Pirates Cove on De Courcy Island

Another nice calm night, followed by a warm sunny day. However, the winds are picking up again, with strong wind warnings for the Strait of Georgia – south of Nanaimo. Winds out of the NW from 10-15 to 15-25. So it was a little bumpy after we left Newcastle Island Marine Park, until we got to Dodd Narrows and south. I caught two more crab over night and this morning, but a larger crab that was in the trap when I checked it before bed, wasn’t there this morning. Thinking about a comment the park attendant made when I was talking to him about the crab productivity, I decided to google if Sea Otters were able to steal crab out of traps. Yep, they are. And they are notorious for it around Vancover Island, especially Nanaimo. I’ve had several times where I’ve had crab in the trap at night, but just left them there to take care of in the morning, but in the morning they are gone. So it looks like the Sea Otters are not so cute any more! Anyway, my streak of limiting out on crab ended on the third day. Bill and Mike left around 9:30 this morning for Pirates Cove on De Courcy Island. They decided to take False Narrows, which is pretty much abeam Dodd Narrows, and check out Wakes Cove at the north end of Valdes Island. I left an hour later, hoping to catch some more crab, and used Dodd Narrows, then Stuart Channel along the west side of De Courcy Island, turning through Ruxton Passage around the south end of De Courcy and then into Pirates Cove. It’s a tight entry next to a shoal and has a simple range marker to help enter. I found room to anchor and then stern tied to a short chain on shore for that purpose. Then peddled my kayak around exploring the cove. Bill and Mike arrived, and I picked up their stern lines to take to shore for them. Later the three of us hiked some of the trails here at Pirates Cove marine park. This evening another new C-Dory owner came over to see C-Traveler. She has a 2009 C-Dory 22’ Cruiser slipped in the private marina here in Pirates Cove, and was impressed with the larger size of the 25. She is hoping to put together a C-Brat gathering here in British Columbia in the not so distant future.Read more