Klawock | Prince of Wales Island

Klawock is about 7 miles by road north of Craig on Prince of Wales Island. Klawock’s early inhabitants were from Tuxekan (a Tlingit winter village to the north), who used Klawock as their summer fishing camp. In 1868, European Americans opened a trading post and a salmon saltery, and in 1878 Klawock was the site of the very first cannery in Alaska. Klawock also has the oldest hatchery in Alaska (sockeye, … Read more

Nina Cove, the Abandoned Haida Village of Howkan, American Bay, and Port Refugio

From Hunter Bay we headed west to Nina Cove, on the east side of Long Island. The charts had been quite accurate in Hunter Bay and Kassa Inlet, but we found them seriously lacking in Nina Cove. Several rocks are accurately shown, but a big one isn’t. The picture below shows where the rocks are and the route we took. The safe channel between the rocks is narrow, probably about … Read more

Kassa Inlet and Hunter Bay | Prince of Wales Island

From Hydaburg we headed south in protected inside waters. After the coldest and wettest summer we can remember in SE Alaska, today’s sunshine was welcome! It looks like the sunshine is going to stick around for the foreseeable future…an Alaskan heatwave! Our first stop was Kassa Inlet. Its long shoreline with several bays looked like great exploring. We arrived in the evening and saved the dinghying for the following day. … Read more

Craig and Hydaburg | Prince of Wales Island

Airship and Safe Harbour left Coronation Island on Friday morning and cruised all the way to Craig (about 50 nautical miles). The forecast called for south winds to 10 knots and four foot seas—as good as it gets, basically. Even with the mild conditions, putting the swells on the beam made for a somewhat rolly ride. The Craig harbormaster found spots for us both on the dock for two nights, … Read more

Coronation Island

We left Explorer Basin on Kuiu Island early this morning…7:00a.m. It was foggy as we pulled anchor, but as we got out into Chatham Strait, it cleared up and turned into a beautiful day. Why the early departure? Currents run strongly in Chatham Strait. Having adverse current for a short time isn’t a big deal, but losing three knots of speed for 30 miles is a frustrating waste of time … Read more

Kuiu Island

Kake to Halleck Harbor We left Kake mid-day, since Halleck Harbor (in Saginaw Bay) was just 15 miles or so around the corner and we had to wait for the fuel dock…or, the fuel truck. Kake used to have a small fuel dock, but last winter the dock blew away during a storm that brought 80-knot winds for several days, then 70-knot winds from the opposite direction. For now, they’re … Read more

Windham Bay, Endicott Arm, Sandborn Canal, and Kake

After our incredible day at Pack Creek, we headed back down Seymour Canal, joined by a couple of humpbacks. Then, as we were cruising across Stephens Passage toward Windham Bay, we were greeted by about 30 Dall’s porpoises who played in Airship’s bow wake for about a half an hour. We never tire of these guys—they’re so playful!! We anchored in the southern nook just inside the entrance of Windham … Read more

Pack Creek Bears | Admiralty Island

The Pack Creek bear viewing area on Admiralty Island is permit-only between June 1 and September 10, and is located up near the top of Seymour Canal. The island is home to an estimated 1,500 brown bears — more than all the Lower 48 states combined. From Juneau via float plane, it’s probably only half an hour, but by (Slow)boat from Juneau, it’s about 74 nautical miles and takes two … Read more