Pam Rocks (2016 Jan 6) - Cates Bay, Bowen Island

[C36]

Pam Rocks has been over 30 knots most of the day and it just hit 7 degrees....... Today would've been the day to check it out.

2016 Jan 6 - pam rocks.jpg (91.54 KiB) Viewed 21465 times

Worth keeping in mind for sure - I'm still interested in having a look around Bowen Island, when the right day presents. Anyone know anything about Cates Bay on Bowen Island - looks good on paper.

Cove Road (Cates Bay), Bowen Island
https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Pam+Ro ... 73!6m1!1e1

• short ferry, short drive
• hourly sailings starting at 6 am
• car access close to the beach
• looks like public access to the north end of the beach
• fairly close to the wind corridor (but could be much lighter)
• likely sideshore or side-on
• looks like a fairly wide open beach facing NE

[gabrielb]

looking at online photos ...

pict.JPG (146.1 KiB) Viewed 21457 times

very crowded when anchored boats are around.

sc2.JPG (136.09 KiB) Viewed 21457 times

low tide has a nice beach, but high tide not much beach left

sc4.JPG (32.77 KiB) Viewed 21457 times

it looks small from above picture

sc3.JPG (37.42 KiB) Viewed 21457 times

the other side has a steep cliff but doable.

reminds me of san juan islands, rigging from a dinghy, fun unexplored places, but my limit is always under 22 knots, and floaty always gets me back even at 5 knots.

[Slappy]

Looks interesting but I think you'd have to get to the NW side for kiting and then you still have a long travel time and added $50.

I've been thinking about checking out Telegraph Cove:

https://goo.gl/maps/cYkBXND4kAD2

Not much beach to work but probably workable at a lower tide. I used to SCUBA Dive there and there is shore access and a tiny bit of parking. The wind probably isn't as good as Bowen there though but it might have enough to sail.

TelegraphCove.jpg (118.86 KiB) Viewed 21453 times

[AdrienGrelon]

Count me in.

[gabrielb]

bowen.JPG (95.76 KiB) Viewed 21425 times

Bowen island seems to be the right place on NE.


Pam rocks explained ...

https://www.ec.gc.ca/meteo-weather/defa ... 2&toc=show

Porteau Cove is the other winner:

port.JPG (51.06 KiB) Viewed 21424 times

[ShonanDB]

There's a place called Brunswick Point along 99 across from Anvil island and about half way between Brunswick Beach and Porteau Cove that might be worth taking a look at to see if there is a place to park and get down to the water. It would work on a North or NE and is located where the straight narrows. Anyone ever stopped there to take a look or fish, etc?

[C36]

Thanks to all for the pictures and ideas.

...Porteau Cove is the other winner:

The few times I have seen Porteau Cove on NE the solid wind is WAY over on the far side of the sound (way out of my comfort zone).

There's a place called Brunswick Point along 99 across from Anvil island and about half way between Brunswick Beach and Porteau Cove that might be worth taking a look at to see if there is a place to park and get down to the water. It would work on a North or NE and is located where the straight narrows. Anyone ever stopped there to take a look or fish, etc?

According to Grad Fondo data that section of the highway looks to be about 40 metres up ~

I don't like the looks of how large that knob of an island just off the north end of Cates Bay looks ~ could cause wind to get pretty strange, even on a NE wind ~

It would be interesting to hear why François sometime sails the spit and other times chooses Furry Creek on outflows (he likely has as much or more experience as anyone sailing those two spots on an outflow).

[Chris Klohn]

Britannia to Furry or Britannia to Porteau is a great downwinder C36. Uphauling and slogging a modern 90 litre board in 10-15 knots a few hundred meters to a wind line isn't the end of the world. Like you said, it pretty much always cranks from mid channel to the far shore on a typical 30+ NE outflow. Well worth it if you haven't sailed for a while. Too bad the logging road on the far side wasn't closer to the water with access. That would be wild to launch abeam Pam Rocks on a big day. It seems to climb up a few hundred meters towards the mill.

[Michael]

Britannia to Furry or Britannia to Porteau is a great downwinder C36. Uphauling and slogging a modern 90 litre board in 10-15 knots a few hundred meters to a wind line isn't the end of the world. Like you said, it pretty much always cranks from mid channel to the far shore on a typical 30+ NE outflow. Well worth it if you haven't sailed for a while. Too bad the logging road on the far side wasn't closer to the water with access. That would be wild to launch abeam Pam Rocks on a big day. It seems to climb up a few hundred meters towards the mill.

Saturday might have enough wind, I'm into it, anyone else?

[AdrienGrelon]

Britannia to Furry or Britannia to Porteau is a great downwinder C36. Uphauling and slogging a modern 90 litre board in 10-15 knots a few hundred meters to a wind line isn't the end of the world. Like you said, it pretty much always cranks from mid channel to the far shore on a typical 30+ NE outflow. Well worth it if you haven't sailed for a while. Too bad the logging road on the far side wasn't closer to the water with access. That would be wild to launch abeam Pam Rocks on a big day. It seems to climb up a few hundred meters towards the mill.

Saturday might have enough wind, I'm into it, anyone else?

I'm keen if it's not too early, cause I have a couch moving appointment early in the am. I can use my freestyle board. Let's keep an eye on it.