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Beyond Nakwakto Rapids
 HIDDEN
behind the world's fastest tidal rapids lies a totally
landlocked area, little-known to cruising boaters. Here,
two major fjords--Seymour and Belize inlets--cut deep
into the mainland coast range off the southern end of
Queen Charlotte Sound. Although the area is only 28 miles
north of Port Hardy, it has largely been ignored as a
cruising destination, because its entrance, guarded by
Nakwakto Rapids, has been turbulent enough to discourage
large numbers of pleasure craft.
Study the charts of this area (3550,
3552, 3921) and you'll notice the many fingers that spread
out northward, eastward, and southward from Seymour and
Belize inlets: from Lascelles Point east through the rapids,
and from Lassiter Bay to Seymour River is a distance of
over 50 nautical miles. Here you see a series of lagoons,
there an arm, a long sound, and numerous bays. Four major
watersheds drain an area of roughly 1,000 square miles
through Nakwakto Narrows, a passage less than 400 meters
wide where the rapids can attain a velocity of up to 16
knots on a spring ebb tide. How can you not be intrigued?
This is a true wilderness cruising destination, worthy
of at least two weeks' exploration.
One of the last areas to be explored
along the British Columbia coast (1865) these waters,
which were only partially surveyed in the 19th Century,
were a holdout for indigenous natives who penetrated further
into the backcountry as Europeans arrived. Chart 3552,
issued in 1987, was the first chart to show details of
Seymour & Belize inlets. Prior to that, the inlets
and sounds within this area were shown by dashed lines.
It is here, too, that an exceptional, little-known rock
painting documents the last European encounter with the
native holdouts.
Chart 3552, issued in 1987, was the
first chart to show details of Seymour and Belize inlets.
Prior to that, dashed lines denoted the inlets and sounds
of this area. Both inlets were named in honor of Frederick
Seymour wh, in1865, was appointed governor of B.C. The
unlikely name, Belize, comes from the fact that Seymour
had previously served as lieutenant governor of British
Honduras where he was based in the capital city (the name
of the now-independent country). He died of acute alcoholism
about four years after his appointment, but no one thought
it appropriate to rename the inlets.
TWO CHANNELS From Queen Charlotte Sound,
entry into this wonderland of fjords and lagoons lies
through Schooner Channel or Slingsby Channel. Since all
the water behind Nakwakto Narrows flows in and out of
these two channels, tidal streams are strong on all tides,
sometimes reaching 5 to 9 knots. In fact, so much water
empties out of the area that the tidal range inside Seymour
and Belize inlets never has a chance to fluctuate more
than four feet before the outside tide--more than 14 feet
in range--comes roaring back in.
Schooner Channel--the more direct route
if you're approaching from the south--leads directly north
between Bramham Island and the mainland. This is the channel
used by small tugs towing log booms out of Seymour Inlet.
Although it is much narrower and more intricate than Slingsby
Channel, the current is not as strong here. If you use
Schooner, navigate with vigilance and be sure to post
an alert lookout on your bow.
Slingsby Channel, northwest of the Fox
Islands and Bramham Island, leads directly east from Queen
Charlotte Sound into Nakwakto Narrows; it is much wider
and deeper than Schooner Channel. Although the Sailing
Directions favor Slingsby, beware of large threatening
waves at its entrance during west winds and spring ebb
tides. (Once, during such conditions, we renamed it "Slingshot
Channel!")
When heading northward upcoast, we usually
enter through Schooner and exit through Slingsby, using
favorable currents on both passages. Although we don't
recommend doing so, we have even transited in heavy fog
using radar. To avoid high anxiety, better remain at anchor
until the fog burns off!
 ANCHORAGES
To approach Nakwakto from the south, leave early in the
morning to beat the prevailing northwesterlies that build
in mid-morning and produce an uncomfortable ride when
they meet contrary currents. Spending the night in a nearby
anchorage along the mainland shore gives you a better
chance of avoiding these conditions. Blunden Harbour,
14 miles southeast of Schooner Channel, and Allison Harbour,
off the south entrance to Schooner are the most "bomb-proof"
anchorages. Shelter Bay North, the cove east of Wescott
Point and the Southgate Group (Southgate and Knight islands)
are also acceptable. Despite their daunting names, Murray
Labyrinth (just around the corner to the northwest of
Allison Harbour) and Skull Cove (west of Murray) can provide
good shelter for small craft. However, be aware than not
all hazards are indicated on Chart 3921. Enter in daylight
and post a bow lookout.
Miles Inlet, between Bramham and McEwan
points, south of Slingsby, is the safest, most secure
anchorage along this stretch of the coast. Its entrance
is narrow and if a following sea is running, you may get
a little excited when you see waves breaking over the
rocks. But the seas calm immediately once you enter the
T-shaped sanctuary. To enter Slingsby Channel from Miles
Inlet, we prefer the small channel leading between Bramham
and Fox Islands. Although this channel is narrow, with
shoals and some current, it is totally protected from
seas and winds. Whatever current you encounter will certainly
be weaker than at the entrance to Slingsby.
The preferred anchor sites closest to
Nakwakto--ideal for awaiting slack water--are Cougar Inlet,
just southeast of the rapids, and Treadwell Bay to the
northwest. Treadwell Bay is straightforward with good
protection and little current. If you want an easy start
to cross Nakwakto, anchor in the outer entrance to Cougar
Inlet using a stern tie to the steep wall on the north
side. Boat names painted on this wall attest to previous
visitors.
A landlocked anchorage south of Cougar
Narrows provides very good protection and a place to leave
your boat if you wish to explore by a high-speed dinghy.
The entrance, which is tricky, requires advance planning
because of its narrow width (45 feet) and shallow depth
(3 feet at zero tide). Enter only during high-water slack.
During neap tides, deep-draft boats should not attempt
to enter. Inside Cougar Inlet, depths range from two to
eight fathoms, and the calm water and cedar-lined shores
give you a taste of the lagoons that lie inside Seymour
Inlet. In addition, Goose Point Cove, just south of Nakwakto,
and the area west of Anchor Island on its north side,
are out of the main current and offer sheltered sites
for one or two boats.
 HIGH
ADVENTURE A tiny islet called Turret Rock sits smack in
the center of Nakwakto narrows. For high adventure, before
you pass through Nakwakto, anchor your boat in a nearby
cove, timing your arrival to coincide with slack water
on a spring tide, and have someone drop you off on the
islet and pick you up six hours later. When you feel this
islet shake and rumble as the water roars by, you'll understand
why locals call it Tremble Island!
You can also join the "club"
of vessels that dared the rapids. The trees on the islet
hold an esoteric collection of signboards, including that
of our Baidarka. For the less stout-hearted, there more
accessible and safer vantage point on the southeast corner
of island IR [55] which forms the western edge of the
rapids. A primitive trail that begins on the northeast
side of the island climbs about 100 feet to a crude but
strong viewing-platform built in a tree top. From here,
you can observe the full power of the tidal torrent as
it roars and foams a mile down Slingsby and Schooner channels.
You can take your dinghy to the trailhead, but be sure
to pull it well up into the trees to keep it safe as the
tide falls.
In your excitement to watch Nakwakto
Rapids, did you miss slack tide? If so, relax. You can
spend another tidal cycle in the safety of your anchorage,
and make your transit later. Be sure to time your transit
time accurately to coincide with slack water. Slack water
on spring tides can be as short as 5 minutes, but it is
several times that at neap tides. The waters are never
entirely still at slack, and we prefer to pass Tremble
Island on the east side where the flow and turbulence
are a little less pronounced.
 LAGOONS
Once successfully past this tidal "guardpost,"
turn east into Seymour Inlet and start your exploration
with the large, remote lagoon-complex around the corner.
Here, south of Wawatle Bay, lies a series of five major
lagoons. The first, Woods Lagoon, calls for a quick passage--it
has been the site of recent logging. But as you continue
south and deeper into the complex, you enter another world:
silent, still and eerie.
Old-growth cedar, strewn with Spanish
Moss, collects low-hanging mist that drips into a dark,
tannic mixture of salt- and rainwater. The current flows
quietly in and out, gently mimicking the great Pacific
tidal swings. Pass through Bamford, McKinnon, Nenahlmai
Lagoons, then on to Whelakis where--in spring and summer--pollen
weaves strange patterns across the surface of the water.
Here, at the bitter end of the lagoon complex, you are
as far from the sights and sounds of the open Pacific
Ocean as anywhere along the B.C. coast.
Although you can enjoy exploring the
rest of Seymour, we recommend devoting most of your cruising
time to Belize Inlet, because however inappropriate its
name may be, Belize is a gem. Impressive, awe-inspiring,
majestic, and surprising are the adjectives that spring
to mind as your boat glides gently down this fjord and
as you gaze up thousands of feet at sheer granite. Waterfalls
pour down the rock faces, and horizontal cracks in the
granite shelter lush gardens of tiny ferns, cedars, and
firs. The inevitable comparison, of course, is to another
of North America's treasures: Yosemite. But in Belize
Inlet, you find no noisy buses or motor vehicles, no queues,
no smog, no enervating summer temperatures. This is wilderness--pure,
cool air, unexpected waterfalls, clear water and tranquillity.
And to top it off, you may see just one or two other boats
in a week's time.
DELIGHT Rounding into Belize Inlet,
express your surprise and delight by giving a hoot and
holler as you pass the overhanging rock on the north shore.
When you hear your call bounce back, you'll know why we
call it "Echo Rock." Continuing eastward, there
are excellent anchor sites first in Westerman Bay, then
in Mereworth Sound. Unfortunately, although much of Belize
has escaped loggers' chain saws, Mereworth has not. Strachan
Bay, however, offers an attractive, sheltered cove that
allows you to explore nearby Pack Lake.
 Heading
east, four miles from the entrance to Mereworth, you pass
"Power Wash Waterfall"--the combined outlet
of five "hanging lakes" whose tumbling waters
could wash a ship. Another four and a half miles east
is a glacier-carved valley dominated by a spectacular
half-dome, its perfectly rounded granite face towering
upward for one thousand feet. In the foreground, a dramatic
waterfall thunders.
Alison Sound, a third of the way to
the head of 25-mile-long Belize Inlet, is the last and
loveliest of the possible anchorages. (The remainder of
Belize is straight and too deep for anchoring small craft.)
Technically not a sound, Alison is really a series of
three arms connected by turbulent narrows which for years
discouraged sailing vessels from entering it. Two miles
inside Alison Sound lies Chief Nollis Bay, a large, open
bay with a grassy beach and a creek where a sizeable group
of natives may have lived undetected by Europeans long
into the 19th century.
ndeed, it is in this area, high on a
vertical wall, that a remarkable pictograph documents
the encounter which apparently caused the native inhabitants
to retreat to this remote haven. Executed in ochre paint
and well-preserved due to its location, the pictograph
shows what appears to be a long boat with a dozen oars
and a coxswain in a large hat holding a musket. In the
background and above is a square-rigged sailing ship.
Below is a dugout canoe, carrying several men with paddles
preceded by leaping killer whales. We have been unable
to discover any references to these pictographs or find
anyone who knows anything about them, but this exquisite
example of native art deserves to be protected for posterity.
You will see occasional signs of both
early pioneers and recent entrepreneurs, but overall,
you may go days without seeing anyone. If you are comfortably
self-sufficient in true wilderness where no navigational
aids exist and VHF weather broadcasts fade in and out,
then come to explore this matchless area. But as the old-timer
we met a few years back told us: "Don't tell the
world what's behind Nakwakto!"
Réanne Hemingway and Don Douglass
have written extensively about the coast of British Columbia
and the Inside Passage. Refer to their book, Exploring
the North Coast of British Columbia for descriptions of
three dozen anchoring sites behind Nakwakto Rapids. The
Douglasses would like to hear from anyone who has information
or thoughts on the Belize Inlet pictographs.
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