The Spectacular Isolation of Canada’s Desolation Sound
Desolation Sound gained its unfortunate name from Captain George Vancouver who was tasked with mapping the region in the summer of 1792. He named the area Desolation Sound, saying “there was not a single prospect that was pleasing to the eye”.
Today, Desolation Sound Marine Provincial Park is the largest marine park in the Canadian province of British Columbia, covering nearly 8,500 hectares (32.6 square miles) of mountainous tree-covered land and wide waterways.
Life Afloat Together
Mark and Isabella Doxon are very familiar with the protected anchorages, breathtaking scenery, dramatic waterfalls and surprisingly warm waters of the Sound.
The couple have enjoyed many summers together with family and friends exploring the Sound’s waterways and islands aboard a succession of Riviera motor yachts. Their first was a Riviera 40 Flybridge purchased in 2002. Since then, they have owned a 47 and a 53 Flybridge and are now proud owners of Bella, a 64 Sports Motor Yacht delivered to them in 2020.
Mark began boating with his parents when he was eight years old, fishing and crabbing in the waters around Seattle in the north-western corner of the United States. Today he and Isabella live in Seattle. Mark is the fourth-generation owner of a Toyota dealership in Seattle’s southern suburb of Auburn.
“Every Spring we look forward to packing our bags and heading north,” said Mark. “We keep Bella at Roche Harbor Marina on San Juan Island, so I drive up and take a car ferry across from the mainland. Isabella lets me prepare Bella and joins me by seaplane direct from Seattle.
“We love the isolation of Desolation Sound,” said Mark. “The waters are deep, and the land around varies from rolling hills to high cliffs, islands and mountains covered in cedar and fir trees.”
“The most convenient store is at Refuge Cove, 45 miles (72 kilometers) from the next shop and right in the heart of Desolation Sound. It doesn’t have a great variety, so we are used to adapting to whatever fruit and vegetables they have at the time. It is also great for a burger and cold beer. If you want ice cream, be prepared to take whatever they have in stock.”
The waters in the Sound are unusually warm. This is thought to be due to the low tidal movement that allows the sun to heat up the water during the day.
“We were really surprised when we first explored the Sound,” said Mark. “The water is about 73 degrees Fahrenheit (23 degrees Celsius) from late May. Further south, around San Juan Island and Seattle, it is 20 degrees cooler in mid-summer.
Another delight is the wildlife. Orcas and humpback whales are perhaps the most exciting. However, the waters are also home to harbor seals, sea lions, dolphins, and porpoises. Black and grizzly bears, deer, cougars, squirrels and wolves wander through the forests. There are even minks. Raccoons roam along the shorelines.
Mark and Isabella particularly love Princess Louisa Inlet. It is like a fjord, a small waterway near the end of the longer and larger Jarvis Inlet. The only way into the Inlet is to navigate the Malibu Rapids, a barrier for motor yachts. So, out come the kayaks. Princess Louisa is an awe-inspiring granite-walled gorge rising sharply to an astonishing 7,000 feet (2,100 meters) high in places. The Inlet is a hidden gem with waters some 1,000 feet (300 meters) deep. The stunning Chatterbox Falls are at the head of the Inlet, a 120-foot (40 meters) cascade.
When they are not exploring, Mark and Isabella love socializing with other boaters.
“The long evenings are for our tender cocktail hour,” said Mark.
“Sometimes rafted up with other tenders, sometimes we simply lower the hydraulic swim platform and sit in the water.”
Mark and Isabella are delighted with their choice of the 64 Sports Motor Yacht.
“We fell in love with the 64,” said Mark. “No canvas! And we love the flybridge level. There is so much space there. Isabella is a reader, and she is quite happy settling into the lounge when I am driving or on the outside lounge if I want to watch television. And that’s just the bridge!
“There are so many spaces for entertaining. Sometimes the kids join us, sometimes we invite friends. With the forward guest stateroom and midships twin, we have been able to turn the fourth bunk cabin into a closet. She is really like a mini cruise ship.”
Isabella said the dining options were many and varied.
“The main saloon dining area is really only for inclement weather. Then there is the alfresco deck with immediate access from the galley. If we want to be really casual, we can adjourn to the foredeck lounges. When it is just the two of us anchored somewhere special, we can have a meal from on high on the bridge aft deck.
“We entertained seven guests aboard on one occasion when we were in Roche Harbor.”
Mark says the maneuverability of the 64 is just so easy.
“I can park her on a dime with the QuickShift gearbox teamed with thrusters and EJS joystick,” he said.
The couple’s only regret over more than 20 years is watching the glaciers around Desolation Sound retreat and the spectacular waterfalls reduce in volume.
“Overall, the Sound and the waters around it continue to draw us every year and we find new and awe-inspiring views every time,” they said.
When Captain Vancouver arrived in 1792, he was seeking arable land for farming. What he could not see, but the Doxons and thousands of other boaters do see, was a wonderland that is most “pleasing to the eye”.
