By Roy Kauffman & Kit Case

“Toba Inlet is one of the lesser, but still principal, inlets of the British Columbia Coast. It is fourth in the series north from the 49th parallel which begins with Burrard Inlet, which is the harbour for the city of Vancouver. Between it and Jervis Inlet to its east, however, there is a freshwater fjord, Powell Lake, which has been augmented by a small hydro project to supply power to the large pulp mill at Powell River, the principal town of the Malaspina Peninsula of the upper Sunshine Coast. Klahoose 1 Reserve, of the Klahoose First Nation is at the mouth of Toba River at the Head of Toba Inlet. Toba Inlet and the Toba Valley is home to many grizzly bears.” — Source: Wikipedia

Our Toba Inlet Adventure

It was late spring and so far the trip had been amazing. After spending a week in the coves of Desolation Sound Provincial Park, we decided to push on a bit and visit Toba Inlet. It was a beautiful but chilly day, there was a breeze, and we had the place to ourselves. We set the sails with the wind at our stern and gently pushed up Homfray Channel with East Redonda Island on our port side.

We had arranged for a slip at the Toba Wilderness Resort, located at the mouth of Toba Inlet near the crossroads of Homfray, Waddington and Pryce Channels. The resort has a completely modern marina with new concrete docks, power, wifi and an unlimited supply of water that comes off the mountain. The water is purified on site and is safe to drink. Guests are encouraged to fill their water tanks and rinse off their boats. There are bathrooms and showers, but no provisioning. The view from the new pavilion is spectacular. It’s the perfect place to unwind, enjoy nature, meet other travelers, and get caught up on emails.

We planned to stay two nights in the marina, so we would have one full day to spend in the Inlet bookended with a cozy spot to stay on either side. Toba Inlet is 22 miles long, so we would need a full summer’s day to travel in our sailboat all the way up to the mouth of the river and make the return journey. On this trip, with fewer hours of daylight available, we decided to go as far as we wanted to go and save the full trip for another time. This gave us the freedom to take our time and enjoy the trip.

Toba Inlet Sailing

It’s hard to imagine sailing, full bore, in between snow-capped mountains shooting up above you, some peaks reaching 6,000 feet or more, with only a mile or so of water between them, but this is sailing in Toba Inlet.

As we proceeded north, the wind cooperated by staying on our stern quarter. Being spring, which hastens the snow melt, waterfalls were everywhere, running full and crashing down the rock faces of the mountains. Just to add to the immersive PNW experience, an Orca whale passed us, port-to-port, as it headed south down the inlet.

Since the shoreline is steep, with near-vertical walls of rock that keep going straight down below the waterline, we were able to pull up towards the base of the waterfalls. We respected the power of the falling waters and stayed a safe distance off, but were still close enough to feel the mist on the wind and hear the roar of the cascade.

As we turned east into the last leg of the inlet, the water color started shifting, from a deep indigo blue to a brighter jade green. Farther up the inlet, the turbidity of the water changed, first looking milky and then like pistachio pudding with the glacial silt coloring the inlet’s waters.

We turned back towards the resort and had the wind on our bow. We sailed upwind in 15 knots of breeze, tacking at the shoreline as we zig-zagged down the inlet. With just the two of us aboard, we shared the job of grinding the winch by trading off the helm with each tack, one grinding on port tacks, the other on starboard ones. We began playing our own game of chicken, trying to see if we could get close enough to the rock wall to get a depth reading before tacking - our sensor reads depths up to 600’, and we never managed to get a reading before we lost our nerve.

As we reached the bend in the inlet, the winds came up. With 25+ knots of wind, we stopped playing and got serious about sailing. The wind was localized, blowing down through the mountain peaks - a williwaw - but it calmed as quickly as it had come up. By the time we reached the marina, the wind was again manageable as we dropped sails and motored in. The dock staff came out to meet us and catch lines - helpful not only due to winds but current, as well.

Information for Boating in Toba Inlet

From Desolation Sound, you can take either Homfray or Waddington Channel to get to Toba Inlet. We opted for Homfray as it's wider than Waddington all the way up, so when the wind cooperates you can sail. Power boats or motoring sailboats can take either channel. Waddington is a narrower pass with a few anchorage options along the way. You’ll get spectacular scenery with either option.

Check out CHS Nautical Chart CHS3541 - Approaches to Toba Inlet - here.

Boaters may have difficulty anchoring in the deep waters of the fjord. Protected anchorages are difficult to find, with the west side of Brem Bay considered to be the best anchorage in Toba Inlet. Boaters generally anchor in deep water and run one or two stern lines ashore. Boats tucked into small coves can attach lines to objects on both sides of the shore to secure their vessel for overnight stays.

As you reach the end of Toba Inlet, you will see some logging operations with their floating buildings and log booms along the shore. Boaters can sometimes secure permission to tie up to a logging barge near the Tahumming River. Check your charts and make your own decisions, but our recommendation and the suggestion of most guidebooks is to not drop anchor here at the mouth of the river. The bottom is shifting due to river runoff, it is strewn with logs, cables and logging equipment, and probably the last boat's anchor. In addition, significant winds can come up out of nowhere and shift unexpectedly. Enjoy the view, cruise around and head back to the Toba Wilderness Marina or points south. Walsh Cove Marine Park is just south, across Pryce Channel and into Waddington Channel, and is another option for anchoring for the night.

That said, friends of ours anchored out overnight on a summer night a few years ago and reported that the stars were amazing. I don’t think I would have slept. I’m not that brave.