Halkett Bay – an Easy Escape by Ian Cook       (please click on Photos to enlarge)

While nearby weekend destinations from Vancouver are limited compared to those in say, the Gulf Islands, there are a few splendid ones. Halkett Bay Marine Park at the southeast corner of Gambier Island, for instance, is only 13 nautical miles from First Narrows. As soon as you turn up Queen Charlotte Sound, there is a  sense of having escaped the city. After rounding Finisterre Island at the northeast corner of Bowen, mouth of Halkett Bay is visible. It is another two nautical miles across Collingwood Channel to this entrance.

When you first enter the bay, the water is quite deep, in fact too deep to anchor, but as you approach the head it is easy to find a spot in about 30 feet of water. There is also a shallower part along the eastern shore  with room for a couple of boats, but a little south here is hole about 90 feet deep. If you don’t mind pulling up a lot of rode, this is a very secure spot. If the anchor were to drag, it would have to  do it uphill which is highly unlikely. Across from here are some small islands that should be given a wide berth. There is some foul ground around them. On the west side of them, though, there is room for a couple of boats to anchor as well as a BC Parks mooring buoy. On shore, above the dinghy dock and shaded by alder and big leaf maple trees, are a couple of picnic tables with views over the bay.

Now, while long periods aboard are very peaceful and highly pleasurable, you can get restless and feel the need for some exertion. Well, if a hike is to your liking, you’ve come to the right place. Descriptions and a map of various hikes on Gambier Island can be found at http://www.gambierc.ca/trails.html. The book “103 Hikes in Southwestern British Columbia” by Jack Bryceland and Mary Macaree (Greystone Books, 2008) is also a good reference. While the somewhat steep hike to the summit of Mount Artaban with it’s views over Howe Sound and the Coast Range is a good option, the 600-meter altitude gain might be a bit much for some. Not to worry, many other less-demanding treks are available from from Halkett Bay. In fact, how much more “West Coast” can you get than to arrive by boat and then go for a rainforest walk?

If your not up to venturing very far afield, the small islands on the west side of the bay are perfect spots for picnics. You’ll be able to find a place to pull up the dinghy, and then that tiny gain in elevation will give a whole new look to the bay. Also, there are picnic tables along the main shoreline of Halkett Bay. Do have a walk around here. This is pristine, verdant, West Coast forest.

There is more to explore by dinghy. If you head to the mouth of the bay and then around toward Halkett Point, you will find a few indents in the shoreline. Your dinghy can be pulled up in one of these, and then with a bit of a scramble, you can make your way up to some grassy headlands. These, too, are great spots to picnic, or simply to sit and admire the view down Collingwood Channel and into the Strait of Georgia. Something to note, though is in which shoreline you indent you have left your dinghy. Once at the top, it is easy to wander and lose track of this. After such a relaxing experience, it is not fun to scramble down each beach, then back up again until you find the dinghy. Have a look for a landmark.

While Halkett Bay does have a good bottom, and is reasonably well sheltered in three directions, to the south it is fairly exposed. Although Bowen Island does provide some shelter, it is far enough away to allow enough fetch for some waves to form. It is best to view this destination as a fair weather anchorage. Keep an ear on the marine weather for any anticipated changes, and remember, if you are from Vancouver, you’re not too far from home.