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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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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.

The post Walking and Exploring Around Chatterbox Falls appeared first on Trailer Trawler Life Blog – Cruising USA & Canada.

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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Arriving at Joe Wheeler for the 2012 America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Fall Rendezvous is the endpoint to our 2012 Tennessee River cruise.

Our trip’s mission was to spend some time on the Tennessee River, traveling its length along with this year’s crop of Loopers, and commence the cruise by attending AGLCA’s (America’s Great Loop Cruisiers’ Association) 2012 Fall Rendezvous held at Joe Wheeler State Park and Marina. To get to Joe Wheeler we had to lock through the Wheeler Lock and Dam, the last lock for us on this trip.

We always try to get this spot at the Joe Wheeler Marina because it’s perfect for our tug and it’s located in the middle of all the activities of the rendezvous.

We meet some of our favorite Loopers here at the AGLCA Fall Rendezvous and right at the top of our list are Patsy and Tom Conrad, on True North, the Conrads share the job of MC for the rendezvous at Joe Wheeler. This year Patsy added this cute parrot to their boat and apparently, he is already a Looper.

We had briefly met Jack, Denise, and their daughter Beatriz, on Jade, at Pebble Isle Marina in New Johnsonville a few weeks ago. The Beraha’s are from Brazil and have completed three-quarters of their Loop trip. We were neighbors at Joe Wheeler and we made a point of getting together to hear about their journey. They have an interesting story… after being childless for many years they moved onto their boat full-time to start cruising and a miracle happened… Beatrice. She has lived her whole life on a boat. What a great story.

Here is a link to their BLOG.

Liz and Bob Stagg (above), are two of the friendliest people we ever did meet while doing the Loop. Since the Staggs live near Rogersville, they are almost always in attendance at the AGLCA Fall Rendezvous.

Our first Happy Hour began on the main transient dock of the marina where most of the Looper boats were tied up. A lot of boats had arrived ahead of us, so we were a little behind in the meet-and-greet aspect of the evening before scheduled activities began. All these friendly faces with big smiles greeted us as we stepped onto the dock, with drinks in hand, we immediately felt right at home amongst them.

We first met Charlotte and Stephen, on Jackets II, in our hometown of Traverse City, Michigan last summer as they were making their way through the Great Lakes, during their Loop trip. They had needed some assistance from an AGLCA Harbor Host and Jim was more than happy to help them out.

We did several portions of our second Loop, in 2008 with Robert and Kay Creech, on C-Life, and were so happy to run into them again at Joe Wheeler this year. Robert and Kay are attending the event to receive the award for Harbor Host of the Year. If you are ever cruising the East Coast ICW and visiting Southport, SC, make sure to look up Robert and Kay, they’ll welcome you with open arms.

We also got to make new acquaintances during the rendezvous such as Barbara and Craig, on Blue Heron (above), and Bob and Madeline, on Betty L (below).

We also got to tour some unique boats like the one above and the one below.

When Halloween arrived, near the end of the rendezvous, little Beatriz really got into the “spirit.” We all tried to help make the trick-or-treat night special for her by getting presents and candy to fill her Halloween bag. Halloween is not celebrated in Brazil but when Beatriz saw all the costumes and decorations in the stores she had to go all out with her costume and see for herself what all the fuss was about.

We sometimes joke that the only reason we go to the AGLCA Fall Rendezvous is that, shortly after we get tied up at the marina, a jar of Pookie’s Sweets shows up on our back deck courtesy of Pookie and Evan, on Pookie II (below), and to top it off Pookie and Evan are fellow Ranger Tug owners.

In all, we spotted four Ranger Tugs at the rendezvous, including Kismet.

Lots of people lined up for a tour of Kismet during the boat crawl, and that’s okay she likes the attention.

We enjoyed dinner last night mostly due to the company at our table. New acquaintances Larry and Anne, on Great Laker, and Paul and son John, on Memshahib (whom we met at Green Turtle at the beginning of our trip), joined us for dinner and end-of-rendezvous festivities.

Robert and Kay received their Harbor Host of the Year Award and we got to help them celebrate the recognition they received. And last, but not least, is a group shot of this year’s attendees of the AGLCA 2013 Fall Rendezvous.

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