A Beer Tasting Tour With a Twist
With a respected brewing historian as your guide, you’ll learn about the tasting, food pairing, brewing techniques of 50 top BC craft beers, as well as fascinating social history of the past 150 years in brewing here.
Aboard the classic tugboat Swell, you’ll cruise the southern Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island region of British Columbia, Canada, going ashore frequently for tastings, nature walks and wildlife viewing. You’ll get a sense of how BC’s large-scale nature is reflected in the culture of the place and even in the region’s beer.
- This combination beer tour, cultural history adventure and small ship cruise explores BC’s rich and colourful craft brewing scene—a hotbed of the renaissance in North American brewing.
Availability is always subject to confirmation. Please check with us before booking flights
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Prices quoted here are often dependent on currency fluctuations. Please check with (01432 507450 or info@small-cruise-ships.com) for the very latest price, which may well be cheaper than the one advertised here.
Day 1: Kick off this beer tasting tour with a sample of tasters and lecture with B.C. micro-brew “elder” Paul Hadfield. Cruising the southern Gulf Islands. Introduction to world of beers, brewing history. Seabird viewing from ship. Anchorage: Russell Island
Day 2: Morning shore walk on Russell Island, exploring the nature of the islands and their varied history. Cruising through Gulf Islands and Samsun Narrows. Cruising to Nanaimo. Nanaimo History. Continue this beer tasting tour by enjoying a pairing of food and beer. Private brewery tour and tasting at Longwood Brew Pub. Anchorage: Protection Island
Day 3: Mid-Vancouver Island’s Brew History & Off the Beaten Track: Wildlife and Secret Islets. Pubs, saloons and prohibition. Continue the beer tasting tour at Wolf Brewery for tastings in the Nanaimo area. Cruising, wildlife viewing and exploration at Galiano Island, Polier Pass, Mayne Island. Includes wildlife viewing, cruising, shore walks, optional kayaking at the outer islands.
Day 4: Scenic al fresco picnic and beer tasting at Saturna Island. Cruising Boundary Pass, with possible wildlife viewing. Gulf Islands Brewery beer tasting tour. Dinner aboard with Salt Spring Island feast. Anchorage: Salt Spring Island.
Day 5: Breakfast and farewell preparations. Disembark, noon, at Sidney.
Itineraries are subject to change.
Swell
Vessel Type: Converted Tug
Passenger Capacity: 12
Length: 88 feet / 26.8 meters
Swell is an 88-foot converted coastal tug refitted to deliver a warm, character-rich expedition experience. Her solid timber construction, classic lines and thoughtful interior upgrades create an atmosphere of authenticity paired with comfort. With just 12 guests across six private cabins, the ship offers an intimate environment supported by a small, expert crew. Spaces such as the wood-panelled salon, panoramic wheelhouse, covered aft deck lounges, and upper-deck viewing areas provide calm, inviting places to relax between shore excursions. Daily life revolves around well-crafted meals from the galley, quiet moments in the hot tub, wildlife watching from the bow and easy access to the coastline via Zodiacs and kayaks.
Her compact size and rugged build allow her to reach locations inaccessible to larger vessels, giving guests close contact with coastal ecosystems, remote anchorages and wildlife-rich shorelines. Purpose-designed expedition tools—including two rigid-hull inflatables, four clear-bottom kayaks, fishing gear and a hydrophone—support a wide range of activities. Cabins vary from generous suites to efficient, well-designed smaller rooms, all with private ensuites and exterior doors for direct connection to the outdoors. The result is a boutique expedition platform that blends maritime heritage with practical comfort, delivering a human-scale, highly immersive coastal cruising experience.
