It’s
Way Back Wednesday, an opportunity to dig through the files and pull out an old
blog post to shed some new light on it. Over the years, I’ve written several
posts about some of the anchorages we’ve stayed in, including first-hand
anchoring information (i.e. holding, protection, GPS coordinates), historical
information and things to do. To date, I’ve written 26 of these (they all can
be found on our Destinations page) and they’re some of my favourite posts.
If
you’ve ever visited our Destinations page, you may have noticed that there’s a
large gap in the information – The Broughtons have been left out. That’s
because we’re not big fans of the area and only use it as a stepping stone to
sail north. We are, however, lovers of the Central Coast and this week it’s a
return to one of the best beaches in British Columbia – Fury Cove (you can read
the original post here).
Disclaimer: This blog article is not to be
used for navigation. It is purely an
account of our personal experience in Fury Cove during settled weather
conditions. There are no services and
any boat that enters should be self-sufficient.
We made our first trip to Fury Cove in 2013 after spending
a month or so cruising the Central Coast while we waited for northwesterly winds to set in along the West
Coast of Vancouver Island. We arrived
late in the afternoon and had an early departure planned for the following
morning, which gave us just enough time to take Sally, our dog who passed away
a few years ago, to shore a couple of times.
I’m almost embarrassed to admit it, but we weren’t impressed and we had
no real desire to come back. As far as
we were concerned, Fury Cove was merely a stop along the way.
But it’s so much more than
that.
The Good
Fury
Cove sits within the boundaries of Penrose Island Provincial Marine Park and makes an excellent base to explore the area by
kayak or dinghy. If you don’t have much
time, at the very least you have to step outside the anchorage and visit the
west side of Fury Island where a secluded white sand and shell midden beach with incredible
views awaits.
Don
Douglass mentions a trail that cuts across Fury Island from the anchorage to the western shore in his book, Exploring the North Coast of British Columbia. We’ve made several attempts to find it ourselves (from both sides of
the island) but have been unsuccessful. If it existed at all, it’s probably
been overrun by trees and the only access appears to be by water, which is
exposed to Fitz Hugh and Queen Charlotte sounds, so settled conditions are a
must. But even if you have to wait a day
or two to get there, you won’t be disappointed.
Inside
Fury Cove, the anchorage is well-protected with the added benefit of being able
to see the weather conditions outside in Fitz Hugh Sound. The
anchorage is large enough to accommodate more than 20 boats and holding is good
in sand in mud in depths of 5 to 15 metres (16 to 50 feet). However, when 40+ knot southeasterly winds
moved through the area a couple of years ago, a couple on a sailboat told us
that the anchorage was uncomfortable. And in the case of strong southwest winds, we personally wouldn’t want
to be there.
The Bad
“Bad”
is probably an exaggeration for most people, but Fury Cove is a popular
anchorage and it’s not unusual to find 10 to 20 boats inside, especially during
the busier months of July and August.
The good news is there’s plenty of room to swing.
The Ugly
Entering
Fury Cove can be a little tricky, especially on a day when the wind is blowing
from the southwest and there’s a corresponding ocean swell. But the channel, which is located to the
south of Cleve Island, is wide and has plenty of depth.
When approaching, it’s important not to confuse the main channel with
Breaker Pass to the north between Fury Island and Cleve Island, which is narrow
and shallow but passable during settled conditions – though, in our opinion, inadvisable for cruising boats.
The
entrance to Fury Cove itself is a third of a mile beyond Cleve Island and, although shallow, has 3.7 metres (12 feet) at zero tide and free
from obstacles mid-channel. I want to
restate that, despite the fact that Fury Cove offers good protection in most
weather, we would seek an alternate anchorage during stormy conditions.
Waypoints of Interest
Main Approach: 51°28.629’N, 127°45.553’W
Anchorage Approach: 51°29.064’N,
127°45.275’W
Anchorage: 51°29.225’N, 127°45.617’W
7 comments
Looks a perfect place for kayaking and relaxing in the cockpit- taking in the views!
ReplyDeleteIt is!
DeleteThat water just sparkles inviting you to go play in the kayak. Looks like a great place to chill out.
ReplyDeleteHalf of me that hopes that once we officially put Cambria on the market, she'll sell quickly. The other half hopes she stays with us for a while longer so we can revisit places like Fury Cove. Sigh.
DeleteIt does look beautiful. We are still keeping an eye out for a longer time house sit in BC this summer, but haven't found one yet. I really like to first photo,which you also used as a profile pic! :-)
ReplyDeleteA BC house-sit would be great! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. They wouldn't include pets, but every now and again we hear about jobs that come up for caretakers. If something comes up, I'll be sure to pass the information on to you.
DeleteThanks, Stephanie.
ReplyDelete