Day 21 – We left Wrangell this morning to time the current at Wrangell Narrows so we could ride the flood in and the ebb out, but we were a little early and we had a pretty good current boost most of the way through (2.8kts at one point!) and we arrived in Petersburg with just under a knot with us. Wrangell Narrows was relatively traffic-free (well, traffic-light at least)…no … Read more
Glacier day! For most cruisers, their first visit to a tidewater glacier is both exciting and anxiety-inducing. Since Le Conte Glacier is so close to Petersburg (about 20nm away), it’s an easy day trip. Several years ago we started visiting Le Conte on just a few of the flotilla boats. This lets some people have a day off from driving their boat and allows others to make their first glacier … Read more
We decided to spend three nights in Petersburg. Part of the reason was practical: we arrived late in the afternoon, will depart in the morning, and will spend a full day out at Le Conte Glacier. This barely gives enough time to get groceries, fix any boat problems, do laundry, or explore Petersburg. Plus we really like Petersburg; it’s a charming, proud small town. So the day after arriving in … Read more
When I first came to Alaska, I was unprepared for the scale. Even Southeast—the relatively small portion of the state where I’ve cruised—is truly vast. Somewhere around 70,000 people inhabit an area that stretches more than 300 miles south to north and a hundred miles west to east. Even a few miles from the population centers, it’s easy to find solitude. By solitude, I don’t just mean a lack of … Read more
Le Conte Glacier is the first tidewater glacier we encounter on our trip north. LeConte is an easy day trip from Petersburg, so we all climbed aboard Fortunate and Cassidy to make the short trek across Frederick Sound to make our attempt at the glacier. Visiting tidewater glaciers by boat is always a hit-or-miss endeavor as far as actually making it to the glacier. As the face of the glacier … Read more
“You made it across the entrance bar??” a fellow cruiser asked incredulously. For some reason, Exploring Southeast Alaska, the most popular cruising guide for this area, makes it sound difficult, even dangerous, to go up Le Conte Bay: “We do not recommend it, except for expeditionary-type excursions…you must favor the north shore to avoid the large drying mud flats that flow out of the Stikine River North Arm, while at … Read more