On any given day, the waters around Oak Bay are sprinkled with sailboats, and provide some of the best sailing in the world.

Oak Bay is home to both the Oak Bay Marina and the Royal Victoria Yacht Club (founded in 1892, it's the oldest Yacht club in Western Canada), and sailing has a long and important history with the community.  In addition to moorings, there are several anchorages in and around Oak Bay.  Within an easy half-day sail, both the Gulf Islands and San Juan Islands (USA) provide exceptional sheltered sailing. Oak Bay also provides a convenient base to commence longer adventures either to the west coast of Vancouver Island, the sheltered  inside waterways of British Columbia, or south into Puget Sound (USA).

Sailing Programs

Local sailing programs are conducted each year by Oak Bay Recreation.

Held in the spring, summer and fall at the Oak Bay Marina and on the waters in Oak Bay, the comprehensive CANSail Program (levels one to three) covers safety, seamanship, boat handling and more.

The Oak Bay Power and Sail Squadron and Royal Victoria Yacht Club also provides some local courses on responsible boat handling.