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 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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