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| Fisgard Lighthouse at the entrance to Esquimalt Harbour (gun emplacement on left) |
After departing Victoria
Harbour, we circled around Duntz Head in 20 knot winds to make our way back
north into nearby Esquimalt Harbour.
The
Royal Canadian Navy has a base here and pleasure craft need to contact ‘Queens
Harbour Master Operations’ on VHF Channel 10 when entering and exiting the
harbour between Fisgard Lighthouse and Duntze Head – give the name of your
boat, size and make of boat, and direction of travel outbound or inbound.
When entering, indicate your destination,
such as “anchoring off Cole Island.”
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| Royal Canadian Navy Base in Esquimalt Harbour |
As
we approached Duntze Head, we contacted QHMO announcing our arrival and
intentions while snapping photos of the historic Fisgard Lighthouse, the first
lighthouse on Canada’s West Coast.
Fisgard
light was built and opened during the year 1860 and was automated in 1929.
The lighthouse is still in operation and houses a small museum.
In 1862, the
Royal Navy’s Pacific Squadron established themselves in Esquimalt, eventually
building storehouses and workshops ashore.
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| Cole Island, Historic Munitions Site |
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| Dinghy Dock at Cole Island in Esquimalt Harbour |
Coastal defense became important and increased with the gold rush era
and tensions between the U.S. and the British over boundary disputes begun by
the ‘San Juan’s Pig War’ of 1859.
Five batteries
of guns were constructed around Victoria, including an 8-inch gun at the mouth
of Esquimalt Harbour near the lighthouse.
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| Old Marine Guard House |
The British and Canadian Navies stored munitions on Cole Island inside
Esquimalt Harbour between 1860 and 1938.
Visitors can anchor off the island and arrive by dinghy at the BC Parks
dinghy dock to explore the island and the fascinating ruins of the powder
magazine buildings and quarters for
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| Marine Guard House Living Quarters |
the Marine Guard. The harbour is well protected (no pun
intended) with good holding on a mud bottom.
It’s an interesting side-trip from Victoria which is often
overlooked.
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| Munitions Storage, Cole Island |
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| Locked Munitions Storage, Cole Island |
After spending the afternoon in Esquimalt Harbour, we continued our journey heading around the south end of
the Saanich Peninsula past Victoria, then eastward to Oak Bay. We managed to maneuver the boat into our assigned narrow slip at Oak Bay Marina in 20 knot winds unscathed.
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| Munitions Storage |
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| You can take your dinghy inside during high tides |
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| Munitions Storage seen along the east shore of Cole Island |
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