to find a spot to tie the dinghy up at on the Public Dock.
The grocery store almost 2/3 mile away 125 feet UP the hill is a bit bigger than the grocery store in downtown. Salt Springs Marina offers free shuttle service up to that grocery store but the wait times each way can be an hour or more. We know this first hand. Taxis are hard to get as well.
So, if provisioning we recommend Ganges Marina. If you’re not provisioning or are super fit then Salt Springs Marina would be the best bet.

 

[nzfisher]

In response to those who championed Ghanges-second night absolutely no Wi-Fi, water by hauling it in Gerry cans to your boat only when the marina is open and, as predicted, the showers are marginal, not in good shape. Facts are facts. If you want Wi-Fi for the niceties like en weather predictions & tidal info you walk into town to the coffee shop. On the plus side they put in ladders so you can get out of the water if you fall off the dock. Yes, last time I was here we pulled out an older gentleman who was going to drown had we not been near bye. The docks are still at angles and easy to trip over.

 

[Diatom]

Of the two Ganges marinas SSM may be the more distant from town center, but - there's a car & scooter rental joint in the parking lot. Suggest reservations if you're arriving on a summer weekend. https://saltspringcarrental.com/. You can also pull a short-stay at the adjacent government (seaplane) dock; 100' from Thrifty Foods, Mouat's Hardware, Glad's ice cream, 2 banks, couple of breakfast/lunch spots.

Advantage Ganges Marina: Fuel Dock, open daily 10-4 during summer.
Advantage Salt Spring Marina: Built like the proverbial brick *house; water, WiFi, showers, laundry, pub and a rather elegant Relais & Châteaux restaurant/resort (Hastings House) immediately to the north.

/tmm

 

[TA_73]

We are from Vancouver and spend most of our summer in the Southern Gulf Islands. Ganges has always been a favourite stop for us when we need to re-provision or just a night on the town. The old managers Shelley and Ben(?) were great and were really trying to get the marina up to standard. They have left and the new staff doesn’t seem to care at all. The Marina has an absentee owner who also doesn’t seem to care about his investment. Unfortunately the place is rapidly deteriorating, while getting increasingly expensive. We will stay away from Ganges until things improve. Salt Spring Marina is a much better option and just a short dingy ride away from town and the aforementioned amenities.