Desolation Sound - Generator Needed?

Princess Louisa has a lot of boats in the summer. You will raft on the dock and the anchorage areas are deep. There is a hike to the top of the park that is difficult but worth it. Wear long pants and good shoes or better yet hiking boots. Trail is rough and you may want to mark your path as you go up.
It is not that far at 30MPH make sure you have enough fuel.
Well worth the trip. You will need 2 nights there to appreciate the place.
 
Happy to provide additional advice as you may need. Was an excellent trip this year and dedicated to seeing the Fjords, waterfalls, and as much wildlife as possible. All a success. Previous trips were centered around some of the locations others have mentioned above which also offer nice swimming in addition to anchoring and/or stern ties. This trip consisted of Princess Louisa Inlet, Toba Inlet (waterfalls everywhere), Bute Inlet, Phillips Arm, and Loughborough Inlet. No swimming in these inlets but the scenery is incredible and we were fortunate to see a few grizzly bear in Bute and Phillips Arm. Next year, the plan is to go twice with the first trip in early June to catch the prime snow melt and see the spectacular waterfalls (there are many in Toba). Then another late summer trip for some anchorage and swimming in the spots others have identified. Just one of many waterfalls in the picture. You can put your bow right at the falls. The water is actually that aqua/tropical color...inviting from the looks but you know, 50°F!!

Tom
 

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Thanks Tom et al. We are definitely going to be more into the nature side of it all rather than swimming as we'll be travelling with my 2 year old son and mother in law ...neither of whom swim. Tom the waterfalls sound/look amazing and seeing the wildlife ..that's all right up our alley. Toba Inlet looks incredible, but pretty far up on the map. And Bute Inlet ...waaaay up there! Still if it's worth it, then we'll make some time for it. Are there anchorages up there? Any fuel? We probably have about a 180 nm range on our 340 if we're lucky and take it easy. (which we will) We're likely going to have about 15-18 days leaving in late June through mid July.

P.S. LOVE your Sabre Tom. What a boat. We had one docked next to us at Gabriola last summer, and the owner was kind enough to give me a tour. Just beautiful. One day! :)
 
Michael - If nature - scenery, and wildlife are what you are after, I think the journey is well worth it. As to anchorages, the inlets such as Bute and Toba are pretty tough to find a spot. I've contributed to Navionics as there are some small inlets that would appear to be good anchorages but are "littered" with old logging equipment and or cables spanning the inlet. At Brem Bay in the Toba inlet, there is good anchorage and good bear spotting prospects. Waterfalls in the inlet are stunning and you don't need to go all the way to the end either. At the mouth of Toba Inlet though is the marina Toba Wilderness (moorage). Great place and great hiking. No fuel there however. That said, with your 180 nm range, you can do much....for example;

Prideaux Haven to the very end of Toba Inlet : 30nm one way
Prideaux Haven to Brem Bay in Toba Inlet : 20nm one way
Toba Wilderness Marina to Orford Bay (in Bute Inlet) : 32 nm one way [Orford Bay is a great grizzly spot]
Toba Wilderness to Dent Island Resort : 19nm one way
Dent Island to Blind Channel Resort (moorage, fuel, water, dining) : 15nm one way
Refuge Cove to Brem Bay (in Toba Inlet) : 25nm one way

Refuge Cove has fuel and supplies. Also, if you head East after stopping for a looksee if any Grizzly @ Orford, pass through Dent Rapids...onward to Blind Channel Resort (Moorage, Dining, Fuel and supplies). Then you can hit Phillips arm and more opportunity for Grizzly in there. Moorage and good anchorage in Shoal Bay. The caretakers of the dockage there are great people and there is a very laid back 'informal' pub as well.

For me getting up there is all about time. You will do fine planning fuel and supplies utilizing Refuge Cove and Blind Channel. You will do fine with moorage at Blind Channel, Dent Island, Toba Wilderness. Taking it easy is recommended as in places like Bute or Toba, you may not see a human being or boat while there depending how far in you travel. Plus there are still the lurking hazards of dead heads about. The other element to take very seriously in the general area are the numerous rapids such as Dent, Arran, Yuculta, etc. They are all well charted but just time your passage during slack. I have passed 1 hour on either side of slack through all of them and its fine.

Shoot me a pm and happy to relay more advice as there is just too much to capture here.

Tom

PS Thanks for the compliments on the boat. New to us this year and we do love it. Was formerly in a 2005 Sundancer with 380 QSB's. We had her up in inlets too. Its all good with planning!
 
Michael - If nature - scenery, and wildlife are what you are after, I think the journey is well worth it. As to anchorages, the inlets such as Bute and Toba are pretty tough to find a spot. I've contributed to Navionics as there are some small inlets that would appear to be good anchorages but are "littered" with old logging equipment and or cables spanning the inlet. At Brem Bay in the Toba inlet, there is good anchorage and good bear spotting prospects. Waterfalls in the inlet are stunning and you don't need to go all the way to the end either. At the mouth of Toba Inlet though is the marina Toba Wilderness (moorage). Great place and great hiking. No fuel there however. That said, with your 180 nm range, you can do much....for example;

Prideaux Haven to the very end of Toba Inlet : 30nm one way
Prideaux Haven to Brem Bay in Toba Inlet : 20nm one way
Toba Wilderness Marina to Orford Bay (in Bute Inlet) : 32 nm one way [Orford Bay is a great grizzly spot]
Toba Wilderness to Dent Island Resort : 19nm one way
Dent Island to Blind Channel Resort (moorage, fuel, water, dining) : 15nm one way
Refuge Cove to Brem Bay (in Toba Inlet) : 25nm one way

Refuge Cove has fuel and supplies. Also, if you head East after stopping for a looksee if any Grizzly @ Orford, pass through Dent Rapids...onward to Blind Channel Resort (Moorage, Dining, Fuel and supplies). Then you can hit Phillips arm and more opportunity for Grizzly in there. Moorage and good anchorage in Shoal Bay. The caretakers of the dockage there are great people and there is a very laid back 'informal' pub as well.

For me getting up there is all about time. You will do fine planning fuel and supplies utilizing Refuge Cove and Blind Channel. You will do fine with moorage at Blind Channel, Dent Island, Toba Wilderness. Taking it easy is recommended as in places like Bute or Toba, you may not see a human being or boat while there depending how far in you travel. Plus there are still the lurking hazards of dead heads about. The other element to take very seriously in the general area are the numerous rapids such as Dent, Arran, Yuculta, etc. They are all well charted but just time your passage during slack. I have passed 1 hour on either side of slack through all of them and its fine.

Shoot me a pm and happy to relay more advice as there is just too much to capture here.

Tom

PS Thanks for the compliments on the boat. New to us this year and we do love it. Was formerly in a 2005 Sundancer with 380 QSB's. We had her up in inlets too. Its all good with planning!

Thanks for all of this Tom. I've been researching Toba Inlet and Brem Bay, and that definitely looks doable on our timeline. Just incredible. While Bute Inlet looks even more incredible, I'm not sure we can fit that in. It will also take some convincing as it's pretty remote up there from what I've seen. This being our first big extended cruise ever (nothing like this was possible on our old 25ft boat) there's going to be a bit of a comfort curve until we figure it all out a bit. Maybe as we get closer and prep more, some of us will get more comfortable but we'll see. I will definitely be hitting you up via PM soon. Figure we're going to really start the planning for this come the new year. Thank you for your help! I'm so excited for this trip I can't stand it! :)
 
If you can get at and into Toba Inlet and then a night in Brem Bay (I recommend Northeast corner to drop the hook) which is right at the mouth of the river basically, then you are sure to see much overall. Going into Brem Bay at low tide offers you a better picture of how the seafloor drops off very rapidly in relationship to the estuary...so dropping the hook therefore at low tide (leave enough out for high tide of course) should put you in 20-25' of water @LT. Also, when at low tide, it will feel like you are right on top of the river mouth (and basically you are) and hence potentially right in easy reach of grizzly mouth too...although that is the last thing they want to do in reality, but its still unsettling seeing the shore a mere boat length away. Lots of time to plan and happy to help anyway I can.
 
Well we are getting deep into planning this trip. Dates are set for leaving Vancouver July 8th (Sunday), and returning July 22nd (also Sunday). I wish it were longer, but the Admiral's work won't cooperate. We will have our 2 year old son, so it may be just about right. In lieu of time we've chosen to forego Princess Louisa and instead heading directly to DS with an overnight in Secret Cove on the way up in order to see Buccaneer Bay Marine Park. We might overnight in Lund before going into DS, but I know it will be crowded. We're probably going to forego any of the Discovery Islands/Bute Inlet, etc, but do plan on doing an overnight at Toba Wildernest and taking a day cruise up Toba Inlet in the hopes of spotting some Grizzlies. As of now we plan on anchoring at Grace Harbor, Toledos Bay, somewhere in Prideaux Haven, and possibly Squirrel Cove. Other options include Roscoe Bay and perhaps a night or two at the end of Pendrell Sound. With the 2yo, we're likely thinking 2 nights per anchorage before moving on. Question for you guys are have any of you ever gone up Pendrell Sound? Roscoe Bay worth it? Are there any lesser known spots that (may) not be so crowded in July but are equally beautiful with warm water for swimming? Thanks for any and all assistance!
 
Pendrell sound has some of the warmest water in all of DS but also, some of the most challenging anchorage too. Its a rocky bottom and deep! Might be possible to tuck in behind the island and drop the hook there and find gravel but also stern tie as well.

Laura cove is a great place and has a rope swing on the south shore that you can swing yourself into the water for a nice dip. Temps in that cove are great. Can also dingy yourselves over into Prideaux Haven (low tide dingy ride might present a real challenge though!). Dropping the hook off of cobblestone point on north side of Laura Cove w/stern tie is a great spot. In the time frame you are going, I would just simply expect lots of boats to populate many of the destination spots. Roscoe Bay is nice but not as picturesque as other places in my opinion, although good anchorage in there. That, and you can take a short hike to Black Lake for a fresh water swim.

DS will leave you with the feeling of so many places to see and explore, yet so little time!

Tom
 
Pendrell sound has some of the warmest water in all of DS but also, some of the most challenging anchorage too. Its a rocky bottom and deep! Might be possible to tuck in behind the island and drop the hook there and find gravel but also stern tie as well.

Laura cove is a great place and has a rope swing on the south shore that you can swing yourself into the water for a nice dip. Temps in that cove are great. Can also dingy yourselves over into Prideaux Haven (low tide dingy ride might present a real challenge though!). Dropping the hook off of cobblestone point on north side of Laura Cove w/stern tie is a great spot. In the time frame you are going, I would just simply expect lots of boats to populate many of the destination spots. Roscoe Bay is nice but not as picturesque as other places in my opinion, although good anchorage in there. That, and you can take a short hike to Black Lake for a fresh water swim.

DS will leave you with the feeling of so many places to see and explore, yet so little time!

Tom

Thanks Tom. Did you anchor up in Pendrell Sound?
 
I didn't but was fortunate to raft up with a group where the anchoring boat was an 85'. He dropped in 170' of water on a ledge that further drops to 300'+ in only a few feet. Course he had a stern tie. While taking the dingy around, there appears to be a couple of shallower spots where boats our size can get into and drop anchor w/stern tie. If you head there, I'd love to know if you were able to find a spot. The swimming is great!
 

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