Charles and Margo Wood - Charlie\'s Charts North to Alaska

110

COGHLAN ANCHORAGE ANO GRENVILLE CHANNEL

Coghian Anchorage Iies in the channei bet~een Promise Isiand and the

mainland at the southern entrance into Grenville Channel. Promise Island is

dome-shaped with two peaks and stands out before the mountains behind that

border the channel.

Enter the anchorage from the south, past Thom Point on Promise Is1and.

Harbor Rock is in the center of the passage and is marked by a light. The

anchorage lies beyond, on the shelf off a mud and stone beaeh (apposite Brodie

Point on Promise Island). Holding is good on the shelf. The anehorage is

protected in the lee of the high slopes alI around, but open to the southeast.

Opposite the anchorage there are two private buoys of white painted tires,

off the Promise Island shore. That shelf is more protected from southeasterly

winds, but the buoys belong to loeal fishermen ~ho return to them nightly. The

ehannel turns eastward around the top of Promi5e Island, and is called Stewart

Narrows. The tidal stream is strong and the passage is narro~, ~ith rocky

ledges on each side.

Grenville Channel leads northwestward from ~right Sound to Arthur Passage

where it opens into Chatham Sound, thence to Prince Rupert. This 45-mile long,

almost straight, and narrow passage, with steep mountains on both sides is one

of the most unique parts of the Inside Passage. The succession of steep points

off the mountains, receding into the distance tends to make the channei look

even narrower. However, seeing a large cruise ship in the distance dwarfed

into insignificance by the landscape gives one a better perspective.

The south entrance to Grenville Channel is at Sainty Point, where a light

is established. A bay adjacent to the light has no anchorage, being deep ciose

inshore. Grenville Channel appears dead ended, far it narrows and has a slight

jog that gives this appearance. Severa 1 inlets indent the east side of

Grenville Channel and anchorage can be found in Lowe, Klewnuggit, Baker, and

Kumealon Inlets. Waterfalls are not as numerc~s as along fraser Reach.

Lowe Inlet is the first of the side anchorages available when travelling

from the south. It is about 14 1/2 miles fro~ Sainty Point. A light is on a

small island (in Grenville Channel) located atout 1/4 mile past the north point

of the entrance. The channel narrows to 1/3 to 1/4 of a mile. The inlet

extends for about l 3/4 miles towards the northwest. At the entrance there is

a 6-fathom bank on the south side between Don and Hepburn Points on which a

vessel may anchor.

A prettier anchorage is at the far end of Lowe Inlet in Nettle Basin. It

is reached by passing through the narrows bet~een the peninsula of Pike Point

and Mark Bluff. Anchor behind Pike Point on the southern side of spectacular

Verney falls in about 12 - 15 fathoms. Some current is felt from the falls so

extra scope should be allowed. Salmon jump the falls in season. One may walk

a traii found on the north side of the falls. Trout fishing is good.

The tides enter both ends of Grenville Channel, meeting at about Evening

Point. In the narrow part of the channel the current can attain some speed so

it is better to choose the last of the flood in, and ride the ebb out at the

change. However, most vessels can proceed thraugh at alI stages of the tide.