After our trip up Lynn Canal and back, we met up with friends/flotilla folks Ralph and Jeanette (on Rubicon) and Scott (on Impulse) over in Swanson Harbor (where Lynn Canal, Chatham Strait, and Icy Strait all converge). We all got space on the dock and had a nice visit. In the morning, we cruised over to Flynn Cove for one night (Ralph and Jeanette caught a halibut!) and then split … Read more
With the flotilla wrapped up and some good weather ahead, we decided to leave Juneau and head around up Lynn Canal. It’s been a few years since we’ve been up, and being in Skagway for the 4th of July weekend sounded like it would be fun! We cruised about 47nm up to Bridget Cove, a great anchorage in settled weather with a beautiful view across Lynn Canal from the northernmost … Read more
We left Taku Harbor around 7:30a.m. and headed north in Stephens Passage toward Juneau. We had a gorgeous view up Taku Inlet before entering Gastineau Channel. There was only one cruise ship in port when we arrived, and the clamor of float plane/tour boat traffic felt pretty quiet comparatively. We all got settled between Harris Harbor and Aurora Basin, and spent the day doing boat chores, exploring town, and enjoying … Read more
High tide in Juneau today wasn’t until about 1:00p.m., so we wouldn’t be exiting Ford’s Terror until about 1:30p.m., which gave us some more time to enjoy this incredible place (and the fact that we had it completely to ourselves). In the morning, Kevin took the Mavic up for some aerials: The bear was back on the beach, but took a walk the other direction and gave the folks closest … Read more
Excitement ran high today in the flotilla – we are set to move to one of our favorite anchorages anywhere – Ford’s Terror. We have written about Ford’s Terror many times before. It’s an enormous hidden fjord, guarded by a narrow and treacherous entrance. We can enter only at high tide slack current, which seems to happen within an hour after high tide in Juneau. Any other time, there are … Read more
We awoke this morning in Tracy Arm Cove to more beautiful weather. We planned to spend the day cruising the length of Tracy Arm to see the North and/or South Sawyer glaciers (depending on ice conditions). We had heard the day before that the ice might be dense, so we prepared ourselves for a possible no-glacier-but-beautiful cruise up the fjord and back (about 20 miles each way). Just before we … Read more
We awoke to bright sun streaming in through every window and port light…a glorious morning in Cannery Cove! Rubicon was pulling out just as we got up to take photos…they got an early start today to look for wildlife out by the Brothers Islands. The rest of the group headed out a little after 8:00a.m. and saw some wildlife along the way: sea otters (one with a baby on its … Read more
The flotilla left the Ruth Island anchorage in Thomas Bay fairly early this morning for our long cruise to Cannery Cove in Pybus Bay – on Admiralty Island. Cannery Cove is a stunning anchorage – set in a giant bowl of snowcapped peaks. We often see bears, eagles, seals, sea lions, and more – and frequently catch crab, shrimp, halibut, and rockfish in and around the bay. Admiralty Island is … Read more