Sooke Harbour

We departed the San Juan’s from Mackaye Harbor at 7:20 a.m., making our way across Haro Strait.  “Victoria Traffic” was active with commercial vessels, including container ships, tugs, and high-speed ferries entering and exiting the traffic lanes.  We needed to alter course at one point to avoid a tug pulling two loaded barges.  Monitoring Victoria Traffic on channel 11 proved to be beneficial for communication with commercial vessels.  Adding to the morning’s challenge were some issues with our newly installed navigation system, which was giving conflicting or erroneous headings.  We discovered that turning on or leaving on a circuit breaker that powers up other electronic pieces, was causing interference with the electronic compass. 

Customs/Fuel Dock at Oak Bay Marina, east of Victoria

After some adjustments with the new equipment, we arrived safely at Oak Bay Marina east of Victoria and cleared customs.  Taking a short respite, we headed out once again and rounded the southern tip of Vancouver Island, entering the Strait of Juan de Fuca, then turned west to follow the more remote south shoreline of Vancouver Island.  Calm seas and light winds provided a good weather window for the four-hour push to Sooke Harbour. 

Following the well-marked channel into Sooke Harbour

Sooke Harbour is entered through a marked channel with two sets of range markers, showing the channel route; strong current is often present.  The second range markers indicate where the two sets intersect, helping boaters round the gravel beach head.  Visiting yachts have two viable options for moorage:  The Sooke Harbour Authority Association dock offers side-tie on the outside of ‘A-dock;’ and the Sooke Harbour Resort & Marina, which caters primarily to small boats, occasionally has space for larger vessels on the outside float.  The adjacent Jock’s Dock offers guest slips for runabouts. 

Sooke Harbour Authority Docks provide convenient side-tie moorage

Anchoring depths can be found on the north side of the spit just inside the Harbour, providing shelter from outside conditions.  Sooke Harbour is actually made up of two large bodies of water: the main harbour, and an inner harbour.  It’s fun to explore the area by dinghy, but it’s important to follow the marked channel along the east side of the bay in order to reach the inner harbour; if you stray from the channel, you will find yourself aground, even in a dinghy.  The inner harbour is the site of a once prominent marina, now in advanced stages of decay, and the site of a shellfish farm. 

Visitors can enjoy an afternoon stroll along the waterfront boardwalk

We also enjoyed visiting the town of Sooke, which is within walking distance of the Harbour Authority Docks.  You can walk the road or take the boardwalk that skirts the shoreline and winds up the hill to the town center; it’s a lovely walk starting from a small park upland from the Harbour Authority Docks. 

Two day-use docks at the Boardwalk provide easy access to town

The two day-use docks, at the north end of the boardwalk, give boaters the option of arriving by dinghy, then taking the short, scenic walk into town.  The town offers two shopping malls, several cafes, a bank, and grocery store.  Another worthwhile visit, is the lovely Prestige Oceanfront Resort located just south of the Harbour Authority Docks. 

The beautiful Prestige Oceanfront Resort

The beautiful Prestige hotel-style resort houses the West Coast Grill, where you can relax over a fine meal or enjoy some hearty appetizers. 

The West Coast Grill at the Prestige is a great place to relax

The views are splendid from both the dining room and outdoor terrace.  Another interesting stop is “The Crab Shack,” located next door to the Prestige Resort, where you can purchase live crab or smoked fish and prawns to create your own appetizers back at the boat.  After a night’s stay and some fun research, it was time to continue west, taking advantage of the good weather window. 

Departing Sooke Harbour, hugging the gravel beach head

Departing Sooke Harbour, we were surprised at how close we needed to hug the gravel beach head, which seems counter intuitive; we actually needed to be closer to the beach than shown in the photo.