Baker Inlet to Kumealon Inlet

Today’s run is an easy one. At just an hour and a half, nearly a third of the trip is spent simply reaching Watts Narrows in time for low-water slack before continuing south.

Before raising the anchor, I took my usual look at MarineTraffic to see who else was moving along the coast. Two familiar names immediately caught my attention—Mark Zuckerberg’s yacht, Launchpad, and its support vessel, Wingman, were making their way north through Grenville Channel. We thought there might be a chance of seeing them underway.

By the time we reached Grenville Channel, however, another look at AIS revealed that both vessels had dropped anchor in Klewnuggit Inlet. We had just missed them.

Too bad. We would have invited them over for happy hour. That’s what cruisers do.

Kumealon Inlet appears surprisingly exposed when viewed on the chart, but looks can be deceiving. Once anchored in the northeast corner, the surrounding shoreline provides a comfortable sense of protection while still leaving expansive views back toward Grenville Channel. It’s one of those anchorages that feels much better in person than it does on paper.

kumealon inlet is an easy detour off of grenville channel

The inlet’s signature attraction is the massive lagoon tucked behind the anchorage. Access is possible only near high-water slack. At every other stage of the tide, an impressive waterfall pours across the entrance, creating a natural barrier that leaves little doubt about who is in charge.

the large lagoon is awating in the NE corner of kumealon inlet

not to time to enter the lagoon

For us, Kumealon serves another purpose.

Tomorrow is Independence Day in the United States, and many cruisers will be gathering in Prince Rupert for the holiday. Rather than join the rush, we’ll let the crowds come and go before heading into town ourselves. Once there, we’ll provision with fresh produce, restock a few staples, explore the town, and enjoy some of the local restaurants.

on the second day we were joined by a sailboat in kumealon inlet

looking west out to grenville channel

Sometimes the best cruising strategy is simply letting everyone else go first.