McMicking Inlet to Chapple Inlet

 After a great day of exploring the beaches in McMicking Inlet it is time to move on. Karen found an extra day in the schedule, so we’re going to go only 23.3 miles to Chapple Inlet.

The southwest tip of Campania Island has been a reliable spot to see humpback whales, and this year did not disappoint. We saw a pod of five whales. They were making lots of blows in unison.

lots of humpback blows

From a distance I thought it might be bubble feeding, but as we got closer it felt more like they might be herding their prey into more shallow water. There were a couple of small recreational fishing boats in the general vicinity, so that’s probably what was happening. We stopped and watched the whales for a while before continuing on.

We visited Chapple Inlet in 2022, and really liked it so Karen decided we should make a return visit. It’s a long way back to the head, but that’s our preferred spot. As we worked our way into the Inlet, we passed two sailboats who were departing Kiln Bay.

We continued to the very head of the inlet. The shoaling and reefs are well marked on the chart. At low tide the obstructions are mostly visible, but at higher water it’s best to mind the charts and go slow. There are a couple of narrow spots that deserve attention.

 At the head, there is lots of room to swing and the holding is very good in 30-40 feet over mud. It was sunny and we mostly lazed about enjoying the weather and the views.

looking back at oceanflyer from the head of chapple inlet

a good look at the shoaling in chapple inlet

We kept a sharp eye out for critters. No bears, but we saw two sandhill cranes.

Very late in the evening we were joined by a Ranger Tug. The tide was high, and we were worried because it appeared to be on a course towards the charted rocky shoal.

They poked around for a long time and finally dropped anchor. About 45 minutes later, we heard them raise their anchor and reposition themselves 200 feet to the south. My guess is they swung over the shoal, and after doing some math, realized that their location would be a problem when the tide goes out.