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
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 done 26 of these (they can all be found on our Destinations
page) and they’re some of my favourite posts. For the next six months, I’ll be
highlighting one every Wednesday (from south to north) and adding a few new
ones in where I can. This week, it’s a return to Eucott Bay
in British
Columbia’s Central Coast.
Disclaimer: This blog article is not to be
used for navigation. It is purely an
account of our personal experience in Eucott Bay during settled weather
conditions. There are no services or VHF
reception and any boat that enters should be self-sufficient.
With
some cruising grounds, it’s all about what lies at the end of the road: a sandy
beach, a waterfall, a special hike. With
others, it’s what happens along the way: the sights and sounds. Cruising the Central Coast is often the perfect mixture of both, and sailing to Eucott Bay
is just one example of that. Located along the western shore of Dean Channel, what you see before you get there is as much a
part of the experience – mile after mile of high, steep mountains dotted with
waterfalls and snow-capped peaks, separated by stunning glacial valleys.
But
Eucott Bay is a gorgeous destination in its own right, as beautiful as any
we’ve anchored in over the years, where all the elements come together in an
amazing climax: Marshes line the beach
where black bears roam in the mornings and evenings in search of food. A waterfall cascades a thousand feet down
from snowy peaks along the southern shore, filling the anchorage with its roar.
To its right, a 4,665-foot jagged peak, capped with snow, dominates the
landscape. On the northern shore near the head of the bay stands a 2,000-foot
vertical granite dome. And at its base lies the reason people come – a natural hot
spring tub.
If
you sense a BUT coming, you’d be right.
Eucott Bay
has one small problem that makes it an unappealing destination: deer
flies. And plenty of them. On sunny days, they overtake your vessel and
will cover you in welts if you dare step outside without being drenched in bug
spray. Over the years, we’ve tried
several ways to detract them – fly traps, electronic fly swatters, citronella
candles – without great success. The
only thing that seems to keep them away is the weather – overcast, windy or
rainy days are the best ones to visit Eucott Bay.
To
enter the anchorage, favour the eastern shoreline until you’re beyond the
pilings located on the western shore.
Silting from a stream has occurred over the years and the charted depths
are shallower than reported – at low water, the depth is closer to 3.5 metres
(12 feet) than 5 (17 feet). Once past
the pilings, the bay opens up but shoals to 2.4 metres (8 feet) and anchoring
space is limited to the southeastern section of the cove where the holding is
very good in sand and mud with protection from all quadrants.
The
hot spring is located near the head of the bay along the northeastern shore
directly in line with the row of pilings. The pool is large enough for a dozen
people and is approximately one metre deep (3.3 feet), making it an excellent
soaking tub. The water is uncomfortably
hot directly out of the stream (around 55°C/131°F); but the temperature can be
controlled by inserting a rod into the outflow pipe, reducing it down to a
trickle.
Things to Do:
- Soaking in the hot spring tub
- Kayaking
- Crabbing
- Bear watching
1 comments
What awesome photos! Every photo looks so green and vibrant. And what an experience to have a natural hot tub! Matt and Hastings both have a real fly phobia and march around the boat in a frenzy if flies are around, so I don't know that we would last too long!
ReplyDelete