S.V. CAMBRIA: September 2014

Destination: Kynoch Inlet, Fiordland

Tuesday, September 30, 2014TheCambrians

Kynoch Inlet, Fiordland Recreational Area.

Disclaimer: This blog article is not to be used for navigation. It is solely an account of our personal experience and anchor location in Kynoch Inlet during calm weather conditions. What worked for us at one particular time is no guarantee or indication that it will work for others. There are no services and any boat that enters should be self-sufficient.

The Central Coast of British Columbia, from Cape Caution to McInnis Island, is home to thousands of miles of coastline that has seen little change since the glaciers retreated 15,000 years ago. Visiting is like sailing back in time. And nowhere is that more evident than Fiordland Recreational Area. Kynoch Inlet, in particular.

Like its counterpart, Mussel Inlet, Kynoch has limited anchoring possibilities. But it does have plenty to offer the visiting boat, starting with Kynoch Falls.

Cambria approaching Kynoch Falls.

The inlet itself is only 10 nautical miles long, but they’re packed with spectacular scenery – some of the best along this section of the coast. The channel is narrow and everything seems to close in around you. The shoreline disappears into the sea along vertical granite walls. Snow-covered ranges reach heights above 1,000 metres (3,300 feet) and dramatic glacial bowls peak out between the layers of mountains and granite domes. It truly has to be seen to be believed.

Granite domes mark the entrance to Debrisay Bay in Kynoch Inlet.

Salubrious is dwarfed by a glacial bowl.

Arriving at the head of Kynoch Inlet can be somewhat of a disappointment – the journey seems to be over. But it’s not. Because on the other side of the rapids that protect its entrance lies Culpepper Lagoon, one of the most beautiful sections of Fiordland.

The entrance into Culpepper Lagoon is not charted and we have NOT gone in Cambria, only our dinghy. So, we don’t have any first-hand information to share. What we can pass on is what we’ve learned from other people:

You should NOT anchor in the northern corner near the entrance to the lagoon because the current is too strong.
Fog can make early morning departures difficult.
If you chose to leave at any time other than slack tide, you will get pushed around and have one heck of a ride (actually, we saw that one first hand).
Grizzly bears roam the shoreline at the head of the lagoon at low tide.
It can be difficult to find a place to anchor, especially if another boat is already in the lagoon.

The entrance to Culpepper Lagoon at low water slack.

There are no current predictions for Culpepper Lagoon itself but, from our experience, the times listed for Hiekish Narrows are good indicators. While waiting for slack to occur, temporary anchorage can be found at the head of Kynoch Inlet off the Kainet Creek in 10 – 20 metres (33 to 66 feet).

For more information on entering the lagoon in your vessel, consult the Douglass book, “Exploring the North Coast of British Columbia”.

The head of Culpepper Lagoon.

A glacial-capped mountain in Culpepper Lagoon.

British Columbia Fiordland Sum It Up Sunday

Sum It Up Sunday: Waterfalls, Whales and Bears! Oh, My!

Sunday, September 28, 2014TheCambrians

British Columbia Destinations Fiordland

Destination: Fiordland Recreational Area - Mussel Inlet

Tuesday, September 23, 2014TheCambrians

Approaching beautiful Oatswich Bay in Mussel Inlet.

Disclaimer: This blog article is not to be used for navigation. It is solely an account of our personal experience and anchor location in Mussel Inlet during calm weather conditions. What worked for us at one particular time is no guarantee or indication that it will work for others. There are no services and any boat that enters should be self-sufficient.

One of the things we love the most about cruising in British Columbia is the number of glacial fjords and inlets there are to explore and the opportunity to travel into the mountains . . . by boat. It’s a humbling experience and something we never seem to get tired of doing.

In an area already known for its dramatic scenery and beauty, Fiordland Recreational Area stands out from the rest: A place where glaciers have carved sheer granite cliffs, reaching heights over 1,000 metres (3,300 feet), waterfalls rumble to the sea and wildlife roams the shore. Located in the Kitasoo/Xai’xais First Nation territory, the nature reserve is managed in cooperation with the provincial government and includes 76,825 hectares and two main inlets – Kynoch and Mussel.

By most accounts, Kyoch Inlet is the best. But we disagree. Though only five nautical miles long, Mussel Inlet is equally as beautiful and has just as much to offer the visiting boat . . . maybe more.

Mussel Inlet, Fiordland Recreational Area.

According to the BC Parks website, the Mussel River and Poison Cove estuaries, located at the head of Mussel Inlet, are among the most valuable wildlife habitat along the Central Coast, particularly for bears (both black and grizzly). Strict guidelines for visiting the area are in place and enforced, none of which are found in cruising guides. Many are geared towards commercial enterprises but apply to the visiting cruising vessel as well and are listed at the bottom of the page as they appear on the BC Parks website.

Despite the opportunities for an extraordinary wilderness experience while surrounded by dramatic scenery, Fiordland has one major shortcoming – the lack of good anchorages. We’d love to be able to spend the night tucked away in one of its stunning bays and extend our time there but, apart from a few hours anchored at the head of Mussel Inlet, we’ve been unsuccessful so far.

The head of Mussel Inlet.

Possible Anchorages and Bays within Mussel Inlet:

Oatswich Bay:

Home to beautiful Lizzette Falls, the bay is too deep and steep-to for convenient anchoring.

David Bay:

Located on the south side of Mussel Inlet near the mouth, David Bay is striking but the head of the bay is steep-to and deep.

Mussel Bay:

In our opinion, Mussel Bay is a temporary day anchorage due to inflow winds and poor holding in sand. Anchorage can be found along the eastern shore off the mud flats of the Mussel River in depths of 10 – 20 metres (22 – 33 feet). From the head of Mussel Inlet, you’re 20 nautical miles (as the crow flies) from the head of Gardner Canal – now on the southern face of the same mountain range, most of the glaciers have long since melted.

Poison Cove:

Named by Captain George Vancouver when several of his men fell ill after eating mussels tainted with PSP (paralytic shellfish poisoning) gathered there, Poison Cove offers better protection from wind than Mussel Inlet and is beautiful, ending in an alpine estuary. The center channel is steep-to and goes from depths of 50 metres (165 feet) to 5 metres (16.5 feet) very quickly but it might be possible to find temporary anchorage in 20 metres (66 feet) along either the north or south shore – we’ve never tried.

Windy Bay:

The safest overnight anchorage (again, this is only our opinion) is Windy Bay which is located outside the park boundaries along the southern shore of Sheep Passage. Anchorage can be found throughout the large bay in depths around 15 metres (50 feet) where the holding is good in sand and mud.

The following is directly from the BC Parks Website:

Special Regulations Mussel River (Laig) / Poison Cove (Peak Fall Season)

When you arrive in the Mussel River / Poison Cove Area, please contact the Mussel River Guardian Watchmen on Marine Channel 6. As listed below, there are very specific rules and regulations for this area.

LAND BASED GUIDED ACCESSS ONLY IN SEPTEMBER in 2014 – with a permitted guide.

AREA CLOSED TO WILDLIFE VIEWING AFTER OCTOBER 15.

Water-Based Viewing Guidelines:

Check in with Mussel River Guardian Watchmen.
Maximum one vessel viewing at a time.
No viewing or boat access upstream of the lower Mussel River Island.
Jet boats are not permitted.
Maximum 18 people in total and all vessels must stay grouped together.
Stay at least 50 M (160 ft) away from bears.

Land- Based Viewing Guidelines:

Allowed with caution but not recommended.
Check in with Mussel River Guardian Watchmen.
Look for a series of rock cairns which will indicate viewing location; do not wander, proceed directly to viewing site and back to your vessel when safe to do so.
No visitor access on lower Mussel River Island and the Mussel Estuary other than designated viewing site. These areas are off limits to viewing, hiking or any other form of access.
Maximum of 14 people permitted on shore at one time. Visitors MUST stay grouped together.
Bear spray required by at least one person who is trained in its use.
Firearms may not be carried while viewing.
No pets are permitted in viewing areas.
Food is not recommended.

For more information, visit BCParks Fiordland page on their website or the Spirit Bear Lodge in Klemtu.

British Columbia Sum It Up Sunday The Central Coast

Sum It Up Sunday: Moving Right Along

Sunday, September 21, 2014TheCambrians

Salubrious and Cambria rafted together in Loretta Island Cove.

This “Sum It Up Sunday” brings us back to the week of July 27^th and to Loretta Island Cove along Devastation Channel. As far as anchorages go, it isn’t anything special but it’s a pretty spot with steep, moss-covered granite and evergreen trees lining the shore. But more importantly, the protection and holding are good making it the perfect place to rest up before making the next leg of our trip – a 28 nautical mile stretch down Verney Passage and Ursula Channel to Bishop Bay Hot Springs.

Ursula Channel.

When we arrived Monday afternoon, the anchorage was empty so we each took a mooring and David and I went straight to the hot spring for a bath. But Bishop Bay is a popular place and it wasn’t long before more boats arrived, filling the dock. It showered most of Tuesday and we did little more than soak in the springs and discuss our plans for the next day – deciding on nothing except that we were leaving. But, in a last-minute moment of reluctance, I pulled the plug and we stayed another day – I just wasn’t sure that I was ready to drop below 53° for the year. I couldn’t get anyone to agree with me (i.e. David), so Thursday morning we left Bishop Bay and started south after one final soak, ready or not.

David taking one final soak in the hot springs at Bishop Bay.

My back was bothering me so I took it easy on the trip down – walking around the boat, laying down for a nap, and generally doing everything except sitting in the cockpit which can be uncomfortable. When I woke up from my nap, we’d passed Khutze Inlet (our intended destination) and were making way for Hiekish Narrows to spend the night in Work Bay, a lovely little spot at the northern end of Finlayson Channel. The Douglass book says it’s often overlooked as an anchorage because it’s somewhat open to the south but is fine in settled weather. And he’s right. Despite the fact that we were seeing wind and chop from the inflow wind out in the channel, it was flat and calm inside . . . and beautifully quiet.

Looking out toward Finlayson Channel from the head of Work Bay.

The next day, Salubrious went down to Klemtu to fill up with diesel and take a tour of the Big House. Unfortunately, George was busy and couldn’t take them so they missed out . . . again! David and I stayed behind and did absolutely nothing, something we both enjoyed a little too much. When Saturday morning rolled around, it was foggy outside the anchorage in Finlayson Channel and our planned noon departure was set back until it lifted some time around 1:00 pm. From there, it was a short run up the channel and over to Sheep Passage to our anchorage for the night, Windy Bay.

All and all, it wasn’t what you’d call a very exciting week; we did little more than put miles under our keel. But the coming one promises to be more interesting now that we’ve set ourselves up to visit our next destination – Fiordland Recreational Area.

Best New Things Boat Systems Creature Comforts

The Best New Thing In the Boat

Friday, September 19, 2014TheCambrians

I’ve probably mentioned it before, but we have a Sirus satellite radio on board and one of the things I like to do is listen to MSNBC. Every day. It drives David nuts, but I’m addicted. What can I say? In my defense I try to limit myself to one hour, usually while I’m cooking dinner, which means The Rachel Maddow Show gets a lot of airtime. But that’s not the point of this blog. This is: Rachel does a segment from time to time called, “The Best New Thing In the World” where she introduces something new that’s caught her attention. It can be a product, an idea or something somebody has done. And that inspired me to write a blog about the best new thing in the boat – our Dometic CF80 portable freezer.

Being an offshore boat, it was surprising that Cambria only came equipped with a fridge cooled by a freezer box, similar to what you’d find in a dorm refrigerator. So, when we first moved aboard, we considered moving the fridge to the wet locker and changing the old one into a freezer. But we’d seen pictures from other Westerlies that had made the conversion, and I wasn’t too impressed with the result. I was sure David could do a better job (at least one that was more aesthetically pleasing). But, at the end of the day, the wet locker is valuable storage. Not only does it keep our foulies dry and mildew-free, but the bilge space below is huge and the perfect place for heavier items like flour and sugar . . . or wine. I just couldn’t find my way to giving that up, not even for a freezer. And then there was the cost. We never put an actual estimate together, but the compressor and tectonic plates alone would have easily run $2000. Probably more.

Cambria's original fridge (next to the stove) and wet locker (next to the companionway -- the perfect location for a ditch bag!)

For the next ten years we lived with what we had, and every three weeks or so we’d find a place to re-provision. It wasn’t ideal, but it worked. Then when Sally, our dog, got sick last year and was no longer able to digest regular dog food, I had to cook for her and our time frame dwindled down to two weeks . . . at best. So, over the winter we revisited our options and decided to go with a portable freezer – the installation would be easier, the costs were lower, and the units were more efficient. I’d still have to give up storage space, but it was in an area of the boat I could live with.

And it’s the BEST NEW THING IN THE BOAT!

Having a freezer aboard has completely changed the way we cruise. In the past, we had to plan our destinations around provisioning stops; and if we wanted to linger or make detours along the way, our fresh food levels dictated our decisions. But not anymore. For the last four months (that’s months, not weeks), we haven’t had to buy a single piece of meat until yesterday. And with a little better planning on my part, I’m confident we can make the full six months next season.

So why is it the best?

There are a lot of ways that having a freezer aboard has improved our lives, some of them we were prepared for and others came as a surprise. Here are just a few:

Grocery stores are difficult to find in remote areas along the BC Coast.
When you do find them, they’re usually very expensive.
Having a freezer aboard allows us more flexibility in our cruising.
It keeps us away from “civilization” for longer periods of time.
If we want to have people over for dinner, we don’t have to count chicken breasts to see if it’s possible.
Lunches have always been difficult in the past. With a freezer aboard, we’re able to freeze lunch meat, bacon and cheese (something that’s über -expensive in Canada) to help fill in the gaps along the way.
Having a freezer opens up the possibility of fishing and crabbing, something we’ve avoided because we didn’t have the space before. I’m not saying we’re actually going to start; we move around a lot and may not have the extra time it takes. But at least now, we can if we want to.

British Columbia Marinas North Coast

Destination: Kitimat

Tuesday, September 16, 2014TheCambrians

Chief Sammy Robinson's home in Kitimaat Village.

Marina: 53°58.882’N, 128°39.141’W

I don’t think anyone was more surprised than us that Kitimat turned out to be a destination. To start, we hate tying up. We spend six months trapped in a marina during the winter and the last thing we want to do in the summer is spend the night in one. And none of us were too excited that the only grocery store is 11 kilometres (7 miles) from the marina, especially when we were looking at a CA$25 taxi ride . . . each way. But we were low on fresh provisions and it was our best option. So, we went.

And we’re really glad that we did.

The marina, MK Bay Marina, is located on the east side of Kitimat Arm (Navionics places it on the west) and is open year round. Guest moorage is located on the seaward side of D dock (the outermost finger), but boats under 45’ can tie up on the inside near the office building if space is available. It’s a good idea to call ahead on VHF channel 68 for a berth assignment and check for availability – it can get surprisingly busy during the height of the summer.

The facilities themselves are first-rate. The dock is starting to show its age in places but is concrete and (for the most part) sits level. Moorage is a little on the high side at CA$1.25 a foot, but water and power are available (30 and 50 amp) at no additional charge. The marina has a security gate (there’s a refundable CA$20 deposit for the key) and a large garbage bin is located at the end of the gangway (no sorting!) with a smaller bin for recyclables. The laundromat is located at the end of the marina office building and reasonably priced at CA$2 per load. The showers, opposite the office, are among the best we’ve seen but are on the expensive side at CA$3 for 5 minutes (you can add a loonie while the water’s running to extend your time). There was internet access available in the office, but no Wi-Fi. We did, however, have a weak cellular signal through Bell

Canada

A fuel dock is located at the southern end of the marina near the office building and sells diesel and petrol at a much lower rate than Shearwater or Klemtu – it was CA$1.28 when we were there compared to a hefty CA$1.70. A small store inside the marina building sells a good selection of marine and fishing supplies (no groceries). And a café sells coffee, drinks, sandwiches and baked goods.

When it comes to Kitimat, cruising guides for the area fall short on details but you can find all the information you need in the office . . . including a bus schedule into town. Service runs regularly Monday through Friday and the fare is only CA$2 per person, a much cheaper option than calling a taxi. You can also find maps and visitor guides with lists of local businesses and attractions. The marina staff is incredibly friendly and will help you with any questions you may have, so don’t hesitate to ask. If they don’t know the answer, they’ll find someone who does.

The bus stops along the main road opposite the marina parking lot and takes 15 to 20 minutes to drive to Kitimat. Local residents are very friendly as well (even carrying our groceries aboard) and help pass the time with good conversation. We didn’t try it ourselves but the chances of hitching a ride with someone leaving the marina seemed like a good option as well. But if you prefer to bike (or even walk) the road is only one lane each way with no shoulder.

The town itself only has a population of around 10,000 people but offers all of the amenities of a larger city – a hospital, library, airport, visitors centre, post office, mall, grocery stores, pharmacies, banks, restaurants, parks, hotels, churches, and museums. There are two grocery stores – SuperValu and Overwaitea. But SuperValu is starting to show its age while Overwaitea is a modern, clean grocery story with an excellent selection and, in our opinion, the better option of the two.

The region has a long history starting with the Haisla Nation who has occupied the land for hundreds of years. European explorers arrived in the 1800s but it wasn’t until 1950 that a western town was built around what was called the Kitimat Project – a dam, two 12-mile long tunnels through the coastal mountain range, a powerhouse that’s 1400 feet inside a mountain (all located in Kemano Bay, Gardner Canal), an aluminum smelter and a town. The company, Alcan, continues to operate and is the main employer for the city. You can learn more about the history of the area and the building of the Alcan facilities at the KitimatMuseum & Archives, which is located in the city centre.

If you stop at MK Bay Marina, visiting with Chief Sammy Robinson, master carver, in nearby Kitimaat Village is a must. He’s a charming man with many interesting stories to tell. In 2013 he was named British Columbia’s best carver and his work is exceptional. If you have deep pockets, you can own a piece for yourself. There’s also a small band store in the village; it’s more of a convenience shop and wouldn’t do for major provisioning . . . but the ice cream is good!

We only spent 24 hours in Kitimat and used it primarily as a working stop, but there’s clearly more to it than that and we wouldn’t hesitate to make a return trip. If you happen to find yourself there one day as well, whether for work or pleasure, one thing’s for sure – you’ll be glad you did.

Things to Do:

Farmers Market – Sundays 10 am to 3 pm (no bus service) from May through October in the parking lot behind Mountainview Square, City Centre.
Heritage Walkway – interpretive signs lead the way through the history of Kitimat. There are four but the easiest to find from the bus stop is across from the SuperValu.
Hirsch Creek Golf & Winter Club – 18 hole golf course and a bar & grill.
Kitimaat Village – Master Carver, Chief Sammy Robinson
Kitimat Museum & Archives – community history, First Nation displays, flora and fauna displays, wildlife displays and gift shop.
Sam Lindsay Aquatic Centre – 25 metre lap pool, sauna, hot tub, water slide, kid’s pool, changing rooms, racquetball court and weight room.

Transportation:

Car Rental – Budget, Hertz and National (all out of the airport)
Coastal Taxi – (250) 632-7250
Kitimat Transit System (250) 632-4444
Northwest Regional Airport – servicing Terrace and Kitmat with flights from WestJet, Hawkair, CMA and Jazz
Valley Taxi – (250) 639-6464

Destination: Kynoch Inlet, Fiordland

Sum It Up Sunday: Waterfalls, Whales and Bears! Oh, My!

Destination: Fiordland Recreational Area - Mussel Inlet

Sum It Up Sunday: Moving Right Along

The Best New Thing In the Boat

Destination: Kitimat

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