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View to South Thormanby Island
Buccaneer Bay Provincial Park is a 45 hectare marine park comprising the tidal sandy foreshore between South and North Thormanby Islands.
Is there anything better than woods and water on a sunny summer day?
Summer on Canada’s West Coast is elusive and short. This year, my husband and I spent some time on the waters of Georgia Strait – the waters between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia (BC) – in a sail boat, chasing summer.
I love sailing. But, I love new harbours even more.
I especially love the relief of being tied up on a pier or being anchored in a sheltered bay.
This is – at least in part – because we are not very experienced sailors. Letting us loose on the water is as nerve-wracking as it is thrilling.
One particular July day, after a few short trips fraught with mechanical and other glitches, we left our home port of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island mid-morning. After we had raised the sails on Graystone, an old 38-foot Hughes, and set our heading almost due north out of Departure Bay, we could see dark rain clouds rolling in from the northwest over Georgia Strait and looming over the island behind us. We galloped across the 20+ nautical miles between us and the mainland at speeds of 7 nautical miles per hour or so – about the limits of our boat’s capabilities – riding the swells of the strait in 20 knot winds.
We managed to just outrun the rain, and it was with a deep sigh of relief that we ducked into the sheltered waters of Buccaneer Bay and anchored in time for dinner.
We had chosen Buccaneer Bay as a destination because it sits surrounded by North and South Thormandy Islands, about 20 kilometres off the BC mainland. The lay of the islands protects the bay from the winds that can rush up or down Georgia Strait, making it a relatively safe and comfortable anchorage.
We also chose it because we’d never been there.
It’s hard to resist the opportunity to explore new terrain!
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Nightfall over Buccaneer Bay
Once the anchor is set and dinner from the tiny galley has been eaten, a nightcap in the cockpit is a perfect way to watch night fall over Buccaneer Bay. (iPhone6)
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Mosquitos as Big as the Moon
Thank heavens for portable fly-screens across the companionway! The mosquitos were as big and as innumerable as we had been warned. (iPhone6)
It’s a Beautiful Day!
Morning dawned warm and fair over our boat, so we rowed the dinghy to Buccaneer Bay Provincial Park, the small marine park of sand and water between North and South Thormanby Islands. The beach opposite, overlooking the Salish Sea, was already busy with campers and other visitors.
Swim Weather
The shallow waters of Buccaneer Bay are warm, and attractive to swimmers.
North Thormanby
Logs wash up onto the low sandbar of Buccaneer Bay Provincial Park between North and South Thormanby Islands.
Fallen Log
Water, sand and weather polish the logs smooth over time.
Tangled Roots
Gumweed (Grinvelia Stricta)
The plants here are not commonly found in the rest of BC, but they are well adapted to this terrain of shifting sand and water.
Dune Grass (Leymus mollis) and Beach Pea (Lathyrus japonicus)
Buccaneer Bay Provincial Park was designated to protect this rare coastal ecosystem.
Row Boat – South Thormanby
The islands – and the Provincial Park between them – are accessible only by boat: water taxis or private vessels.
South Thormanby
The foreshore of South Thormanby Island is dotted with private holiday cottages. There is no public access through this land, which separates Buccaneer Bay Provincial Park from Simson Provincial Park, on the other side of the island.
Low Tide
Buccaneer Bay has a sandy foreshore …
Sand Worm
… which is home to all manner of creatures.
Shells on the Beach
Sandpipers
Small sandpipers wade in the waters of low tide, looking for food.
North Thormanby
Even at low tide, …
Buccaneer Bay Provincial Park
… pools of water remain on the sandy spit between the islands.
Buccaneer Bay Provincial Park
Standing in the waters at the edge of the Salish Sea, visitors to the park enjoy the quiet.
Western Red Cedar
It is a steep kilometre climb up from the beach to the public road on the ridge of North Thormanby Island.
European Black Slug (Arion Ater)
The recent rains have brought out the slugs: black slugs …
Pacific Banana Slug (Ariolimax Columbianus)
… and yellow.
Fallen Fir
The road is little more than a track, bordered by trees …
High on the Ridge – North Thormanby
… and multi-million-dollar properties with killer views. We didn’t trespass too far, but we could just see the mast of our boat far below.
Canada Geese
Back in our “home” on the waters of Buccaneer Bay, we were joined by Canada geese looking for dinner.
When we weren’t on the islands, we sat on the boat watching the oystercatchers skimming across the water, we marvelled at the bald eagles as they dove down from the trees, and we laughed as the sea lions frolicked.
What a wonderful place to put down anchor!
Until next time,
Safe Sailing.
Pictures: 09-11July2016
It was a great trip!