Klahoose Wilderness Resort - New Destination in BC!

By Kit Case

While writing our last post about our travels in Toba Inlet, I learned of the Klahoose Wilderness Resort. The Klahoose First Nation has reimagined what was previously the Homfray Lodge and paired it with another endeavor, Klahoose Coastal Adventures, which offers grizzly bear viewing excursions. They have six viewing platforms set along the Klite River in the Toba Valley. They take small groups up by boat upriver, where the guests can spend time on the viewing platforms (which look similar to bird blinds), unobtrusively observing the bears.

Photo Credit: Klahoose Wilderness Resort

Photo Credit: Klahoose Wilderness Resort

The resort wasn’t open when we were last in Toba Inlet, so I have no personal knowledge of the accommodations, experiences or the operation itself, but I was drawn in by their Instagram page - it is worth a follow for the photos alone!

The lodge’s website is beautiful and states an anticipated opening date in Spring 2021. I reached out to learn more, and Chris Tait, Tourism Manager with Klahoose Wilderness Resort, wrote back with more details.

Klahoose Wilderness Resort is owned and operated by the Klahoose First Nation on their traditional territory within the heart of BC’s most pristine coast in Desolation Sound. The eco-resort’s remote lodge sits on the water’s edge of the calm Homfray Channel between BC’s Coastal Mountain peaks and the lush, temperate rain forests of the Sunshine Coast. 

Photo Credit: Klahoose Wilderness Resort

Klahoose Wilderness Resort offers a wide range of activities and cultural programming. Guests live an immersive, authentic cultural experience during their entire visit. Experienced Indigenous Interpreters and friendly staff add to the memorable experience, particularly on the grizzly bear viewing tours in Toba Inlet. Guests leave transformed by the beauty of the Klahoose territory, their Nation's unique culture, and the region's exceptional wildlife.

At the time of this writing, The Klahoose Wilderness Resort does not offer guest moorage to boaters, unless they have booked a stay at the resort. The resort offers all-inclusive package pricing, with stays available during the operating season, from May to October. The packages include: accommodation, in either a spacious lodge room or a cosy cabin, meals, Wi-Fi, boat transfer from Lund to the Resort, airport pick-up from Powell River Airport, activities, and grizzly bear tours in Toba Inlet. Taxes, service fee, flights and an optional heli-sightseeing excursion are not included in the package prices. 

We wish them well and hope that we can visit soon!!

Mayday - Plane Down at Refuge Cove

By Roy Kauffman

Generally, there is not a lot of chatter on the VHF in this part of British Columbia because, especially early in the season, there is next to no one in the area.  But on this day, things were different.  

A mayday call came over the VHF radio that a small seaplane carrying passengers had crash landed. The plane had been headed to Refuge Cove, on the southern end of West Redonda Island, which was only a few miles from us.  Immediately, there was response from vessels near Refuge Cove and the rescue effort was underway. In addition to local boats offering to help, the BC Coast Guard was sending in a helicopter.  

After a few minutes, the news on the radio was that the plane had “beached” - a nearly successful landing, but the plane ended up parked on the beach. Everyone on board the plane was alive and in the process of offloading.

The drama of all this over the VHF was palpable and, as mariners in close proximity with an ability to help, it was our obligation to monitor and call in to the BC Coast Guard with an offer of assistance if it was needed. But, it was quickly apparent that they had multiple boats in service. There were people already at the plane providing assistance.  We monitored the radio in case we could help. The reports kept coming in, a few more details each time. We kept the volume up.

People at the Refuge Cove docks were quickly on the scene. A large boat that was nearby was able to take on the passengers, some with minor injuries.  There was discussion of how to get the plane towed to the docks at Refuge Cove. In a short time, the emergency was under control. The Coast Guard worked together with vessels relaying messages over VHF to make arrangements for the passengers. The community of boaters rallied together and took care of the situation. It was great to hear the story unfold. 

Photo credit: Refuge Cove - “A Sweet Haven in the Heart of Desolation Sound”

Information for Visitors to Refuge Cove

Refuge Cove is a fun place to visit and a great provisioning stop.  Whimsical yet functional (their words!), it offers the only grocery store in a deep-water harbour in Desolation Sound. Overnight moorage is available, and short stays of under 4 hours are possible as space allows. They have a fuel dock and fresh water available on the docks. There is a small, well-stocked grocery store that offers marine hardware, souvenirs, local books, bait and tackle. The restaurant was closed during the 2020 season due to COVID, but will hopefully be able to reopen in 2021. Refuge Cove is open year round, but in the winter they are open for mail and fuel only (September 15th – May 31st Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 1pm-3pm).

If you are lucky enough to spend a good chunk of your time in Desolation Sound, it is a welcome stop to pull into Refuge Cove.  In years past, there was even a resourceful entrepreneur with a small barge in the cove that accepted bagged garbage for a fee.

Earning Income While Boating Full-Time

By Kit Case

Not every boater is retired. Many of us are still working, and need to keep doing so, at least in a limited capacity. Working from home can be quite feasible from a boat, allowing you to earn income while living aboard. Especially with the impacts of the pandemic, many people are now able to work from home. Hopefully, the future will allow us to retain some level of working from home even after the worst of the pandemic is behind us.

During our 5-Year Plan, I was able to work part-time/all-remote for my employer, a small law firm where I have worked for a very long time. I kept a portion of the duties I had performed for years that could easily be done remotely. I handled the firm’s advertising, managed their web presence and maintained their blog. My part-time work provided a small bit of income but, more importantly, I was able to retain access to health insurance for my husband and me. Covering this expense was critical in our ability to financially swing the 5-year Plan.

We did not do anything fancy to provide internet access - no signal boosters or satellite connections. We had cell phone service through T-Mobile, which provided us with fairly good cell access with reasonable data allotments, particularly while in the US. We hot-spotted from our phones to our laptops for connection. When we sailed into Canadian waters, we were usually able to stay within the allotted data limits but, if not, we could add data extensions at a reasonable cost. Some employers may be willing to pay for this type of expense. We did not pursue that option because we knew we would be using a fair bit of data for ourselves, maybe more so than for work.

Working aboard, with coffee and a blanket on a chilly morning.

I often was able to participate in phone conferences while we were on the hook. I once took a call from an advertising rep while out in the kayak. It was a nice place to pause. I found that the people I worked with, inside my firm and out, were not only understanding of the limitations or delays I might encounter in communicating with them but were tickled at the unique circumstances I presented. It was a great ice-breaker to say to a client, an ad rep, or anyone else, that I was calling from my sailboat in [enter harbor name here]. They loved it, almost as much as me.

Planning ahead to stay in anchorages with good cell service when it would be needed was tricky because we were aboard a sailboat, and we preferred to be sailing while underway. Timing the movement of the boat via wind power added a pleasant complexity to the game.

Most of my work could be done offline, then uploaded when I had a good signal. For phone conferences, video meetings or internet-intensive work, I tried to schedule events to coincide with needed marina stays. The best plan involved doing laundry in a good wifi zone, while Roy did the provisioning. That’s my kind of multi-tasking.

A list of some of my favorite spots with good cell signal and/or wifi in the Salish Sea can be provided, if you’d like a copy for future reference. Send me a note at kit@seacraft.com if you’re interested. I would be happy to discuss working from a sailboat with you!