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The Ultimate C-Dory Cruising Challenge

 
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KevinDU



Joined: 10 Dec 2010
Posts: 84
City/Region: Terrace
State or Province: BC
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Sea Otter
Photos: Sea Otter
PostPosted: Thu Jan 31, 2019 9:50 pm    Post subject: The Ultimate C-Dory Cruising Challenge Reply with quote

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
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thataway



Joined: 02 Nov 2003
Posts: 20778
City/Region: Pensacola
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: thataway
Photos: Thataway
PostPosted: Thu Jan 31, 2019 11:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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??

_________________
Bob Austin
Thataway
Thataway (Ex Seaweed) 2007 25 C Dory May 2018 to Oct. 2021
Thisaway 2006 22' CDory November 2011 to May 2018
Caracal 18 140 Suzuki 2007 to present
Thataway TomCat 255 150 Suzukis June 2006 thru August 2011
C Pelican; 1992, 22 Cruiser, 2002 thru 2006
Frequent Sea; 2003 C D 25, 2007 thru 2009
KA6PKB
Home port: Pensacola FL
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tsturm



Joined: 01 Nov 2003
Posts: 1134
City/Region: Soldotna
State or Province: AK
C-Dory Year: 2003
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: JMR TOO
Photos: JMR-TOO
PostPosted: Fri Feb 01, 2019 1:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

thataway wrote:
I wondered about the title of your post--Eastern Coast of Alaska.


Come on now, that is the S.E. Alaska coast line every way I look at it. Not confusing at all. Don't forget what happened in
Lituya Bay.

What is the white stuff in chicken poop?
Oh wait it's just more chicken poop!

Have a good one! Mr. Green Rolling Eyes
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thataway



Joined: 02 Nov 2003
Posts: 20778
City/Region: Pensacola
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: thataway
Photos: Thataway
PostPosted: Fri Feb 01, 2019 4:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Come on now, that is the S.E. Alaska coast line every way I look at it. Not confusing at all. Don't forget what happened in
Lituya Bay.


To many of us lower 48 dwellers, Cape Spencer (The northern point of Icy Straits) is the Northern point of what is termed "South East Alaska". My point was that the book name was given incorrectly: It is "EXPLORING THE EASTERN GULF OF ALASKA: FROM CAPE SPENCER TO CORDOVA. To validate what I wrote, I checked with my friend who has run tugs and barges back and forth to Alaska for over 30 years. He calls this coast the Eastern Gulf of Alaska. Wikipedia defines Southeast Alaska as: "Southeast Alaska is the northern terminus of the Inside Passage"


Wikipedia also describes Lituya Bay (site of 1958 mega Tsunami): "Lituya Bay is a fjord located on the Fairweather Fault in the northeastern part of the Gulf of Alaska."

I guess that everything is relative--depending on where you live--Living in Soldotna, AK--there are a lot of things South.


Take care--watch. for Tsunami's along this coast!
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starcrafttom



Joined: 07 Nov 2003
Posts: 7878
City/Region: marysville
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 1984
C-Dory Model: 27 Cruiser
Vessel Name: to be decided later
Photos: Susan E
PostPosted: Fri Feb 01, 2019 5:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks like fun.
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http://tomsfishinggear.blogspot.com/
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KevinDU



Joined: 10 Dec 2010
Posts: 84
City/Region: Terrace
State or Province: BC
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Sea Otter
Photos: Sea Otter
PostPosted: Sat Feb 02, 2019 12:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.
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Jim Gibson



Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Posts: 611
City/Region: Sacramento
State or Province: CA
C-Dory Year: 1998
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Pounder
Photos: Pounder
PostPosted: Sat Feb 02, 2019 8:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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!

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Jim on M/V Pounder
And the C-Tales Continue
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Gulfcoastjohn



Joined: 03 Oct 2017
Posts: 78
City/Region: Pensacola
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2010
C-Dory Model: 255 Tomcat
Vessel Name: CAT 'O MINE
Photos: CAT 'O MINE
PostPosted: Sat Feb 02, 2019 8:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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

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2010 TC255 Cat O' Mine
Yamaha F150's
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Hunkydory



Joined: 28 Mar 2005
Posts: 2652
City/Region: Cokeville, Wyoming
State or Province: WY
C-Dory Year: 2000
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Hunkydory
Photos: Hunkydory-Jay-and-Jolee
PostPosted: Sat Feb 02, 2019 11:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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

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Jay and Jolee 2000 22 CD cruiser Hunkydory
I will not waste my days in trying to prolong them------Jack London
https://share.delorme.com/JuliusByers
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thataway



Joined: 02 Nov 2003
Posts: 20778
City/Region: Pensacola
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: thataway
Photos: Thataway
PostPosted: Sat Feb 02, 2019 11:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gulfcoastjohn wrote:

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.
John


I would put death from hypothermia way down the list of risks. There are a number of our members who cruise the upper part of AK. Those at risk may have a survival suit. The waters of the Eastern Gulf of AK are very similar to those off South East AK. We had colder water near the glaciers both in Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm (Sawyer Glacier). We actually did have a gal fall overboard from our Cal 46 in water which was about 45*--She tried to jump from our deck, to the deck of a fishing boat which we were going to raft to (even though she had been told to stay on our boat). My greater worry was her being crushed between the two hulls--and we had her out of the water in less than 30 seconds. Dry clothes and the heater--she was fine. In 40 to 50* water time to exhaustion or loss of consciousness is 30 to 60 minutes. Expected survival time is 1 to 3 hours. Hopefully anyone who ventures into cold water (including inland passage to AK in the summer) has done MOB drills (throwable preserver/rope/life sling) and getting aboard, and is conversant with the 1-10-1 concept recently discussed in another thread. (1-minute to control breathing--gasp reflex--10 minutes to at least partial incapacitation--1 hour to hypothermia/unconscious--in very cold water)
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KevinDU



Joined: 10 Dec 2010
Posts: 84
City/Region: Terrace
State or Province: BC
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Sea Otter
Photos: Sea Otter
PostPosted: Sun Feb 03, 2019 1:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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