All quiet in Quait Bay?
After exploring the lonely west coast of Vancouver Island, and now in Clayoquot Sound, we were not looking forward to being back into society again. From our anchorage in Quait Bay, we could see a trail of aircraft circling in the skies to the east and determined it could only have been Vancouver airport. With no one else anchored in the bay, and now so close to Tofino, this might just be our last silent night.
The private lodge or residence on the shore was dark and shuttered for Covid, as was most of the world that summer. The only sound coming from it was the rush of the waterfall tucked in behind. We had read reviews that the drone of their generator was a drawback to an otherwise peaceful anchorage. But this night, all was still.
Quait Bay hasn’t always been quiet — we were in the traditional territory of the Nuu-chah-nulth people, where the inlets, bays and estuaries were used seasonally for fishing, hunting, and gathering for thousands of years before European contact. The sounds of people laughing, working and playing must have resonated all along the shore of the bay.
By the late 1800’s European traders and explorers would have been calling out in their foreign tongues as they began navigating Clayoquot Sound. It became known as a safe refuge in heavy weather for ships making their way along this “Graveyard of the Pacific”.
Chinese miners travelling between nearby gold fields reportedly used the bay as well. In fact a local diving legend has it that a Chinese junk lies sunken on the bottom of the bay, preserved by the cold water, although no evidence has been found.
In the early 1900’s a new sound, the whine of a sawmill, could be heard, producing custom lumber for building fishing boats. It burned down in the 1930s, and today only scattered relics remain in the forest. If you look closely at the shore and forest above, apparently one can see where the untouched old-growth on three sides meets the reclaimed area in the foreground. Unfortunately, we didn’t not find out about this until after we had left the bay, so can’t swear to it.
Today, a new floating wilderness lodge, complete with a shoreline spa, cedar longhouse, trails and wilderness activities has opened its doors. Owned by the Ahousaht Nation, it focuses on eco-tourism and cultural experiences. Its website promotes it as “more than a destination, Wahous Wilderness Lodge is a sanctuary of cultural preservation, sustainability and responsible tourism.”
The resort reportedly welcomes boaters for a meal, spa treatments and excursions, with advance notice.
Quait Bay is not as visually striking as is much of the dramatic west coast of Vancouver Island. But, with low surrounding hills, the sky is open, allowing sunshine for most of the day, and a lovely distant view looking southwest through the entrance as the sun sets. The bay has a narrow entrance, north of the island marked “45 metres” on charts, but it is navigable for most boats. Just keep slightly to port on entry as there are shallows off the northwest end of the small island. Do not attempt entry east of the island.
Once in the bay, there is lots of room for boats to anchor and good depths, but the ground is reported to be foul in the east and north end of the bay.
In the still darkness of a summer night, close your eyes and let echoes of the past fill your imagination. With any luck, the new lodge will not run a generator to disturb your reflections. If they do, please let us know so we can update this blog and our cruising guide.
Quait Bay and Clayoquot Sound are covered in the West Coast of Vancouver Island section of the Salish Sea Pilot cruising guide.
