I’ve been fussing further with the track data I extracted from the navigation computer and have uploaded all our anchorages up to both the Microsoft and Google mapping sites. These can be opened up as a separate browser windows and don’t require any downloads or extra applications.
Map of anchorages using Microsoft Bing Maps
Map of anchorages using Google Maps
The file has an individual track for each day we traveled so the little blue arrowhead symbol usually represents an anchorage. There are a few “bonus” anchorages caused by when I had to restart the navigation software and a new track was created. When you zoom in and see a symbol away from shore and with no obvious anchorage around, that is probably what happened.
Try as I might, I can’t get the above link to open directly in a download dialog box. Instead it takes you to a Microsoft Live web page from which you have to select download in order to get it onto your local computer.
Rather than pretend I am keeping up the blog by back dating entries, this post is a roll-up of things since Ketchikan.
There is a wonderful movie about birds, Winged Migration. I feel as though we’ve become a part of a human equivalent by joining the flocks of boats heading south for the winter. Boats that we’ve seen elsewhere in Alaska, for example Glacier Bay, Juneau or Sitka, cross paths with us along the main boat migratory paths.
We depart near noon on September 3, south for Canada. The Nagles pick up a couple hundred gallons of diesel on the way out and we motor at a slower speed so that they can catch up. The night is spent at Judd Harbor on the SE corner of Duke Island just north of Dixon.
We were able to get dock space at the Prince Rupert Yacht Club, which had been filled on the way north. While on the dock, we met a Seattle couple completing a four year trip around the world on their sail boat, S/V Marcy. They did the circumnavigation the hard way by going around the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn. They sailed from the coast of Chile (Puerto Montt) to Hawaii and then from Hawaii to Alaska. What an adventure they have had!
From Prince Rupert we took the “outside-inside” route which avoided the long channels of Grenville and Princess Royal but stayed inside the protection of some large islands. We saw only a few fishing boats and one cruise ship for nearly three days.
The next day, September 7, we continued down Laredo Channel until we got to Meyers Passage, a convenient route back over to the main southbound route. We were an hour past slack water when we reached it but the currents were not running so strong as to make it impassable for our slow boats. We anchored in Clothes Bay, a mile or so south of the village of Klemtu.
September 8 was the short (36 mile) cruise to Shearwater. The Nagles were meeting a friend David Cohn flying in from Vancouver to the nearby community of Bella Bella. This Spring, David put his order in with Seahorse for a Diesel Duck like the Nagles. This time on the boat was his opportunity to see how the boat handled and learn from the Nagles about the care and feeding of a “duck.”
The next day, September 9, we continued our southbound trip and stopped at Pruth Harbor. Both the Nagles and we stopped here northbound and found the beach (Hakai beaches) across the island from the anchorage to be stunning.
An early start of 7AM (it is Autumn and that is when the sun rises now) and a long day on September 10 got us across Cape Caution and into Port Hardy, the major community at the north end of Vancouver Island. We stayed at the public docks near the Coast Guard station.
Trying to get some miles in before the forecasted winds picked up, on September 11, we traveled the short distance (25 miles or so) further down to Port McNeill. We first tried the docks at Sointula, across from Port McNeill but they were filled. Rather than staying at the city docks which can be tight, we stayed at the recently added docks attached to the fuel dock. Their orientation was perfect for docking in the 15 to 25 knot gusts that were now blowing. Lunch was at our favorite Port McNeill restaurant, Gus’s Pub. Marcia got here cajun shrimp with sweet potato fries.
Since we have cruised this section more that the Nagles, they let us set the route back down to the San Juans. From here, on September 13, we continued down Johnstone Straits. On account of adverse currents (wrong time of the month to head south), we were going less than 5 knots much of the time. Before we got to Seymour Narrows, we cut off along Okisollo Channel through Upper Rapids into the Octopus Islands Marine Park. This was our first anchorage on the northbound trip where we felt like we were really away from civilization (Octopus Island Marine Park). We took the kayaks down and paddled around the coves.
An early start on September 15 gets us down Malaspina Strait and past Texada Island to Smuggler Cove Marine Park. We stayed here in 2007 on our previous boat Dragontail (MV Dragontail blog). The anchorage is tight so the BC Parks has put in rings on the shore to which you tie your stern after dropping your anchor. The idea is to eliminate all of the boats swinging and to pack in lots more boats.
We haven’t done a huge number of stern ties and none on Alpenglow. After three anchor drops we find a good spot and hook. We drop a kayak and Kurt paddles to shore with a lap full of line. He passes the line through the ring and pulls himself back to the boat while continuing to trail out line. We then cleat off the bitter end on the boat and start pulling in slack on the spool side. Eventually we get the boat turned around so that the stern is pulled tight towards the anchor ring on shore. I am sure with practice we can smooth out the process.
September 16 was the crossing of the Strait of Georgia into the BC Gulf Islands. The Gulf Islands and the Washington San Juan Island are really part of the same archipelago. An international border happens to cut through them is all.
If I thought there were a lot of boats at Prideaux Haven, I was certainly not prepared for the Gulf Islands. Our original destination was Wallace Island but as we got close we could spy the narrow Princess Cove had at least a half dozen boats already in it. We continued on towards Montague Harbor where we anchored on the north side of Gray Peninsula. It was a little more exposed than I would have cared for but it had plenty of swing room and good holding.
We head towards Ganges Harbor on Saltspring Island. It is only a short distance, less than 10 miles, from where our anchorage so we are in town with plenty of time to walk around. Our yacht club has an outstation here which means we can stay for only $8 a night, a real bargain compared to the dollar a foot we often pay.
Ganges has a busy art community and there are many galleries. Marcia finds a few items that she likes at a price she is willing to pay. We eat out at one of the many restaurants in town. Besides art, it looks like a good food town, as well.
We reenter the United States the next day, September 18. Besides recreational boat traffic, ferry and commercial traffic is lots higher than up north. We have to dodge BC ferries shortly after leaving Ganges, alter our course to avoid two freighters in Boundary Pass between Canda and the USA, than hug the shore to allow room for Washington State ferries in Thatcher Pass.
As we cruise through Wasp Passage between Orcas and Shaw Islands in the San Juan Islands, we are hailed by a vessel about 200 yards behind us. It was Summer Song a 72 foot Hatteras owned by a couple we met in Ketchikan two months earlier. After conversing with them, we are hailed by another vessel hearing our boat name on the radio. It was Abacus, a Nordic Tug 42, operated by a couple we first crossed paths with on our northbound trip in British Columbia in early June. Its a big cruising area but a small world.
Immigration and Customs clearance was easy as we went through the “trusted traveler” program this Spring and have been vetted by both the Canadian and US immigration services. We are cleared for entry by phone as we motor along Guemes Channel towards Anacortes where we spend the night in the Cap Sante Marina.
The next morning, September 19, we lighten our pocket book and load up on 1042 gallons of diesel at Cap Sante fuel. For a change we have favorable currents, riding the ebb out of Guemes Channel, down Rosario Strait and into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We pick up the flood as we start down Admiralty Inlet. We pull into the QCYC Winslow outstation dock shortly before 5 PM.
Mileage from Ketchikan – 753.1
Cumulative Mileage – 3208.3
Engine Hours – 512.0
After six weeks of poking around north and west of Ketchikan, we motored back into Bar Harbor marina this afternoon.
Before pulling in, we stopped at the fuel dock and took on 200 gallons of fuel. I estimate that we had somewhat over 300 gallons of fuel remaining which ought to be enough to get home but the 200 gallons is our reserve so that we don’t worry. At the engine RPM we typically motor (~1500), we use about 2 gallons per hour and average pretty close to 7 knots which is a bit over 3 miles to the gallon.
We can certainly tell that the cruising season has pretty much ended here. The pleasure boats still in the marina tend to be homeported in Alaska. We don’t see many folks on the docks that look like cruisers, mostly commercial fisherman.
The weather is also telling us it is time to head south. The forecast is for rainy and windy weather the next several days. We will head towards Canada at the first weather window. Once past Dixon Entrance, we can travel a couple hundred miles in pretty protected waters.
Today’s mileage – 38.0
Cumulative mileage – 2455.2
What a great day! First, the weather was perfect, light winds and partly sunny as the day wore on. Second, the scenery was spectacular as we motored through protected channels created by the dozens of little islands in the bay. Lastly, we had some unforgettable whale viewing.
The picture to the right is of a humpback that was using a rock at the entrance of a pass between some islands to which we were heading as its scrub brush. Later we saw another humpback doing likewise on rocks next to the shore almost inside the pass.
Today’s mileage – 42.0
Cumulative mileage – 2417.2
We departed at oh-dark thirty in order to hit slack at Tlevak Narrows, about 19 miles from Craig. Even though we were only about forty minutes past slack, we already had a 2 knot current (in our favor fortunately) in the narrows and nearly knots after exiting. Fortunately, the whirlpools and overflows the guide book talked about had formed by then.
The original goal for the day was to pass around the bottom of Prince of Wales Island at Cape Chacon. The day before, the weather forecast suggest that tomorrow (8/29) would be marginal. After listening to the updated forecast, we realized the front was delayed so pulled up short for the day and went into a lovely anchorage, Kassa Island Bay.
We saw a number of humpback whales and one occasion had to back off to neutral because a whale passed within a few hundred yards of us and we weren’t sure where it was going to come up. As far as sea otters, when the DavidEllis entered the bay in which we were anchoring, they startled a big pod of sea otters which took off away from them by porpoising through the water. That was a behavior none of us had ever seen in sea otters, who are mostly blasé about boats. We speculated that the otters may be hunted by the native Americans who live at Hydaburg, a community about 20 miles away, and are more fearful of boats.
Today’s mileage – 53.2
Cumulative mileage – 2375.2
We got a fairly early start in order to get close to slack water through the Tonowek Narrows. The cruising was pleasant and we arrived in the town of Craig shortly after 12PM.
Craig is the major community on Prince of Wales Island. Its population today is about 1200 people, supported mostly by fishing, both commercial and sport. Prince of Wales Island has been heavily logged in the past and the island is laced with logging roads. Clear cuts are very common and many forests are second growth.
Logging today, though, is not common in SE Alaska. The practice of clear cutting can severely damage the salmon streams besides creating a long-term eye sore. The fishing industry and conservation have pretty much won out over the logging industry.
Today’s mileage – 37.7
Cumulative mileage – 2322.0
From Dry Pass Lagoon, we traveled a few miles further and anchored a short distance from the dinghy dock for the El Capitan Caves. In hindsight, we probably should have skipped last night’s anchorage and just anchored here. Next year, maybe.
After the tour, we returned to the boats, had lunch and continued down El Capitan Passage into Sea Otter Sound. We have been seeing sea otters regularly in the cruising areas near the outer coast and Sea Otter Sound was no exception.
Today’s mileage – 23.4
Cumulative mileage – 2284.3
Dry Pass is a natural channel between Prince of Wales Island and Kosciusko Island that is dredged periodically to keep it navigable. There are navigation markers along the way and you don’t want to get confused as to which side to be on. Between navigation markers and GPS connected electronic charts though, it isn’t difficult but simply requires paying attention.
On anchorage for the night was at a lagoon in the channel between two narrower sections. Fortunately, there wasn’t a lot of other boat traffic so it wasn’t quite like camping in the median of the interstate.
Today’s mileage – 52.4
Cumulative mileage – 2260.9
We continue our path down Chatham Strait with the intent of rounding around the bottom of Kuiu Island. Port Malmesbury is one of the last anchorages before Cape Decision at the bottom.
The weather was a bit foggy at the beginning of the day but fortunately, we didn’t have the boat traffic we did several weeks earlier in foggy conditions in Icy Strait. As the day wore on, the visibility improved but the number of commercial fishing vessels did as well.
The particular anchorage we were in is called the “Mud Hole”. Despite the name, it is a very attractive spot. The name must refer to the remarkably level bottom in which we anchored.
Cumulative mileage – 2208.5
After our relaxing time at Warm Springs, we headed a short distance further south to Red Bluff Bay. Both guidebooks and firsthand accounts rave about how scenic Red Bluff is so we are looking forward to it. Besides the scenery, the guides also talk about good prawn fishing, so we are anxious to try our hand at that, as well.
The weather forecast is such that we anticipate two nights on account of a brief storm and high winds rolling through. With a little patience, we are able to anchor in a very protected cove within the bay so we are well set up for winds.
We are sure the bear’s fishing was more successful than ours as we were skunked both for prawns and crabs.
Today’s mileage – 21.0
Cumulative mileage – 2163.9
The run to Warm Springs Bay was comfortable in calm seas. On account of the name, it is no surprise that the attraction here are the natural hot springs. There is as small community of vacation homes and a state public dock, which is generally occupied.
When we arrived, Mac from the DavidEllis went ashore in the dinghy and sized up the available spot. It was tight but Dave Nagle expertly put in his boat in it despite the strong current coming from a nearby stream. I then brought Alpenglow alongside to side tie to it.
Mac has been a guest of the Nagles since the middle of June. He is a retired police officer from Australia. Besides sharing the same occupation as Dave Nagle, he is also a dive instructor like Dave.
The photo below is a panorama of the bay, dock, stream inlet and some of the homes at Warm Springs Bay.
Today’s mileage – 39.4
Cumulative mileage – 2142.9
Along the way, we took a scenic detour through Nakwasina Sound and Passage. Wade, a guest of the Nagles on board the DavidEllis (image below), has lived several summers in Sitka piloting tour boats for cruise ship passengers and guided us through this section.
Our anchorage tonight was Appleton Cove. It is well protected from wind and waves and our one night here was calm and pleasant. We saw many crab floats out but because we were here only one night, we chose not to put out our crab pot.
Cumulative mileage – 2103.5
We got back this afternoon from doing a short two night cruise to some local anchorages. Our “guide” has been Wade, a friend of the Nagles who is joining them for the return trip to Seattle. Wade is a retired United Airlines 747 pilot who, post retirement, worked summers in Sitka piloting tour boats for several seasons.
From here we dinghied around to Pirate’s Cove, a quarter mile west. A lovely, white sand beach invited us to spend a sunny afternoon relaxing.
Below is a stitched photo (six photos combined into one) taken from the boats stern looking south towards the north side of Mt. Edgecumbe.
This morning, 8/16, the weather clearly had begun to change, so we pulled anchor and retraced our route to Sitka. We arrived back in Eliason Harbor on the north end of town shortly before 3 PM.
We departed Elfin Cove Monday, August 9, for Sitka. We started the trip by going to Pelican, another board walk community similar to Elfin Cove with no roads, only a board walk. The cannery in Pelican closed a few years ago and many other businesses in the community have not been able to make a go of it. Elfin Cove seems to be sustaining itself on its sport fishing lodges and commercial fisherman. Pelican has commercial fishing but it is further from the sport fishing area and doesn’t have as many lodges.
Travelling with the Nagles in the DavidEllis is their friend Shirley, the owner of the Elfin Cove bar damaged by fire earlier in the summer. She lives in Sitka for about half the year and was hitching a ride with them. Since she needs to be in Sitka by Wednesday, the Nagles have elected to travel to Sitka on the outside coast, the short route but more exposed to wind and seas. We don’t have that constraint and elect to go the long way back through Icy Strait, down Chatham Strait and then through Peril Strait (despite its name, the only perilous part is Sergius Narrows which requires timing in order to hit slack current).
Bright and early on Tuesday, we head north from Pelican and retrace our route from the previous day. Just north of Elfin Cove as we are motoring through the fog, we see three humpback whales heading towards us a few hundred yards away. We put the boat in neutral and begin to coast. The whales continue towards us, their backs rising and falling as they swim. About 50 yards away, the two whales still heading directly towards us, make the classic big arch of their back, flip their tail skyward and plunge dive. Of course we have no photos because we were so astonished we didn’t think of it until after the whales dove. The camera came out at the ready but no more whales made a grand exit in front of us.
Besides the whale encounter, the trip to Sitka involved one very long day (86 miles on 8/10), one not so long day (62 miles on 8/11), and one short day (30 miles on 8/12). The two anchorages we used, Pavlof Harbor on 8/10 and Deep Harbor on 8/11 were pleasant. The transit of Sergius Narrows was pretty straightforward as we hit it at slack current (it can run at over 7 knots at max current) with no opposing vessels to worry about. The weather by the time we got to Sitka was spectacular.
After three glorious days in Glacier Bay, the clouds returned and the morning fog did not burn off. We motored south out of Glacier Bay into Icy Strait.
The visibility was less than 1/2 mile so we relied on our radar to tell us what vessels were out there. We usually run with our chart plotter displaying a split screen, the electronic chart on the left and the radar image on the right. Things that aren’t charted, such as other boats, stand out that way. Whenever you have a solid return on your radar image, you make a point of identifying whether it is a charted rock or buoy, everything left over becomes a “target” that you monitor.
The route to Elfin Cove goes through South Passage, on the south side of Lemesurier Island, and then through South Inian Pass. The currents can run pretty briskly through those passes so you want to time them towards slack current. Especially in South Inian Pass, if a strong ebb current collides with the incoming swells from the ocean, waves can stack up uncomfortably. We timed the current pretty well and had no problems.
Shirley had been busy cleaning and rebuilding (note the new siding). The Nagles volunteered their labor towards the effort while in Elfin Cove. While we stayed there, we added a couple of days of our labor as well.
To say we had a wonderful time in Glacier Bay is an understatement. Bookend between a bit of clouds and wind at the start of the trip and mist and fog and the end of the trip were three absolutely gorgeous days.
In the lower part of Glacier Bay we saw lots of sea otters. They look just like the adorable videos on TV and the ones in the aquariums. You see them floating out in the middle of the on their backs grooming their fur or eating the food they have gathered from the bottom.
Speaking of otter food, the locals talk about how the sea otters have put a significant dent in the crabbing in areas in which they are living. We can say from first hand experience that our crabbing attempts in Glacier Bay yielded absolutely nothing.
Rather than give a dull recounting of our day by day activities, I will let photos of the park speak for themselves.
The day of our entry. We bought the “high-vis” rain jackets in Ketchikan when our “lower 48” rain gear proved inadequate for the Alaska climate.
The welcoming committee for Glacier Bay (yes, every bump is a sea otter).
The anchorage in the photo to the left, Reid Inlet, was simply stunning. The glacier at the end of the inlet does not extend to the water but nearly so. We felt like we were anchored in the mountains.
