Princess Louisa Inlet Cruise after Friday Harbor Gathering

[Salmon Fisher]

Anyone interested in going on a group cruise to Princess Louisa Inlet after the Friday Harbor Gathering, please let it be known on this thread.

I have talked to a few C-Brats and so far we have about 4 boats that want to go and a couple of C-Brats that now own other brands who are planning to go as well.

The trip would probably start on Sunday, May 12. Like last year's group, we would probably cruise to Nanaimo and reprovision there or on the way there. Then stage up for a crossing of Strait of Georgia when weather allows.

I have never been so if someone who has done the trip before is interested in a leadership role, please come forward.

For planning purposes, maybe we could all meet on Saturday afternoon like the group did last year on the Party Barge.

Looking forward to a great trip to Canada!

[Hunkydory]

We really enjoyed the cruise to Princess Louise Inlet last year & if all goes well may join up again this year & possibly head to Alaska, up the Inland Passage from there. We prefer to set our own speed, choice of route, miles per day to travel & choices of when & when not to go upon evaluation of weather windows & if & when that coincides with the group, we will travel with the group. About those choices, I’m quite willing to listen to others opinions & share my own, but not interested in a leadership role. Last year smaller groups were formed to fit those who wanted a slower longer trip or faster. We enjoyed the company of other C-Brats both at Nanaimo & on the dock at Chatterbox Falls, but went solo to get there

Jay

[DayBreak]

I saw this thread today and thought it would be nice to bring it up again for those who would like to do extended travel after the 2025 Friday Harbor gathering to visit the waters of our northern neighbors. Following the event on Sunday, May 11, Colleen and I plan to check in at Bedwell Harbour at 0800 hrs. From there we will get provisions and fuel in Nanaimo. Our goal the following day is to be on the dock at Chatterbox Falls for at-least two nights. We are not looking to be leaders for this trip and don't mind if others want to follow. The journey can be done at everyone's own pace for what they feel comfortable with and hopefully we will see you on the dock. We did this trip in September, 2019 and had a most memorable time that remains clearly imprinted in our minds. I know it is only January right now but it never hurts to plan and look forward to doing something really special. A PM can be sent to us to keep up on planning and on Saturday, May 10, at 2 PM, we can do more to finalize planning while on the Party Barge just prior to the 5 PM Potluck. Gary and Colleen
http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?full=1&set_albumName=album3087&id=D4_25_All_Alone&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php

[colbysmith]

I also plan on joining in on any after cruise, and know Gary had talked about this earlier. SO you can count me in on PLI. There is a very remote possibility I could also end up following Jay on the Inside Passage, if he goes. But that possibility is pretty remote at this time. I did the PLI cruise after FH two years ago when I was last there. Like Jay and Gary, I do not want to lead either, but have no problem if someone wants to run with me. (Warning, I have been known to run at other times than dead slack in the narrows and rapids. Follow at your own discretion. ) Two years ago I did the cruise at hull speed with Peter and Judy on Mistaya. And we stopped in a few other places along the way. I may or may not be inclined to run fast this time. Just depends on the weather and what others in the group are doing, and how much time I decide I want to take. That last time I believe Peter, Judy, and I were the last two to arrive at Chatterbox, the following day, and then while most left a day before us, there were a few that stayed an extra day and left with us, although we still all ran at different speeds and met back up at Nanaimo. During that trip, most of us had met the day before at FH to discuss logistics. But I don't think we were able to agree on a "speed", with some of us preferring a slow cruise and some preferring fast. I do remember, in the end, even though a few others talked about slow, Mistaya and C-Traveler were the only two that ran it at hull speed. And it was a very enjoyable trip! We weren't sure we were all going to get on the docks however, as there was a Ranger Tug event I believe, that were also looking for dock space. I can't remember if any of us rafted or not. Colby

[DayBreak]

Another option for this trip is to get provisions and fuel at Ganges on Salt Spring Island. From there we could stay the night at Pirates Cove on De Courcy Island and make the crossing on Monday through Gabriola Pass. I like to use the NOAA Halibut Buoy to determine the swell, period and wind for crossing the Strait of Georgia.
https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=46146

Slow boaters should be excited about a push up the inlet with a flood tide in the afternoon on Monday using the Pt. Atkinson tide chart.
https://www.tides.gc.ca/en/stations/07795/2025-05-12?tz=PST&unit=m

[colbysmith]

Good resources. Thanks Gary.

[DayBreak]

....actually, after looking more closely at the numbers, it is about 4.6 miles from Malibu Rapids to Chatterbox Falls. In that stretch of water, the speed limit is 4 knots. It will take about one hour to make that travel and it will be getting a little late in the day upon reaching our destination. My thought is to travel up Jervis Inlet against the tide and hit Malibu Rapids earlier in the day at slack low tide. This would give us more time to anchor or tie up to the dock and not be so rushed on things after a long day of travel. A high slack crossing of Malibu Rapids would always be better but sometime, you can't have everything.

[Schuster]

I've been following the conversation on the after cruise (cruises) that folks have mentioned, Chatterbox Falls, Inside Passage going north and am interested in making some sort of trip.
Gary, you posted info on the tide chart at Malibu rapids. Just wondering if there is a current chart for the rapids. I know that at Deception Pass you can not use a tide chart to predict the flow of the water thru the pass as slack current generally doesn't happen at slack tide and conditions change rapidly in that area. The same may be true for Dodds narrows also. I've been thru there as a passenger going north when it was all white water coming at us. For slow boats it would have been a challenge. Thanks

[DayBreak]

Hi Dave. Great question. There is no tide chart for Malibu Rapids per se. Every rapid is different but for Malibu Rapids, it is customary to add 35 minutes to the low tide numbers of Point Atkinson tide chart and add 25 minutes to the high tide numbers to determine the slack tide when going through this rapid. This is the 'standard' for boaters to enter or leave Princess Louisa Inlet. There is a science to it that others may want to comment on but the timing of high or low tide is not the same thing as the timing of slack water. Water will bunch up at a pass before it starts to flow back the other way. Gary

[Schuster]

Thanks Gary, good info for planning a transit thru the rapids. So basically, add a 1/2 hour to the tide chart at Pt Atkinson to get the slack current at Malibu. It appears that the chart is in Pacific Standard Time and I suspect that we will be on Day Light Savings Time by them so spring ahead another hour for your planning purposes. Looking forward to the get together.

[Peter & Judy]

When we did the trip with Colby two years ago we spent the first night at the dock on Wallace Island. We enjoyed the walking trails there. The second night we docked at Newcastle Island after we stocked up on provisions, fuel and had to go for a mandatory ice cream with Colby. Newcastle Island is a very nice place to stay, with lots of walking trails to stretch your legs on. We headed out early the next morning and had to head north first as the Military Area Whisky Gulf was active. Colby was in the lead and we cut across the NW corner of the area and there were some words from the military on the radio, so don't shortcut if the area is active. We did go across the channel WOT and it was a bit rough, then we slowed down and enjoyed the scenery. We spent the night anchored in the Harmony Islands in Hotham Sound. There is a nice anchorage here between the two islands. Don't forget to look up at the spectacular 1400 foot high Harmony Falls. The next day we continued north at hull speed to Malibu Rapids and entered the rapids about an hour before slack on a flood tide. We had no problem and left the channel open for the slower sail boats that did not have our horse power in the channel. If you can get ahead of the slower boats you have a better chance of getting dock space, which we did as many of the C-Brats had departed already. We spent two nights at Chatterbox, which included my birthday, with cake and more ice cream supplied by Colby. We headed out very early, before sunrise, to make it through Malibu Rapids. Another slow, but beautiful journey down Jervis Inlet with plans to stay somewhere near Pender Harbour. We were monitoring the weather and it seemed like the weather that afternoon was better than it would be the next day. So we opened up the throttle and made it across the Straight of Georgia to Nanaimo. Here we met up with some of the other C-Brats and spent the night at a marina. We went out for dinner and then more ice cream. The next day we headed off with Colby, Harvey and others heading to the southern Gulf Islands and we returned to our truck at Ladysmith. Over all an excellent journey with great people and lots of ice cream.

[DayBreak]

Thanks Peter for this information and the anchorage recommendation at Harmony Islands in Hotham Sound. This year, will you and Judy be starting at Port Alberni, to see the Barkley Sound, the Broken Group and other areas on the west coast of Vancouver Island before you make it to Friday Harbor? Also, good to know that Colby is so generous with his ice cream.

[Peter & Judy]

[colbysmith]

[Hunkydory]

There’s a very faint chance, I may make, the Friday Harbor Gathering again this year & if I do, then also to PLI & from there up the Inland Passage to Warm Springs Bay on the East Coast of Baranof Island. If that should happen, anyone choosing to follow me, would be wise as Colby says “to follow at their own discretion” as others may find my cruising mode, a bit challenging, erratic & difficult to understand, the why for, at times.

The much more likely scenario for Jolee & I, is another road truck boat tow trip to Skagway, Alaska, then a cruise from there to areas around Baranof & Chichagof Islands starting in early April with the month of May planned for just Baranof Hot Springs in Warm Springs Bay on Baranof Island. The first choice of Skagway is due to Jolee having another successful neck fusion surgery & at present feeling again up to going on anther Alaska cruise in somewhat of the same, just us, solo fashion, we have made many times, there in the past. She hasn’t been able to cruise SE Alaska, since our last trip together in 2018. The humpback whales have been coming into this bay & close around the dock in May for several years now & we had an amazing whale experience, there in May of 2016, which we would like to repeat, along with enjoying the hot springs & surrounding area, but for a much longer time period. Only if JoLee should regress & not be up for the Skagway, Alaska trip, would I make, the Friday Harbor Gathering ect this year.

Jay