Route Services
- BC Ferries operates a scheduled ferry service from Chemainus on Vancouver Island to Thetis Island and Penelakut Island (formerly Kuper Island) in the Southern Gulf Islands.
- Vehicles and Passengers
- Distance and Sailing Times:
25 minutes between Chemainus and Thetis Island (4 nautical miles)
15 minutes between Thetis Island and Penelakut Island (1.7 nautical miles)
25 minutes between Penelakut Island and Chemainus (4 nautical miles) - Sailings: Minimum 10 daily round-trip circular sailings between Chemainus, Thetis Island and Penelakut Island.
- Ticket sales and loading end 3 minutes before the scheduled sailing time for vehicles and 5 minutes before the scheduled sailing time for walk-on passengers.
- Reservations are not available for this ferry route
- Ferry tickets are sold on a return-trip basis in Chemainus.
Community Information
Click on the map to view a large scale map of the BC Gulf Islands Ferry Routes, or view BC Ferries’ map of Ferry Routes in BC (PDF format). Make vehicle reservations and check current ferry schedules, ferry fares, capacity conditions at major ferry terminals, and the departure and arrival status of current sailings directly on the BC Ferries website.
BC Ferries Schedule for this Route
Penelakut Island (Kuper Island) is home to the Penelakut First Nations Tribe, and is not generally open to the public. Visits are by invitation from the Penelakut Band Council.
Island Hopping
Travelling between the Southern Gulf Islands and Northern Gulf Islands can be accomplished in small hops. Each of these islands is a world unto itself, each with its own history, culture and colourful characters – each island deserves at least a day or two for exploring.
