Majestic Kingcome Inlet



Kingcome Inlet

Kingcome Inlet is a seventeen mile long waterway carved by glaciers thousands of years ago; majestic mountains rise nearly vertical from the ocean bottom, some mountain tops are still covered in snow even in late July.  

Huge Granite Bowls, Kingcome Inlet

Kingcome Inlet

As we motored along Kingcome, we were awestruck by the enormous mountains, unable to capture it all by a camera lens. 

Pictograph at Philadelphia Point, Kingcome Inlet 

Huge granite rock cliffs and forested mountains, spilling their waterfalls are among some of the spectacular scenery.  One of the hidden gems in Kingcome are the ancient pictographs.  After scouring the shore, we were able to find several pictographs reported to be at various locations, including one at Philadelphia Point and another off Petley Point. 

Majestic Mountains & Waterfalls

Waterfalls, Kingcome Inlet

A modern pictograph created by a local artist can also be found near Petley Point but we prefer seeing the ancient pictographs. 

More Scenic Waterfalls, Kingcome Inlet

On the way back down Kingcome Inlet, we took a detour to explore Belleisle Sound, an offshoot of Kingcome, accessed through a narrow necked waterway.  By this time it was late afternoon, time to head for Moore Bay, one of the very few anchorage spots among the deep waters of Kingcome Inlet.  

Pictograph at Petley Point, Kingcome Inlet

Views from Moore Bay

Mooring buoys reported to be in the eastern corner of Moore Bay were no longer there and the anchorage spot behind the little island charted as No. 55 turned out to have such a rocky bottom that the anchor didn’t set well.  We motored to the western side of Moore Bay and found a little cove or byte, setting the anchor and taking a stern tie to shore.  

Taking Stern Line to Shore, Moore Bay

After installing the spool of line on the swim step, replacing the “staple” that’s normally attached, we got the dinghy down to take the line ashore.  This was our first attempt to shore tie, a good place to learn without providing entertainment in front of an audience.  On our first attempt, we found ourselves too far from shore – after securing the line to a tree, the remaining line wasn’t long enough to reach back to the boat.  While Leonard was in the dinghy managing the stern line, I slowly backed the boat closer to shore.  

Successful Shore Tie

Success!  We made it in our second attempt – the right distance from shore with the stern line around a big boulder brought back to a hause on the boat, taking up the slack.  Shore ties take a lot of time and patience but are very helpful in deep water situations, keeping the boat perpendicular to shore with an additional anchor point.  Shore or stern ties are also used in areas or marinas where space is at a premium so it’s a good idea to practice – no one wants to look like a complete idiot in front of an audience.