T & W Malibu Rapids EarthCache
Hidden : 10/30/2009
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
5 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:


Malibu Rapids is located at the junction of Jervis Inlet and Princess Louisa Inlet. There is a very narrow channel and the current runs 7 to 10 knots during a tide change. That is the equivalent to 8 to 11 miles per hour or 12.96 to 18.52 kilometres per hour. Most boats navigate this passage on or near a slack tide.

Princess Louisa Inlet is a basin silled inlet. It is considered a shallow silled inlet at about 6M. This is what causes the restriction and the large volume of water passing through a very confined space. In contrast Jervis Inlet is considered a deep silled inlet with the outer basin sill at 240M and a intermediary one at Patrick Point at 219 M.

Princess Louisa Inlet is 300 meters (1000ft) deep and not over 800 meters (1/2 mile) wide and five miles (eight kilometres) in length.

Glaciation of Millennia past carved the granite-walled gorge through the mountains that rise very sharply up from the waters edge (some places at low tide there is no beach at all).

Some of the mountains rise to 2100 meters (7000ft). At the head of Princess Louisa is Chatterbox Falls. The subject of another earth cache.

For those interested in the amount of tide change for the day this can be found in a Fisheries and Oceans publication Canadian Tides and Currents Tables. Note: use point Atkinson add 35 minutes to the low water time and 25 minutes to high water. This book is found on most boats so just ask the Captain. Times will vary due to various conditions such as amount of rainfall and runoff . An alternate place to find this information is at (visit link) This phenomena of a lot of water going through a narrow opening from a inlet is quite common on the BC coast. One of the most famous is Skookumchuck Narrows (see GCMXRA).

The lodge located next to the rapids is called Malibu Lodge. This facility was originally developed in the 1930’s as the Malibu club. The original intent of the lodge was to draw the wealthy elite to the Lodge by a coast wide yacht charter service. This development was interrupted during WW2. The property was purchased by Young Life and has been operated as a non-denominational camp for teenagers since 1954.

Logging Requirements:

1. Take a picture of you and your GPS, or just your GPS, noting the date and time of day and showing the rapids. It is expected you will be on a boat at the time. If you are a guest at Malibu Lodge, a picture from the shore will be sufficient. Post this picture.
2. Email the answer to the following question - how large a tide change was predicted prior to the time the picture was taken.
3. Estimate the width of the narrowest part of the rapids and email your answer to me.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)



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