Hole-in-the-Wall provides an excellent anchorage at the western entrance to the Lansdowne Channel
We had passed this spot many times, but in July of 1995 we happened to be going by and had all the ingredients at hand for a successful entrance:
In this view, we are already inside the anchorage, and we are
looking south towards the Lansdowne Channel.
The proper course lies just about exactly in the
middle between the rockly islet and the
island shore to the east (or left in this picture). There is 8 feet
of water, but only in a gap 10-15 feet wide. On either
side very large submerged rocks await your keel.
Right after passing the rocks, the depth shoals to about 6 feet
on a sand bar, then drops to more than 10 feet in the central portion
of the anchorage. There is only room for one or two boats at this spot,
but be advised that if you do stay here, you'll have plenty of company.
It seems that all the local residents use Hole-in-the-Wall as a shortcut
between Frazer Bay and the Lansdowne Channel, and even as late as
10 p.m. we still had little outboards zipping through the passage
at high speeds.
Looking back to the north, you see the other entrance, also containing some hidden shoals, and Frazer Bay Hill in the background. When we left we decided to exit in this direction, but had to feel our way out with poor ability to see into the water due to the morning haze and overcast. We did find the deep water on the north side, but it was a little harder, actually, than the much narrower south entrance because there are no real landmarks to guide you. The deep water is located toward the western third of the opening, but you have to guess how far off the shore to stay to avoid the shoaling there.
Copyright © 1997, 1998, 1999 by James W. Hebert. All rights reserved.
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Author: James W. Hebert