Off season in Smuggler Cove

Sitting in Smuggler Cove, basking in the otherworldly stillness of the early season, I went online to see what we had written about it in a previous blog. Surely we had glorified it, gone completely over the top.

We had mentioned the cove in several articles, but I was surprised to find there was no previous blog focusing on this popular spot that we have returned to again and again over the years.

It’s a secure, storm-proof anchorage off Georgia Strait, with lovely trails and gorgeous evening views. Provisions are within walking distance for fit mariners among us or within dinghy distance even for those who can’t quite plane.

And like some other of our favourite anchorages, we had somehow, till now, failed to blog about it. Not sure, but maybe we figured if was so good, of course boaters would already know about it.

The cove is indeed well-known, perhaps the favourite stop for cruising boaters travelling north or south along the Sunshine Coast, and for kayakers taking a break from the open water.

And during the summer, Smuggle Cove can be chockablock, boats squeezed tightly together, either tied to one of the three dozen rings installed ashore by the BC Marine Parks Forever Society or swinging on anchor in one of the three tiny basins connected by narrow channels.

Even in mid-winter there can be a half-dozen or more boats wallowing in the tranquility. Of course, some mariners can get surly when other boaters choose to swing on a hook, as it greatly reduces the space available for boats planning to stern tie. But, during the shoulder or colder seasons, it is forgiven; they accept the others’ failings and decide to just be friends.

If you choose to anchor in the cove’s middle basin, take care not to swing into a rock which shallows to 0.46 metres (1.5’) at zero tide. And low low tide is also not a good time for some deep-keeled vessels to transit the shallow channel into the south basin.

For much of the year, the trails ashore are busy with trekkers who walk in from the park entrance on Brooks Road, a kilometre or so away from the dinghy landing in the south basin from where a network of trails runs up the southwest shore of Smuggler Cove and is so much fun to explore.

Hardy boaters sometimes venture inland to Brooks Road, then walk an additional 5km to the historic Halfmoon Bay General Store (604-885-8555) to buy supplies. Call ahead to make sure they are open.

An easier alternative is perhaps rowing by kayak or puttering by dinghy the 1.5nm to Secret Cove Marina or 3nm to the Halfmoon Bay public dock. Either destination offers nooks to explore along the way.

And, yes, it is difficult to blog about Smuggler Cove without going completely over the top. I did my best.