Two Island Nations, One Salish Sea | Hands Across the Water

When borders divide, communities can choose to sail toward each other. On a weekend in Sept. 2025, a flotilla of boats carrying roughly 100 Americans crossed the Salish Sea from Orcas Island, Washington, to Salt Spring Island, British Columbia—two islands separated by a national border but connected by tides, ferry routes, and the kind of neighborliness that doesn’t require a passport to feel. The gathering was called Hands Across the Water, and it arrived at exactly…