Sailing Secret Cove

Text and photos by Mary L. Peachin and Secret Cove Tours
Vol. 22, No. 11, September, 2019

Secret Cove, aptly named because it’s readily observed and easily missed by boaters and sailors motoring British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast, is the Marina home to Captain Rick and Julie Chambers’ Hunter 380 sloop Reverie.

Sailing trips offered by Secret Cove Sail tours affords luxurious comfort on their thirty eight foot sloop as it skims along British Columbia’s fiords lined by old growth temperate rainforest.

A vocal bald eagle bids us farewell as we listen to Julie’s sailing safety talk as she shares concern about mast danger, a request that we ask permission to go to the forward deck. Sloops are noted for having a large keel which provides stability and counter balance to the sails while allowing the vessel to heel. Anyone observing a man overboard instantly becomes a spotter, keeping continual observance to not lose the person. The scenic view distracts as we listen. All of this enhanced by a 12 knot wind, just perfect for pleasant sailing, along with a sunny 70 degree day

Minutes out of Secret Cove, the islands of Texada, the largest island in the Strait of Georgia and Jedediah Marine Provincial Park come into view as our “dynamic duo” crew hoist sails in Buccaneer Bay as we head south.

North Thormanby Island, an island off the Sunshine Coast hosts Buccaneer Bay Provincial Park on its southern tip with Vaucroft Beach, a small community on the northern tip of the island.

Operating for their 6th season, the Chambers have observed orcas, puffins, Canada Geese and sea lions migrating north to Broughton Archipelago.

Around noon, Julie heads to the galley to make lunch, and she is not serving the typical ham and cheese sandwich boat fare. Offering a variety of freshly baked breads and top of the salmon chain, fresh sockeye salmon sandwiches, we were then indulged with a scrumptious homemade banana cream pie. Another luxury was having an electric toilet plus solar panels on the blue canvas Bimini top.

Admiring a redheaded Oystercatcher, a flock of Canada Geese and sea gulls, perched on rock was a herd of harbor seals. An eagle swooped down to catch a fish. Too heavy for it to carry, the eagle swam to shore to enjoy his feast.

Entering the narrows of Smuggler Cove at low tide in order to see rocks or reefs, we viewed part of the First Nations Sechelt history. There were midden or archeological walls, and placed rocks, known as a weir, that blocked a stream at low tide allowing the natives to trapped fish. It is alleged that during Prohibition bootlegger’s hauled booze, and US Vietnam draft dodgers sought refuge.

Reverie can be chartered to many destinations including Princess Louisa Inlet and Chatterbox Falls, both popular British Columbia tourist destinations.

Enjoy the windblown sails and warm hospitality offered by Secret Cove. It’s a special experience of British Columbia wildlife ecotourism at its best.
www.secretcovesailtours.com