Refuge Cove to Tribune Bay

Today we got serious about heading south. Tribune Bay lay five hours away, enough of a run to put some miles behind us and bring us back to the western side of the Strait of Georgia.

We left Refuge Cove with the forecast we wanted: northwesterlies for the next two days. Weather determines whether Tribune Bay makes our itinerary. This broad anchorage on Hornby Island opens to the southeast, and even light southerlies can soon make us wish we had chosen somewhere else.

With the right forecast, however, there is plenty to like. The bay offers room to spread out, comfortable anchoring depths, and good holding. Ashore, a long sandy beach gives way to sandstone ledges, while nearby Helliwell Provincial Park offers trails along the bluffs with expansive views across the strait.

tribune bay is a very large achorage open to the Southeast

Getting ashore requires a little thought. The beach slopes so gradually that a low-tide dinghy landing can leave you with a considerable stretch of sand between the boat and your shoes. This visit, the tides were cooperating as nicely as the wind. The high tide would be followed by a higher low only about three feet below it—a modest drop during the hours we planned to be ashore.

That made the sandstone formations at the northeast corner of the bay particularly inviting. We could step out of the dinghy with dry feet and leave it where it would still be floating when we returned from our three-hour walk.

The park supplied the scenery and the exercise. Hornby Island Bakery & Pizzeria was supposed to supply the reward.

Helliwell Provincial Park has breathtaking views

the cliffs overlooking tribune bay

After our walk, we carried on past our landing spot and headed into “town,” where a small collection of seasonal shops and places to eat adds another attraction to a Tribune Bay stop. We had pizza firmly in mind. Hornby Island Bakery & Pizzeria is renown, voted 3rd best pizza in all of Canada in 2023, and we were ready to contribute our own assessment.

Closing time was seven. We arrived at six-thirty, feeling reasonably pleased with our timing.

The friendly fellow behind the counter explained that they had sold out of pizza.

I cannot imagine what our faces looked like, but three hours of walking and the sudden disappearance of dinner must have registered fairly clearly. After a little cajoling, he graciously agreed to make us some wings and one large pizza.

We were saved.

The pizza lived up to our expectations, and we gained a better understanding of the instruction on the website and menu: call early to order. Apparently, arriving before closing and arriving before the pizza runs out are two different things. If pizza is part of your Tribune Bay plan, make the call.

Our second morning began with another easy sandstone landing, this time at the northwest corner of the bay. A short walk back toward the Pizza shop brought us to the bus stop.

Hornby’s summer community bus opens up considerably more of the island to visiting boaters. With a recommended donation of $2 a ride, it is an inexpensive way to venture beyond walking distance. The Co-op serves as a useful hub, with service connecting it to the ferry landing and Ford’s Cove, plus less frequent runs serving the Tribune Bay Outdoor Education Centre, Whaling Station Bay, and Helliwell Park. Those park trips take a little planning around the return schedule, but it make exploring without a car quite practical.

The Hornby Island Co-op is also well worth knowing about. It is a remarkably well-stocked store, and we have met fellow cruisers who make this their first major provisioning stop after entering Canada. Between the groceries, nearby shops, and bus connections, there is quite a bit available just beyond the anchorage.

Meanwhile, the holiday weekend was gathering around us. More boats arrived and settled into the bay, while the beach filled with people making the most of the remaining summer days. In the shallows, swimmers splashed and paddleboarders worked on varying degrees of balance. It was an altogether cheerful scene.

That afternoon, the calm water tempted us farther afield. We took the dinghy around the corner for the 4.5-mile ride to Ford’s Cove, trading the broad beach and busy anchorage for a small marina with a restaurant above its store.

ford’s cove marina

resturant and store overlook ford’s cove marina

A couple of fellow Grand Banks were tied up at the docks, which naturally encouraged a closer look. Ford’s Cove may find its way onto a future itinerary.

We had come to Tribune Bay to make progress south. Between the walking, the island exploring, and a dinner rescued at the last moment, we were happy to let that progress pause for a couple of days.