Bull Harbor/Cape Scott
24 June 2017 | North Vancouver Island
Colin
Our next anchorage in Bull Harbor on Hope Island was the furthest point north of our Vancouver Island circumnavigation. This is a well-protected cove at the end of a narrow ziggityzag channel lined with rock faced cliffs. Inside is a good anchorage with a small (10-20 peeps) aboriginal village. That evening a couple came out in a rowboat to ask for $15 anchorage fee and another $5/head to go ashore. Bull Harbor is where most boats wait for a good weather window to cross Nawitti Bar and round Cape Scott. Both of these patches of water can be very challenging in the wrong conditions. Local knowledge gleaned from the cruiser’s guides and other boaters we spoke with, recommends going round Tamil Banks close to the shore to avoid Nawitti Bar altogether, riding an ebb tide out to the point, then standing off Cape Scott at least 3 miles to avoid the inshore tidal rips. All of which we followed, but as luck would have it, we had a very calm day and we motored around Cape Scott and down to Winter Harbor without drama. Probably coulda run the shorter course. We did see a lot of sea otters around Cape Scott, which was pretty cool.