Having owned boats in the Gulf Islands and the BVI, they are quite different, but both wonderful. For land facilities, think Saltspring Island, rather than Saturna! But still lots of exploring to be done. The one thing to remember is the sailing is MUCH better in the BVI. You can always sail as much as you want with (usually) robust trade winds compared to the varied winds in the Gulf Islands (that often evaporate in the summer when the weather is nice). The water temperature is also way nicer for that swim ashore, not to mention how much more you can see in the water. Yes, there is definitely a hassle factor getting there from YVR, but that is true of the Eastern Caribbean overall, if you could squeeze in a couple more days it would make all the difference!