Airship | Ketchikan to Kah Shakes Cove

We left Ketchikan on Thursday morning after topping off all of the fuels (diesel, propane, dinghy gas) and headed for…well, we weren’t quite sure where yet! We’ve got a good window for crossing Dixon Entrance on Friday or Saturday, so we considered Foggy Bay, Judd Bay (on Duke Island), or somewhere we had not been before, and the new place won: Kah Shakes Cove, just north of Foggy Bay. The … Read more

Airship | Redfish Bay to Puffin Bay

We woke in Redfish Bay this morning to a thick marine layer of gray, but no big deal because it had already started burning off by the time we left around 8am. It was even calmer outside than it was yesterday…very minor swells and just a tiny bit of wind chop. Today’s trip was under 10nm, so a short hop to check out a new spot. This place is gorgeous!! … Read more

Airship | Redoubt Bay to Scow Bay

We pulled anchor and left Redoubt Bay this morning around 8am. Conditions on the outside were quite calm, with a gentle swell, and I should have taken more photos of the rugged coastline, but I didn’t. Tomorrow. Here’s today’s route from Redoubt Bay to Scow Bay: And here’s a close up so you can see how skinny the entrance is to Scow Bay: And an overall so you get a … Read more

Airship | South from Sitka to Redoubt Bay

Finally, a good weather window lined up with our plans to get on the outside of Baranof Island for a few days! We got up at 5am in Baby Bear to transit Sergius Narrows near the 5:30am slack, which meant (a) we got into Sitka before 9am, and (b) we were tired, so immediately after getting settled in our slip, we took a nap. 🙂 We’d been in touch with … Read more

Airship | Juneau, Funter Bay, Pavlof Harbor

We spent a week or so in Juneau after the flotilla ended…visiting with friends and family (Laura’s brother Jason flew down from Anchorage with a friend for a visit), and made good use of the rental car we reserved (used the Turo app for the first time…will definitely do that again!) We took a couple trips to Western Auto & Marine, Jerry’s Meats & Seafood (smoked salmon, double smoked bacon, … 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

Day 24 | Flotilla to Alaska | Thomas Bay to Pybus Bay

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

Airship | Baranof Island: Sitka to Red Bluff Bay

After spending a handful of days in Juneau, we left and headed for Sitka, where we docked Airship for two whole weeks! Kevin had a work thing going on that we needed reliable internet for (and an airport for a trip to San Jose) and we’d already been in Juneau for a handful of days, so a change of scenery would be nice. We spent some more time wandering around … Read more