I know it may be a middle to long shot, but have you ever thought of camming the sooke basin? I've sailed there lots of times and i know lots of others have....(is that cow bay site windy ever?) It may be better for the beginner intermediate crowd but they need support right? Its sheltered in the way that you cant float out to sea, and most windy days you actually sail up and down right in front of the beach if you're a newby...so any way, my two bits worth. the sunny shores turn off is the location i be talkin bout (it aint great for kiters with the power lines, but there might be a good launch a short walk up past the marina)

There are all ready a few basin cams ... Check the web cams list.

Wavos Rancheros wrote:I know it may be a middle to long shot, but have you ever thought of camming the sooke basin? I've sailed there lots of times and i know lots of others have....(is that cow bay site windy ever?)...

I split this topic from the Pipers cam thread. I've sailed Sooke Basin too and I've seen it windier there then at Gordon's (too many times). A lot of times when it's cranking in the basin it's a bad sign for Gordons. Maybe a cam would help tell us when NOT to go to Gordons. Anyway, I haven't thought about a cam there, but if enough people wanted one then I could look into it at some point. There was a vote about the next webcam location and Pipers was the clear winner, although there isn't a huge number of people that sail there. But it is a great spot and I'd like catch some more days there.

Regarding the Cow Bay cam. That is a different story since the Bay Pub paid 100% for the cam/internet and it was only my time to set it up. So even though it's not a prime sailing spot it was still worthwhile to get another webcam on the website and it cost nothing.

Maybe we need another poll about the next webcam location...if any.
dave

Last trip I did to Gordons I noticed the wind was way stronger in the basin - it was well over 20 there when Gordon's was just getting sailable. Maybe its worth it to save the extra gas and sail there when its like that? Trouble is you don't know what Gordons will be like, unless like Dave says its often bad when the basin is good.

I've only sailed the once there; its a little gusty and shifty but much better than most lakes, best on a floatier board. I've never seen a kite out there. Access always seems hard to find. THere is a good ws rigging area and launch off Goodridge Road (left off Sooke Road just after you pass the steep hill, and Ayum Creek. The wind is probably right onshore usually. At low tide the beach right around the causeway and island there would probably work for kite launches, but there are power lines running down the causeway.


Check out the Natural Areas Atlas for maps, colour orthophoto (excellent resolution), and even photos of the shoreline taken from just offshore. http://www.crd.bc.ca/maps/natural/atlas.htm#

Regarding webcams, the other Sooke ones show the harbour, which seems to be much less windy than the basin for some reason. So maybe a basin cam would be good. Maybe the people that run the other Sooke webcams could be talked into another cam in the right spot?

thanks for splitting the post dave. Like i mentioned in the other post, there are newer sailors who find Gordo's intimidating, I know I used to, so its not just an issue of one site over another. I live five minutes from the basin and I cant tell if its windy there or not, but its true that if its windy there Gordos is likely under cloud and light wind, with conditions changing every half hour. The access is good off of Goodridge road, and it opens up a huge reach across the northeast end of the basin, but it is gusty, and the parking might be an issue, but definitely safer than at Tugwell. The wind pretty much always reaches the beach for newer sailors, and its fairly shallow for the first 100 feet or so.