Hebron Sand Spit, Egmont Bay

 

In 2021, I made three boat outings to the Hebron sand spit via the end of Campbell Road. This location has become my favourite sailing launch point for the northwestern side of Egmont Bay. The launch site has excellent access to the water, a great shore/beach for set-up, and ample parking space. There’s a 4km stretch of deep enough water for sailing inside the sand bars between Brae Harbour and the Hebron sand spit. The 2km long Hebron sand spit makes a good trip destination for a shore break, lunch, or a long beach walk. It’s a bit tricky to sail further up or down the Egmont Bay coast. The 800m wide sand bars have to be crossed close to high tide! The best location to cross out is near Brae Harbour at the mouth of the Brae River. I did it once with the Va’a Motu this summer, but it wasn’t easy in the SW wind. The other drawback to the Campbell Road shore is the 45-minute drive (43km). A warning about the Campbell launch point - lots of poison ivy in the area!

Google Earth map of Hebron sailing area and tracks

My first outing to the area this summer was on June 29th (green track). In a light foggy breeze, I sailed the Larsboat OSC to the tip of the Hebron sand spit and went for a  walk. After a snack, I started back with one exploration stop at the end of Kennedy Road (or MacLeans Rd). Near the Campbell Road shore, an Osprey was observed and posted to iNaturalist. 

Larsboat OSC at the Hebron sand spit in the morning fog

The second trip to the Campbell/Hebron area was on July 28 (blue track). It was a beautiful sunny and clear day for a sail. Due to the high tide and southerly wind conditions, I was able to sail the MYS15 skiff up the outer shore of the Hebron sand spit. I did not go all the way across the sand spit due to time and tide constraints. On the way back, I sailed to the mouth of the Brae River and then back to the Campbell Road shore. With higher tide conditions and the right winds, it should be possible to sail further up the Brae River (next year).

MYS15 skiff on the outer Hebron shore

On September 8, I did a great Va’a Motu outing between Brae Harbour and the Hebron sand spit (red track; 12km). I had some luck sailing through the sand bars, but it wasn’t so easy with the shallow water, surf, and wind direction. Next year, I’ll try the same area but a bit more to the east in the outlet channel of the Brae River. There was a good south wind breeze, so the sail to the Hebron sand spit and back was good. After going ashore for a short break at the tip of the sand spit, I sailed on the inside to check out the oyster farming operation. After passing Dog Creek, the water gets shallow for sailing, so it was time for a U-turn and back to Campbell Road.

The new Va'a Motu on the inside shore at the Hebron sand spit

Due to the sailing area restriction, this area is best for a short sail outing and walking on the Hebron sand spit. The MYS15 skiff is the best boat for this, followed by the Larsboat OSC. If the idea is to venture beyond the sand bars, then the Va’a Motu is the way to go! 

Note: Try to start sailing 2 hours before and finish not more than 2 hours after high tide. The tides should be 1m or higher. 

Osprey	Oyster aquaculture (inside sand spit)
Hebron sand spit	Va'a Motu sailing towards Brae Harbour

Brae Harbour, Egmont Bay (via Campbell Road)

Egmont Bay is the longest bay in PEI.  It stretches from Cape Egmont to West Point – a distance of 42 km along the shoreline.  I grew up on the southerly end of Egmont Bay but have only started to explore the northern parts (Percival Bay to West Point) of the bay in the last few years. 

The Brae area, Egmont Bay (4.6 km track)

On this early August day, I decided to check the Egmont Bay area around Brae Harbour. The road into Brae Harbour is now closed due to erosion, so launching there is not easy. So, I went to the end of Campbell Shore Road (off Hebron Road, #164).  The end of Campbell Road is used by oyster fishers and is a great launch point for kayaks and small boats. It also has ample parking space.

There’s a channel at Campbell Road that extends from Brae Harbour to Indian Point Sand Hill to the west (about 3 km). The channel is about 600m wide at Campbell Road, and then there are another 600m of sandbars before getting into the deeper waters of Egmont Bay.

Beach area next to Brae Harbour

Merganser 17

Today, I paddled east following the sandbars towards Brae Harbour. I landed on the small crescent beach just to the east of the old harbour for a break. After a walk, the wind had come up, so I decided not to paddle any further east, and I started to head back to Campbell Road following the shoreline.  I chose not to go up the Brae River due to wind and low tide conditions. 

The old Brae Harbour wharf

The Brae Harbour wharf in disrepair

I plan to spend more time on this Egmont Bay shoreline exploring the Brae River and Indian Point Sand Spit.  This area’s deep water channel may be an excellent place to bring out the MYS15 for a sail.

The great Brae sea monster!

Beware - poison Ivy in parking area!