Planning a stag do on the water in Vancouver
A pontoon on Indian Arm gives a stag group a day of swimming, cliffs and waterfalls before the night starts. Sort out the skipper, the food and the timing first.
A boat day makes a strong opener for a stag do. Twelve of you on one pontoon, a cold swim at Twin Islands, a group photo under a waterfall, and the whole evening still ahead of you.
Pick the skipper first
One person drives the boat all day and stays sober all day. Canadian law requires it and our rental agreement holds them to it. Choose someone who already holds a Pleasure Craft Operator Card, or book them in for the Transport Canada checklist at the dock. They need to be 25 or older with photo ID.
Pick a skipper who enjoys driving. A grudging skipper makes for a long day.
Drinks happen on land
BC law only allows open liquor on boats with permanent sleeping, cooking and toilet facilities, and only while they’re anchored or tied up. Our pontoon has none of those, so the cooler holds water, soft drinks and food. Book dinner or the pub for after you return the boat. Book a 4-hour block that ends around 6 pm and you’ll have the whole evening ahead.
A route that works
On a full day, leave from Cates Park/Whey-ah-Wichen, North Vancouver and run north to Twin Islands for the first swim. Carry on to Granite Falls for lunch and the group photo. Come back down the arm and finish with a slow lap of Deep Cove and a doughnut run.
On a half day, keep it to Twin Islands and Deep Cove.
Ideas for the groom
- He takes the first swim. Indian Arm stays cold into July, which is the point.
- Build a group playlist before the day and bring a waterproof speaker.
Bigger groups
The boat takes 12 people including the skipper. For a bigger group, book a morning block and an afternoon block on the same day and swap crews at lunch.
What we ask
Keep everyone seated while the boat is moving, keep the music down near other boats and docks, and bring the boat back on time. Do that and you get your damage deposit back the same afternoon.
Book the boat and pick “Stag do” as the occasion.