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 | Bridget Cove, Skagway, Haines (also Whitehorse and Carcross by Jeep!)

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

Day 1 | Flotilla to Alaska!

We’ve been unusually quiet for the last year. Cancelling trips, refunding money, doing circles around the San Juan Islands while waiting for the COVID crisis to blow over had us a bit down. But we’re finally underway again, and it feels great! A few months ago, several things became clear: any American who wanted to be vaccinated could be fully vaccinated by the end of May, travel and socializing is … Read more

Day 18 | Flotilla to Alaska | Foggy Bay to Ketchikan

We staggered our departure times this morning. The two lead boats headed out first at 6:00 a.m., and the rest followed, two boats at 6:30 a.m. and the last two at 7:00 a.m. This sequence would allow the lead boats to fuel up, get into their slips, and be available to catch lines for the others as they got their slip assignments. We had a beautiful, calm cruise up to … Read more

Day 17 | Flotilla to Alaska | Kelp Passage to Foggy Bay

We’ve had really good weather at all the gates so far. We had to wait, but the Strait of Georgia ended up being lake-like. Johnstone Strait was placid. Cape Caution had a bit of swell: the boats definitely moved, but there was almost no wind or wind chop. For the last week, we’ve scarcely seen more than a ripple on the water. So the pressure is on: can we make … Read more

Day 1 | Flotilla to Alaska | Prevost Harbor to Ganges Harbour

Our plan originally was to make a really quick trip to the north end of Vancouver Island, then slow down on the Central Coast. Today we were supposed to run through the Gulf Islands to Nanaimo, so we’d be in position to run up the Strait of Georgia to Campbell River the next day. The weather isn’t cooperating, though. The Strait looks too bumpy on Monday, Tuesday, and maybe Wednesday. … Read more

Airship | After-Flotilla Cruising | Tod Inlet, Sidney Spit, Victoria

After wrapping up our last Vancouver Island flotilla, Kevin and I flew from Victoria to NY for some work and some fun, and then returned and met up with Kevin’s mom for some Gulf Island cruising. We went around from Sidney to Tod Inlet and anchored there for the night. The next day we dinghied in to Butchart Cove and spent most of the day exploring Butchart Gardens.  Kevin and … Read more

Clearing Customs by App: CBP ROAM

The process for clearing into the U.S. by water has changed (you can still do it the old way if you prefer), and it’s WAY better. Customs and Border Protection has a new app called CBP ROAM. We just tried it on our way back from Victoria, and it’s awesome! Here’s the key information: The app is free. Download it on iOS or Android and follow the prompts to set … Read more