Highlights on the West Coast of Vancouver Island
By Brett Hunt
As we planned our trip over to the west side of Vancouver Island, most of our thinking was consumed with timing the tides and weather around Cape Scott and the imposing Brooks Peninsula. Once we arrived on the west coast, however, we were rewarded by an incredible landscape of deserted white sand beaches, towering mountains, and beautiful river inlets.
In addition to the amazing scenery, we were also fortunate to meet up with a number of like-minded boaters. Since many of us were moving at a similar pace along the key hotspots, we ended up seeing the same trio of friendly Canadian power boats rafted up in multiple anchorages. We also met a French family who sailed their 43 foot catamaran Anna Moana from Tahiti, and were thrilled when Arnold grilled us some fresh caught salmon right on a beach bbq.
Finally, we’ve made good friends with Bruno and Frederique on Orpao, an aluminum cutter they’ve lived aboard for 10 years. They began in Nice, France and explored the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Caribbean, and South Pacific before heading to Alaska and meeting us in the Canadian Gulf Islands in June. We’ve been buddy boating with them ever since.
Below are some of the key highlights from our travels around the West Coast:
San Josef Beach
This was our first landfall after rounding Cape Scott. It was also the first sandy beach we had seen since being in Vancouver in early May. Of course, the difference between the Vancouver beaches and San Josef was that we virtually had this mile long stretch of sand to ourselves. After weeks of planning and successfully rounding Cape Scott, it felt amazing to take our paddle boards to beach and roam around.
Pamphlet Cove
A cute little nook, well protected, and mostly memorable for us as we celebrated 31 years of marriage by opening a nice bottle of Rotie and barbequing a couple of steaks in the pouring rain. Thankfully it was the last rain we’d see for several weeks.
Varney Bay and the Marble River
Once again, we met up with Orpao and explored the Marble River at high tide, and thanks to expert dinghy driving by Bruno we were able to get through the rapids. The eroded cliffs at the edge of the river provided a surreal backdrop while fish and seals cavorted in the crystal clear water.
Before leaving Quatsino Sound, we decided not to make the long journey down to Port Alice for a grocery store, thinking that there would be plenty more opportunities to find provisions. That would turn out to be a mistake, but thanks to a great salmon lure given to us by a diver in Port Hardy, we did not go hungry for the rest of the trip.
Klaskish Basin
With its deep valley at the head of the bay, this anchorage reminded us of a high alpine river valley, except it was right at sea level. Once again, we explored the river inlet at high tide, cruising through pristine meadows in our dinghy. This bay is located just north of the Brooks Peninsula, so it provided an ideal location to wait for a weather window to pass the notorious landmark. It was wonderful to be there with much more experienced Orpao, so we could discuss the weather forecast together and decide upon the optimal time for departure.
In the end, we had a fabulous sail around the Brooks Peninsula, in bright sun with 25 knot winds. Bruno was able to get a great photograph of Beagle Spirit out in the Pacific just west of the Peninsula.
Once we rounded Brooks Peninsula, we were protected from the swell. We decided to put out our salmon lure using just a scrap of the Genoa out to hold our speed down to 2 knots. Within minutes we caught our first salmon from the boat! It made a wonderful conclusion to a momentous day.
Columbia Cove
While the anchorage itself was quite pretty, and we got to see a sea plane picking up some backpackers, the real highlight of this spot was the gorgeous sand beach we could hike to about a mile away. Though the water was only in the high 50’s, many of us went swimming, and this is where Arnold built a fire on the beach and cooked fresh salmon with foil wrapped potatoes in the coals – delicious!
Small West Coast Towns
We visited a few small towns along the way, the most interesting of which were Walters Cove and Winter Harbor. We stayed on the community dock, which was usually available for a small fee or free, and got a sense of the tight knit communities on the West Coast. There were boardwalks the community had built, small convenience stores, and the occasional restaurant. Even a museum in Coal Harbor that one man had built over decades, with thousands of items recollecting the whaling and timber industry in this area.
The Bunsby Islands
This is a collection of small islands with numerous channels and pockets to explore by paddleboard. On the way there, we again had the perfect wind for fishing from the boat and caught 3 more salmon, starting to perfect our technique for bringing them aboard and filleting.
We chose to anchor in “Scow Bay” which provided a great lagoon for wildlife viewing. We heard the low howling of wolves at all times of the day, not just the nights. The Bunsby’s are also the location where sea otters were reintroduced (from Alaska) in 1969, after fur trappers eliminated them from British Columbia in the 1920’s. We were thrilled to see many sea otters on the west coast, including some of their famous rafts where they seem to tie up together and socialize.
Thanks to our luck with the salmon, we hosted Bruno and Frederique on board for a fresh salmon bbq and had a great time afterward playing some cards.
Rugged Point Marine Park
We saw a number of gorgeous sand beaches on the west coast, but this one takes the award for most impressive. Seemingly endless ripples of sand, massive rock outcroppings with tidal pools, gentle waves breaking for impromptu body surfing – this beach has it all! Wolves and cougars live in this area and we noticed several wolf prints in the damp sand.
Hot Springs Cove
We made a long 50 mile sail to Hot Springs Cove and decided to make the 2 mile hike to the springs after dinner. All the crowds from the day were gone and we had the whole area to ourselves. It’s amazing that these pools are natural, with the perfect blend of piping hot spring water and the occasional ocean splash to make for ideal soaking conditions. The view is right out into the ocean. With a cold beer in hand, we celebrated our good fortune on that day.
This is a popular area, with boats and float planes coming in frequently, so after paddling around the bay the next morning to meet some fellow yachts, we decided to move on to our next destination.
Bacchante Bay and Watta Creek
This dramatic bay is lined with high cliffs and another deep valley river inlet. Despite their sheer scale, somehow the cliffs are full of trees and hanging ferns, like something out of Jurassic Park. The river is pristine and clear, with a few portages over rapids. The views here are breathtaking you feel like the only person on the planet.
Tofino
Most cruising guides suggest bypassing Tofino because the currents are high, there is a ton of boat traffic, and the anchoring is difficult. But, our favorite guidebook, Salish Sea Guide, identified a great spot near Sloman island. It was located very close to the Big Tree Trail, which turned out to be aptly named – it was awe inspiring! We were also able to get into Tofino for our first dinner out in a couple months at the Wolf in the Fog, which was fabulous. The next day, we decided to hit the famous surfing beaches of Tofino and rode the free public bus south where we rented a surfboard. The waves were perfect for beginners, but unfortunately Brett was not perfect – an ill-timed wave and an inopportune drop to the fiberglass resulted in a ruptured testicle. Three hospitals later, Brett was able to get it surgically repaired and luckily it would not end up delaying our departure for San Francisco.
Ucluelet
4 years ago, my sister Pam and her husband Brian visited Ucluelet by car and bought me a hat from the local brewery, saying “you must visit.” Well, after sailing most of the way around Vancouver Island, we finally made it, and it was worth it. The brewery was fun, and the town of Ucluelet has a number of cool restaurants and shops, and even a machine shop where we were able to get an alternator bracket fabricated just in time for our trip down the coast. A great stop and an easy place to anchor.
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