Sam Landsman 
Arriving in Mexico was very different than arriving in Canada or the United States. We chose to clear into Mexico in Ensenada, the northernmost port of call. Ensenada is about 60nm from San Diego, and we arrived at Marina Coral late in the afternoon. A health inspector came to the boat, took our temperatures, checked our vaccination card, and then allowed us to check in with the marina office. At … Read more
October in San Francisco flew by. Before we knew it Halloween, our appointed departure date, was upon us. We planned to harbor hop down the coast, first stopping at Monterey Bay for a few days, then Morro Bay, then around Point Conception and into Santa Barbara. Getting down the coast this way is a mostly daylight affair, and we were particularly looking forward to visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium. As … Read more
My last blog entry had us in Hoonah, AK, after returning to Southeast Alaska from Prince William Sound at the beginning of August. The next month was filled with guests, whales, bears, and rain in Alaska. By the middle of August, the rain was getting to us and we were making concrete plans to head south to Mexico for the winter. We figured we’d be back in Washington around the … Read more
We really wanted to spend more time in Prince William Sound, but we were faced with a deadline a week and a half distant in Sitka. It only takes three days to get from Whittier to Sitka, but those days need to be good weather. The next few days looked pretty good, followed by at least five days of really, really bad weather. After that, there might be a weather … Read more
We weren’t in any great rush to leave Valdez. We had breakfast out (a rare treat, no dishes!), provisioned at Safeway (the best grocery shopping in Prince William Sound), and eventually headed to the fuel dock, where we jokingly referred to the diesel as “local, craft-refined” since it’s pulled from the earth in Alaska, sent by pipeline to Valdez, and apparently refined here for the local market. Chores complete, we … Read more
The sunshine and warm temperatures couldn’t last forever. As Erika and Josh departed from Whittier, clouds were rolling in. The forecast for the coming days was considerably more Alaskan than what we’d been used to: overcast, heavy rain at times, highs in the 50s. To be honest, our sunburnt skin, bug bites, and general exhaustion from go-go-go indicated that this was a good time for a few rainy days. Thankfully … Read more
First impressions of a cruising destination have a huge impact on my opinion of a place. Years ago, when I first arrived in Red Bluff Bay, for example, half a dozen brown bears were foraging (and mating) on the beach. Ever since, I’ve associated Red Bluff Bay with the spectacle of mating bears. The same thing happens with negative first impressions. One year we arrived in Ketchikan in pouring, soaking … Read more
Southeast Alaska is among the finest cruising grounds in the world. Stretching more than 300nm from north to south and more than 100nm west to east, it’s a huge and diverse area. Most of it is protected, too, with calm water, relatively easy access to services, and no overnight cruising required. I’ve spent most summers for the last decade exploring SE Alaska and I haven’t seen it all, but Prince … Read more