I've been reading Bill Wolferstan's Cruising Guide to British Columbia, Vol. I: Gulf Islands (thanks for the loan, Jim!) and came across this interesting bit about the southern tip of Vancouver Island. I'm not sure I'll get there any time soon, as my thoughts go more toward the north, but it's a good read. I thought my brother Mike in Germany might enjoy it:
Race Rocks
Race Rocks, the southernmost portion of Canada west of Ontario,was named by officers of the Hudson's Bay Company. Captain Kellett of the Royal Navy survey ship HMS Herald wrote in his journals in 1846: "This dangerous group is appropriately named, for the tide makes a perfect race around it". Over 35 vessels have experienced disaster over the years in the immediate vicinity of Race Rocks. Some of the more notable of these were the Nanette, a 385-ton barque which foundered only a few days before the light at the Rocks was first lit in 1860; the Rosedale which ran aground on Rosedale Reef in 1862; the Idaho, a total loss, the Rosamond, the Eemdyk, the tugs Hope and Tyee; and the steamer Sechelt (all 48 aboard drowned). All of these disasters occurred during the winter months, predominantly October to December.
In addition to these larger vessels, a number of small craft have succumbed to the rip tides and breaking seas which sometimes build up around Race Rocks. The tide rips can be very deceptive. At times the strong currents cause only a ripple on the surface, but a passing freighter may send in a swell which meets the current at a certain angle causing huge breaking seas to develop without warning. The lightkeepers have rescued many who were close to disaster but were too late several years ago when a Cub sailboat went down just south of Rosedale Rock. All four aboard drowned.
The 105-foot black and white striped lighthouse, one of the most distinctive and attractive lighthouses on the B.C. coast, is made from four-foot-thick granite blocks, cut, fitted and numbered in England, and brought around the Horn in 1858. This light and the Fisgard light outside Esquimalt were the first two lighthouses to be erected on the B.C. coast.
On Christmas Eve, 1865, the first lightkeeper at Race Rocks, George Davis, watched helplessly as his brother, sister and three friends struggled and drowned before his eyes when their small boat overturned while trying to cross to the Rocks. His own boat had been carried away in a gale a few days previously so he was unable to go to their assistance. Davis (age 30) died within a year, many said, from grief.
Race Rocks is also a fascinating area for diving (at slack water only) and for observing marine life. It is common to see up to 20 seals at one time, their heads bobbing in the current. Other visitors include the California sea lion basking on the smaller rocks, and stellar sea lions in passage.
In addition to these larger vessels, a number of small craft have succumbed to the rip tides and breaking seas which sometimes build up around Race Rocks. The tide rips can be very deceptive. At times the strong currents cause only a ripple on the surface, but a passing freighter may send in a swell which meets the current at a certain angle causing huge breaking seas to develop without warning. The lightkeepers have rescued many who were close to disaster but were too late several years ago when a Cub sailboat went down just south of Rosedale Rock. All four aboard drowned.
The 105-foot black and white striped lighthouse, one of the most distinctive and attractive lighthouses on the B.C. coast, is made from four-foot-thick granite blocks, cut, fitted and numbered in England, and brought around the Horn in 1858. This light and the Fisgard light outside Esquimalt were the first two lighthouses to be erected on the B.C. coast.
On Christmas Eve, 1865, the first lightkeeper at Race Rocks, George Davis, watched helplessly as his brother, sister and three friends struggled and drowned before his eyes when their small boat overturned while trying to cross to the Rocks. His own boat had been carried away in a gale a few days previously so he was unable to go to their assistance. Davis (age 30) died within a year, many said, from grief.
Race Rocks is also a fascinating area for diving (at slack water only) and for observing marine life. It is common to see up to 20 seals at one time, their heads bobbing in the current. Other visitors include the California sea lion basking on the smaller rocks, and stellar sea lions in passage.
-p.108, Chapter 10 - Albert Head to Becher Bay
Here's what the chart looks like:
And here's where they are:
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