Canoe Cove Webcam – See Sailboats Near Swartz Bay

The Canoe Cove Webcam sits on the docks of Canoe Cove Marina in North Saanich, British Columbia, a few minutes from Sidney on the Saanich Peninsula of Vancouver Island. Two sailboats lie on either side of a wooden finger float in the foreground, their masts and rigging reaching out of the top of the frame. Beyond them the cove opens onto still water where more boats swing on their moorings, backed by the dark evergreen forest of the small islands that shelter the entrance. On calm mornings the trees and hulls reflect almost perfectly in the water. When the wind picks up the surface ripples, the boats tug at their lines, and the view becomes a quick way to judge conditions before heading out among the Gulf Islands.

About Canoe Cove

Canoe Cove is tucked into the trees just east of the Swartz Bay ferry terminal at the northern tip of the peninsula, and a short trail links the two. Its history on the water runs back about a century. In the 1920s the cove served as a shipping point and a safe haven for rum runners working the border during Prohibition in the United States, and by the late 1920s a sheltered marina had taken shape. Boat building began in the early 1930s. New owners took over in 1958 and kept building wooden boats, including sailboats, until the last wooden hull was launched in 1964. After that the yard moved to fiberglass powerboats sold as the Canoe Cove line. The marina itself was sold to its present owners in 1974.

Today Canoe Cove Marina and Boatyard is one of the oldest and largest marinas in British Columbia. It has more than 450 wet slips, including 132 boathouses and 20 covered slips, plus a dry storage yard for around 120 vessels. The boatyard runs a Travelift able to haul boats up to about 24 meters (80 feet) long, and a chandlery on site is run by Vector Marine. Visiting boats find gasoline, diesel and propane, 30 and 50 amp power, laundry and showers, and customs clearance around the clock. The Canoe Cove Webcam is a BRNKL camera, a marine monitoring system that streams from the docks.

Weather and Climate at Canoe Cove

The nearest long term weather station is at Victoria International Airport, a short drive west in North Saanich. July there averages daily highs near 22.7 C (73 F) and lows around 11.7 C (53 F), and summer is the driest part of the year. On the webcam that season usually means blue sky, warm light on the decks and flat water in the early morning, with the cove full of visiting boats and paddlers.

January brings highs near 7.5 C (46 F) and lows around 1.6 C (35 F). Annual precipitation at the airport is about 901 millimeters (35 inches), well below the wetter parts of the British Columbia coast because the Olympic Mountains cast a rain shadow over the Victoria region. Across Greater Victoria more than 60 percent of that rain falls between November and February, so winter views tend toward grey sky, wet docks and low cloud over the islands. Snow is uncommon, with roughly 26 centimeters (10 inches) in an average year around Victoria.

Things to Do Near Canoe Cove

The Stonehouse, a pub and restaurant a short walk from the docks, is the cove’s best known landmark. Hugh Rodd, a British immigrant, built it in the 1930s from locally quarried stone, with leaded windows, fir floors and hand hewn beams. It was first called The Landing and became a pub in 1985. In the middle of the marina, Canoe Cove Joe’s Cafe serves as a seaside coffee bar, and Pacifica Paddle Sports rents kayaks, canoes and paddleboards and runs lessons and tours among the nearby islands.

A harbor taxi connects the marina with the town of Sidney, and the Swartz Bay terminal next door handles BC Ferries sailings to Tsawwassen on the mainland. For boaters, the cove is a natural jumping off point for the Gulf Islands. The approach needs care, since a number of islands and rocks surround the entrance, although they are well charted.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

If you like watching boats in sheltered water, try these next:

• Deep Cove Webcam
• Parksville Webcam
• Barnstable Harbor Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Canoe Cove located?

Canoe Cove is in North Saanich, British Columbia, at the northern tip of the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island. It sits just east of the Swartz Bay ferry terminal, a short drive north of the town of Sidney.

What can you see on the Canoe Cove Webcam?

Two sailboats on a wooden float fill the foreground, with moored boats, calm water and the forested islands at the mouth of the cove beyond.

What is the weather like at Canoe Cove?

Mild and fairly dry. Summer highs are around 23 C (73 F) at the nearby airport, winter highs around 7 to 8 C (45 to 46 F), and most rain falls from November to February.

How many slips does Canoe Cove Marina have?

More than 450 wet slips, including 132 boathouses and 20 covered slips, plus dry storage for around 120 vessels.

Can you walk from Canoe Cove to the Swartz Bay ferry?

Yes. A short trail links the marina with the Swartz Bay ferry terminal, which makes the cove handy for arriving or departing ferry passengers.

Is there a restaurant at Canoe Cove Marina?

Yes. Canoe Cove Joe’s Cafe is in the center of the marina, and the Stonehouse pub and restaurant, built of local stone in the 1930s, is a short walk away.

Source: BRNKL by Barnacle Systems