Kismet Cruising Jervis Inlet, Canada

Jervis Inlet to Malibu Rapids

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 Club, Malibu Rapids, Canada

Transiting Malibu Rapids to Gain Access to Princess Louisa Inlet and Chatterbox Falls

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…

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Chatterbox Falls, Canada

Princess Louisa Inlet Provincial Marine Park – The Inner Sanctum

Princess Louisa Inlet Provincial Marine Park Called Suivoolot (Sunny and Warm) by the Sechelt Nation Natives 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…

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Ranger Tug Kismet Docked, Chatterbox Falls, Canada

Chatterbox Falls… Hear it Roar!

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…

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Chatterbox Falls

Walking and Exploring Around Chatterbox Falls

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…

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Chatterbox Falls, Princess Louisa, Canada

Better Vantage Point of the Falls from Princess Louisa Inlet

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…

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Boat Entering Malibu Rapids, Jervis Inlet, Canada

Dinghy Ride to Malibu Club for Ice Cream

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…

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Jim, Lisa on Kismet, Chatterbox Falls, Canada

Last Night Docking – Chatterbox Falls

Sitting at the Dock in the Bay, Along with Absolute, a Little Tonic and Santana to Light the Way By our third night on the dock we were really starting to feel at home as we helped departing boaters leave the dock and newcomers tie up. This exchange of boats happens twice daily at Chatterbox Falls. Seaplanes came and went and after the second slack tide of the day, the dock was full again. The beauty we saw and the atmosphere we felt during our time at the falls was almost indescribable. Hope the photos help to share our experience.…

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Jim and Lisa Favors, Chatterbox Falls, Canada

Leaving Chatterbox Falls, Princess Louisa Inlet and Jervis Inlet Behind

The "Inner Sanctum" And then it was time to leave, we could have stayed at Chatterbox Falls at least a week and not gotten bored of our surroundings, the other boaters we'd yet to meet, or the indescribable energy of, what Jim calls the "Inner Sanctum." Taking advantage of a picture-perfect day for a photo op with falls in the background. We idled out in front of the falls and basically took a selfie with the falls in the background. We like to think we'll return one day, but you never know what the future holds. We are very fortunate we…

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Kismet Cruising to Powell River, Canada

The Storm in Malaspina Straight

The waves we encountered in Malaspina Straight were steadily increasing in height and uncomfortableness. Leaving the calm of Pender Harbour behind us, we headed out toward the Malaspina Straight, pointed southwest towards the Gulf Islands. We were aware of the storm that was to arrive later in the day and, based on the weather reports, we thought if we left early enough in the morning we’d miss the high winds, as it’s only about 36 miles across to Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island, our planned, end of the day, destination. No such luck! Not long after we left the calmness of…

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Jervis Inlet

Jervis Inlet – Deepest Fjord in BC

Jervis Inlet Has a Maximum Depth of 2,402 ft – We untied our lines from our slip at Pender Harbour at 7:45 a.m. to start our 48-mile trek up Jervis Inlet fjord. Timing for this trip needs to be well-thought-out ahead. It's important to time our arrival at Malibu Rapids, the mouth of Princess Louisa Inlet, at slack tide. The rapids are located at the eastern shoreline of Jervis Inlet. At the speed we traveled, 8 miles mph, it took us 5 hours to reach the rapids, from Pender Harbour. We arrived within a half-hour of dead calm. You wouldn’t want to…

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Fog in Princess Louisa Inlet

Princess Louisa Inlet Took Our Breaths Away!

Princess Louisa Inlet Leads to Chatterbox Falls Arriving at Malibu Rapids shortly before slack, we had no trouble at all transiting the rapids to Princess Louisa Inlet. We proceeded the last four miles to the end of the fjord and the "granddaddy" of all Pacific Northwest waterfalls – Chatterbox Falls. Princess Louisa inlet is a narrower fjord than Jervis Inlet and it can have a sobering effect on a visitor once inside its towering walls. The mountain walls seem to envelop and suck you inside towards the apex of the falls with an uncanny stillness in the air. Unlike our last visit…

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Chatterbox Falls

World Famous Chatterbox Falls

Three Years Since We Last Visited Chatterbox Falls It could have been last week or three years ago, it doesn't seem to matter as it relates to our return to Chatterbox Falls – it felt like revisiting an old friend. Seems like we were just at the falls, but in reality, it’s been a full three years since we last visited. Early on, we decided to stay for four days. During that time we met and talked with other boaters, had a bonfire in the pavilion, walked to the falls over and over again, took a short hike to a little waterfall,…

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Breakfast Chatterbox Falls

People We Met at Chatterbox Falls

Chatterbox Falls is a Great Place to Meet People! We feel one of the most important benefits of boating is all the wonderful people we get to meet. It doesn't matter where we cruise, we find other boaters to be very friendly. Our time at Chatterbox Falls was no different. We met lots of interesting people during our stay, we even ran into a couple we had met in Alabama while cruising on the River System several years ago, 2,600 miles from British Columbia. It's a small, small world. [huge_it_maps id="32"]      On the first day at the falls, soon after we tied up, we took…

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Stopping at Powell River to Provision

Powell River – Great Place to Provision – After only four days spent at Chatterbox Falls, you wouldn't think we'd have to provision again so soon. Since our mode of transportation is walking from grocery stores with our shopping bags, we can only cart so much stuff back to the boat. It will be harder and more expensive to grocery shop in Desolation Sound, so we always stop at grocery stores when we can and stock up on important items such as beer and chocolate. Sometimes the grocery stores offer to drive us back to the marina, and we almost always take them…

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