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
A downright leisurely morning in Tracy Arm Cove — we didn’t leave until just before 9am. The plan for today is to head up Endicott Arm to see how close we can get to Dawes Glacier, before turning around and heading for the entrance to Ford’s Terror so we arrive around 3:30-4pm. High slack in Juneau is at 4pm, so we should be able to transit the entrance somewhere between … Read more
Every summer during the flotillas, almost every evening, there’s discussion about what time people want to leave in the morning. Sometimes we have a reason to need to leave early (weather, timing for current and tides, things like that), and when we don’t have a reason to leave early, we leave it up to the individual boats. We’ll put in the written plan, even “Leave whenever you want today!” Inevitably, … Read more
We awoke to a gorgeous morning in Explorer Basin! The group left the anchorage in shifts. First out was Seabear, who reported back they were again seeing humpbacks bubble-net feeding outside the entrance. Our route in and out of this place is definitely on the herring trail because the waters around here are just bubbling with ’em! Some swell and some chop (and some fog) out in Chatham, but not … Read more
Today was an epic day!! First of all, we woke in Petersburg to some sun, which was very welcome. As we left the dock and headed for Frederick Sound, conditions looked very promising. Frederick Sound was downright glassy, and you could even see the mountains! We got a peek in the evening yesterday, but today was even clearer! The cruise down to Thomas Bay was fantastic–calm and wonderfully scenic! Once … Read more
We left Kelp Passage near first light for our Dixon Entrance crossing. The weather forecast looked excellent — wind NW 15 diminishing to light early, seas 1 meter. We popped up early to check the 4AM update to be sure nothing had changed for the sinister overnight. It looked even a little better, and a soft fog layer confirmed that the air wasn’t moving much. On big crossings, fog is … Read more
Another beautiful day! We left Kanish Bay by 6am for the 60nm trip up Johnstone Strait. Mound Island is a spacious, scenic anchorage with room for many boats. We all got settled and then headed out in dinghies to further explore the area. On the north side of nearby Berry Island, there’s a rock formation called “Chief’s Bathtub” and right above it, a fast-fading group of pictographs. Here’s what it … Read more
Inside Passage, San Juan Islands to SE Alaska Prevost Harbor to Juneau | May 10 to June 23 | Maximum 5 boats Glaciers. Icebergs. Whales. Bears. Cruising to Alaska is all about the incomparable nature right in front of your eyes. It’s about not just seeing the world, but experiencing it. This year we are doing an extended six-week trip, exploring coastal British Columbia with an extended tour of the … Read more