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FLORIDA BAY

FLORIDA BAY

Marathon, Florida

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EVERGLADES

EVERGLADES

Shark River

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RENDEZVOUS

RENDEZVOUS

Palm Island, Florida

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LOVERS LEAP

LOVERS LEAP

San Juan Islands – Stewart Island, WA

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SOUTH SOUND

SOUTH SOUND

Tacoma, Washington

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BLAKE ISLAND

BLAKE ISLAND

Puget Sound, Washington

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FLORIDA BAY

FLORIDA BAY

Marathon, Florida

Chatterbox Falls, Canada
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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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Malibu Club, Malibu Rapids, Canada
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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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Kismet Cruising Jervis Inlet, Canada
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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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Rock Formations, Hardy island, Canada
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Positioning Ourselves at Hardy Island for the Run Up to Chatterbox Falls

The Anchorage at Hardy Island is Located at the Base of Jervis Inlet We were somewhat protected by Texada Island as we cruised 21 miles southeast from Powell River to Hardy Island. The anchorage at Hardy Island is located at the base of Jervis Inlet. We are positioning ourselves for the cruise up to Princess Louisa Inlet, Malibu Rapids, and finally Chatterbox Falls. Entering Blind Bay we found calm waters ideal for anchoring in a narrow, well-protected, cove within Hardy Island Marine Park. As we were scouting for a spot to drop our hook we came across a small black bear…

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Kismet Cruising to Powell River, Canada
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Wet and Bumpy Ride to Powell River

Conditions on the way to Powell River were not scary, just very bumpy and unpleasant. We had strong, guess you could almost say instinctual, reservations about leaving Lund, for Powell River, the next day. It was rainy and quite windy, so we waited a bit to see how the rain and wind conditions would develop. Our intent was to cruise to Hardy Island to anchor out for the night. From the protection of the marina in Lund, we noticed several boats heading south. So we decided to give it a try ourselves, thinking we could always turn back if it…

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Fishing Boats, Lund, Canada
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Leaving Desolation Sound for the Village of Lund, British Columbia

 Headed to Lund – Entering the Sunshine Coast... After two glorious weeks of picture-perfect boating weather and sensory overload during our exploration of Canada’s Desolation Sound, the time had come to start working our way south/southeast. We had a calm but overcast day to exit Desolation sound from our anchorage in Roscoe Bay. Up next, was Jervis and Princess Louisa Inlets and the much talked about Chatterbox Falls, but first we had to explore a few of the little fishing villages along British Columbia's "Sunshine Coast." Our first stop was Lund (below), a busy, picturesque, seaside village, 120km north of Vancouver,…

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Kayaks, Rosco Bay, Desolation Sound
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Seeking Crystal Clear Water of Black Lake

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…

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Boats Anchored Roscoe Bay, Desolation Sound
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Wrapping Up Our Desolation Sound Cruise in Beautiful Roscoe Bay

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…

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Squirrel Cove Town Dock, Desolation Sound
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Fighting Rapids at Squirrel Cove – Desolation Sound, British Columbia

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…

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Kismet Anchored, Pendrell Sound, Desolation Sound
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Swimmingly Warm in Pendrell Sound – Desolation Sound, British Columbia

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…

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Dinghy, Octopus Islands, Desolation Sound
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Negotiating Rapids At Hole In The Wall – Octopus Islands Marine Park, Desolation Sound

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…

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Boats at Dock, Toba Wildernest, Desolation Sound
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Something Special About Toba Wildernest

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…

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Kismet Stern Tied, Walsh Cove, Desolation Sound
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Cruising Homfray Channel to Walsh Cove, British Columbia

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,…

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Kismet Anchored, Laura Cove, Desolation Sound
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Lots Of Rocks In Laura Cove

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…

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Kismet Anchored, Laura Cove, Desolation Sound
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Anchorage in Laura Cove For the Civic Holiday – Another Hike To Unwin Lake

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…

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Kismet Cruising To Melanie Cove, Desolation Sound
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Cruising To Prideaux Haven

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…

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Pancakes and Blackberries
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“What Day Is It?” – Tenedos Bay Anchorage

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…

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Backpack Unwin Lake
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Hiking to Unwin Lake For A Refreshing Swim

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…

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Tenedos Bay Anchorage
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Tenedos Bay Anchorage – Desolation Sound

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…

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Refuge Cove, Desolation Sound
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Fueling and Provisioning at Refuge Cove – Desolation Sound

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…

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Freshwater Lake, TeaKerne Arm, Desolation Sound
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Teakerne Arm – A Waterfall And Fresh Water Lake

Teakerne Arm – A Waterfall and Hike to a Fresh Water Lake Leaving Grace Harbour, we had a short cruise to Lewis Channel before we made a turn up into Teakerne Arm and another anchorage in the British Columbia wilderness. In the open waters I kept seeing a distinctive peak off in the distance, it seemed to appear from behind and above the waterside hills, fjords, and mountains as if it was following us as we worked our way around Desolation Sound. With a little research, I found Mount Denman (the pointy-tipped mountain in the middle of the photo below -…

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Boats Anchored, Grace Harbour, Desolation Sound
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Our First Night Out In Desolation Sound – Anchored in Grace Harbour

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…

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Ranger Tugs Cruise, Gorge Harbour, Desolation Sound
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Gorge Harbour at Last – Desolation Sound

We could not have had a better weather day to cruise from Comox to Gorge Harbour, BC, the last stop for the Ranger Tugs group cruise, after a little downtime and one last party at the marina, we'll all go our separate ways to explore Desolation Sound. As we all slowly trickled out of the marina, glassy water awaited us, the kind every boater dreams of for a first-rate cruising day. We also got our first glimpse of some snow-capped mountains off on the horizon. A short way out we crossed paths with the fishing boat we brought shrimp from…

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Captain's Review on Kismet, Ganges, B.C.
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Local Knowledge is Important When Cruising Desolation Sound

When setting out to explore new cruising grounds it’s important to have a plan, ours is created first by doing as much research as we can from charts and guide books followed up by input from other cruisers we know, ones with a great deal of experience in the area we are headed to. However, over the years we’ve learned the best way to make sure you hit the high spots of an area is to talk with a boater who lives and cruises there. We Sought Local Knowledge Before and During Our Cruise in Desolation Sound. With that in…

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