Heywood Island
As you turn back from McGregor and Frazier Bay, head south crossing Frazier Bay and you will see Heywood Island.The straightforward entry is between Stanley Point and Browning Island. Dead ahead is a wide open bay that is mud and sand bottom. There is lots of room for anchoring, a very pretty beach and easy shore access. If the wind is from the northwest, you might want to tuck around the point. If you are looking for privacy, turn to port and go up the channel. Stay to starboard and continue to the open bay. Halfway along the channel is a great spot to set in and tie to shore on the port side of the channel.You can get within feet level and virtually walk off the swim platform and step on shore.
This is just one of those must-see anchorages that the area is famous for.
If the Benjamins are too busy, there are many options close by, including Croker, Fox and Eagle islands.
McBean Channel/Oak Bay
A short distance from the Benjamin group is the McBean Channel.There are virtually dozens of anchorages in the area, but our favourite is Oak Bay.We have seen as many as 70 boats here and it still looks almost deserted. Immediately to port, there is a protected anchorage with good holding and at the extreme northwest there is a channel entering into another bay. This should be explored by dinghy because the entrance can be blocked by a large raft of floating marsh grasses if the wind shifts to westerly. Just a little further north is another well protected bay , except for winds out of the south and east. It’s possible to either swing or tie to shore. If you climb up the rocks on the northeast side, you can enjoy the fantastic view and snap a great picture of your boat at anchor.
The bay on the immediate starboard side of the entrance into Oak Bay is not recommended due to a couple of rock shoals.As you head up the bay, you will pass a great anchorage to starboard with excellent holding. It is a simple U-turn to enter.There is a smaller anchorage at the end of Oak Bay to port and to starboard. Anchoring in this area can let you enjoy exploring little rivers and marshes.As well, if you are here early enough in the season, you will have an opportunity to pick blueberries to your heart’s content.You can exit to the south to explore in your dinghy for miles. Some years, there are some supplies available at the cottage docks.
After a few days on the hook, it might be time to try out a restaurant, charge the batteries and do some shopping. So,we take a run across the channel to Gore Bay (more on this later), spend the night and then come back up into the McBean Channel and continue to work our way into our favourite anchoring bays.
Little Current
As the current can be running up to six knots some days, the name Little Current is a bit of a misnomer. Nevertheless, it is an excellent place to reprovision or have any necessary repairs completed, since it has virtually every amenity you could possibly need.
The bridge opens every hour on the hour for 15 minutes, regardless of whether boats are there or not. Just past the bridge, you’ll see a red floating triangular buoy. The direction the triangle is pointing indicates the direction the current is coming from. If you’re planning on docking anywhere in Little Current, whether to fuel at Wally’s or tie up at the town dock, we recommend bringing the boat up to the dock with your bow into the current – your knot log will not reflect your actual boat speed.
You can choose various docking options in Little Current. It is possible to get short-term docking on the town dock if you are just shopping.