Yacht charter and Boat rental in Canada

On Boataround, the Canadian charter fleet splits between two very different settings: Ontario, built almost entirely around canal boats on the Rideau Canal, holds a narrow majority of the national fleet, with British Columbia's Pacific coast sailing and motor yacht charters close behind. Sailing yachts and motor yachts make up most of the British Columbia side, while canal boats account for effectively the whole Ontario fleet.

Why Charter in Canada

The two regions sail nothing alike. British Columbia's boats cruise the Salish Sea, the sheltered but current-heavy stretch of water between Vancouver Island and the mainland, where the Gulf Islands - Galiano, Mayne, Pender, Salt Spring and Saturna among them - offer short hops between anchorages but demand attention to tide tables and tidal rapids. Ontario's boats instead follow the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007 and the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America, running 202 km between Ottawa and Kingston through 46 locks still operated by Parks Canada.

When to Go

• June to October: the main charter season in both regions, matching the months the Rideau Canal's locks are staffed by Parks Canada (May to October).
• British Columbia's Gulf Islands are calmest through summer, though tide tables and tidal rapids need attention in any season.
• A one-week Rideau Canal cruise out of Smiths Falls typically reaches as far as Seeley's Bay to the south and back within a single trip.

Charter Options: Skippered, Bareboat and No Licence

Canada requires a Pleasure Craft Operator Card to operate a powered pleasure craft, but rental companies are exempt from that requirement: renters instead complete a dockside safety checklist provided by the charter company, which stands in as proof of competency for the length of the rental. This is why most of the Canadian fleet on Boataround, above all the Ontario canal boats, is chartered bareboat and listed as needing no separate licence, while British Columbia's sailing and motor yachts more often go out with a skipper.

Types of Boats in Canada

Canal boat rental Canada

The largest single boat type in the fleet, in practice the entire Ontario side, built for slow cruising through the Rideau Canal's lock system rather than open-water sailing.

Sailing yacht rental Canada

The largest type on the British Columbia side, suited to the Gulf Islands' short hops between anchorages.

Motor yacht rental Canada

The second-largest type in British Columbia, mostly chartered with a skipper for the Salish Sea.

Where to Sail in Canada

Yacht charter British Columbia

Just under half the Canadian fleet. Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island, is the main base, putting boats within reach of the Gulf Islands across the Salish Sea.

Boat rental Ontario

A narrow majority of the fleet, entirely canal boats based at Smiths Falls on the Rideau Canal, with cruises running as far as Seeley's Bay to the south or Merrickville to the north.

Yacht charter and Boat rental in Canada

Charter a yacht and explore Canada! Prices start from 147 € per day. Choose from the largest selection of houseboats, sailboats, motor yachts and catamarans.

Popular regions are Ontario and British Columbia.