Princess Louisa Inlet

We left Egmont at about 8:15 and headed up Jervis Inlet toward Princess Louisa Inlet. We experienced rain and overcast conditions which obscured some of the towering mountains that rimmed the waterway. The boater who had given us the advice regarding Malibu Rapids had left Egmont a few minutes after our departure and followed us up the inlet. As we approached the rapids, we slowed down and let him lead the way. We had arrived about a half an hour early so there was still a stiff current. It was helpful to follow him through the fast moving water and into the inlet. The passage was uneventful except for the coffee pot flying about the cabin. We continued down the calm waters of Princess Louisa Inlet into a cathedral like setting with 2000 foot sheer rocky cliffs around us. At the end of the inlet was well known Chatterbox Falls, an 1800 foot waterfall that is glacier fed. It was an awe-inspiring sight that words can't begin to describe. Perhaps our pictures will give you some sense of the majesty of this place. A sign at the end of the dock where we stayed for two nights, summed up our sentiments, "only leave your footprints, only take your memories."

Egmont B.C. On the Sunshine Coast

We left Powell River around 7:00 and headed for Hotham Sound which connects to Jervis Inlet.
It was a beautiful passage with quite calm water. Bob and Betty fished -again uneventful! We arrived at Egmont around noon. We had heard the currents might be tricky so asked for dock assistance. It was a good thing as the currents were somewhat tricky and turning the boat toward the dock was a bit of a challenge. Once docked we noticed that the water in the bay looked more river like than other marinas we had stayed at. Several folks were fishing on the dock-many were catching mud sharks and cooking them head and all. We choose not to participate in that activity. This marina had a large camping area, rooms for rent, and a beautiful lodge that overlooked the bay. We had dinner at the lodge and the food and view were both exceptional. Before leaving for Princess Louisa Inlet, a fellow boater talked with us about Malibu Rapids, an area you need to go through at slack tide. It is located near Malibu Camp, a Young Life facility for teenagers. We determined we should leave about 8:00 or so the next morning, to reach Malibu Rapids at the appropriate time.

Powell River on the Sunshine Coast

We have stayed a couple of days in Powell River to get caught up on laundry and supplies for our trip to Princess Louisa Inlet. We decided to stay one night in a hotel although sleeping on the boat has been great. It is a beautiful area with lovely sunsets. We had an excellent dinner tonight in the hotel restaurant. We will leave early in the morning for Egmont which is our final stop before heading up Jervis Inlet for Princess Louisa Inlet. We will be in touch in a few days.

Refuge Cove

We left Walsh Cove and headed down Waddington Channel toward Refuge Cove. Most days we travel approximately 25 to 30 nautical miles. Usually that's about 6 hours on the water. Refuge Cove is located on West Redondo Island, in the center of Desolation Sound. It is managed by a coop of 18 shareholders who run different businesses on the property. These include a general store, used bookstore, cafe, and fuel dock. Refuge Cove is a quaint, rustic marina that is used by many boaters as a place to restock groceries, fill up on fuel, or just relax. At this marina and most others, people were amazingly friendly and helpful. At almost all our stops fellow boaters have been willing to take a line and help bring the boat in. We've met lots of folks from all different areas of Canada. One issue on a cruise is where to get rid of garbage as some marinas won't take it. Out in the middle of Refuge Cove, on a small island is Dave's Garbage Service. For $2 a bag you can leave him with as much garbage as you want. Every Tuesday he takes all this garbage to Squirrel Cove which is across on Cortes Island. Dave lives on this island with his garbage, year around. We left Refuge Cove and Desolation Sound on Wednesday to head toward Powell River and the Beach Gardens Marina on the Sunshine Coast.

A Night On The Hook-Walsh Cove

Walsh Cove has no marina or public dock. It is a small bay where several boats can drop anchor and spend the night. Sailors like to call this, "a night on the hook." After dropping anchor, Jim and Joy used the dingy to connect a line from the stern of Segue II to the shoreline. Once they got to shore, Joy climbed up the rocky bank to wrap the line around a tree. With both the bow and stern secured, we stayed in one place all night. We used the prawn cage from our friend in Comox in trying to catch prawns. This was not much of a success in fact not successful at all as our total catch was zero. So far we have had steaks, bratwurst, chicken, and lots of salads. We haven't done so well with seafood. Walsh Cove was beautiful and perfectly quiet. The next morning when we got up, the tide had dropped about 8 ft. and exposed hundreds of oysters clinging to the rock cliffs at shoreline. When we pulled up the anchor in the morning, there was a huge rock in the cradle of it. It took us some time to get the anchor in and the rock back to the bottom of the bay.

Around Cortes Island

After leaving Gorge Harbour, we sailed through Uganda Passage and around Cortes Island. Bob and Betty tried salmon fishing with no luck. We then headed for Toba Inlet, in the northern section of Desolation Sound. Words cannot describe the beauty of this place so we have included several pictures of our experience. On this passage we saw bald eagles, glacier covered mountains, and uninhabited islands. At times we were sailing in 1600 ft. of water but the water was calm. We tried to get moorage at Toba Wildernest Marina but were turned away as they have very little space. They suggested we try Walsh Cove near the top of Waddington Channel.

Desolation Sound-Gorge Harbour

After our trip across the Strait of Georgia (about 4 hours) we arrived at Gorge Harbour on Cortes Island in Desolation Sound. On our way into the harbor we saw pictoglyphs on the high cliffs to our port side. The marina has recently been updated with beautiful docks and facilities. The landscaping and brand new swimming pool add to the natural appeal of this place.