Alberni Inlet

Nugget

Active Member
In August I will be running from Bamfield to Port Alberni around 1pm in my 17.5ft DE. I typically only do it in the morning and have never boated the inlet in the afternoon....can it get pretty nasty in the afternoon or should I be fairly safe? Thoughts ?
 
I have been doing the same trip in a similar boat the past 10 years and have never had a problem. Sometimes a little lumpy and need to throttle down.
 
I've done it mid afternoon a couple times... definitely isn't comfortable...but it hasn't been anything I'd call dangerous in a 17.5 DE.
 
Done the trip many times in same boat, as others have said most times it will be bumpy in the afternoon. I have found anything after about 11am is bumpy and the hotter it is the worse the ride will be. That said, it is still doable. Nahmint Bay area is always the worst part.
 
We have long days in August could you push it a little later? Maybe 4pm or so, it should start to die down by then. You can still do it at 1pm like you intend but as others have stated it might be a little bumpy. Don't plan on setting any speed records. I've done it mid day in an 18' Campion Horizon (definitely not as capable as your DE). It was choppy but we took our time and all went well.
 
We often run up from browns bay in the summer with the NW wind blowing and I stick as close to shore as i can like 20ft off the walls sometimes and always is calm enough to run full speed. Does this work in the alberni inlet?
 
We often run up from browns bay in the summer with the NW wind blowing and I stick as close to shore as i can like 20ft off the walls sometimes and always is calm enough to run full speed. Does this work in the alberni inlet?

Alberni is a bit different than Browns and Muchalat where you can pick a side and hug the walls, there’s beaches and shallower spots and the worst part is heaps and heaps of sticks and logs. when we ran to Bammy we went early in the day we were fine before the outflows started
 
Have done it many times, the smallest being a 17.5 welded aluminum. Alway fit in that last morning fish in Bamfield then headed back to Port. EVERY time, I said never again. It is totally doable but almost always a pounding. If there is any other window of time, take it.
 
Me and a good friend used to do it in his 16 foot Malibu tyee similar to the de just smaller. Take your time and you will be fine. Usually only bad for a short stretch from hell’s gate to around macktush campground. Sometimes those waters are calm and the harbour itself is rough but still doable. safe boating!
 
I've done that ride many times in a 17.5 foot boat. As mentioned, if you take your time you'll be fine, or find an opportunity to slink in behind another bigger boat. The Hell's Gate and Nahmint stretch was always the ugliest part.

When the wind is up, it can be tricky to see floating debris. I hit a hemlock log one time that wasn't visible until I was right on top of it. No damage but could have been worse.

Optimally, make the run in the morning and it's much more pleasant.
 
I've literally made a thousand trips up and down the inlet over the last 20 years guiding in Barkley Sound. The hotter the weather the worse the conditions. Late afternoon can be the worst time as it tends to build as the day heats up. Earlier you make the trip the better the conditions. Yes, many people do the run in small boats. Some try following the big boats. I had one guy very uncomfortably close on one trip until he drove his bow into a green one coming to a full stop. Filled his boat with water, and fortunately had floatation so he could bail it out while we circled back to make sure he was going to be safe.

When guys warn about difficulty seeing dead heads and even floaters you should heed their advice. It's like dodging land mines, and gets even harder as the seas build.

If you can avoid an afternoon trip in a small boat - do. I have a big boat, and hate the trips back in the afternoon...honestly can't imagine doing it in a small boat.
 
go later, waves go down with the sun.
 
Me and a good friend used to do it in his 16 foot Malibu tyee similar to the de just smaller. Take your time and you will be fine. Usually only bad for a short stretch from hell’s gate to around macktush campground. Sometimes those waters are calm and the harbour itself is rough but still doable. safe boating!

Where's Hells Gate in the inlet?
 
You will be most likely going with the wind so a much nicer ride. Just got to really keep an eye out for logs as they can be hard to see in the chop and glare
 
You will be most likely going with the wind so a much nicer ride. Just got to really keep an eye out for logs as they can be hard to see in the chop and glare

Mid afternoon towards Port you'll be going against the wind if it's warm and sunny.
 
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