Finding the Real Alaska

It is over 100 miles from Prince Rupert to Ketchikan, the Port of Entry into the United States. Dixon Entrance can be a nasty piece of open water and our slow speed forces us to cross it over two days. In our case we stop overnight at Dundas Island before completing the crossing in advance of predicted bad weather.

After an 8 hour run under power and sail we reach Ketchikan and check into customs. We had to purchase a “cruising permit” and, as a foreign vessel, were now required to report into every major port we stop at while in the state. Homeland security and all that.

Entering Rudyerd Bay

Ketchikan is a boom to bust town of somewhere between 5 and 10 thousand people, depending on the time of year. Gold, fish and logs came and went, and now they mine for gold in the pockets of tourists, thousands of them who arrive by cruise ship, usually six a day. These are huge floating hotels which spew out thousands of tourists each day into the streets. They are met by dozens of teeshirt and jewelry shops, art galleries, tour companies and suspiciously new-looking historical buildings. The huge number of jewelry shops is startling. The whole surreal scene begs the question - what Alaska are tourists really looking for?

We strike out in search of something real under the glitzy surface and strike gold. The friendly barkeep at the Red Snapper Bar, where we stop for a pint of Alaska Amber. She describes herself as a typical Alaskan – a transplant from the south, liking the natural beauty but concerned about the high levels of drug and alcohol addiction, and angry that so many foreign owners reap the profits of the tourist trade and take it with them when they leave after the season.

Alaskans don't like the government – any government. On a city bus we sit across from an old guy with a husky at his feet who you'd swear just stepped out of the bush after a month panning gold. After a 10 minute dissertation on the evils of government, he waves back to us as he gets off the bus and yells, “In Alaska we don't say goodbye unless you work for the government”.

We stop to talk to a native gentleman painting a design on a war canoe paddle. He gives us a lesson in aboriginal history. His great grandfather was a Tsimshian who fled to Alaska in 1862 to escape poverty and feuding missionary groups in Canada, preferring instead to face the lack of welcome from the local Tlingit people.

We did visit, by bus, Totem Bight Historical Park complete with beautifully carved totem and a replica clan house and further south on Tongass Narrows to Saxman, a native community, with a historic totem sight with a clan house in use and a carving shed.

Having discovered some real Alaskans and visited historic totem sites, we cast off the dock the next day and start the 150 mile circumnavigation of Revillagigedo (say that fast) Island. This takes us up the Behm Canal to the Misty Fjords National Monument, where most boaters don't get to because of its off-the-beaten-track remoteness. The attraction is Rudyerd Bay and Punchbowl Cove, a narrow 5-mile long fjord sided by sheer rock cliffs that soar over 3000 feet high. These were formed when the land mass of North America collided with the ocean floor over 100 million years ago. Or so we read. The water here is milky green and waterfalls cascade hundreds of feet down the vertical walls. Like another planet! Few people get to see the Misty Fjords in the sun. As Pam is fond of saying – We are blessed.

Melody in the Punchbowl

It's too deep to anchor here and we retreat to Manzanita Bay. We try to anchor in 80 feet but snag a submerged tree on a rocky bottom – not good. Did we mention that our windlass, that back-saving piece of machinery that pulls up the anchor and chain, seems to be giving up the ghost? So we trace our steps back 8 miles to Shoalwater Passage, where a serene, eerily quiet bay, punctuated by the hoots of a Great Horned Owl, awaits us. We declare “Yard Arm”, that time of day for a glass of wine when the sun sets over the yard arm of a sailboat, adjusted quite liberally for the extended Alaskan day.

We pass by New Eddystone Rock, a lava pinnacle named by Captain Vancouver when he was up Behm Canal looking for the Northwest Passage. It reminded him of Eddystone Rock in Plymouth, England. Apparently the glaciers could not grind away the hard lava conduit that was part of an ancient underwater volcano. Of course he never found the Northwest Passage.

Behm Canal

The next 3 days wash by us and the weather holds. Yes Bay (pronounced 'yass', meaning mussels in Tlingit) puts on a nature show – a large black bear feeds on the river delta, then a grizzly bear makes its way to the grassy shore to roll and frolic, the end of day descends with the eerie calls of a lone loon as the sun sinks behind the mountain.



Rudyerd Bay



We are running low on fuel and have dipped into our reserve containers strapped to the deck, which forces us to complete the circumnavigation and return to Ketchikan. Tomorrow we will recommence our journey north to Wrangell. We are now 2/3rds of our destination – Glacier Bay,

The Inside Passage

Rounding the Cape

To reach the “Inside Passage”, vessels must leave the relative calm of Queen Charlotte Strait and travel the open waters of Queen Charlotte Sound, where 8 foot swells test the endurance of boat and crew. Cape Caution looms ahead, as well as other daunting place names – Fury Cove, the Storm Islands, Grief Bay. Here, winds and currents can change suddenly to create dangerous and uncomfortable conditions. But for us the Cape is calm and the shoreline sparkles under the sun which struggles out by midday. Reaching Miles Inlet for the night marks the official beginning of the Inside Passage.

The Inside Passage

The Inside Passage is a complex maze of channels, passages and islands which thread up the coast of B.C. and the Alaska Panhandle. Deep inlets slash into the mainland, snow-capped mountains line the narrow fiords, and spring runoff creates endless cascading waterfalls into the sea. While safe from the violence of the open sea, funneling winds, strong currents and numerous rocky reefs make navigation challenging. We are thankful for the modern navigation instruments we have on board, in particular the GPS Chartplottter which locates our boat to an exact position on the globe, displayed on proper navigational charts. It also maps the profile of the ocean underneath us, so we always know of the hazards that lurk beneath.

Our anchorages are unforgettable. Fury Cove, in spite of its name, is a calm and serene spot with a bone white shell beach, although a 3-minute walk across to the Fitz Hugh Channel side reveals a twisted log strewn beach, evidence of stormy days. The following day we detour up Kwakshua Channel to Hakai Passage, anchor for lunch and then take a short hike to a gorgeous beach overlooking Queen Charlotte Sound. The sand is silky soft, like flour, the sand dunes at high tide lined with wild strawberry in bloom. Wolf tracks snake down the low tide line and rocky islets lie a short distance off-shore. This is Canada at its best.

On our 8th day we reach Shearwater during a light drizzle to refuel and purchase a few provisions. We have traveled 370 miles – over a third the way.

North to Prince Rupert

In the days that follow, the two boats settle into a routine, weighing anchor around 0600 in order to take advantage of the favourable currents, which can easily add a knot or two to our cruising speed of 6 knots (one nautical mile is slightly more that one mile on land). The weather improves, and the sun emerges each day by noon and, because of our early starts, we are able to drop anchor by early afternoon and enjoy the warm afternoons snoozing and reading in the cockpit.

We pass out of the ancestral homeland of the Kwakiutl peoples and into Tsimshian territory. The village of Klemtu appears busy and prosperous, its beautiful long house indicative of a community proud of its heritage. The mountains get higher and snow pack lower. We see our first grizzly bear, with cub, as we anchored next to a cascading waterfall in Khutz Inlet. Larry was out in the dingy close to shore when man and beast made eye contact, at which time the bear ran full tilt towards the shore, with man paddling furiously away from shore. As it turned out, the bears were trying, successfully, to reach the safety of the river, where they swam to the other side and into the trees.

One of our next stops in Bishop's Bay. Pam says it's named after her grandparents .... right! Fresh caught crab and chilled chardonnay for lunch. Anyway, there is a lovely hotsprings there that has been developed, as in small dock, change “house” and concrete walls on the two pools, each a different temperature. We forgot swim suits!!! But wait until the coast is clear and go au natural. After a long soak, we sleep like babies, even though there is a chop banging on the boat.

Exiting Douglas Channel after refueling in Hartley Bay, Larry is startled at the helm as 3 humpback whales leap from the water in unison about 200 feet off the bow. We try to get a good photo, but often one misses a great emotional experience by fiddling with a camera. We watch them feed for a while, satisfied with our nature experience for the day.

Nettle Bay offers up another waterfall, lots of bird life, an ancient fish weir, and the wharf remains of old fish cannery, one of dozens that once dotted the coast before mismanagement destroyed the resource. The four of us take a short hike to view the roaring falls.

The weather continue to bless us, with sunny warm days. We can't believe it. We slow down our pace because we are making such good time. Our last night before Prince Rupert is Klewnuggit Inlet, yet another place name starting with “K”, indicative of the native languages once spoken here. The last leg is mostly in thick fog that the sun cannot burn off until noon. The radar is a blessing, but can't see the numerous logs that float about, many big enough to damage a small vessel. Exhaustion quickly sets in as the helmsman constantly watches radar, GPS, compass direction, all while straining to peer ahead into the fog.

We arrive in Prince Rupert, a harbour busy with boats, ships, and seaplanes. The marina is a welcoming stop, and we go about our individual tasks – shopping, internet, change engine oil, laundry and needed repairs to a windlass that is labouring. Larry spent 4 hours trying to fix the windlass, a rather essential piece of equipment for an aging crew with bad backs. We have reservations at the Cow Bay Restaurant, a small seaside place with home cooked meals. Yum!

We have now traveled almost 600 miles more than half way. Tomorrow we leave for Alaska. Ketchikan here we come!

We're Off

Exhausted after hours of planning, buying, hauling and stowing provisions and equipment, we cajoled DreamWeaver off the dock late afternoon on May 18. She was sluggish from the weight of full water and fuel tanks, and weeks worth of provisions. The short shakedown cruise from Ladysmith to Nanaimo revealed no issues; short of a constant worry about what we may have forgotten. And of course we did - the Ipod, which happily turned up two days later.

From Nanaimo we rendezvous-ed with Bob & Helen aboard Melody at 0700 and motored across the Salish Sea where the Sea gods, Salish ones in this case, blessed us with sunny skies and light NW winds. However, one rule of the sea is that no matter which direction you travel, the wind blows against you - the Sea God of Contrarian Direction. Motoring against the wind is much faster than tacking into it, but is hard on the crew and boat. Amani hates the slap of the boat against the waves and cowers in the aft cabin until she hears the silence of the engine.

We anchored for a quiet night in Sturt Bay, Texada Island. Off to the pub for a good brew, burger and social time with Bob & Helen, as well as discuss our plans for the next few days. This is really about deciding where to get to each day and which routes to follow - all dependent on weather and sea conditions present. Of course you can plan and schedule all you want but the decision always rests with the sea.

We awoke to calm seas, clear skies, and summer-like temperatures. We headed north to Francis Bay, Raza Island where we settled for the night awaiting slack in the morning. As we sat in the our cockpit enjoying the warm temperatures, we watched as 3 eagles swooped down; one to grab a juicy red snapper out of the water. Another struggled to get out of the water after failing to get its chosen prey, to be seen afterwards drying its wings before the sinking sun. It's scenes like this we do this for.

Transiting Rapids

The general rule is to transit fast flowing rapids only at “slack water”, when currents stop flowing briefly. In this case there are 5 sets of rapids. The first, Yuculta, is taken 30 minutes before slack just before the current changes to an ebb tide, meaning you will then be going with the current. This gets you through very fast but gives more control of the boat over to silent prayer. The second set, Gillard Passage, is 10 minutes further – perfect! The 3^rd and worst one is 30 minutes farther but the timing is good and the current is nicely with us. The challenge is the 4^th, 2 hours away and flowing fast at 5 knots when we arrive. On the ebb tide we go for it, and hurtle through at 10 knots, bucking the violent twists and pulls of the swirling water. Two hours further is Whirlpool Rapids but it is slack water again and we are safety through.

Grumpy Johnstone Strait

Most boats stay the night at this point in Forward Harbour, waiting to see what morning will bring before heading out onto “the Strait”. Getting through “the Strait” to northern waters has 2 routes – straight up the strait if weather is good, or through the “back door”, a series of channels that hug the mainland, longer but protected.We plowed on and made it through until Port Nelville before “the Strait” lived up to expectations and forced us in with increasing head winds and high waves. By now the expected cloud and rain began.

 The next morning we went straight up, avoiding the longer route, and were blessed with calm seas and sunshine by early afternoon. Staying at dock that night was a well-earned reward for a fast passage north, as well as a chance to replace a forgotten pepper grinder.  Melody invited us aboard for seafood chowder and good company. 

We are now 180 miles into the journey and only have 820 miles in front of us to reach Glacier Bay. Oh my! But we feel like we have come home when we are on the seas. Our vagabond natures come out and we find a simple rhythm in our daily lives.

Welcome to our Journey

Three years after our circumnavigation of Vancouver Island, DreamWeaver and Melody, a 36 foot Islander crewed by Bob and Helen Manning of Nanaimo, B.C., will again cruise together to Glacier Bay, Alaska via the fabled Inside Passage, a nautical distance of about 2000 miles roundtrip.

Here's our theme song.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSt0NEESrUA&feature=related

Our plan is to go straight there, taking advantage of prevailing southeast winds, then taking time later in summer when the weather is warmer to leisurely explore the coastline and inlets on the return trip. Hopefully our diet will shift more towards fresh-caught fish, crab and prawn. If weather patterns hold true, the winds will shift to northwesterlies, allowing us to sail much of the time. 

"Let's go to Alaska", Pam blurts out last summer

With an average "speed over land" of 6 knots / hour, 7 hours per day average, we hope to reach our destination in approximately 30 cruising days, allowing for 10 non-travel days built in for: rest, bad weather or, God forbid, mechanical problems. 

We have secured permission to enter Glacier Bay on June 28 and will be allowed to stay up to 7 days. They are very strict about the number of boats allowed entry to protect the fragile ecosystem.   Each skipper must undergo an orientation  prior to entering the bay.

Over the past few weeks we have been busy preparing for this journey - adding more chain to the anchor rode, installing a new GPS and e-charts,  buying more paper charts and tide/current tables, another crab trap, new starting battery, fishing license and gear, high capacity freezer, and doing the usual general maintenance of the boat.   

Back at the condo, we have provisioned the boat with homemade tomato sauce, chili, chicken/vegetable broths, mango chutney, packs of chicken, fish, and freshbaked muffins.  All this is necessary because of the limited supplies one finds in coastal community stores.

Amani has been busy preparing her fur coat for the cold days and reminding us to ensure she has enough food, treats and kitty litter to see her through the long journey.

                                                            Amani, the ship's rat catcher

May 18:  DreamWeaver casts off the dock at Ladysmith to go through Dodd Narrows at slack water (water will be calm as the tides are changing) to meet up with Melody outside Nanaimo Harbour. Depending on weather and winds, cross Georgia Strait and anchor in False Bay, Lasqueti Island.

May 19: Travel north through Desolation Sound area into Squirrel Cove, Cortes Island, Desolation Sound, anchoring for the night.

May 20: Continuing north to transit Yuculta, Gillard Passage and Dent Rapids (see note below) at first slack and continuing to Shoal Bay to overnight.  
  

May 21: Transit Greenpoint and Whirlpool Rapids rapids to overnight in Forward Harbour. If weather and time permits we may instead proceed down Sunderland Channel and into Johnstone Strait.  Johnstone Strait is always an anomaly given the tidal currents and winds that can blow up to 50 knots. Good conditions may allow us to get to Port Harvey or Lagoon Cove, a point at which we will be able to do a Blog update.