Merit Home Furniture's Duncan store delivers to Salt Spring Island most often, and to the other Gulf Islands now and then, case by case. A run to one of the smaller islands is usually a full day for two drivers and a work truck, so we keep those trips for larger orders. Call the Duncan store before you order and we'll tell you what your trip costs.
A Gulf Islands delivery is a furniture order that rides a BC Ferries sailing from the Island side to Salt Spring, Pender, Galiano, Mayne or Saturna. We don't reach every one of them, so ask first. Pillows, sheets, protectors and other small items can come across on the same sailing as a furniture or mattress order. Pickup at our Duncan store is free.
Below are the Merit terms, the routes, BC Ferries' own fares, what to measure, and when another store or a mover suits the job better. The visit itself is covered in what happens when the truck pulls up.
Gulf Islands furniture delivery from Duncan: how the cost is set
| What you order | Cost from Duncan |
|---|---|
| Furniture delivered and assembled on Vancouver Island | $150 |
| Furniture delivered to a Gulf Island | Salt Spring most often; the smaller islands case by case, for larger orders. The cost depends on the trip, so call for details |
| Pillows, sheets, protectors and other small items | Added to a furniture or mattress delivery; we do not send them on their own |
| Pickup at 107 Ingram St, Duncan | Free |
The ferry fare moves with the size of the vehicle and with BC Ferries' fares, and a ferry run takes the whole day for us. That is why we work out each island trip on the phone.
These are the Duncan store's terms. Merit's Nanaimo, Campbell River and Port Alberni stores set their own delivery rates. A mattress going across the Island may need a different shipping method, so ask about that when you order.
Which ferry reaches each Gulf Island from the Vancouver Island side
Salt Spring is the Gulf Island our Duncan store delivers to most. It has two Island-side terminals, and the outer islands share a third route from Swartz Bay.
| Island | BC Ferries route |
|---|---|
| Salt Spring, Vesuvius Bay | Crofton to Vesuvius Bay, route 6 |
| Salt Spring, Fulford Harbour | Swartz Bay to Fulford Harbour, route 4 |
| Pender, Galiano, Mayne, Saturna | Swartz Bay to the Southern Gulf Islands, route 5 |
BC Ferries lists all three runs as non-bookable, so vehicles board in the order they reach the terminal. That is why we agree a delivery day with you rather than a named sailing. Swartz Bay sits past Victoria, and a South Island order from Duncan works the same way up to the terminal.
Thetis, Gabriola and the northern islands
Thetis Island sails from Chemainus, and our Nanaimo store lists Thetis among the communities it serves. Gabriola sails from Nanaimo Harbour, and no store has confirmed Gabriola runs yet, so call and ask. Denman sails from Buckley Bay, Hornby from Denman, and Quadra from Campbell River, with Cortes beyond Quadra.
In the owners' words, "Campbell River serves all the northern islands". Each of those stores sets its own terms, so call Nanaimo at (250) 756-1153 or Campbell River at (250) 286-0868 for that price.
BC Ferries fares on the Salt Spring and outer Gulf Islands runs
These figures come from BC Ferries' fare index effective June 16, 2026, in Canadian dollars with applicable taxes included. On each of these routes, BC Ferries says, "Fares on these routes include return-trip travel."
| Route | Adult, 12+ | Car, 20 ft |
|---|---|---|
| 6, Crofton | $12.75 | $37.70 |
| 4, Fulford | $12.75 | $37.70 |
| 5, outer islands | $13.55 | $42.85 |
The vehicle fare excludes the driver and passengers, who each pay the passenger fare. Each foot over 20 feet adds $3.80 on routes 4 and 6 and $3.15 on route 5. A commercial vehicle over 5,500 kg registered weight pays by the foot instead, $3.80 on routes 4 and 6 and $3.20 on route 5.
For Southern Gulf Islands travel, BC Ferries warns that "the maximum length may vary by port", and it asks drivers to call ahead. With per-foot rates and port limits, the ferry part of a delivery depends on the truck and the run.
Fares shift, too. New BC Ferries fares took effect on April 8, 2026 and again on June 16, 2026, and it says all fares are subject to change without notice. Treat any ferry figure as that season's number.
What is the cheapest way to get furniture to a Gulf Island?
The cheapest way depends on the size of the piece. We don't send small items by mail, so they travel with a furniture order or wait at the Duncan store. A piece that fits in your own car or van costs only the ferry if you pick it up in Duncan yourself.
On the Crofton run, a vehicle up to 20 feet plus its driver comes to $50.45, and that one fare covers the trip home. For larger furniture, or anything that needs assembling, the Duncan store can say whether a delivery reaches your island and what that trip costs.
Is there a cheaper day to cross?
BC Ferries sells Saver fares on quieter sailings of its larger routes, such as Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay. Its fare index shows no Saver fare on routes 4, 5 or 6, so the fare is the same any day.
Two breaks exist. BC seniors ride free as passengers Monday to Thursday, holidays excepted, and BC Ferries says that discount "applies to passenger fares only", so the car still pays. The index also lists an Experience Card saving of $11.60 on a standard vehicle on routes 4 and 6.
Is a moving company cheaper than store delivery?
For furniture you already own, a moving company is the right call, and their own quotes settle which one is cheapest. Merit is a furniture store, and we deliver what we sell. For a new piece, a call to Duncan settles whether we reach your island, and the comparison is then mostly whether you want it set up.
Measuring before a piece crosses on the ferry
Measuring matters more on an island, because a second ferry run costs a second crossing. Check the door width, the hallway and any turn on the stairs, as the guide on sizing up a doorway before a sofa arrives explains.
For a cabin guest room, the Stockholm cabinet bed is a queen that closes into a cabinet 64 inches wide and 23.25 inches deep. Open, it reaches 80 inches, and the listing says it folds down with no tools. It is $2,999 before applicable taxes, and the rest are in our cabinet beds that fold into a cabinet listing.
A narrow cabin stair is worth measuring before a mattress comes across on the ferry. For a cabin guest bed, the Restwell Robin is a plush euro-top hybrid, 12 1/4 inches tall, listed for our Duncan store. It runs $799 for a twin and $1,049 for a queen, before applicable taxes.
The wait is set by the maker, never the ferry. Mattresses and cabinet beds take 2 to 3 weeks to be ready, and Decor-Rest, Mako and Best take 8 to 10, as the full list of brand lead times shows.
When a ferry delivery is the wrong fit
A single small piece rarely needs the truck. Bedding, pillows and care products such as Master Cabinetmaker's leather conditioner ($39) are a free pickup at our Duncan store instead, ready about 2 business days after they reach us. Near a wood stove, we suggest conditioning leather at least twice a year to keep it from cracking.
A fixed date is hard to hold over water. We book deliveries Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, and we do not promise next-day delivery. With first come, first served sailings and busy long weekends, a day can move.
A household move belongs with a mover. A piece that needs pricing before you decide fits the way our quotes are put together.
If a piece arrives damaged and cannot be fixed on the spot, the usual practice is that you keep it while a replacement is ordered. On an island, that saves a wasted crossing in each direction.
Where the ferry fares and delivery terms come from
- BC Ferries, Fare Index version 26-05, effective June 16, 2026 (routes 4, 5 and 6), checked October 2026.
- BC Ferries, Ferry fares and fees (bookable routes, return-trip routes, BC seniors), checked October 2026.
- BC Ferries, Saver fares and Prepaid fares, checked October 2026.
- BC Ferries, Commercial travel services (Southern Gulf Islands length and load limits), checked October 2026.
- Merit Home Furniture, delivery terms and lead times on our live delivery page, and the Duncan owners' answers, September and October 2026.
Asking the Duncan store about a Gulf Islands delivery
Call the Merit store in Duncan with the island, the address and the piece. We can then say whether we reach that island and what the trip costs. If you would rather talk it through in person, our Duncan showroom keeps Monday to Saturday hours, 9 to 5.
Call the Duncan store, (250) 746-5527
The other stores' hours and our delivery and pickup terms sit with the rest of our guides for Island buyers.