Approaches
The entrance to Folly Cove is unmarked, but it's also free of hazards. If you head down the middle and don't hit the side walls, you'll be clear. We usually favor the right-hand (western) side, both because it's closer to the best anchorage, and to avoid the little shallow spot off the stone wharf in the south east corner.
Sailing around Halibut Point can be a little disorienting, since the adjacent points and coves all have a similar rocky appearance. Adding to the confusion, most paper charts still show the flashing green "1AHP" buoy about a half mile north of Halibut Point. The buoy was removed at least as far back as 2007, and as of 2009 no longer appears on current NOAA raster charts. Taking a bearing or two on the observation tower can help distinguish one granite headland from the next.
Folly Cove is a popular spot for divers. It's an unusual visit if you don't see a dive boat or two, as well as individual divers with their small personal buoys working off the beach.
Anchorages
Folly Cove is exposed from the west to the north and all the way around to the east, so it's unsuitable as an overnight anchorage. In summer southerlies, it makes an appealing and typically popular lunch stop.
The outer portion of the cove is a little deep (50 - 60 feet) to anchor comfortably. As you work in closer towards the beach in the southwest corner, the depths drop off, somewhat quickly, down to the 20s. There is room for a half dozen or so keelboats to swing.
Hoop Pole Cove
To the east of Halibut Point, Hoop Pole Cove looks on the chart like an intriguing alternative to Folly Cove. The name alone invites a visit. From the water, though, it's far less of a cove than the chart suggests. The bottom slopes up shallow enough to make anchoring feasible, and the Cape provides a nice lee in a southwesterly, but otherwise Hoop Pole is completely exposed.
Contacts
- none
Fitting Out
Folly Cove has no facilities, supplies or services.