Kingcome Inlet BC

Daydreaming about travels north. I’ve been in the Broughton a few times but never up Kingcome Inlet. Waggoner’s says there is no anchorage but Navionics shows a couple likely places. Have you been? Any advice??

Many years ago we thought about going up Kingcome but never did it. It's very deep and anchoring spots are limited. We did go into MacKenzie Sound, home of the ritzy Nimmo Bay resort. We didn't stay there, but there's a small bay on the south shore that was nice, including bears. Another variation would be to go out Wells Passage, head up toward Cape Caution and go into Belize Inlet through Nakwakto rapids. Belize has miles of wilderness and you won't see another boat.

I’d be prepared to stern tie to shore. I’ve found much more interesting places to anchor not far from there.

Maybe that’s why I can’t find much about it! Will look for more interesting places. We’ve enjoyed Turnbull Cove and Burly Bay nearby. What else do you suggest?

My suggestion would be to round Cape Caution and head up toward Bella Bella. This is a different world compared to the Broughtons and Desolation Sound. Do your homework and read everything you can about doing this from Waggoners, Douglass and any other source. Cape Caution to Prince Rupert is incomparable ....except for SE AK and beyond!

I anchored in what is called Anchorage Cove behind a island at the head about 22 years ago. Took a dinghy up the river to the First Nations village. Had a great tour by Flora Dawson. Wonderful lady.

We traveled to the head of the inlet several years ago. Both sounders did not like the silty water there and had trouble finding the bottom. There is a small dock there and it was busy with float planes. Thought it was too risky to anchor so headed out and stayed in Bellisle. If I remember right there is a large painted Native Copper painted on the rocks close to the dock, worth seeing.

I was reading about that First Nations village and that’s what got me interested. The book was old so I didn’t know if that dock was still there or not. Maybe I’ll wander up that way next time and check it out. Thanks for the feedback.

We also go north of Cape Caution but enjoy the Broughtons on the way up or back. North of the cape, we really liked Oyster Bay, Discovery Cove and the McNaughton Group. I want to get into the Fjordland area when the borders open. Ocean Falls was our turn-around point last summer. So much to see and do...

You can anchor in Belleisle it’s very protected. We fished Kingcome for several years.. There used to a huge run of Eulegons that went up the Kingcome, The salmon would follow them in, the area around Petly point was very productive in late spring.

We went up Kingcome Inlet a couple of years ago, looking for a nice anchorage. Long slog up the the glacier. Didn't find an anchorage.



Here's a good cruising guide: Exploring the North Coast of British Columbia by Don Douglass & Reanne Hemingway. Very complete with all the anchorages. Covers from Blunden Harbour to Dixon Enterance. 2nd edition.


Boris

Waterford-

Are you familiar with the Hamiltons' book called "Cruising the Secret Coast"?

It doesn't contain any information on Kingcome Inlet, but it describes a number of really interesting-sounding places in the Central BC coast.

Highly recommended.

If you have ingenuity, there are a few "anchorages" in Kingcome that will work.

But, if you are respectful, have the right gear and look like you know what you are doing, tying (with or without a stern line to shore) to a boom that is not being worked on, isn’t likely to be a problem. Respect being the key.

But, if you are respectful, have the right gear and look like you know what you are doing, tying (with or without a stern line to shore) to a boom that is not being worked on, isn’t likely to be a problem. Respect being the key.

And if you don't mind being woken up by a tug horn at 5 AM, then go for it.

rsn48 said:

And if you don't mind being woken up by a tug horn at 5 AM, then go for it.

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Lol. That's where the bit about knowing what you are doing comes into play.
Besides, painting the interior with a few million candles is more fun.

I did have one issue tying up to a log boom, aside from the 5 AM wake up call. This happened a long time ago when Jesus was in diapers with a 26 foot Tanzer sailboat at Gambier Island, across from Bowen Island.

I had come into one of three bays, can't remember which one, and tied up to a log boom. The line was put around the log and tied. It was one of those quiet beautiful summer nights, full moon, no wind - what could go wrong?

About three in the morning the boat began to experience wave action, it was getting knocked around pretty good. When I went up to the cockpit to inspect, there was no wind so I was puzzled. Eventually I determined the tide was one of those king tide deals resulting in significant wave action. The boat was banging up against the log but no problem I thought, the fenders were down.

But as I looked I noticed the lines of the boat were walking down the log. Log booms are secured by heavy lines going through these massive eye bolts. My boat was slowly walking down to one of these eye bolts that was protruding out over the water. I realized the bolt with all the wave action forces involved, could easily punch a hole through the hull.

My buddy and I got out onto the log boom with the logs smashing together. I realized if I or he slipped and our leg went between the two logs, the bones would be smashed resulting in death or amputation. Fortunately nothing happened.

As I thought about this incident over the years, and realizing he and I had been idiots to go on those logs, I came to the conclusion the safest course of action was to have cut the lines free from the boat.

I am editing this in as I've always felt a bit guilty about this incident. The guy above had brought his wife. She wasn't enamored with boating as she was newbie. Now I had recently got out of the Canadian Navy and in large ships anywhere, water is safety, land is not. So when I freed the boat I thought, what should I do. I decided it was safest to just head out into the dark, wait for things to settle down, then retie elsewhere. So off into the dark we motored. For the young lady, land was safety and water was not. She was very afraid.

After the wave action settle down, roughly one hour, we went back into another Gambier Bay (there are three) and tied to a log boom. We just fell asleep when the tug came for the boom. The young lady never sailed again in her life, that's why I felt bad.

Tying to a log boom also usually needs weighted fenders. If you don't the fenders will simply pop out and the hull will bang on the logs. It's not only eye bolts that can cause damage, but knots/branch stubs which you may not see untill the log rolls somewhat.

I used the large plastic pop bottles, cut the top off, filled with concrete mix, stuffed a chain about a 18" long into the concrete and Voila. Used a screw shackle to join the fender and the chain.

Depending upon fender sizes you might need two weights to a fender so adjust the chain. Try one of your fenders to see how far one or two weights will immerse it.

Yes, you could also use downrigger balls but those were expensive , to me, concrete was cheap. just some labour. The pop bottles we had anyways and were able to scrounge a few more.

I still have them nearly 40 yrs later and they are still useable although there are almost no suitable boom any more.


Before I forget Log Dogs also can be helpfull. DRIVEN INTO THE OUTSIDE LOG ONLY, NONE OF THE INTERIOR LOGS. Log dogs are not as readily available but do some searching and asking. But I will warn one way to become very unwelcome is to drive those dogs into other than the outside logs ONLY. One of the reasons many pleasure boaters were disliked. AND DO NOT LEAVE THEM.

WOW! Don't think I would tie off to a log raft unless its an emergency...

It’s not like tugs are up in the jungle every morning so horns at 5AM are pretty rare.

rsn48 said:

This happened a long time ago at Gambier Island…The line was put around the log and tied.

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Most likely Centre Bay in the 80s and you clearly didn’t know what you were doing.

C lectric does though:

C lectric said:

Tying to a log boom also usually needs weighted fenders...It's not only eye bolts that can cause damage, but knots/branch stubs which you may not see until the log rolls…Log Dogs also can be helpfull. DRIVEN INTO THE OUTSIDE LOG ONLY, NONE OF THE INTERIOR LOGS. One of the reasons many pleasure boaters were disliked.

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Fender weights, dogs and tying to the sticks only…you get it. One smack with the butt of an axe and a dog is let loose, real quick. You also don’t tie to chain rings, toggles, links or cables. I wasn’t going to lay it out because it can no longer be encouraged but you covered it well.

Was a time, crews might move an unoccupied boat, because boating was a small community and most boat owners were savvy. Won’t move ‘em anymore though, except up in the jungle, maybe.

I did get the blast a couple time at 0 dark hundred. Actually a bunch of go it. ALso the FLOODLIGHT.

The guys were good about it though as they warned us and then stood off while we vacated. I also remember a couple boats being moved and helped to move by the tug crew. But they also had a job to do and we were a pain yet in spite of us they were patient.

And yes we were in Centre Bay, Gambier Isl. but also the head of Indian Arm. The booms there were somewhat less friendly as they were looser but we still made do.

We had some great times tied to those booms.

C lectric said:

The guys were good about it though as they warned us and then stood off while we vacated. I also remember a couple boats being moved and helped to move by the tug crew. But they also had a job to do and we were a pain yet in spite of us they were patient.

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Patience is localized now. The closer to the city, the less tolerant. Although, if you know where to go, there are still some good spots up the Fraser for a short stay.

Ragged Islands in a pinch, but nothing stays there more than a couple days and any tugs are going to be all business. Teakerne in the off season, Bute and Toba not so much; too many tupperware boats now. Knight and Kingcome are ok, but get what you give and civility might be determined by what you are flying or wearing.

Hotham sound used to see a some regulars; ones who were happy with solitude and prawns.

C lectric said:

I did get the blast a couple time at 0 dark hundred. Actually a bunch of go it. ALso the FLOODLIGHT.

The guys were good about it though as they warned us and then stood off while we vacated. I also remember a couple boats being moved and helped to move by the tug crew. But they also had a job to do and we were a pain yet in spite of us they were patient.

And yes we were in Centre Bay, Gambier Isl. but also the head of Indian Arm. The booms there were somewhat less friendly as they were looser but we still made do.

We had some great times tied to those booms.

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Another sign of the changes in the times.

I well recall the magic of the West Bay booms for weekend boating in the late 60s to late 70s. CL has described the SOP for tying there. Most nights were peaceful, but the bright lights, or if they failed to wake us up, the thumping of a fist on the hull would get us up and moved.

I never saw anyone tying around a log. Too awkward and prone to sliding along. Some would tie to the boomchain at the end of a boomstick, but the other end of the boat would then get a log dog.

Nowadays there are few booms in Howe Sound and none at all in Indian Arm. The stumpage changes that caused booming to evolve are decades old. Now, if there is a boom, it is a bundled boom, so there are no free floating logs inside the boomsticks as all are wrapped with cables, into bundles of typically the diameter of the beds of the logging truck that brought them to the booming ground. Barges are also much more common. We see a series of self dumping barges heading to Crofton, where raw logs are loaded out for shipment to Asia. I have seen a few bundle booms on Trincomali Channel, and waiting at the north end of Valdes Island.
I do still carry log dogs, but it is mainly for humour, as I still boat with some wooden boats, so can suggest they anchor and I can come alongside and use my log dogs. I haven't actually tied to a log in at least the past 30 years.

soin2la said:

Patience is localized now. The closer to the city, the less tolerant. Although, if you know where to go, there are still some good spots up the Fraser for a short stay.

Ragged Islands in a pinch, but nothing stays there more than a couple days and any tugs are going to be all business. Teakerne in the off season, Bute and Toba not so much; too many tupperware boats now. Knight and Kingcome are ok, but get what you give and civility might be determined by what you are flying or wearing.

Hotham sound used to see a some regulars; ones who were happy with solitude and prawns.

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Are log rafts towed through Nakwakto rapids?

Ken E. said:

Are log rafts towed through Nakwakto rapids?

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You see my avatar?

koliver said:

Now, if there is a boom, it is a bundled boom, so there are no free floating logs inside the boomsticks as all are wrapped with cables, into bundles.

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Like these, bound for Howe Sound.

I am so amazed by these. Lots of wheel time? I have seen pictures of rafts leaving Astoria and floated down the coast to SF and LA.

I too still have my dogs and the small hatchet I used to drive them. Why I don't know but ????

Ken E. said:

Are log rafts towed through Nakwakto rapids?

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Ken, there is not a pass or rapids on this coast that has not had logs booms pulled through. In fact booms still pass through. Its just the way the logs are moved that has changed.
Even many of the lagoons were logged and the logs towed through.

The bundles and barges can handle much rougher conditions and be moved faster with less loss compared to the flat rafts of loose logs..

The older flat rafts could only be towed when conditions were quite calm or they would start to lose logs under the boom sticks.

C lectric said:

Ken, there is not a pass or rapids on this coast that has not had logs booms pulled through.

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The picture in post 24 is outbound Schooner Channel. The commit window for Nakakto is max 10 minutes. From there it's one to three weeks to Avalon in Howe Sound. Can easily spend a week in Blind Bay or Davis Bay for weather.

Soin2la, Is it better to have some current on your nose for steerage after the turn of the tide and go a little slower, or to get a push after the turn? Makes me nervous just thinking about going through there with a tow. I went through there some years ago at slack and I was amped up. I'd guess for a tow boat outbound with a tow, you'd be a little early on the turn to ebb and then ride the current out after you're past Tremble rock. Just a guess.

Ken E. said:

Is it better to have some current on your nose for steerage after the turn of the tide and go a little slower, or to get a push after the turn?

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For those who wonder what we are talking about:
https://goo.gl/maps/pEM9kfk42BAjShwH6

https://youtu.be/rsVwqflBJTY

Ken;
Tuck into the back eddy behind Tremble Island and wait until 4 minutes before the turn to ebb. Throttle up and go. By the bottom end of Schooner you’re doing 6 knots. Go in the back door at Southgate drop it and go back for more. There was a time when that run was done day and night, two wide, but regs. reduced it to daylight only and one wide.

The boom pictured above, is one section wide and twelve long; so roughly 70 feet by 840 feet. That’s the maximum for Nakwakto.

A fairly standard run down to Howe Sound is three wide by fifteen to twenty long; 50-60 sections. In a known good weather window, maybe four wide by 20 long (280’ x 1400’).

Flat booms disappeared +/- 40 years ago. Back then, a boomstick was exactly 70 feet. You’d be doing muck work if it was a foot either way. Now, with bundles, 60-70 feet is standard.