The Ultimate C-Dory Cruising Challenge

[KevinDU]

Exploring the Eastern Coast of Alaska: From Cape Spencer to Cordova
This is an all-new addition to Don & Réanne Douglass's best-selling Exploring series of cruising guidebooks. This book details the near-shore route between Glacier Bay and Prince William Sound. Traditionally, boaters travel from Cape Spencer to Hinchinbrook Entrance by proceeding directly across 300+ miles of open North Pacific Ocean. However, weather permitting, cruisers can follow a longer and more scenic route by harbor-hopping the 10-fathom curve along Alaska's "Lost Coast." Don and Réanne Douglass describe the secure anchorages and open roadsteads which permit recreational mariners to travel during daylight hours and anchor every night. Truly secure shelter is limited to Lituya Bay, Yakutat, and Icy Bays. However, with modern electronics, charts, and weather information, pleasure craft of all sizes can travel this route. ANYONE UP TO THE CHALLENGE??? https://www.waggonerguidebooks.com/store/p328/expeastgulfAlaska.html

[thataway]

I wondered about the title of your post--Eastern Coast of Alaska. The book is "Eastern Gulf of Alaska" --which makes a lot more sense.

The Douglasses have a Nordhavn 40--certainly a more sea worthy boat than the C Dory--and a much longer range.

There are some real challenges--we had considered this when we had the Cal 46--a boat designed for world cruising and some very serious heavy weather. We had the range (over 2000 miles under power alone)--but the time at 6 knots was another issue. We would have basically gone non stop from Icy Straights to Prince William Sound. That didn't offer a lot to us at that point in life--having made a number of long ocean passages. that trip would have been about 72 hours. A relative short passage.

Equate that to a C Dory: The problems I see are weather. I would want weather fax, since no VHF weather is available all of the way--or a weather routing service.

The second is range. From Elfin Cove to Yakutat Bay, where fuel might be available is within the 200 mile range. But Yakutat Bay to Valdez or Cordova is going to be close to 300 miles. That would take 50% more fuel than the boats carry. Plus heavy weather may make an entrance to shelter difficult. (Is it possible to take a short cut at high tide to Cordova?).

Third--many of the anchorages are very deep with steep sides. Not sure how many of the side arms are good for anchoring--but it would be an exploration.

Maybe if I was 30 years younger??

[tsturm]

[thataway]

[starcrafttom]

Looks like fun.

[KevinDU]

Looks like the Waggoner Bookstore made an error in the description of the book:

"Exploring the Eastern Gulf of Alaska: From Cape Spencer to Cordova

SKU: FEC9350

$29.95

Exploring the Eastern Coast of Alaska: From Cape Spencer to Cordova"
https://www.waggonerguidebooks.com/store/p328/expeastgulfAlaska.html


Anyway, it would be interesting to read what the Douglasses have to say about cruising this forbidding coast.

[Jim Gibson]

Kevin.

As good as a C-Dory is, this is one voyage you do not want to do in our boats.

In May 2014 I crossed the Gulf of Alaska to Prince William Sound and back. Leg one was Bellingham to Ketchikan. Leg 2 was Ketichikan to Sitka. Leg 3 was Sitka to Cordova. Leg 4 was Cordova to Seward. Then we came back.

I did this crossing in a heavy, twin cat, 52 foot Grand Banks trawler that had a 2,000 mile cruising range. Leg 3 went from Sitka to Klug Bay, to Elfin Cove, to Yukatat, to Controller Bay, to Port Etches, to Cordova. This one stretch was 56 hours straight and 500 NM! We saw not one other vessel out there on this leg.

The trip was very weather dependent. We were weathered out in Cordova for 10 days before it was safe to head out again. I saw iron man hole covers blowing down the dock in Cordova.

Our trip was originally to go on from Seward to Kodiak, but we were so mentally exhausted after crossing the Gulf, that we renamed our Kodiak Trip our Prince William Sound trip and headed back home.

This would be a foolish trip in a C-Dory. I am plenty adventurous with my C-Dory (Catalina Island, Columbia and Snake Rivers, Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, SF Bay, Golden Gate, etc.) but I would never ever contemplate this Gulf of Alaska trip with one of our vessels.

There is a limit to what a C-Dory can do. Fuel range and mass are absolute limiting factors.

I hope I save some lives with this post!

[Gulfcoastjohn]

Bob and Jim,
Very pertinent (and ultimately similar) points and concerns. You solidify why we would not be interested in this particular kind of adventure.
In addition, any adventure where a fall overboard for a cruising couple has about a 50% chance of death due to hypothermia is not the adventure for us. The Bahamas sounds better and warmer and less deadly in the event of some misfortune.
Yes, it is indeed a fabulous area… and we will see it from the sea side by small cruise ship rather than by Cat O’ Mine.
Who’s doing the Bahamas in spring or fall?

John

[Hunkydory]

Yes, in my opinion it could be done in a CD22. I’ve actually done the preplanning to do it, but it would be a very hazardous undertaking & one I would only have considered doing alone or with someone else who was well versed in the risk. It is not a place I would go with JoLee. I think Paul’s cruises written up in “Arctic Solitaire” in Hudson Bay & fellow C-Brat, George Hones crossing the Northwest passage in a 27 foot metal motor/sailor to both be more risky.

We are very familiar & have cruised the Alaska Gul coast south from Cross Sound, the 150 miles along the Yacobi, Chichagof & Baranof Islands to Cape Ommaney & Port Alexander. This stretch in a CD22 can be daunting even with Sitka about half way, especially the stretch south from Sitka & around Cape Ommaney, but unlike the area north from Cross Sound to Cordova it has few places over 15 miles where a safe bay, cove or Passage can’t be reached. Storms are created in the central Gulf of Alaska waters & can arrive along the coast with very little warning. We have waited up to two weeks to go out in these waters with seas staying between 14 & 24 feet & then making it a go at 10 feet with a just a couple days later another Gale hitting the coast.

As mentioned above, I’ve considered & preplanned to do this, but it finally came down to, why do it. South of Cross Sound with all the safe beautiful places to explore just in from the Gulf as you make way south is a wonderland of wildlife & beautiful vistas, making the open to the Gulf stretches well worth the additional risk. To the north it’s just mainly open water, that at best is going to be a long rough struggle with in my opinion the rewards just not worth doing in a C-Dory, especially a CD22.

Jay

[thataway]

[KevinDU]

Found this by searching for "Lituya Bay". Someone made it there in a C-Dory 22: https://cornforthimages.com/lituya-bay-sunset-1/