Where is Cowichan Bay?
Lat: / Lon: 48.73 N / 123.6 W Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
Brief History of Cowichan Bay
How Many Anchorages are there?
There are a total of eight anchorages stretching from
the west side of the bay from the town of Cowichan Bay to Hatch’s Point which
is off of Arbutus Ridge. These anchorages (shown in red below) first appeared on Canadian Hydrographic Service charts around
1970.
Anchorages as of May 2015
As of the above date the number of anchorages was reduced from 8 to 6 and a maximum length of anchorage set for each anchorage.
As of the above date the number of anchorages was reduced from 8 to 6 and a maximum length of anchorage set for each anchorage.
Anchorage Positions, Max LOA and Depth
New Name Latitude (N) Longitude (W) Max. LOA (metres) Depth (metres) Swing Radius
A 48º 44.96' 123º 35.86' 240 55 3.5 cables
B 48º 44.02' 123º 34.35' 185 55 2.6 cables
C 48º 43.80' 123º 33.40' 310 60 3.6 cables
D 48º 43.27' 123º 32.60' 310 65 3.5 cables
E 48º 42.80' 123º 31.78' 200 70 3.1 cables
F 48º 42.08' 123º 31.94' 260 60 3.3 cables
New Name Latitude (N) Longitude (W) Max. LOA (metres) Depth (metres) Swing Radius
A 48º 44.96' 123º 35.86' 240 55 3.5 cables
B 48º 44.02' 123º 34.35' 185 55 2.6 cables
C 48º 43.80' 123º 33.40' 310 60 3.6 cables
D 48º 43.27' 123º 32.60' 310 65 3.5 cables
E 48º 42.80' 123º 31.78' 200 70 3.1 cables
F 48º 42.08' 123º 31.94' 260 60 3.3 cables
Why Anchor Here?
While the province owns the sea bottom, the Federal Ministry of Transport determines anchorage locations. The bay offers a secure bottom (sand or mud), at less than 50m depth, is well protected from adverse winds and a close proximity to the port of Vancouver. Ships are at anchor in the bay for an average annual total of 500 days. There have been instances where individual ships have remained over a month. We do not know if this is a scheduling problem with the Vancouver Port Authority, inability of owners and agents to better coordinate their shipping schedules or that Cowichan Bay is a free parking lot for which only local residents pay the price.
When did They Start Anchoring Here?
The anchorages were designated in the 1970's but it wasn't until 2010 that residents who had lived in the area for 25, 30, 35 years first saw them. Up until then the residents didn't even know that there were designated anchorages in the bay. Please go to the Data & Charts page to see how the number of ships have increased every year since 2010. In 2013 CITY TV Vancouver interviewed several local residents, who after one extremely NOISY ship said enough is enough. The link to the video is found below: