A friendly former gold-rush townsite on East Thurlow Island with a public float and the legendary Shoal Bay Lodge pub, Shoal Bay is the classic place to wait out the Cordero and Greene Point rapids.
Tucked into the south side of Cordero Channel on East Thurlow Island, directly across from the mouth of Phillips Arm, Shoal Bay is one of the few welcoming stops in this rapids-bound corner of the Discovery Islands. A government public float (roughly 250 to 500 feet of moorage linked to shore by a long pier first built in 1927) fills quickly in summer, and rafting is mandatory, so put out fenders on both sides and arrive early.
Ashore, the Shoal Bay Lodge offers a small cottage pub and cafe, showers and laundry, with an organic flower and vegetable garden that cruisers are welcome to share. The setting is spectacular, with views up Phillips Arm to snow-capped peaks.
This is a deeply historic spot: during the gold-rush years of the late 1800s, Shoal Bay was reputedly one of the larger settlements on the BC coast, with hundreds of residents supporting mining, logging, and fishing. Gold was mined in the hillsides above the bay.
Approach notes, hazards to watch for, and what's available once you're tied up.
Shoal Bay lies off Cordero Channel roughly between the Dent/Greene Point rapids, so time your passage for slack and plan the bay as a staging stop. The crescent-shaped bay is steep-to and very deep: the bottom plummets from about 5 metres near the dock to 30 metres offshore, so anchoring requires plenty of scope in deep water.
A drying shoal reaches nearly to the dock at the head of the bay, so favor the public float or anchor well out in the deeper portion clear of the drying flat. The bay is reasonably protected from winds funneling down the channel but open to the north toward Phillips Arm and exposed to wakes from boats passing in Cordero Channel.
Wind protection summary and tide planning at a glance. Full per-direction and 7-day detail with Plus.
Live readings from the nearest OpenWeather station and WorldTides; refreshed every few minutes.
Source: OpenWeather One Call API + WorldTides.
A curated photo + map walkthrough showing approach, mooring options, and points of interest.
A guided walkthrough of Shoal Bay with approach photos, depth notes, and points of interest — written by members who have been here recently.
Real first-hand reports and questions answered by members who have actually been here.
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Cruising-distance picks near this anchorage.
