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

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MILES INLET

Miles Inlet is a convenient anchorage on the north side of Queen Charlotte

Strait when using the northern route to get past Cape Caution. In pIace of one

long open water crossing the passage can be made over two or three days in

steps. From Miles Inlet the passage past Cape Caution is reduced. but if the

northwest winds are blowing the first lO miles will be directly into the pre-

vailing wind and sea. See the following page for the route past Cape Caution.

Taking a departure on Scarlett Point Lighthouse (Balaklava Island), the

course ls a little west of north to clear Alleviation Rock and other dangers at

the western end of the Walker Group. Thereafter the course can be altered to

almost true north to cross Queen Charlotte Strait to McEwen Rock. A light is

on McEwen Rock, which ls about l mile west of the entrance to Miles Inlet.

The entrance lies between McEwen Point on the north and Bramham Point on

the south. Several small islets are clustered along the northern shore. and

after about 1/2 mile the opening has narro~ed to only 150 feet. At the head of

this entrance channel the inlet branches to the northwest and southeast in the

form of a T. The northwestern end is a lagoon sealed off by shallows that dry

13 feet at low water. Good anchorage can be taken at the junction of the

channels or slightly into the southeast armo The depths in the narrows and the

arms varies between 3 and 4 fathoms. Westerly winds blow down the entrance,

but are more of a nuisance with the seas outside the entrance than for their

effect in the anchorage.

There are many outlying rocks off the coast on the north side of Queen

Charlotte Strait. McEwen Rock is a good landmark to give the coasta1 dangers a

clearance when approaching Miles Inlet.

There are severa! anchorages which are as attractive as Miles Inlet on the

north side. These include the fol10wing:

Sku11 Cove is entered on the east side of the island in the entrance. It

is open to the wind.

Murray Labyrinth is in the middle of the group of islands between Bramah

Island and Al1ison Harbor. Enter only from the southwest through an intricate

entrance.

Allison Harbor is a long harbor with good protection in the 5mal] bay by

the ruins. It i5 now an abandoned logging area.

Blunden Harbor is quite a bit further southeast, but a very impressive

anchorage. It is at the site of an old Indian village. Burial boxes in the

trees give this pIace an eerie feeling. Do not trespass at the old village

site.

Slingsby Channel leads eastward on the north side of Bramah Island. while

Schooner Channel is northward on the east side; both lead to the Nakwato Rapids

and entry into complex sounds and inlets beyond. ~uch af this area is unex-

plored. Nakwato Rapids ha ve the highest tidal currents reported in British

Columbia -- 16 knots at springs -- easil, understood by the amount of water in

the long inlets beyond it. Passage through here can only be made at high water

slack.