👨‍✈️ Meet Your Guide: Captain Dieter

Local Expertise. Lifelong Passion. Unforgettable Adventures.

Private Boat Tours in Victoria BC

Hello! I’m Captain Dieter, a Victoria local since 1997. My lifelong love for the outdoors began at age 12 on my aunt and uncle’s island in Île Perrot, Quebec. Summers were spent exploring Lake St. Louis in a small aluminum boat. The only rule? Be home by supper. I felt like Tom Sawyer on water.


⚙️ Always Up for Adventure

My love for the sea is matched only by my passion for exploration. I’ve never been one to stay still:

🛵 Motorcycle touring coastal roads
🛩️ Sailplane gliding over the landscape
🐎 Horseback riding in the countryside
🚙 4×4 backcountry off-roading for the bold

This adventurous spirit defines every private charter I lead, whether you’re chasing wildlife or hidden coves around the Gulf Islands.


🚜 From Farmland to the Ocean

Growing up on a farm in Ontario gave me practical skills—but boating wasn’t one of them. In 1985, I bought my first boat, a 25’ wooden Sheppard, and that kicked off decades of exploring Canada’s waterways aboard vessels like:

🚤 Carver
🚤 Bayliner
🚤 Wellcraft
🚤 Baja


⚓ West Coast Waters

When I moved to Victoria in 1997, I began testing boats for West Coast adventures:

🛶 Boston Whaler – great boat, not ocean-ready
🚤 32’ Uniflite Cabin Cruiser (Emily Autumn) – luxurious, but fuel-thirsty

By 1999, I settled on a 17’ Zodiac Yachtline and started taking B&B guests out for unforgettable private boat tours in Victoria BC and beyond.


🚀 Turning Passion into a Business

In 2008, I upgraded to a Zodiac Medline III—the largest and most luxurious Zodiac in the region:

✅ Spacious and stable
🧵 Refurbished in 2022 with new upholstery and tubes
🌞 Custom-built T-top for shade

What began as a hobby evolved into one of Victoria’s most unique offerings: private marine charters for couples, families, and adventurers alike.


🧊 New Chapter: Axopar 28 Cross Cabin

In 2024, I added a new flagship to our fleet: the Axopar 28 Cross Cabin.

🌡️ Heated interior cabin
🌊 Comfortable, dry outdoor seating
📅 Perfect for year-round tours

Whether you’re whale watching, beachcombing, or heading to an island restaurant, this boat is ideal for comfort and safety on our private boat tours in Victoria BC.


🌺 A Family Passion for Hospitality & Adventure

This isn’t just my journey—it’s ours. My wife, a former hotel manager from Thailand, shares my love of the sea and hospitality. Together, we run a 5-star oceanfront B&B, where guests become friends.

🇹🇭 In winter, we host guided tours in Thailand.
🚤 In Victoria, she’s often aboard helping welcome guests to the Salish Sea.


🐋 Deep Local Knowledge

With decades exploring the Gulf Islands and Salish Sea, I bring unmatched experience to every trip:

🔭 Wildlife spotting & marine ecology
🧭 Expert navigation and safety skills
🌿 Access to secluded coves and secret gems


🌍 Adventure, Shared

Over the years, I’ve guided people from around the globe to:

🏝️ Remote coves
📸 Wildlife-viewing hotspots
🚤 Custom adventures on land and sea

Each charter is fully tailored—because no two people or adventures are the same. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or just want to explore BC’s wild side, I invite you to join me for private boat tours in Victoria BC you’ll never forget.

image of birds of a feather charter in water
boating Dieter in Ontario
Dieter "bobsledding" in Jamaica

Hundreds of 5 Star Reviews from our B&B and Marine

Tripadvisor
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Chris B
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Best B&B on the island! What an amazing piece of property, stayed 2 days and can’t speak highly enough Of Dieter and his wife, from the delicious homemade breakfasts, too the island hoping boat tour. Highly recommended! If you go, make sure to order some of his wife’s homemade muffins to go, they will change what you think a muffin is supposed to be!! 😁
Tripadvisor
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Codi H
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Amazing stay and chartered tour! Had an amazing stay for our friends birthday weekend! Dieter and Paphada are awesome hosts and maintain a beautiful property. Breakfasts were fantastic, Paphada's muffins are 10/10! We also did the private boat charter and Dieter took us to Saltspring and Pender for some exploring, we had an amazing day on the water and shopping/eating on the islands. Thank you so much for the laughs and the stories, and the memories that we'll hold dear forever! Can't wait till next time!
Tripadvisor
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Jo G
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Magical Getaway! This was the perfect getaway. The location is so serene with such tranquil grounds. The breakfasts were so special. Birds of a Feather is so clean and our room was so special. We can't say enough about our wonderful hosts. All recommendation were spot on. We can't wait to return again. In fact we booked our next stay before leaving!
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Resort57384523341
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Boat Charter September 2024 We booked Dieter for a boat charter. We were very impressed with Dieter's professionalism, courtesy and kindness. We were spreading our mother's ashes at sea and he ensured the entire experience was special and memorable. The marina was lovely and his boat was impeccable and felt luxurious. Thank you so much Dieter!
Tripadvisor
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Thomas G
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Bucket list to beautiful Vancouver island Superb,comfortable room- Suite #1.Private outside deck(where we ate many of our meals)overlooking huge lagoon and Pacific Ocean.Could see all the way to Victoria.Wildlife everywhere-geese,ducks,otters,raccoons,deer- even a cougar.Sat out on end of 50 ft pier and watched sun come up daily.In a quiet residential neighborhood with multimillion Redburn estate next door.Hosts warm and friendly- fresh baked muffins daily.Could recommend more strongly.
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Susann P
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Beautiful BB We were allowed to enjoy for 5 days the hospitality, prudence, the comprehensive service, the warm-hearted friendliness, the cleanliness throughout the house, the beautiful room overlooking the lagoon and the large terrace dsvor. With a delicious breakfast every day started perfectly, 2 times Dieter and Phapada even gave us the great joy of a German breakfast with everything that goes with it. Dieters have tips on beautiful trails in the wonderful surroundings our time at Birds of a Feather made perfect. Thank you again for the wonderful time with you, stay healthy and be greeted warmly by us. TS
Tripadvisor
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kyla w
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Really nice time Lovely space! The owners were responsive and friendly. The location was great and having the ability to use boats to explore the lagoon made for a really nice afternoon. It was also quite and restful. I would recommend for anyone looking for a nice place to stay outside of Victoria
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Stephanie W
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Awesome day trip to the wineries! We just finished our wine tour with Dieter and I must say that we were very impressed! Dieter went out of his way to make our day perfect even when the weather didn't cooperate. He took us out for a delicious lunch and made excellent suggestions on what to do and where to eat for the remainder of our holidays. He was professional, personable and you could tell he genuinely cared for our experience on the island. All in all, we highly recommend! Dieter.... We'll see you in Thailand!
Tripadvisor
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Jeri C
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Lovely respite We are so very appreciative to Peter for being so accommodating! Our stay was beautiful and peaceful. We loved watching the storm roll in over the Juan de Fuca Strait from his lagoon side seating. A truly beautiful place and a beautiful stay!
Tripadvisor
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Erik A
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Private Boat Charter Today I had a private boat tour booked with Birds of a Feather Marine Tours. I wanted to go back to an Island I hadn't been to for 30 yrs and wanted to take my family to the place I had so many fond memories of. The whole experience was a pleasure from booking, the actual boat (new Axopar) and the trip itself. Dieter made us feel welcome, he Captained his boat well and was even telling us about some of the wildlife we encountered along the way. He had to wait while we toured the Island and had lunch which I'm sure wasn't overly exciting for him for the couple hours we were there but he never rushed us or made us feel like we needed to go. My boys got bored early as expected so I asked Dieter to show us some wildlife on the way back. We were able to spot porpoises, a sea lion, plenty of seals basking on rocks, bird life, we went through some neat passages, past some beautiful scenery and enjoyed some fun times on the water. My wife usually gets motion sick (my biggest concern was her not really enjoying the day because of it) but on the Axopar, that boat is so smooth it cuts through the water that well. We did spend quite some time fighting the wind and waves, crossing other boats wakes and she said she never felt nautious once. Unfortunately the whales eluded us today, that wasn't the purpose of the journey, but would have been the icing on the cake. Thank you Dieter for a great trip and helping make new memories while bringing back plenty of old ones.

Contact Information

Contact us with any questions or inquires! We look forward to hearing from you!
Our location

Tsehum Rd, Sidney, BC V8L 2P6

Email us

birdsofafeathermarine@gmail.com

Give us a call

+1-250-858-7308

Send us a message

If you have questions before you book please reach out to us.