Introduction
The Harbour Authority of Salt Spring Island is currently responsible for the management of eight facilities on Salt Spring Island. The facilities are all multi-use; commercial fishers, other commercial users, and recreational boaters benefit from these harbours. The facilities are at Ganges Centennial Wharf, Ganges Breakwater Float (which also includes the Wharfhead where the Coast Guard building is located), Ganges Kanaka Wharf, Vesuvius Bay, Fulford Inner Harbour, Fulford Outer Harbour, Burgoyne Bay, and Musgrave Landing.
Ganges Centennial Harbour
(48 51.2 N 123 29.8W)
Ganges Centennial Harbour is the largest of the Harbour Authority facilities. This facility is primarily used by fishing, commercial, and recreational vessels whose homeport is Ganges and have permanent mooring contracts. There is no transient tourist traffic throughout the year without prior approval from staff.
The harbour consists of an entrance channel and a protected mooring basin consisting of a main header float and three wing floats, a pedestrian approach trestle, a launching ramp and a parking area. The harbour is protected to the east by a 150m-rubble mound breakwater. Services at this facility include potable water, Wi-Fi, 30-amp shore-power, lighting, garbage disposal, waste oil disposal and shower, washroom facilities and a boat launching ramp.
The harbour is located in waterlot 474, Cowichan District. Access to the floats is from a 10.7m long by 6m wide wharfhead with timber trestle and asphalt surface. The gangway is 11m long and 1.2 m wide and has a rubber non-skid cover over a steel mesh grid. The main header and wing floats are of treated timber, pontoons and a total of 335m in length. These floats are 2.74m wide. The north side of the header float has 8 finger floats, which are 3.7m long and 0.6m wide. The western most side of the west wing float has 7 finger floats, which are 10rn long and l.3m wide
Ganges Coast Guard Wharfhead & Breakwater Float
(48 51.2 N 123 29.9W)
The Ganges Coast Guard Wharfhead is a former Department of Transport facility. The Harbour Authority of Salt Spring Island assumed management of this facility on May 1, 1998. This facility includes a portion of waterlot 348, Cowichan District; a 93 square metre building located on an asphalt covered wharfhead and vehicle approach (which is 30.4m by 27.4m); a stiff leg steel derrick with a manual winch; a hydraulic crane and a Coast Guard storage container. This facility is solely used by commercial users. The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) has the building (red roof, white sides), two vehicle parking stalls and has two reserved slips on the floats. General parking is not permitted on the Wharfhead.
A floating Breakwater Float is accessed via a steel gangway with wooden planking and steel mesh. The main header float is used by commercial vessels for loading and offloading materials, such as construction materials or supplies for the commercial fishing fleet. The float is also be used by transient, large vessels such as licensed tour boats or commercial fishing vessels. There is no monthly moorage available at the Breakwater Float without special Board authorization. There are five smaller finger floats off of the header float of varying lengths. The outer two finger floats are reserved for float plane use only and the inner most finger float is reserved for RCMP and Coast Guard vessel moorage. Restricted/Reserved areas are painted yellow.
Services at this facility include potable water, Wi-Fi, 30-amp shore-power (center finger float only), lighting, and access to the garbage disposal, waste oil disposal and shower, washroom facilities and a boat launching ramp services at Centennial.
Ganges Kanaka Harbour
(48 51.25N 123 29.95W)
The harbour is located in waterlot 348, Cowichan District. Access to the floats is from a 13.8m long by 3m wide wharfhead with timber trestle. The gangway is 11m long and 1.2 m wide and has a rubber non-skid cover over a steel mesh grid. The gangway lands on the first finger float whose western portion is reserved for the local Water Taxi Company which holds the School Board Contract. There is a main header float 49m long with three finger floats of 48 m in length. The eastern portion of the first finger float, 10.6 m is available for transient moorage. This facility is used primarily for daily transient vessels during 1 May – 30 Sep. In the winter season, 1 Oct – 30 Apr, there is some longer term moorage that might be available with a waiting list. Even in the winter, the south side is left open for daily transient moorage.
Services at this facility include potable water, Wi-Fi, 30-amp shore-power plug, lighting, and access to the garbage disposal, waste oil disposal and shower, washroom facilities and a boat launching ramp services at Centennial.