Lobo
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2008
- Messages
- 290
- Fluid Motion Model
- C-248 C
- Hull Identification Number
- FMLT2562J708
- Vessel Name
- Lobo
- MMSI Number
- 316013957
On February 17, 2010 19 mostly seniors left Sidney BC on six 40’ boats for a winter cruise to Princess Louisa Park at the upper end of Jervis Inlet on the West Coast of BC. The destination is about 30 air kilometers from the Winter Olympics in Whistler BC – but “you can’t get from here to there”.
The ship I was on is a 40’ trawler and there were 4 of us older gentlemen on board.
Day 1 was a 35 mile run to Nanaimo where we overnighted. Dinner on our boat was lobster – 2 each! Plus accompanying salads, wines and dessert.
Day 2 was an early departure of 4 boats of us across Georgia Straight (a 42 Beneteau Swift Trawler crossed the night before; a 45' Grand Banks came up a few hours later). Conditions could not have been better – in fact for the whole cruise we had almost no wind and flat calm seas. We left North and South Thormanby Islands to starboard; passed Pender Harbour; up Agamemnon Channel and into Jervis Inlet. Around 3:00 PM we passed through Malibu Rapids (a plus 4 knot current with us). As a “newby” to the area, we had to point the bow into a waterfall and I had to add some branch water to my glass of rum. Dinner was salad, steaks, ice cream and accompanying wine.
The entire trip was absolutely clear and crisp. There was very little snow. Many of this group have been doing this cruise every February for 20 years, and apparently this was the best “weather-wise”. Last year there was 3 feet of snow on the docks.
The park – with Chatterbox Falls – is 3 miles from Malibu Rapids. There is 890 feet of dock space, and in summer you can raft up 2 deep on each side. Other than our 6 boats and 19 crew, we didn’t see any other boat or human. I only found 2 people of the crew who had been to Princess Louisa in the summer, and they found it quite crowded in summer. There is a bit of anchoring area, and there are some stern-tie rings on the rocks on the other side of the falls (from the dock). Often two or more boats will put a hook down in the outfall of the falls and let the runoff keep them all lined up. Anchoring and stern-tying is cooler and bug free compared to the dock.
The park is quite small as the area is hemmed in by steep mountains – which of course make finding a place to put an anchor down difficult.
Facilities at Princess Louisa include free docking; non-potable water to the docks (in summer); an outhouse; a great gazebo with fire pit and a Ranger cabin. There is a good write-up in Waggoner Cruising Guide.
Our group spent Friday and Saturday there (days 3 and 4) – all in beautiful weather conditions. There was some fog in the morning but it slowly burnt off as the sun crawled slowly down the mountains. We ate, we played golf, we had a few beers, ate some more, etc. etc. Dinner on day 3 was “boat appetizers” as we all tried to outdo the others. On Day 4 there were two large prime ribs roasted over the fire on a revolving spit, salads, deep fried onion rings, apple crumble with ice cream and warm caramel sauce. And, perhaps, a wee dram of something else.
Departure Sunday morning (day 5) was at 7:00 AM to get through Malibu Rapids. There was a thin layer of ice on the water (the top 6 inches seems to be fresh water, salt water underneath). We had ice for most of Princess Louisa Inlet and a few miles of Jervis Inlet. Last year the ice was around 1" thick.
Weather was clear for most of Jervis Inlet, but around Pender Harbour we encountered fog which we were in until Departure Bay in Nanaimo. We stayed overnight in Nanaimo and had our last feast – salad, roast chicken and very little accompanying wine.
Mondays trip home (day 6) was an early departure to hit the slack at Dodds Narrows; then we left Thetis Island to starboard, cut through the Secretary Islands over to Stuart Channel, and down through Sansom Narrows to home. We encountered fog again – and spent a few anxious moments trying to “find” a tug with two barges we had seen earlier that disappeared into said fog.
Princess Louisa has been described as the “Holy Grail of Cruising”, and for scenery it surely is tops. Going in winter with only a few people, no dogs, no late-night generators, etc. made it even more spectacular.
There is limited anchorage between Pender Harbour and Princess Louisa, but there is some. If you plan this trip, take the distance and potential moorage problems into consideration. There are a few spots with shelves with 20’ depths that then fall off into 600’ plus.
There were no Ranger Tugs on this trip. I would have loved to have had my 25’ as the conditions were perfect. When we landed back and refuelled the boats I found another joy of my Ranger! I estimate a full tank (260 litres) for my Ranger for this trip; we put in 560 litres on the boat I was on, the 42' Beneteau ST around 1,000 litres and the Grand Banks even more.
This is a link to a web cam at Malibu Rapids.
http://www.malibuhydro.com/
Dave
"Lobo"
The ship I was on is a 40’ trawler and there were 4 of us older gentlemen on board.
Day 1 was a 35 mile run to Nanaimo where we overnighted. Dinner on our boat was lobster – 2 each! Plus accompanying salads, wines and dessert.
Day 2 was an early departure of 4 boats of us across Georgia Straight (a 42 Beneteau Swift Trawler crossed the night before; a 45' Grand Banks came up a few hours later). Conditions could not have been better – in fact for the whole cruise we had almost no wind and flat calm seas. We left North and South Thormanby Islands to starboard; passed Pender Harbour; up Agamemnon Channel and into Jervis Inlet. Around 3:00 PM we passed through Malibu Rapids (a plus 4 knot current with us). As a “newby” to the area, we had to point the bow into a waterfall and I had to add some branch water to my glass of rum. Dinner was salad, steaks, ice cream and accompanying wine.
The entire trip was absolutely clear and crisp. There was very little snow. Many of this group have been doing this cruise every February for 20 years, and apparently this was the best “weather-wise”. Last year there was 3 feet of snow on the docks.
The park – with Chatterbox Falls – is 3 miles from Malibu Rapids. There is 890 feet of dock space, and in summer you can raft up 2 deep on each side. Other than our 6 boats and 19 crew, we didn’t see any other boat or human. I only found 2 people of the crew who had been to Princess Louisa in the summer, and they found it quite crowded in summer. There is a bit of anchoring area, and there are some stern-tie rings on the rocks on the other side of the falls (from the dock). Often two or more boats will put a hook down in the outfall of the falls and let the runoff keep them all lined up. Anchoring and stern-tying is cooler and bug free compared to the dock.
The park is quite small as the area is hemmed in by steep mountains – which of course make finding a place to put an anchor down difficult.
Facilities at Princess Louisa include free docking; non-potable water to the docks (in summer); an outhouse; a great gazebo with fire pit and a Ranger cabin. There is a good write-up in Waggoner Cruising Guide.
Our group spent Friday and Saturday there (days 3 and 4) – all in beautiful weather conditions. There was some fog in the morning but it slowly burnt off as the sun crawled slowly down the mountains. We ate, we played golf, we had a few beers, ate some more, etc. etc. Dinner on day 3 was “boat appetizers” as we all tried to outdo the others. On Day 4 there were two large prime ribs roasted over the fire on a revolving spit, salads, deep fried onion rings, apple crumble with ice cream and warm caramel sauce. And, perhaps, a wee dram of something else.
Departure Sunday morning (day 5) was at 7:00 AM to get through Malibu Rapids. There was a thin layer of ice on the water (the top 6 inches seems to be fresh water, salt water underneath). We had ice for most of Princess Louisa Inlet and a few miles of Jervis Inlet. Last year the ice was around 1" thick.
Weather was clear for most of Jervis Inlet, but around Pender Harbour we encountered fog which we were in until Departure Bay in Nanaimo. We stayed overnight in Nanaimo and had our last feast – salad, roast chicken and very little accompanying wine.
Mondays trip home (day 6) was an early departure to hit the slack at Dodds Narrows; then we left Thetis Island to starboard, cut through the Secretary Islands over to Stuart Channel, and down through Sansom Narrows to home. We encountered fog again – and spent a few anxious moments trying to “find” a tug with two barges we had seen earlier that disappeared into said fog.
Princess Louisa has been described as the “Holy Grail of Cruising”, and for scenery it surely is tops. Going in winter with only a few people, no dogs, no late-night generators, etc. made it even more spectacular.
There is limited anchorage between Pender Harbour and Princess Louisa, but there is some. If you plan this trip, take the distance and potential moorage problems into consideration. There are a few spots with shelves with 20’ depths that then fall off into 600’ plus.
There were no Ranger Tugs on this trip. I would have loved to have had my 25’ as the conditions were perfect. When we landed back and refuelled the boats I found another joy of my Ranger! I estimate a full tank (260 litres) for my Ranger for this trip; we put in 560 litres on the boat I was on, the 42' Beneteau ST around 1,000 litres and the Grand Banks even more.
This is a link to a web cam at Malibu Rapids.
http://www.malibuhydro.com/
Dave
"Lobo"