Bedwell Harbour – Physical check-in with Canadian Customs at Poet’s Cove Marina

When entering Canada by water, boaters have to check into Canadian Customs at the first available Customs Station. After anchoring in Prevost Harbor off Stuart Island in the San Juan Islands, we headed into Canadian waters early the next morning. The San Juan Islands are located off mainland Washington (at the northwestern furthest point in the 48 contiguous United States). Our destination was only six miles or so north, across the Canadian border to South Pender Island where we docked for a physical check-in with Canadian Customs at Poet’s Cove Marina in Bedwell Harbour.

With passports and boat papers in hand, I headed up to the office. Sometimes they have a physical boat inspection to make sure you’re not bringing anything illegal into the country. Illegal items might include items such as chicken, fresh produce, plants, too much alcohol, guns, or drugs. However, on this trip, I made a phone call check-in and was assigned a cruising permit number. Within five minutes, we were good to go.

We continued our day’s cruise over to Vancouver Island then down into Saanich Inlet. We then headed south to Todd Inlets and Butchart Cove. I had read about a renowned garden that I thought Lisa would enjoy touring. But first, we toured Bedwell Harbour. There is a well-known resort there, Poet’s Cove Resort and Spa, that we wanted to check out. If we had time and could stay a few nights, it might be fun to stay there to enjoy the amenities.

Checking in at customs was pretty quick and uneventful. It’s important to have all your ducks in a row and information handy when crossing the border.

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Montague Harbour, on Galliano Island, is part of the Gulf Islands.

When we left Sidney, we had one more day to explore before we met up with the Ranger Tug group (sixty-some Ranger Tugs and Cutwater boats) to begin our cruise to Desolation Sound. So we left Sidney for Montague Harbour on Galliano Island part of the Gulf Islands. There is a Provincial Park in Montague Harbour which offers campsites, a dinghy dock, hiking trails, a bakery on the shore, and mooring balls – we picked up one of the thirty-odd mooring balls available in the harbor.

We’d heard from a friend of ours that the thing to do when mooring in  Montague Harbor is to take the bus up to the Hummingbird Pub on Galliano Island. Because the pub is up a ways from the harbor they have a bus that will pick up boaters from the harbor to get to the pub. What they hadn’t told us was that, although the restaurant has good service and very good food, the real treat was not necessarily the restaurant itself, it turned out the bus ride was the thing we must do.

As we entered the bus we had not the slightest clue what was in store for us. A few minutes after we were seated and the bus was slowly winding up the slope of the island. We thought it was just another folksy bus ride with a little local commentary from the bus driver until Tommy Transit (a retired Vancouver bus driver) turned on the music, a Van Morrison song, Bright Side of the Road, and started handing out instruments to the passengers, a tambourine got passed over our heads along with a few other percussion instruments, Tommy himself held drumsticks which he used on the steering wheel and two symbols that were attached above his seat above the window. Before long we were all singing, playing instruments, clapping, and having a merry good time. It was good, unexpected fun….the kind we love to stumble into.

We had to take this shot of the boaters’ designated garbage area, located on the shore, for our friend Herb who recently told us of a run-in he had with a local who admonished him for putting his dog’s poop in a garbage can on shore, so he took it back a little confused because he thought he was doing the right thing. Apparently, several people had the same run in and someone has now put a special garbage can in that spot just for dog poop. However now garbage itself is not allowed. We thought the signs were interesting and it looks like someone had a good sense of humor when they left a bag of garbage hanging on the sign that clearly states that NOT ANY GARBAGE is to be left here.

We didn’t know about the bakery (below) that sits at the shore’s entrance to the harbor until we were returning from the restaurant.

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We Sought Local Knowledge Before and During Our Cruise in Desolation Sound.

With that in mind, I made it a mission to gain as much local knowledge as I could before and during our Ranger Tugs 2013 Desolation Sound trip so we could maximize our experience during our one month in British Columbia. The first part of our plan was to poll as many Canadian Ranger Tug owners in Ganges during our two-day stay, ones that know the harbors, marinas, and anchorages in order to find out the “must-see” places, what to avoid, when to go, where to anchor, what hazards might lie in wait and which marinas are worth visiting. Of special concern to us on this trip was where we could get fresh water and where could leave off garbage during long periods of anchoring out.

The second part of our polling takes place out on the water, often when we’re in an anchorage with other boaters. We’ll take a dinghy ride around the anchorage before or after dinner to see whom we can meet. Of course, our main objective is to socialize a little and meet other boaters who like us must love to boat and share information; the chances are very good that this is their known cruising ground. We love to see where people came from on their boats, where they are going, and why. This method of gaining information is invaluable to us as cruisers.

During our trip we definitely don’t want to miss anything of value; we want to make sure to make the most of our time by having a list and a rough plan. With that in mind, I made it a mission to gain as much local knowledge as I could before and during our trip, so we could maximize our cruising experience while in the waters of British Columbia. One thing we learned right off the bat, after talking with boaters experienced in the area, was that taking time to go up to the Broughtons, also on our rough list, might be taking on too much of an area to explore. Wishful thinking on our part that we might get that far I guess

The first part of our search for information began shortly after we met Tracy and John, on Sea Change (above), when we arrived at Ganges. We found out they live on Nelson Island in Quarry Bay, by Pender Harbor located at the mouth of Jervis Inlet, which leads to Princess Louisa Inlet and Chatterbox Falls (our cruising destination when we begin our trek south after leaving Desolation Sound). So they are very familiar with not only the Desolation Sound area but Jervis Inlet as well. John and Tracy offered to go over charts with us and in doing so pointed out a few spots they felt we shouldn’t miss.

We had met Charles and Sheri, on Danca (above), when we arrived in Comox, the second day of our group cruise up to Desolation Sound. They told us they live on Quadra Island, across from Campbell River, they were just that day joining the procession of Ranger Tugs from Comox to Gorge. When we finally made it to Gorge, the spot where everyone later dispersed and headed out on their own, we remembered Charles and Sheri knew these waters quite well, so while there I asked Charles if he’d come to our boat to go over charts, he was very generous with his insights on Desolation Sound. Charles’ input paid high dividends on our first days out with scenic anchorages, hiking trails, and his scoop on some freshwater lakes we could hike to while out on the hook.

We took copious notes from any meetings with Canadian boaters both during the Ranger Tug cruise and from others we met en route, we made markers on our GPS chart plotter, marking anchorages and harbors they talked about so we would remember their suggestions.

The second part of our quest for information began our first night out from Gorge, soon after we got settled into the anchorage at Grace Harbor (a suggestion of Charles). At twilight, just before a late dinner, we took a dinghy ride around the anchorage to see whom we could meet. There must have been 20 boats in the anchorage with plenty of room for privacy and to swing free. Our method of meeting folks is simple, we’ll coast by any boat we see people sitting or working on outside, often a smile or a wave is all the invitation we need to glide up a little closer. The rest is easy; we exchange pertinent information about our boats, where we live, how long we’ve been boating, and such. We try to glean a lot of cruising information from those qualified to contribute. This particular night we talked with people on three different boats. The boat closest to us was a Kadey Krogan 44, Maria Elena (above top), the owners, Dennis and Marilyn are from Garden Bay, BC, we exchanged boat cards and general information about places we’ve both cruised. Next, we stopped and chatted with a friendly family on an old trawler, Civetta (above-bottom).

Art and Christina, on Lucky Puppy (above), were the most helpful, they had stopped over earlier in the day, while out in their dinghy, to inquire about our boat; they had promised us a boat card, so we headed over to their boat to talk some more.

We’ve run into Mac, on Passage Weaver (below), a few times since we met him in Ganges, BC. Every time we talk with him we learn more about his experience and acumen as a boater, the kind that comes naturally to someone born to be on the water. The last time we ran into him was when we were both at anchor in Squirrel Cove. After he saw us take two large trash bags to the town dock, he dinghied over to chat and we soon learned a few things about garbage management when at anchor or remote marinas for extended periods of time. Of course, we were already separating garbage to recycle when we got to a garbage drop-off, but Mac suggested we also dry out all paper and plastic, to eliminate the offensive aroma, before putting it in its designated bag. And when in a camping area, where campfires are allowed, you could burn your discarded paper products. Not sure why we never thought of this, but it makes sense to collect and take any compostable matter for a dinghy ride to shore for drop-off in the woods.

We have to say that we learned a lot this trip, not only about the local cruising knowledge we sought and received but how to exist on the hook for long periods of time. If you are receptive, there are always boaters out there who have a wealth of local knowledge to share.

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First stop, Grace Harbour – Striking out on our own to explore Desolation Sound –

We left Gorge Harbour mid-morning to find yet another perfect boating day awaiting us. History states that Captain George Vancouver first sailed the waters of the Sound in 1792, thinking the landscape remote and forbidding, he named it Desolation Sound. We think he must have had a run of bad weather to have taken such a gloomy stance on such a diverse and stunningly beautiful area, but we’d have to admit that the name has a certain draw to it.

With Cortes Island behind us we headed for Desolation Sound Marina Park, a large dedicated group of islands, along with a bit of mainland BC, set aside as a marine park in 1973 for the benefit of recreational boaters, campers, and hikers. Our goal for the first day out was to head to an anchorage in Grace Harbour, a well-protected cove a large sheltered bay located in Malaspina Inlet, surrounded by Gifford Peninsula. We heard about it from another boater.

As we made the turn at the southern tip of Cortes we were greeted with an incredible sight as we motored on, hills growing into peaks and eventually a few snow-capped mountains way off in the distance.

Grace Harbour’s inner bay, where we anchored, is surrounded by forest and is almost entirely landlocked. We enjoyed a pleasant dinghy ride around the harbour, met a few of our neighbors, grilled some fish for dinner, had a few stimulating games of dominoes, and watched a beautiful sunset grace the harbor.

Two new items this trip out, we bought a set of new, wood, folding chairs for extra seating in the cockpit and we added a spool with a line for stern tying. Another Ranger Tug owner had made the suggestion to attach it to the bimini railing and it works perfectly there, can’t wait to try it out.

Grace Harbour was a photographer’s dream subject tonight.

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Refuge Cove is a relic of the past.

We have not been out cruising in Desolation Sound that long, this being our fifth day, but we missed getting fuel while we were at Gorge (it was busy when we left and we didn’t want to wait). So when we left Teakerne Arm we thought we’d head over to Refuge Cove, a fully functioning marina and year-round community, centrally located on West Redona Island in the heart of Desolation Sound. We wanted to fuel up and top off our water supply. Refuge Cove is a relic of the past. We marveled at how the store still stands in one piece on top of the ancient barnacle-covered pilings below. The cove provides a seasonal home to 20 families and home to half that many during the off-season.

While there we had a quick trip through the little store and were pleased to find quite a selection, more than we thought they’d have – all the basics were covered and some fresh produce to boot. We picked up a few items at the store and investigated all the other buildings – a laundry and shower facility, a used book store that also sold local honey, and a small gift store and cafe on top of the rocks.

We were really impressed with the laundry and shower facilities at Refuge Cove. They also make and sell ice there.

We like the looks of the marina’s Boater’s Lounge (above).

We ran into a couple of Ranger Tugs while we were at Refuge Cove, one of them had delivered Kenny, Service Rep at Ranger Tugs, to Refuge Cove so that he could catch a seaplane to Seattle to attend the wedding of a friend. We had talked to Kenny earlier about him cutting his Desolation Sound trip short to attend the wedding, he said it was really important that he be there for his friend. The reason Kenny is still sitting at the dock mid-Saturday with his suitcase, a day after his scheduled flight, is that during his trip to the marina to catch his scheduled flight, the boat ferrying him to the marina had a mechanical problem. Kenny chose to forego his flight to stay and help the owner identify and repair the problem. Now that’s way up there on the charts for first-class customer service. Way to go Kenny. It all worked out for the best in the end. We later heard that Jeff Messmer, Ranger Tugs Sales Manager, arranged a special flight for Kenny and he was able to make it to the reception.

The marina has an unusual plumbing system (above and below, right).

We had never heard of this game called Washer Dome (above left and below). Have you?

I guess you could say I have a weakness for cute dinghies. The bright colors of this one caught my eye. Isn’t it sweet?

We stayed less than two hours checking out the cove and getting fuel, water and groceries, then we were on our way again. Next stop… an anchorage in Tenedos Bay.

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From Refuge Cove it was a short 7 to 8-mile hop over to Tenedos Bay. Once in the midst of Desolation Sound every port, cove, or bay is no more than a day’s cruise from your starting point. This close proximity between points of interest allowed us to take our time, linger longer, leave later, and cruise slowly while still arriving early to any spot on our scheduled route.

Tenedos Bay provided a tree-lined canyon and a well-protected spot just a short dinghy ride to the trail that leads up to Unwin Lake.

Our chosen anchorage provided a tree-lined canyon where we stern tied to shore in calm water. Tenedos Bay is one of the recommended anchorages John and Tracy, on Sea Change, gave us during our chart review in Ganges. Not only does it provide a beautiful, natural setting to anchor, but with a short trip across the bay in our dinghy we were able to hike up to the fresh, pristine water of Unwin Lake.

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Soon after we got the boat stern tied to shore at the anchorage in Tenedos Bay, we grabbed our bathing suits and towels and hopped into the dinghy for a short ride over to Unwin Lake for a refreshing swim in the 75˚ water. There are no real beaches up at Unwin Lake, it’s all natural with lots of logs and rocks. We found an outcropping of boulders that provided us with a bit of privacy and a shallow pool of water on a rock ledge before it dropped off for swimming.

We lingered eating apples and enjoying the mountain view on the shore of Unwin Lake.

Refreshed from our hour swim and with clean bodies we made our way back down to the bay following a rushing stream of water.

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After our swim at Unwin Lake, we followed the river and small rapids back to the dinghy. Just outside the woods in the open sunlight by the park entrance, where our dinghy was tied up, we came across a slew of blackberry bushes loaded with precious ripe berries. Risking bee stings and thorn-torn hands and legs, we harvested enough for blackberry pancakes the next morning. But first, when we arrived back to the boat, sitting in our Tenedos Bay anchorage, a batch of martinis was in order to wind down a very enjoyable day. Lisa then whipped up one of our favorite dishes, red beans, and rice.

By this time in our trip, I’d have to say we’ve become very VERY relaxed. Over a stack of blackberry pancakes the next morning, I asked Lisa, “What day is it?” and she said, “I don’t know!” After spending five travel days trailering our Kismet across the country, followed by a few days of preparations, laundry, and provisioning, and finally hop-scotching up the coast of Vancouver Island with the Ranger Tug group, we knew we’d come to the point of our PNW cruise where we had become completely relaxed. We didn’t know, or care, what day of the week or month it was. We had not seen or heard a newscast since putting our boat in the water, and we didn’t care. We had turned our phones off when we entered Canada and our onboard wifi card was turned off as well, no calls in or out for us and no internet except at the rare marina stops. We were beginning to feel like we were in a bubble of sorts and we savored every minute of that blissful state, being in the moment and totally focused on our Desolation Sound Cruise.

Blackberry pancakes this morning in our Tenedos Bay anchorage!

After a yummy breakfast of pancakes and berries, on Sunday morning, we pulled anchor to head over to Melanie and Laura Coves.

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Prideaux Haven is the area made up of Melanie and Laura Coves.

As you can see from the photos it was a spectacular day for cruising in Desolation Sound.

This area is a very popular anchorage in Desolation Sound and since we knew we were going during Canada’s Civic Holiday, a three-day weekend, we knew it would be a busy place. As we neared Prideaux Haven, we followed a few boats into Melanie Cove and found them quite large and filled with boats of all shapes and sizes, many rafted together. This seemed too much company for our tastes, so we decided to keep moving to check out the adjacent, and smaller, Laura Cove.

Floatplanes were busy all weekend bringing and taking people to and from boats. They landed out in the open water of Homfray Channel and if you had a ticket to fly you just dinghied out to the plane at a predetermined time.

We spent a lot of time investigating where we wanted to throw the hook for a few nights. There were a lot of places to choose from, so it was not an easy task.

This was the biggest yacht we saw during our stay in Prideaux Haven.

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We found a nice anchorage in Laura Cove, so we set the anchor and tied lines to the big rock. Lisa prepared lunch to take out on a dinghy exploration of the surrounding area. We ventured out of the cove into Homfrey Channel turned the outboard off and floated around while having lunch with a spectacular mountain view surrounding us off in the distance.

Afterward, I dropped Lisa off at the boat and continued on, by dinghy, to a hiking trail located off Melanie Cove. I’d read about this trail somewhere and how it leads up to Unwin Lake, the freshwater lake we’d hiked to and swam in the day before when staying in Tenedos Bay. As I neared the shore, I looked for a well-worn path leading into the brush and I fairly quickly found a homemade sign indicating the path to Unwin Lake.

As low tide had already passed (tide swings are around 10 feet) I knew I had to be careful where I landed and parked the dinghy, there wasn’t a sandy beach to rest the dinghy on and the rocks were covered with growth that was slippery and sharp. To keep the dinghy from washing ashore and risking puncturing a hole in the Hypalon, I didn’t raise the outboard like I usually do, instead, I let the skeg act as a stern anchor while running my extra long painter line up to shore to secure.

Another hike to Unwin Lake after securing our anchorage in Laura Cove.

Then I set off on my hike through the woods up and away, above the crowds of Melanie Cove on a narrow, well-traveled path. The further I got away from the busyness of the boat-strewn coves of Prideaux Haven the quieter my surroundings became. The woods were almost magical with cedar trees canopying the hillside as I made my way up to the lake. At various points, I’d climb under or over fallen trees as I followed the path lined with monstrous 5-foot-tall ferns. At more than one point I thought I’d been gone awhile and it was enough of a hike for one day, but I continued on rationalizing that I may not have this opportunity again.

Forty minutes later, after about a mile into my hike, I reached a divide in the path. One direction indicated it led down to the lake while the other, the one I chose, led to a cliff-side view of Unwin Lake. I chose the latter and less than 10 minutes later I had reached the summit and stood 300 to 400 feet above the unspoiled beauty of Unwin Lake and a spectacular view overlooking the northern arm. I’m glad I persevered and continued to the top. What I found up there was serenity – absolute quiet, no boats, no people or seaplanes, the only noise was that of a slight breeze ruffling through the forest. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath of undisturbed nature, the aroma in the air seemed to come from the cedar trees that line all of the nearby hills and mountains. I clapped my hands and heard the clap return to me in the form of an echo off of the canyon walls. What can I say but how I am loving our cruise in Desolation Sound?

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Laura Cove Reminded Us of Cruising Ground Closer to Home, the North Channel, Ontario, Canada.

During our three days in Laura Cove, we swam next to the boat every day in the clear, warm water. We hiked a little, and took dinghy rides around Prideaux Haven to explore and visit with other boaters we knew who were also staying in one of the coves for the Canadian holiday weekend. We liked our spot. There were three other boats rafted off the narrower tip of the rock and a few more on the other side but there wasn’t any room for another boat to stern anchor in our vicinity.

We took a dinghy ride over to Melanie Cove, still lots of boats anchored there, as we said earlier it was a lot busier over in that cove than it was at Laura Cove.

On one dinghy excursion around Melanie Cove we came across fellow Ranger Tug owners, Tym and June, on Circle T (above left), and Fred and Diane, on Sunrise (above right). We had all met earlier when we joined the Ranger Tug Cruise to Desolation Sound. Now, a few of us are bumping into each other occasionally as we each take different routes to explore the Sound.

We weren’t the only ones that had a good time in Prideaux Haven. Milt Goodman, Goodship (see plaque above and below), had such a good time he, or a loved one, affixed a plaque to a huge rock in a channel, near Melanie Cove, in his memory. We understand the sentiment completely.

Lots of rocks are visible under the water in Prideaux Haven. This is a scary thought for some boaters but after cruising in Canada’s North Channel, and now Desolation Sound, we are used to the idea of that rock-hard surface just under the hull of our boat; it helps tremendously having a boat with a shallow draft, we can get into many places a bigger boat, or sailboat, with a deeper draft can’t.

We saw this unusual boat anchored in a channel between Melanie Cove and Laura cove. It appears to be homemade out of aluminum.

On our last night in Laura Cove, we had fun watching “Boo,” (below-the dog on the rock) defy ongoing commands that he come back to the boat as it grew dark. He was banished to the rock island earlier in the day by his family (in rafted boats to the right of the rock), It appeared his nose was a little out of joint at having been sent away for a time-out, or perhaps he just liked the peace and quiet the rock afforded him.

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Anchoring in Walsh Cove while waiting to get dock space at Toba Wildernest.

One of the beauties of cruising in Desolation Sound is that when you leave one place you have plenty of spots to consider for your next day’s docking or anchorage. We left Laura Cove after the three-day holiday weekend and headed northeast up Homfray Channel. We passed Homfray Lodge, a stop recommended by some friends, but we decided to pass on it and continue cruising as we were hoping for a black bear sighting. We had heard bears were often sighted along the shoreline of the channel, however, after striking out on the bear sighting, we cruised up to Wildernest Lodge and radioed in to reserve a spot on their dock for the next day and night, we then proceeded on our way to Pryce Channel, down into Waddington Channel and finally into Walsh Cove where we decided to anchor for the night – all this within a two-hour, trawler paced, cruise. The snow-capped mountains and picturesque fjord-like channels more than made up for the lack of a bear sighting earlier in the day.

 Look how much different that rock island looks at high tide. Jim is just returning to the boat (above) after setting the stern line to shore at Walsh Cove. The photo below shows our line barely visible on the top of that rock.

Shortly after our anchor was set and stern lines were taken ashore, who should show up but some friends, fellow Tugnuts (folks who own or have owned a Ranger Tug), Willie’s Tug, Last Call, and Moondance, cruised into the cove and rafted off each other on the far side of Walsh Cove. After spending a week or so without much outside social interaction we were looking forward to visiting with them after dinner to catch up on our mutual Desolation Sound cruising adventures. Don’t get me wrong Lisa and I get along just fine, but when you’re on a boat 24/7 together, it’s nice to bump into some friends on the water.

After dinner we dinghied over to the three boats, the girls settled into the salon inside, and the guys in the cockpit of Last Call. I’m not too sure what the girls talked about but they sure laughed a lot, we guys talked about anchorages, fuel filters, boat registration, and such. Herb and Willie, on Willie’s Tug, Bruce and Vickie, on Moondance, and Patrick and Gail, on Last Call, had been cruising together since they left Gorge and came up with a group name… Willie’s Last Dance.

When we bumped into Bruce and Vickie later we learned how close we were to a whale sighting, apparently, when they arrived at the cove (we were already settled in) they saw some orcas making their way through the channel outside Walsh Cove. Our view of them was blocked by the huge rock we had tied up to.

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We found Toba Inlet to be some of the most beautiful areas in Desolation Sound. When we were there the water was that greenish color, almost like we’d see in the Bahamas. It seemed to have a phosphorescent glow about it.

As we approached Toba Wildernest Resort, we enjoyed a parade of boats passing us as they left the marina.

Lots of boats coming and going from Toba Wildernest.

As we slowly approached the marina dock I radioed Kyle, who gave me instructions to dock on the inside of the T dock closest to shore. My immediate concern was if there would be enough water being that close to shore. With Kyle still on the radio, I asked him if there was enough depth for our two-foot draft. His comment was that there was more than enough. Once tied up I noticed the distance beneath our boat was whopping 40 feet.

I missed it the first few times, maybe you didn’t, the name is Toba WilderNEST Resort. The owners, Kyle and Andrea, have made a “nest” out of this beautiful piece of “wilderness,” off Toba Inlet. They raise their family and run a business in this remote wilderness. They live there year-round and enjoy a lifestyle not many of us would entertain, not long-term anyway. Their location is very remote, not a neighbor for miles. The only way to get to this marina is by boat.

“Some might say there’s not much do to at this marina/resort and to that, I’d quickly say that although that statement may be true – that is what is so very special about Toba Wildernest Resort.”

Situated off Pryce Channel, to the North of the Redonda Islands, and at the gateway to Toba Inlet, Toba Wildernest gave us a chance to experience a very rustic and remote dockage situation. It also gave us an opportunity to get off of our boat, stretch our legs, fill up our water tanks, take hot showers and socialize with other backcountry seekers. But, more importantly, it allowed us to get up close and personal with a stark, peaceful, uncultivated wilderness setting.

Lisa and I had read there was a trail, starting not far from the resort, following a riverbed up the mountain, so soon after we were settled in at the dock, we headed to the trailhead just past the marina building to take in the “Wildernest” falls. We followed the homemade signs up the steep incline, using tree roots as steps in some areas. We made it, not to the very top of the mountain, but high enough to get some good exercise on the steep, rooty trail. We can’t imagine what the runoff from that waterfall would be like in the springtime as there has not been much rain in this area lately and the riverbed is all but dried up.

Interestingly enough the resort’s, (consisting of the marina, family home, and rental cabins), entire electrical source is generated by Kyle and Andrea’s home-built hydroelectric plant and they use water from the falls for their water supply for the whole resort (above and below).

Cocktail hour was held on the dock of Toba Wildernest that night. I enjoyed swapping stories with the C-Dory owner and a few other guys on the dock while Lisa was preparing dinner.

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After a restful time at Toba Wildernest, we departed late morning for Octopus Islands Marine Park on Quadra Island in Desolation Sound. Our departure was timed according to the tide schedule to achieve safe passage to and from the Octopus Islands area. Boaters have to properly negotiate one to three sets of rapids through narrow, shallow passages, depending on one’s chosen destination.

“Rapids?” You may ask, “How the heck does someone do this in a boat?” First of all the key is to do it properly. The tide fluctuates twice per day, up to 12 feet per cycle, but usually only 8 to 10 feet. When the tide is coming in or going out the maximum current runs up to 12 knots on the flood and 10 knots on the ebb. When the water is running either way hard rapids are created because there is simply too much water being forced through tapered, shallow, channels. When the flow slows, close to the tidal swing, the current subsequently eases up; the rapids subside and become safe to transit at what is called “slack tide.” This period of time happens twice a day – arrivals and departures to these islands are best timed by nature’s clock. We’ve encountered several rapids during our time cruising in Desolation Sound and British Columbia due to the mountainous topography and huge tidal swings.

To get to Octopus Islands, and our selected anchorage, we had to transit a channel called “Hole In The Wall.”

The two photos above show the channel after we finished going through it. We timed our morning departure so we’d arrive at the east end of Hole In The Wall 30 minutes before slack tide, so we never got to see the rapids in full force, and we’re glad of it. As it was the still active current could be felt pushing Kismet around as we worked our way through the many eddies that had not quite settled down. Lucky for us we have enough engine horsepower to power through stronger currents and eddies at slightly less than slack tide. I’d guess the current was running about 3 knots when we transited the pass, just enough to be exciting but not enough to be dangerous. After we passed through the rapids we soon entered Small Inlet and arrived at our chosen anchorage spot in the heart of the Octopus Islands.

There are several areas to anchor in the Octopus Islands, we choose a smaller cover with only a few boats already anchored. We could look out into the larger cover (above) from our anchorage. Then there were a few even smaller coves like the one below that only a couple of boats could anchor in.

We saw some mammoth sea kelp (above) around the islands here, the biggest we’ve seen anywhere so far.

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We left our anchorage at Octopus Islands late morning, during slack tide, to head to Pendrell Sound. Just as on most days during this trip, we had sunny skies and calm waters for our day’s cruise.

“How was the swimming at Pendrell Sound?”

We often get asked this question in regard to how a cruising territory meets some fairly typical cruisers desired water activities. The reason I bring this up in this post has to do with our stop in Pendrell Sound. British Columbia’s Desolation Sound is located within close proximity to the 50th parallel. As a reference the only place above this parallel, in the United States, is Alaska. With that said you’d think the water would be too frigid to go swimming. Not so!

If you look at a map you’ll notice Queen Charlotte and Johnstone Straits are situated north of Desolation Sound, while the Strait of Georgia is to the south. In the middle sits Desolation Sound where the meeting of the tides occurs. The proximity of these straits and poor tidal circulation, as described to me by a local boater, is what maintains a year-round water temperature averaging 74° and some of the warmest salt water north of Mexico. We initially thought our thermometer was broken when we stuck it in the water to gauge the temperature before jumping in. It registered a surprising 79 degrees (most of the rest of the Pacific Northwest bodies of salt water average a brisk 48 to 54 degrees).

With that said we didn’t waste any time getting into the water after getting settled into our two-day anchorage, located at the very tip of Pendrell Sound.

We spent most of our time in Pendrell Sound swimming and relaxing in the warm sun. In between swimming and enjoying our new fjord-like setting, we ventured off to explore the upper part of the large cove by dinghy. There was quite a variety of vessels anchored in our midst, everything from boats our size to mega yachts and everything in between.

Returning from our dinghy ride, we stopped to visit a large oyster farm not far from our anchorage. Oysters like warm water and seem to thrive in Desolation Sound. While talking to one of the farmers, we learned that the warm, dependable, water temperature of Pendrell Sound makes it an ideal location for this major oyster culture operation, specifically to collect oyster seed (spat). Pendrall Sound was eventually set aside as a reserve to protect breeding oyster stocks. The type of oyster most widely cultivated in BC and the PNW is the Pacific oyster which is not native to the area, most of the seed was imported from Japan to British Columbia between 1930 and 1940s when they eventually became naturally established. Like most farming, the work they do looks pretty demanding, but if you like to work outside and be on the water with Mother Nature I don’t think you could find a better setting than Pendrell Sound.

It was hard to leave Pendrell Sound in our wake as we headed out after two days of blissful anchoring, but there is still more for us to explore before we leave Desolation Sound.

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We left Pendrell Sound this morning to motor over to Squirrel Cove. Several boaters recommended this spot as a very well-protected anchorage and since our weather turned a little sour we decided the cove might just be the ticket for a good night’s sleep.

The photo below not only shows a pretty typical type of cruising boat in Canada’s Desolation Sound but some of the huge logs boaters have to contend with when cruising this area.

Squirrel Cove is a popular anchorage for cruisers!

The cove provides a very protected anchorage for a large number of boats and, as a bonus, there’s a small village nearby, Squirrel Cove – we love an opportunity to get off the boat. That’s just what we did shortly after we got settled at anchor; we jumped into the dinghy and headed toward town. The wind had really picked up outside the cove and it was a pretty rough, one-mile ride in our little 7.5-foot dinghy from the Squirrel Cove anchorage to the town of Squirrel Cove.

It doesn’t take much to entertain us, a little walk, lunch off the boat, and a stop at the grocery store for a few supplies or just to check the availability of produce and goods. On this trip out we even picked up some blackberries from a roadside stand. We desperately needed to dispose of some garbage that had been collecting in the corner of the cockpit of Kismet and we’d heard the town dock at Squirrel Cove was the place to drop it off.

The pirate boat (below) sent their tender out to collect a small group of aptly dressed young ladies.

Our trip into the village of Squirrel Cove was three hours tops. As far as getting off the boat, Lisa was good to go for another day, but I was still up for a little more exploration by dinghy, so when I dropped her off at the boat, I continued on to explore the anchorage at Squirrel Cove. As it turned out it became a little more than I had bargained for… I almost missed dinner.

Sometimes a guy just has to get away by himself to explore new territory by himself. I thought this would also offer up an opportunity to return to the boat with stories to share with Lisa, something hard to do when we’re always together. I had heard about an inner lake near the anchorage that is impossible to transit, even by dinghy, at low tide, and also not possible at high tide when the current is creating full-fledged rapids, but my source said that it could be negotiated at or close to slack tide. Sounded like just the sort of challenge for me… just what I was looking for to brighten up my afternoon.

Consequently, I set out to investigate this mysterious channel before slack tide, thinking to myself that this adventure would be worth some spousal separation. Time-wise, I thought a good half hour or forty-five minutes tops would do the trick. As I approached the northeast side of the small inlet to the lake, I could see water filling the approximately 100-foot channel with the incoming tide. I ventured a little closer to get a better vantage point, thinking all would be OK and just as I was processing this thought a kayaker had come through the rapids and continued past me. As I inched closer I realized the shallow, rock-laden, and narrow mouth of the inlet would be problematic for my small dinghy, much less returning against the current. TOO LATE!!! The outboard prop caught a rock, the engine died, and I went for the oars… without control of the dinghy the current sucked me through into the calm interior of the landlocked little lake.

Now what to do, I thought to myself as I restarted my outboard and slowly cruised around the small pristine lake, enjoying the undisturbed natural setting. I May as well take a look around while I was there, but all during that time I was thinking, how the heck am I going to get back out? Nightfall was not far off and slack tide was at least two hours away. Of course, I had not brought my cell phone or portable VHF radio, so  I couldn’t alert Lisa, who was comfortably enjoying our anchorage back at Kismet. It was about this time I spotted another dinghy in the far reaches of the inner lake and decided to head his way. My thoughts were that this guy would have more knowledge of the area than I did and surely would have an exit strategy in place. Subsequently, I introduced myself to Peter, who I found out was in the exact same predicament as myself, he was also stressed about being late for dinner back on his anchored boat and perplexed as to what to do next.

Peter suggested we both raise our outboard dinghy engines to their highest transom elevation, in order to reduce our draft, then we could try to run hard up against the turbulent rapids. We both tried and failed, the current was that strong against our small outboards, besides, if we had drifted into the really shallow rock areas we could have caused damage to the prop and/or the dinghy. Our next strategy included the aid of a friend of Peter’s who had, lucky for us, just kayaked up to the inlet and landed his craft on the outside mouth of the rapids. Peter’s friend suggested we do a three-way relay and pull the dinghies (one at a time), with a long painter line, up through the rapids. At the shore’s edge, one person stood on slippery rocks and steadied the dinghy close to the rock-strewn shore, another pulled the dinghy forward 20 feet, while the third person took the newly created available line up the channel another 20 feet and began another pulling process. We did this relay method three or four times for each dinghy and finally made it back to the anchorage with both Peter, his friend, and I returning to the dry warmth of our respective boats… just in time for dinner.

By the time I got back to the boat, I was pooped, but it was a fun time and makes for a good story.

I was so excited about my little adventure, the next morning before we left the cove, I took Lisa over to the rapids so she could fully appreciate the dilemma I faced the day before.

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We saved the last two days of our Desolation Sound cruise for Roscoe Bay.

Once inside the narrow entrance to the inner cove (which guide books state is best navigated on a rising tide), we took our time to slowly cruise the perimeter of the anchorage (photo-below), we wanted to find the perfect spot before we dropped anchor and stern tied to shore. There was plenty of room available, so we could be choosy about our selection which was located all the way up into the bay. Surrounded by pine trees and high rock bluffs, the cove offered, not only a picture perfect setting but, a lot of protection from any potential foul weather.

The anchorage was lined with boats of all kinds. We cruised almost all the way back into the bay where there were a few fewer boats. It was cloudy and overcast when we arrived, but it cleared up to give us a sunny day where the mountains made their presence known as the clouds moved through and out of the area.

We picked a spot where we had to stern tie to shore, always a fun task. We drop the anchor somewhat close to shore and draw it back to set it. Jim then gets into the dinghy with the end of the line on the spool. We found it works best if he takes it up and around the trunk of a tree and brings the end back to the boat. This method allows us to retrieve the line without getting the dinghy out, we just untie and pull the line back onto the boat.

The entrance to Black Lake (above) was just a short dinghy ride from our anchored boat.

Roscoe Bay was the perfect anchorage to spend our last night in Desolation Sound.

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As Our Cruise in Desolation winds close to the end, Black Lake Was a Real Treat!

One of the activities we came to enjoy while cruising Desolation Sound was hiking to the many inland freshwater lakes. Black Lake was one such lake located not far from our anchorage in Roscoe Cove. After a short dinghy ride, it was easily accessed by hiking a fairly short woodsy remnant of a logging trail. The trail continued along the lake for a while before heading up a big hill. Lush vegetation and huge ferns surrounded us as we explored the trail further up the hill. With the big trees and lush vegetation, we felt like we had been plopped down in the middle of a Jurassic Park movie set.

On two separate occasions, we landed our dinghy at the base of the trail and hiked up to the lake to cool off and freshen up. There are no beaches at the edge of the lake instead large outcroppings of boulders line the shoreline. We’d ease ourselves out onto the slippery tops and slowly walk into the crystal-clear fresh water. What a treat for us on a hot august afternoon. The water temp was pretty much the same as the other lakes we hiked to earlier in our trip, quite warm.

All in all, Roscoe Bay provided an excellent last stop for the crew of Kismet while cruising Canada’s beautiful Desolation Sound.

Next up… Cruising the Sunshine Coast to
Princess Louisa Inlet and Chatterbox Falls.

The family (below) was carrying jugs of water, all the way from Black Lake, to their boat anchored in the harbor.

We made another trip to the lake on our last full day in Roscoe Cove; it was crowded. A bunch of kayakers descended upon the bay and, like all the other boaters in the anchorage, they wanted cool off by taking a dip in the lake.

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Jervis Inlet is a 45-mile-long fjord that leads to Malibu Rapids

Unfortunately, we had a rather cloudy day for our cruise up Jervis Inlet but even with the gray skies and murky waters, the mountains stood superbly majestic as they lined our route to Malibu Rapids. It was a little tense for the crew onboard Kismet because we were a little anxious about transiting the Malibu Rapids. Cruising up Jervis Inlet in this immense and awe-inspiring wilderness was a little overwhelming. For most of the day, we cruised solo up Jervis Inlet while passing only a few trawlers or fishing vessels.

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Malibu Rapids has Two Slack Tides a Day

In order to gain access to the inner sanctum of Princess Louisa Inlet and subsequently Chatterbox Falls, you first have to negotiate the entrance to the inlet, Malibu Rapids. (This is also where the Malibu Club sits promptly on top of the big boulders at the entrance to the inlet.) Although it is unwise to transit the rapids any other time but slack tide. Slack tide is when the current changes direction and the condition in between when the tide stops going out and before it starts coming in, or vice versa. It’s at this point that the current is minimal and, in boater terminology, this condition is known as slack tide.

We have evidence that not all boaters heed that golden rule (see the video below). Transiting the rapids is no ordinary task when conditions are slack, let alone any other time. Before and after slack tide the current can run as fast as seven to ten knots around the bend at Malibu Rapids. So you can imagine how treacherous it can be having that current push you around like a little toy boat through a narrow winding opening surrounded by huge boulders all around you, above and below the water.

More Info here about safe cruising through Malibu Rapids.
VHF Securité Call and Malibu Rapids

Since there are only two slack tides per day and no reasonable place to anchor during the last 30 miles of Jervis Inlet, we planned our cruise to arrive shortly before slack tide. This way we could assess the situation and watch a few other boats go through. Timing our arrival required a bit of calculating on our part. We took our time leaving our anchorage that morning at Hardy Island and leisurely cruised up Jervis Inlet so we could arrive at Malibu Rapids before the second slack tide of the day. Much like Desolation Sound, we were surrounded by so much natural beauty we kept rubbernecking from port to starboard side during our cruise up the 1 to 1.5-mile wide Inlet. The closer we got to Malibu Rapids the more spectacular the scenery became.

Little did we know that what awaited us, inside Princess Louisa Inlet, is even more jaw-dropping.

Just as planned, we arrived 30 minutes before the scheduled slack tide and took our time to watch a few of the boats already lined up take their turns at the narrow doglegged channel before we made a securite call ourselves to announce our intentions. The waiting and not having prior experience under our belts was actually more nerve-wracking than what the actual transit turned out to be. I guess that’s what comes with careful planning and execution of a difficult task, making the long-considered challenge a bit anti-climactic in the end.

Leaving the rapids behind us (above) and we headed into Princess Louisa Inlet (below).

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We felt that sunny warmth today.

Princess Louisa Inlet and Provincial Marine Park were created on June 24, 1965. Sitting on the other side of Jervis Inlet with Malibu Rapids acting as the dividing point, the park is a 5-mile-long spectacular fjord. The park is surrounded by 3,000-foot-high, waterfall-littered, snow-tipped mountains. The inlet boasts about 1,000 feet of water depth and measures no more than a half-mile wide. At the end of Princess Louisa Inlet is the equally stunning 120-foot-tall Chatterbox Falls.

The Princess Louisa Inlet and Provincial Marine Park is only accessible by boat or plane, there are no public roads. The only access a boat has is through the Straight of Georgia by way of Jervis Inlet and finally the terrifying Malibu Rapids.

Boaters consider Princess Louisa Inlet to be the Holy Grail of cruising!

After making our way uneventfully through Malibu Rapids, we slowly cruised the length of the inlet in relative silence. We glided through the tranquil waters by the granite-walled, glacier-cut gorge in complete awe of the phenomenal sights being presented to us. Surrounding us were tall cliffs, snow-capped peaks, mirror-like water, and something intangible that is hard to describe.

Glaciers carved the now-standing, 7,000-foot, almost completely enclosed granite-walled fiord. Much like a placid mountain lake, but with constantly changing tides. There are no currents except at Malibu Rapids

Our first sighting of Chatterbox Falls (below) took our breath away. Since it had been raining a lot in this area, the mountains sported waterfalls everywhere it seemed, but none could compare with the famous Chatterbox Falls.

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After our slow cruise through the magnificent granite-walled gorge, we could finally make out Chatterbox Falls roaring at the head of Princess Louisa Inlet.

The fall is part of the Loquilts River, which empties into the inlet. It had been raining for several days before our arrival to Princess Louisa Inlet and although Chatterbox Falls flows all of the time (along with 60 or so others during the spring season due to the sun melting the snow-pack high on top of the mountains) the rain produced many smaller waterfalls. They looked like shiny ribbons on the gorge walls. The smaller falls were exceptionally prolific when we first arrived due to the recent heavy rainfall. In fact, many of the smaller falls we saw upon our arrival had pretty much dried up before our departure, three days later.

As we approached the dock, located just to the right of the falls, we were happy to see there was still space at the dock for us to tie up to for our allotted three-day stay. The dock is provided by Princess Louisa Park. The rules at the dock are simple. Dockage is limited to 72 hours of usage per boat, the maximum length of the vessel must not exceed 55 ft., quiet time is from 11 pm to 7 am, and generator usage is allowed only during the posted times, 9 am to 11 am and 6 pm to 8 pm.

With room for only about 20 boats at the dock and limited anchorage opportunities nearby, the docks at Chatterbox Falls never seemed crowded to us, which made our visit more enjoyable. Having arrived somewhat late in the day, we quickly tied up to one of the last spots available at the dock – our new dock mates helped us to secure our boat, introductions soon followed, then we settled in to enjoy the sights surrounding the dock and enjoying the steady water music from the falls, all from the cockpit of Kismet.

The next day we woke up to a rainy, foggy inlet. Boaters who had stayed their allotted time at the dock were evacuating a little before the early slack tide occurrence to time their transit of Malibu Rapids, leaving the dock at Chatterbox Falls fairly empty looking.

You can see the falls from the dock at Chatterbox Falls (just above the sailboat – above and below)

You wouldn’t want to accidentally walk on one of those Lions Mane Jellyfish during low tide (below)

The dinghy dock is also the entrance to the parkland where you can hike on a trail up to view the falls.

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Lisa and I hiked up the path from the docks so we could spend some time exploring Chatterbox Falls – close enough to be sprayed by the relentless downpouring of water. Peeking through the lush vegetation at the viewing spot, we were mesmerized yet again, not only by the beauty but the power and force of Mother Nature. We walked a few of the trails and noted the danger signs frequently posted around the park, we tried a few of those trails but decided they were a little too gnarly for us. We certainly kept our distance from the top of the falls as the sign pretty much spelled out what could happen. It was a drizzling kind of wet our first day at the falls, but the visuals of the fog and mist made up for our soggy clothing.

We made the hike to the falls several times during our stay, but never felt like we were able to get enough of it.

The inscription on the plaque (above) reads…

James Frederick MacDonald

1889 – 1978

Laird of the Inlet
Gentleman
Friend to all who came here

Whose monument is this place
of beauty given by him to the
yachting fraternity of the Pacific
Northwest so that it will remain
forever unspoiled.

Walking the Beach at Low Tide…

When the tide, which changes by as much as 15 feet, was at its lowest point we ventured out onto the rocky exposed seabed, in front of the falls, in order to get a better direct view.

Back at the Dock…

Back to the boat to dry off and make lunch, something hearty to fill us up after all the hiking and fresh air.

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Because of the recent rain there were falls all over Princess Louisa Inlet when we first got there.

While out in Princess Louisa Inlet, exploring by dinghy at high tide, we idled in as close to the falls as we dared. Waterfall mist soaked us as we floated over the seabed we had walked on earlier that day. We were also able to get a better vantage point of the waterfall in it’s entirety as we got farther away from the dock. We found that using our dinghy to explore was the best way to get to know the inlet. We could stop and pull it out of the water onto some rock and walk up into the woods. We could also get close to the rock walls to investigate the flora and fauna.

For those so inclined, anchoring in front of the falls is possible, providing the best viewing of the falls because you are out in front of it. In any case if you arrive and the dock is full, you may want to set your anchor in front of the falls while you are waiting.

The falls (above) were created by the heavy rains we have been experiencing of late. If you’re interested in some scenic property, there’s a lot for sale (below).

These painted circles mark a stake and rope a boater can tie their stern off of to anchor more securely. There are only a few of these around the park.

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Craving a Refreshing Cold Confection at Malibu Club

One of the things we had come to enjoy while cruising in the Pacific Northwest this year was our time exploring away from the boat by dinghy. We would try to get as much information about where to beach our dinghy so that could do a nice hike and maybe encounter a freshwater lake or woodsy waterfall. On our last full day at Chatterbox Falls, we decided to spend the day taking a dinghy ride from the dock at the falls all the way back to Malibu Rapids (5 miles) to visit the Malibu Club, a summer camp for high school students.

First off though, we needed to clean up somewhere and we’d heard about a waterfall that might be just the ticket. Off we went, scouting out the shoreline for signs of a possible waterfall and preferably a small pool of water to splash around in. Thirty minutes later we came to the approximate spot we’d been told about, we tied the dinghy to some boulders and began our short hike up some rugged terrain. What we found was a waterfall and rocky riverbed that had found its way from somewhere 3,000 feet above. Over the years natural pools of waist-deep water, lined by rocks, boulders, and fallen tree remains, had been created, making it the perfect place for a refreshing dip or, in our case, a fresh air bath. The water was a bit nippy at first but we soon got used to it.

We stopped at this dock located at an anchorage spot, the golden mossy boulders stood out in great contrast to the surrounding forest, water, and sky.

Now that we were all cleaned up it was time for our dinghy ride to Malibu Rapids for a visit to the Malibu Club, where we had heard they sold ice cream, it was a hot day and this sounded like a great treat for us. Malibu Club was created in 1941 as a high-end resort for the likes of John Wayne, Bing Crosby, and Bob Hope. It has been owned by Young Life, a Christian organization, since 1953 and is run as a summer camp for teenagers. Upon arrival, we had a guided tour and a short history lesson about the facilities by one of the campers, then we found a great vantage point to watch a few boats ride the forceful current of the rapids into the inlet as the tide was coming in. Later we sat on the lawn in front of the cafeteria and had a long overdue ice cream treat.

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