Story and Photos by Chuck Gould..              First appeared in Boat Journal

Comox

Some charting and planning is required for a safe approach to Comox. South or westbound boaters will want to locate two red buoys near 49 degrees, 39.5 minutes N latitude and 123 degrees 51.6 minutes W longitude. Passing between the two buoys on in inbound course of 222 degrees (about 195 magnetic) will avoid the slightly subsurface rocks of Comox Bar to starboard and the mudflats of White Spit to port. The Canadian Hydrographic chart shows range markers on the far shore of Baynes Sound, but the area has become built up with residences to the point where visual clutter makes it difficult to find the markers. While the chart would suggest holding the entrance course for about a mile beyond the buoys, commercial fishermen can be observed turning starboard toward Goose Point immediately after passing a single red buoy that appears to mark the outer limits of the Comox Bar. (In cases where we don’t have first-hand local knowledge, Jan and I always defer conservatively to our charts.)

We rounded Goose Point on an August afternoon and weighed our moorage options. There are three marinas at Comox, located behind two breakwater entrances. The Comox Municipal Marina does not offer overnight moorage, but the westerly marina, (Comox Bay), offers transient slips in a contemporary, resort atmosphere. The Comox Valley Harbour Authority floats are approached around the east end of the breakwater, and offer a more colorful and rustic environment. The Comox fishing fleet homeports at the Harbour Authority facility, but pleasure boaters are encouraged to occupy up to half the available space. We chose the Harbour Authority Floats, and were met at the dock by a cheerful wharfinger who welcomed us to Comox and assigned "Indulgence" a specific location.

There were only a few other pleasure boats at the Harbour Authority Floats, and it was apparent that we had indeed landed on the working waterfront. A fishing fleet consisting of grand old wooden gill netters, high tech aluminum purse seiners, and some rather unusually configured crabbers filled the docks. The holding tank pump-out was obstructed by a raft-up of "retired" fish boats and a pile-driving barge. The air smelled of creosote, acetone, salt, fresh paint, and fresher fish. Jan commented, "This isn’t exactly like the Nanaimo Harbor guest dock, is it?"

"No," I answered with a sly smile. Although we always enjoy Nanaimo, it can be fun to experience the contrast of sharing a dock with some working sea people. It seemed unlikely that we would encounter many white-slacks-and-blue-blazer ensembles in the bustling and unpretentious commercial environment. Local residents purchase fresh seafood directly from the Comox fishing fleet, and a coffee shack with fish and chips and other fast food items stands just beyond the wharfinger’s office. There is shore power and water on the floats, but no showers. A matched pair of plastic Sani-Kans are the closest available public restrooms.

Comox offers gasoline and diesel fuel, (the dock is in the Municipal Marina), as well as marine supplies at the Crow’s Nest on the town’s main street. Two tide grids are available for minor repairs or maintenance below the waterline.

Downtown Comox consists of a single street of 20 to 30 year old commercial buildings, with a big grocery and a few dozen independent shops assembled into the Comox Mall at the southeast end of the district. There are only a few tourist traps in Comox and most commercial enterprises specialize in trading with the local community: a great place to reprovision.

Boaters ready for a round of golf will likely enjoy the course at Comox, about a five-minute walk from any of the marinas.

Cruisers with more than a single afternoon to enjoy in Comox may want to consider visiting the larger, nearby town of Courtenay. A skinny channel runs between the two municipalities, but charted depths are only about four feet and the area looks like it might be subject to silting. We left "Indulgence" in Comox and rode the bus five miles to Courtenay. We considered walking, but the road is busy and without sidewalks or wide shoulders. A long dinghy run would be another option. Courtenay has a tiny but worthwhile museum, a casual downtown shopping district, and (on Wednesdays) a Farmer’s market. Homemade baked goods and field fresh produce were plentiful at the Farmer’s Market. (On Thursdays, the market relocates to Comox.)

Perhaps the most interesting character we encountered after bussing back to Comox was Marty Brown of "Marty’s Barber Shop and Art Studio." When the Comox Postal authorities decided the Post Office building was too large for efficient use, they rented half the building to Marty and he enjoys a very official looking brick façade. A sign at the sidewalk read, "You don’t have to get your hair cut to look at the paintings," and we ventured in. A display of creative and skillfully crafted paintings, all by Mr. Brown, covers the walls of the shop. Between razor cuts and beard trims, Marty turns to an easel and develops some remarkable landscapes and seascapes. Exhibiting a barber’s innate ability to initiate conversations with complete strangers, Marty noticed my photography gear and asked a question about camera lenses. "I take a lot of pictures for reference when I’m painting," said Marty, "but my darks are forever turning out too dark and my lights are always too light. I can fix that when I paint, however." Most people contemplating Mr. Brown’s extremely good work would probably agree that the light is "just right."

Based on a number of local recommendations, Jan and I dined at the Blackfin Pub, (just a short walk from our float at the Harbour Authority marina). I ordered the veal pepper schnitzel while Jan decided on the salmon burger, and both were very commendably prepared. A surprisingly defining moment of our visit to Comox occurred as we sipped a final pint of cider on the Blackfin’s outdoor deck:

Just below the Blackfin Pub and inshore from the marina is a salt marsh. Between the rippled black mud and the bleaching jackstraw piles of drift above the storm tide line is an abstract zone of whirling yellow, red, gold, and brown marsh thatch. Just when the foremost foothills surrendered the last pretenses of green to the looming darkness, two yearling doe leaped over the drift and proceeded cautiously through the hollow stemmed grasses. With a cautious glance in all directions, they high-stepped into the shallows to enjoy a few salty licks of brackish water. We watched as the deer climbed the rocky embankment to the roadbed and finally disappeared, soaring over a low fence surrounding the public waterfront park.

No, the Comox Harbour Authority Floats don’t have a lot in common with the guest dock at Nanaimo. The delightful town and the surrounding area offer summer cruisers an authentic and more rustic slice of BC coast life.

Reprinted with grateful acknowledgement to Chuck Gould

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