About Time

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Chatterbox Falls; About Time

We chartered “About Time”, a Catalina 425, from Cooper Boating on Granville Island, Vancouver to sail up to Catterbox Falls on the Westcoast of Canada.

We drove to Vancouver on the wettest day of the year, the day Vancouver was drenched with more rain in a day than they had received all year. A strong low-pressure system in the Pacific delivered 40 knots winds from the NW. Not great for heading up the Sunshine Coast in a north westerly direction.

Granville Island has an extensive market where we could gather provisions for our week-long trip. Fresh fish is a specialty. We stowed the provisions in the rain and decided to drink scotch on the boat instead of venturing out into the rain to find a restaurant. We spent a happy Friday night onboard in the Cooper Boating marina.

This trip was scheduled to take place in May 2000 as a participant in the Calgary Yacht Club annual flotilla. However, the trip was postponed three times due to COVID restrictions and several participants fell by the wayside so, on this trip, we were accompanied by only one other boat crewed by an American couple and their friends from Calgary. “About Time” seemed an appropriate name for our boat.

The cold front had passed through, and the rain subsided by the time we departed Cooper Boating on Saturday morning. The winds had shifted to a south, southeasterly at 12-15 knots perfect for a broad reach up to Secret Cove. Brad, a young and enthusiastic crew member, turned out to be a gourmet chef and we feasted on fresh salmon cooked on the BBQ. Sandy’s home-made pecan pie was an excellent choice of dessert.

By Sunday morning the wind was down to 5 knots and dying so we motored up the Agamemnon Channel to Backeddy marina in Egmont. We make the trek to the Sechelt Rapids to watch the kayakers playing in the waves, reminding me of my younger days. A full moon that night resulted in high tides and currents up to 17 knots through the rapid. Then back to the boat for crab cakes and clams with copious white wine courtesy of young Brad.

To get into Princess Louisa inlet we had to negotiate Malibu rapids at 12:25 low tide slack, which dictated a 07:00 departure from Backeddy marina. During the five-hour trip we passed a couple of helicopter logging operations. The chopper would pick up the logs from the ground then drop them in the ocean where they would be shepherded by boom boat before being loaded onto a huge barge.

About Time transited the rapids at 12:25 without incident against a knot or two of current. The crew were in awe at the magnificent waterfalls dropping a couple of thousand feet on the vertical fiord walls. At the head of Princess Louisa Inlet are the spectacular Chatterbox fall. We docked at the base of the falls. Marinated cod was the fish de jour followed by home-made chocolate zucchini cake.

Without cell service nor internet in Princess Louisa Inlet, we remained ignorant of the Federal election results. On our return to Granville Island, with stop overs at Pender Harbour and Snug Cove, we saw a Humpback whale off in the distance. All in all a great trip.

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Photos

Chatterbox Falls
A sight to behold.

Sechelt Rapids
A full moon produces a very high tide the creates big rapids providing fun for the local kayakers

Princess Louisa Inlet
Helicopter logging on the steep slopes

Blue Heron
Fishing from the dock

Back Eddy Marina
Basking seals