Announcing the 2023 Slowboat Flotilla to Alaska

Inside Passage, San Juan Islands to SE Alaska Prevost Harbor to Juneau | May 10 to June 23 | Maximum 5 boats Glaciers. Icebergs. Whales. Bears. Cruising to Alaska is all about the incomparable nature right in front of your eyes. It’s about not just seeing the world, but experiencing it. This year we are doing an extended six-week trip, exploring coastal British Columbia with an extended tour of the … Read more

Airship | Ketchikan to Prince Rupert

More sun as we left Ketchikan! We stopped at the fuel dock and filled up all of the things — diesel, dinghy gas, and propane — and then continued on our way. The night before we left Ketchikan, we grilled up the last of our king salmon and served it over rice with soy sauce, Japanese seaweed paste, green onions, and a side of sautéed zucchini. Yum! Normally when we … Read more

Airship | Around Ketchikan: Exploring Revillagigedo Island

We had originally planned to head south at the end of last week (Thursday/Friday after Labor Day) but we had a few more work things we wanted to get done while we were in town with solid internet, and one more package to pick up that was yet to arrive, so after checking the weather to learn that we would probably have another good window for getting south of Dixon … Read more

Airship | Prince of Wales Island: Cholmondeley Sound and Kitkun Bay

We really enjoy finding spots we haven’t visited before that we could show to future guests or flotillas, so we make it a point to seek them out. For this trip over to Prince of Wales Island we planned to focus on Cholmondeley Sound. From the chart, it looked like our choices were Kitkun Bay, Dora Bay, East Arm, and West Arm. All looked intriguing, but we opted to start … Read more

Airship | Wrangell to Ketchikan: Anita Bay, Thoms Place, Meyers Chuck

After two days in Wrangell (picking up the grandkid, reprovisioning, etc.), we decided to check out a place we hadn’t been before — Anita Bay. We recently got a tip from a local fisherman that Anita Bay was great for halibut, so off we went! Anita Bay is south from Wrangell down Zimovia Strait, and the head of Anita Bay is just over 5 miles from the entrance! There were … Read more

Airship | Rocky Pass, Point Baker, Port Protection, and a Giant Lingcod

After leaving Red Bluff Bay we cruised over toward the north end of Rocky Pass and anchored in a spot called Stedman Bay. It’s shallow and quiet and we saw no other boats. We dinghied around a bit and saw deer, a large group of harbor seals hauled out on a nearby spit, and some otters. We had a nice dinner of fresh spot prawns dipped in garlic butter, a … Read more

Airship | Circumnavigating Chichagof Island

We picked up Kevin’s brother Craig in Sitka and after changing our planned route probably five times prior to his arrival due to weather (we were hoping to get out on the outside of Chichagof or Baranof), we set out back through Peril Strait, buddy boating with our friend Ralph on Rubicon. The first day we left Sitka early and made the 47nm cruise to Appleton Cove. Airship and cruise … Read more

Airship | Ford’s Terror, Pavlof Cove, Sitka Sound (and a TON of wildlife photos)

Recently, I was reading through John Muir’s notes on his trips to SE Alaska in 1879, 1880, and 1889, and came across the part of his 1880 visit where they went up what is now called Endicott Arm, and into what is now called Ford’s Terror. He didn’t have to call it by name….I knew exactly where they were. “After we had sailed about three miles up this side fiord, … Read more