Snug Cove, Bowen Island, Howe Sound, Beautiful B.C.

Well the weather finally turned, thank God. So I headed out in my boat for a few days. I’m a member of the Vancouver Rowing Club's yachting section. We have several outstations and during the winter months we rent 210 feet of dock space at the Union Steamship Marina in Snug Cove on Bowen Island. I hadn’t used the facility all winter and decided to drop in before we loose it at the end of the month.

Bowen Island is in Howe Sound and just a short 20 minute ferry ride on the Queen of Capilano from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver.

There are several water taxi's available to get on or off the island as well. They may also be chartered for sightseeing or transportation to nearby islands in Howe Sound.

Snug Cove is the economic hub of Bowen Island and has seen a fair bit of commercial development over the winter. There are restaurants, a couple of pubs and assorted local services such as a barber, clothing stores, an art gallery and a library, your typical west coast island type of culture.

I took a walk around Killarney Lake in the afternoon. It was hot out but nice and cool in the shade of the second growth forest. The trails are well marked and maintained and the terrain is gentle, however there are places with an abundance of roots which may be slippery in wet muddy conditions. The lake isn’t really used recreationally all though you may see a canoe from time to time. I sauntered around the lake in a couple of hours.

There is a fish hatchery on one of the streams leading from the lake. There doesn't seem to be much happening around there this time of year, however I did find the old fish ladder skirting Bridal Veil falls kind of interesting.

Snug Cove is extremely well protected form the weather. The marina has a floating office with laundry, showers, a take one leave one paperback exchange and a big screen T.V. The showers are long, hot and plenty big enough for two, not to mention spotless. They also have cottages and a float home to rent for anyone interested in staying the night.

I noticed a float plane taxi in to the office in the morning, not a very common sight. Later in the afternoon a couple approached me as I was walking down the dock and asked if this was the way to catch the ferry. I explained that they had to go up to the road and follow it to the ferry slip. I asked them how they got to the island, they replied they had come in on the float plane that morning. They were from Philadelphia and quite well dressed, staying at a high end hotel in Vancouver. They said they loved what they had seen and wished they had more time to spend but had to return home the next day. So I guess that’s one more way to access the island, although I hate to think of what it would cost to charter a single turboprop Otter for that short trip.
If you ever find yourself in Vancouver with the urge to get out of the bright lights, a day trip or overnighter to Bowen Island may be just what the doctor ordered.
As for me, I’m not sure where I’m off to next, but I’ll be sure to let you know.

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