Central coast lodges

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777

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Hey looking at bringing our boat to the hakai pass area. Going to be 50/50 fishing and general poking around. Calvert island area is of interest. What options are there? 2 or 4 platonic friends.
 
Nothing for BYO boat lodges. Closest places where you can tie up, get provisions and have a place to sleep are either Dawson's Landing or Shearwater which are both over an hour away from Hakai at 25 - 30 kt cruise.

Camping on shore is another option. I wouldn't sleep well though with all the grizzly bears and wolves I've seen up there - and I've spent a lot of time camping in bear country. Lots of places to drop the hook though if you are able to sleep on the boat.
 
The Research Institute in Pruth Bay was closed to visitors last year when I was up there. Dawsons Landing in Rivers was open and we tied up there for a night.
I've anchored up there a fair bit. Pruth is deep, but safe in winds under 25 kts or so... but Lewall Inlet on the north side of Hakaii is an all-weather anchorage and not a long run to fishing.
Fury Cove is a great anchorage and I've caught salmon just outside the anchorage and halibut nearby (but don't ask me where...) lol
 
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I don't think Calvert has neither grizzly nor black bears - unless there's been a recent change. Princess Royal has both - but it's large and with mountains/snowpack for the grizzly denning. Most of the low-lying offshore bog islands (Banks, Estevan, Aristazabal, etc.) only have wolves. But I think the bears are increasing their ranges onto some of the intermediate islands. In any event - if you boat is big enough to travel there - it is likely big enough for sleeping @ anchor - which I always find is quicker, more comfortable, and safer than sleeping on shore.
 
agentaqua said:
I don't think Calvert has neither grizzly nor black bears - unless there's been a recent change. Princess Royal has both - but it's large and with mountains/snowpack for the grizzly denning. Most of the low-lying offshore bog islands (Banks, Estevan, Aristazabal, etc.) only have wolves. But I think the bears are increasing their ranges onto some of the intermediate islands. In any event - if you boat is big enough to travel there - it is likely big enough for sleeping @ anchor - which I always find is quicker, more comfortable, and safer than sleeping on shore.
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A bit off topic, but as a kid I remember living in Butedale on Princess Royal Island. These expeditions would come up looking for the fabled Kermode bear ( some claimed it was a local myth) and for years leave unsuccessfully. I remember once, no more than a few days after their unsuccessful hunt and departure we looked across the harbour and saw one foraging on the beach lol. I still believe their are lots of things up the coast that we don’t know about.
 
Funny, as that's still true today. My buddy saw a kermode on the beach in Butedale two years ago while he was briefly stopping there.
 
ziggy said:
A bit off topic, but as a kid I remember living in Butedale on Princess Royal Island. These expeditions would come up looking for the fabled Kermode bear ( some claimed it was a local myth) and for years leave unsuccessfully....
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Back in the day the Best place to see one was the Terrace dump-then some German tourists wrote a letter to town council telling them to clean up their act/embarrassed the town bad then a fence went up and most of the Bears went away.
 
Thanks guys, some really good info. The boat is decent size (lifetime 2700), but not kitted out for 4 plutonic friends to spend a week. I'm really interested in doing a bunch of exploring and some fishing. I found a cabin in Shearwater that looks like a good option.

It's a bit of an eye opener to get a handle on how big everything is up there! As i understand it, Bella Coola is 3 hours @ 30 knots (on a good day) from Bella Bella/Shearwater.

EDIT i dont have a cabin. VRBO wasnt updated booked all season
 
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777 said:
I'm all ears if you guys have suggestions on beaches, hot springs, hikes, and must-see's.
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Burnett Beach, Fury Cove, Hakai Institute (if open this year?), Namu, Sagar Lake (short hike from Codville Lagoon), Ocean Falls, Eucott Hot Springs are a few in the area. We were up there a couple years ago and are planning a return this year. North of Hakai/Rivers everything is very spread out. Definitely worth seeing but......will I go back this year????maybe. Hakai is #1 on my bucket list. I still have 5 more beaches to hike to that I missed last time. Not hard hikes but my new knee will make it much more enjoyable. Sagar Lake is #2 if you venture past Addenbroke Island. Burnett beach is pretty spectacular as well, anchor in tight to the island at the north end of the beach and dinghy in. Lots of deer, Grizzly and wolf tracks but never seen anything. My buddy brings his gun just in case. Many secluded coves an beaches to see. Too many to see in just one trip.
 
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charlie415 said:
Burnett Beach, Fury Cove, Hakai Institute (if open this year?), Namu, Sagar Lake (short hike from Codville Lagoon), Ocean Falls, Eucott Hot Springs are a few in the area. We were up there a couple years ago and are planning a return this year. North of Hakai/Rivers everything is very spread out. Definitely worth seeing but......will I go back this year????maybe. Hakai is #1 on my bucket list. I still have 5 more beaches to hike to that I missed last time. Not hard hikes but my new knee will make it much more enjoyable. Sagar Lake is #2 if you venture past Addenbroke Island. Burnett beach is pretty spectacular as well, anchor in tight to the island at the north end of the beach and dinghy in. Lots of deer, Grizzly and wolf tracks but never seen anything. My buddy brings his gun just in case. Many secluded coves an beaches to see. Too many to see in just one trip.
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sweet, thank you!

still looking for accommodation, though
 
CBsqrd said:
Nothing for BYO boat lodges. Closest places where you can tie up, get provisions and have a place to sleep are either Dawson's Landing or Shearwater which are both over an hour away from Hakai at 25 - 30 kt cruise.

Camping on shore is another option. I wouldn't sleep well though with all the grizzly bears and wolves I've seen up there - and I've spent a lot of time camping in bear country. Lots of places to drop the hook though if you are able to sleep on the boat.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. For what it's worth i worked in logging camps all over out there as a young man. Lot's of bear encounters, but didnt know anyone that got attacked.

a colleague was climbing an almost cliff, poked his head through the bush and was inside of 2 feet of the nose of a sow grizz with cubs - So the story goes, but he wasnt a bs'r. he passed out and got banged up a bit on the fall. never worked in the bush again.

my point is that i think coastal griz are generally way less of a threat than the nasty interior ones that live off calf moose. I'm still going to bring a shotgun, though. lol
 
We were up there in 2017 and 2020. Normally sleep on the boat for 1-2 nights on the way up in Hakai and again on the way back. Only all inclusive lodges around Hakai. You could stay at ShearwAter which we have done or maybe try bccentralcoast.com or
drifterscove.com which are a little closer to Hakai than Shearwater. But if you could bring yourself to slum it on the boat for one night at Hakai that would let you fish some great spots early morning. We stayed on anchor in goldstream Harbour last year. At the top of Hecate Island.
 
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