2015 SE Alaska Cruise out of Skagway

[Salmon Fisher]

Love reading your posts, it's like being there with you guys. That new tracking system on DeLorme is great, too.
Thank you!

[Hunkydory]

Patrick Kim, thanks for the comments.

7-16-15 Today we made the pleasant 25 mile run from Portage Bay to Petersburg at an average speed of a touch over 6 mph. One interesting to us aspect of the day was a whale moving along the shore just ahead of up this pace for many miles. We being about a quarter mile further off shore than it only very gradually finally overtook & passed it. The wet weather is continuing with a steady rain this evening, which is supposed to continue on & off for a few days. I hope it is at least clear enough to see well, the Laconte Glacier, which we will be going to on the Discovery tomorrow. Jolee & I, are very much looking forward to this shared time with Brent & Dixie aboard the Discovery tomorrow. 26 miles today & 802 total

[20dauntless]

Jay, fun to read about your travels. Sounds like you're having a great time. I turned around at Ketchikan this year and explored Haida Gwaii (previously the Queen Charlotte Islands). They were interesting, remote, and beautiful, but not nearly as amazing as SE Alaska. Next year I think I'll finally do the outside of Chichagof and Baranof...

Hope your travels continue to go well.

[doc]

Jay and Jolee,
By your Delorme, it looks like you're in or near the same slip we were in a week ago today. We saw maybe forty whales up at cape Fenshaw on our way home and had to cross the area with great care. We did a cruise from Juneau to Couverden, Hoonah, Port Frederic, Tenakee, Warm Spring Bay, across Frederick sound, to Petersburg and back up the east side of Stephens Passage to home. Great trip with mostly calmer seas and some, not all sun. The weather in Juneau is pretty scuddy today. Typical weather for S.E. A Wings 207 enroute to Hoonah flew into a mountain near Couverden with five aboard today. CG has flown three survivors back to Juneau so far, no word yet on the other two. I just saw them heading back out flying close to the water through the low scud on their run back out there. Stay off the rocks and keep having fun. We should be around when you get back north so be sure to stop by.

[Hunkydory]

Sam, we've been following your blog, catching up on it when we can, as it's not one to be missed with your excellent writing & photos.

I sure hope you can do the outside of Baranof & Chichagof island next year. I'm really looking forward to your perspective on this area as it's a favorite of mine or at least Chichagof Island is. The outside of Baranof is better suited for boats like yours now or the CD22 in very good weather periods with lots of time.

Steve, it sure is good to see you made the time for a more extended cruise this year. Only wished we would have been here a week earlier or you a week sooner, so we could have met up here in Petersburg. We are looking forward to seeing you & Colleen when we make it to the Juneau area. It's sad to here about the plane going down, but amazing to me it's not more that do. I, as I'm sure you too, have seen them flying in some horrible conditions. The rainy fog was hanging very low here in Petersburg today as I imagine it was there too.

[bcassal]

Folks following this thread:

Take a look at Jays Delorme site on the satellite view tonight 7/18.
It's stunning.

Carpy

[Hunkydory]

Carpy, I agree it is.

7-19-15. In an hour or so we will be ending our Petersburg stop over with our nights anchorage somewhere in Thomas Bay. We actually ate out with only a little arm twisting from Dixie & had an all around fun time here while stalking up on supplies & a extremely fun run to the Laconte Glacier in the Discovery.

We took on 51 gal of fuel making for the run since the last fueling in Sitka of 300 miles a average of 5.8 mpg & the total trip so far 6.1 mpg. The docks in Peterburg make for easy walking distance to the stores & the locals extremely friendly. The only drawbacks are some very powerful smells from the cannery especially if the wind just right, along with load music from the workers area blaring just about 24 hours a day. I would much prefer listening to the sounds of the birds & the all the different boats coming & going.

One noteworthy visit while here was with a 80 year old man who was preparing his 40 foot, long liner fishing boat for another outing. He has been his whole life & continues to now, fish by himself, saying it is not work for he loves it. We watched him ease out from the dock this morning. What a guy! The other was meeting the Doridaze crew, who we will most likely see again at anchor tonight in Thomas Bay.

[Hunkydory]

7-19-15 continued. Along with Discovery & us, the Doridaze & Nudibranch a Ranger Tug & fellow C-Brat member are anchored here in Thomas Bay. The only other boat a sailboat, the Tanga, a boat we saw & talked to the owners earlier in our cruise in both Sitka & Red Bluff Bay. It is strange how out in this vast area of so many places to anchor, how many times we have anchored with & talked to the same people.

It has rained off & on most of the afternoon since leaving Peterburg & this evening it is beautiful with shimmering fog close to the water, in which the anchored boats around us appear & disappear & above, the different layers of fog clinging in waves on the mountains sides, making this anchorage even without the abundance of the normal wildlife, still very enjoyable. This is the first place we've anchored on this cruise with out eagles flying above or sitting on their perches waiting for the rising fish. 22 miles today & 824 total. On the water--day 41

7-20-15 with the assistance of the last of the ebbing tide the other boats & us all headed out Thomas Bay where two went south toward Petersburg & the three C-Dorys north toward Cape Fenshaw. Doridaze continued on toward Tracy Arm Cove & we stopped to anchor for the night in the narrows of Cleveland Passage. For the first time this cruise it took three different try's to get the anchor set. When it wouldn't set & I retrieved it to try again, the anchor would come up wrapped in huge broad leafed kelp. No small boat anchor, that I'm aware of will easily set when the bottom is covered with it, so just very happy to have the windless doing the pulls for me.

It was difficult trying to sort out our memories between how Cape Fenshaw looked today & in 2004, when we rounded her in the rough waters & thick fog after losing our navigational system in the rapids, prior at Fords Terror. It appears now, what we took for the Cape then was instead the Stormy Islands just preceding it. When approaching from the north the length of the Stormy Island baring rocks are the reason in my written account of it, I thought the cape extended so far out into Fredrick Sound. Fortunately at that time, after several close encounters with the Stormy Island rocks, the last swing back out was big enough to clear the Cape too. 39 miles today & 863 total. On the water--day 42

7-21-15. Pulled anchor & left our anchorage in the narrows of Cleveland Passage in pea soup fog. With the radar & electronic charts, if not a relaxing endeavor at least not nerve tingling. It really isn't something we dread anymore & the choice between leaving early in the fog or later when it clears & then fight the chop not a hard decision, especially when making a long open water crossing like today's of Fredrick Sound. The waters were flat calm & the fog lifted just before our approach to the Five Fingered Islands & it's scenic light house. Jolee had just finished a murder mystery book based there, so that made the passage through them all the more interesting for her. What we didn't expect & had never seen before, there or anywhere else, was the huge number of humpback whales. There were over 30 whales in fairly close proximity & of them at least three separate groups doing their bubble feeding. At times this was occurring right beside both the Discovery & Hunkydory. We had to watch our maneuvering very closely because right behind us out of the fog appeared the State of Alaska Fish & Game, large vessel called the "Enforcer". We didn't get in trouble, even though very close to the whales, I believe due to just the huge number of them making either sitting still or maneuvering in any direction an encounter. For a while we just drifted & enjoyed the whale performance. Brent called & said he & Dixie saw among the whales a white one. We never saw it, but I believe they did. The Discovery crew also had a whale within a few feet of them last night at anchorage & yesterday were also in the middle of another pod of 10, so this sure has been an exceptional see the whales cruise, the humpbacks now & orcas earlier.

Tonight we're anchored in Snug Harbor, Gambier Bay, Admiralty Island, so back in the Big Brown bear Islands. After anchoring, I went on a 12 mile mokai ride up into the high tidal area & creek inlets. No bears visible, but their sign is everywhere. When the fish start moving up steam & they have just barely started here now, it can make for an exciting mokai ride in the shallow creek waters. 28 miles today & 891 total. On the water--day 43

7-22-15 I forgot to mention an interesting happening yesterday. As we were checking the shore shallows out for anchoring in Snug Harbor, Jolee noticed a mama mink & four kits moving along the water edge followed by an eagle swooping down trying for one of the young mink. The mama jumped up at it & that distracted it long enough for them to all make the safety of the alders. As happens often, I'm scurrying for the camera & generally miss some of the action & the photo too.

The next morning we slowly motored along the shorelines of Gambier Bay looking for bears & other wildlife. There was plenty of wildlife to see, but no bears. When the tide was right for a little extra push we left Gambier Bay for Pleasant Cove, which is about 15 miles up Seymour Inlet from Gambier Bay. Just before dark & after watching two whales pass by the Islands that protect this bay from the rougher waters of Seymour Inlet & a sea lion catch & eat a salmon! I went out for a mokai ride & found the salmon were gathering at the river mouth to the bay & several bears fishing for them just up stream. Whales, bears, deer, eagles & many other wildlife in abundance. Due to its special beauty & variety of wildlife, especially at this time of the season, I've described this bay in past write ups of visits here in great detail, so this time will only add, its in the running for my top two favorite bays in all Southeast Alaska & that's very high praise, as there are many jewels from which to compare.

The unpleasant hum Brent & others recently told us we had in our main VHF radio when transmitting, went away today, but along it with all out going transmissions too, so we are now down to our hand held VHF radio until we can purchase a new one in Juneau. 35 miles today & 926 total. On the water--day 44

9-23-15. The wind blew & heavy rain fell all night & on into mid afternoon. I donned my heavy rain gear & made a early run on the Mokai exploring in & out of the bay. It was fun in the Mokai in the rough water & the spray not a problem in the heavy rain. I saw several bears & other wildlife, but couldn't use the camera or binoculars for detail. When the rain stopped, I went back out & was treated to some of the best bear watching I've ever experienced. A mama bear in the river catching fish, then having her very small cubs come & get them from her & struggle back through the fast water to shore to eat. A large male challenging the female two different times for space to fish with different outcomes both times & perhaps the best a mama & one cub coming out to the shore, where I was floating downstream & quietly by. When she realized, I wasn't a floating log, there was some intense staring & then standing for a better look. Forunately for us both, as she was perhaps only 25 yards away & the water shallow, she made an irrupt run away. Later Jolee & I both went out in the Mokai, where we watched another mother & cubs up close & several others, but from a safe distance as the water between us & the bears was deep.

Brent fished & also did some bear watching with four seen by us all from our boats at anchorage. The last just inshore where our boats are anchored & close to where Brent took his dog Rusty to shore just minutes before

Pack Creek, a supervised reservation requiring formal bear watching area not many miles further down Seymour Canal from us here draws many, but I bet the bear viewing here was just as good or better today. On the water--day 45

7-24-15 Up in the morning to semi blue skies that turned into a wonderful warm day with only a variable breeze. It was an absolute perfect weather day & we were in the perfect spot to enjoy it.

During the mid morning Mokai run I was able to view a terrific battle between the same two bears that had more minor confrontations yesterday. They stood toe to toe like two boxers slugging it out & then the smaller one sends the bigger bear into the air where in lands on its back in the water with a huge splash followed by its turning tale & being chased, but it returned & the battle resumed upstream, where I could only hear the roaring. Sometime later the big bear was back at the good fishing spot & no other bears around for the rest of the day. I was so intent on watching the battle, that I missed getting it captured on video. Such an event is very captivating when you are alone.

With the weather so perfect, late morning, we all went to shore at the little fish bay inlet to the river with our folding chairs & while Brent fished we relaxed in the sunshine with an occasional glimpse of the bear fishing also, further up the stream. Brent caught two nice salmon & could have caught many more if he had wanted to. On the water--day 46

7-25-16 last night it got down to 44 degrees, so I waited a bit for the warming sunshine before going up to the riffle the bears prefer for catching fish, to see if any were there. No bears, so just sat in the Mokai with the motor off watching the fish & eagles. When nature called for a stop on shore, I noticed very fresh bear tracks in the wet tidal grass. This put me on full alert just before ones head appeared over the rise about 20 yards away. It appeared to be the same young bear just put off from its mother, that we had seen off our anchorage the night before. The young bears such as this are very nervous & hyper with them moving almost constantly. When it noticed me, it ran for the tree line, then peered at me for a few minutes from the thick foliage, where I could only get glimpses of it. The next I saw it was about 300 yards away, moving fast by the bear riffle. Even small when unexpected & very close, they get the adrenaline pumping.

We have spent three nights in this fantastic well named Bay & the last couple hours we have been preparing the boat for our next run which is about 30 miles to Tracy Arm Cove from here & reached by first, going down Seymour Inlet, then up Stephens Passage. We have timed the currents for help both ways, but will now know shortly if that was a mistake, due to tide against the wind & current going up Stephens Passage. With only 10 knots forecast hopefully the chop will be minor. The wind direction forecast had changed abruptly after making our original plan. The wind direction may have changed, but it didn't blow anywhere near the 10 knots, which made for a very smooth ride.

With plans of leaving to Fords Terror at 7AM, instead of anchoring in Tracy Arm Cove, we found a small bite on the south east end of Harbor Island, which lies on the Stephens Passage side of Hokham Bay. The other side branches off to Tracy & Endicott Arms of which both have very large tide water glaciers at their heads. The view out from here tonight is looking directly up Tracy Arm & at the many huge ice burgs grounded on the bar & to the right, large tidal flats with the remains of sumdum glacier hanging just above.

Having ran out of the last of the Laconte Glacier ice for our ice chest, even the extra that Brent & Dixie had given us from their K2, we, before anchoring went looking for more. We couldn't find any small bergy bits, so from a larger one, we eased up along side & used a hammer & large screw driver to break off chunks, then the fishing net to scoop them up, so now the ice chest is full again with ice from the the Tracy Arm glaciers. 27 miles today & 953 total. On the water--day 47

7-26-15. We paid the price of a very rough night in exchange for the good evening view. Just at dark the winds increased down Tracy Arm & we were well shaken & stirred for most of the night. I did have reservations about the spot for anchoring or tied as we were to a forest service boat buoy, but felt the odds were more for flat calm then the wind picking up.

Both tired boat crews still managed to come alert & head up Endicott Arm at 7AM, which timed us just right for the slack water high tide entrance into Ford Terrors Inlet. The place is majestically the same with its grandeur unequaled, but its now, unlike our first three visits here in 2004, 2007 & 2010 been found by other cruisers & mini-cruise ships. Our 2012 cruise into here was the first time we shared it with another boat & that a mini-cruise ship. This time in the entrance was a larger cruise ship & as we entered the more narrow opening were greeted by at least nine large rubber fast boats from the mother ship carrying perhaps a dozen or more passengers each & including us there are four cruise boats anchored here at the head of the west arm tonight. At least even with all this activity there was a bear on shore at the inlet on our arrival & we have wonderful memories of Fords Terror when it was still very much off the beaten path with some of them mimicking its name, like our error of running the full flowing mid ebb tide Rapids by mistake in 2004 & just missing by a day one way & hours the other the big rock slides & resulting wind & waves of 2012.

We started our Alaska cruising in our small 22 foot boat in 2003 with no other prior boating experience other than with canoes & rubber inflatables & at times the learning curves steep & costly, but looking back at what we would have missed if we had not taken up these challenges with their inherit risk, it would have been to miss so much of what makes life great to us. There is also a great personnel satisfaction in going from the very novice of the boating community to the full realization of knowing you are now seasoned & accomplished in the ongoing challenges, that make up such a cruise as we are undertaking this summer.

There is another bear, a black bear this time by our anchorage tonight. Sometime before the end of the cruise, I'm going to add up the number of bears we've seen from anchorages on this trip, because I know it's much higher than on any other in the past.
32 miles today & 985 total. On the water--day 48

7-27-15. This was a non stop cold rainy day, that has turned into one of the better of this cruise. We decided to take the chance, even though it meant going into the wind & tide & through the ice fields in the fog & rain to see if we could get within sight of the tide water Dawes Glacier, which is at the head of Endicott & about 16 miles up from the entrance to Fords Terror Inlet. Jolee & I in 2012, tried in good weather & though we could see its face, even on the Mokai, couldn't find a passage through the ice to get much nearer than 2 miles. Today we found good passages through the icebergs right up to its face & what a magnificent sight. With no fog near the face from about 3 miles out it could be seen clearly & the roar of its calving very load. On the return to Fords Terror to Anchor tonight, we picked up more ice for the ice chest, so now we have put in the ice chest, ice from three different tide water glaciers this trip. The timing for slack tides worked out where we left Fords Terror on the High Slack & returned 6 hours later with not having to wait to re enter on the low slack. There was a bear on shore as we re anchored tonight & then another showed up right by the Discovery as we were all eating a delicious Dixie cooked, salmon dinner from the fish Brent had caught in Pleasant Cove. It was not the usual go to your friends place for dinner, however. Imagine, in the setting of Fords Terror in the pouring rain, donning rain gear & lifejackets & then, Jolee & I getting into a small motorized kayak meant for one person, by going over the side from our boat, motoring over to theirs & then back over the side into Brent & Dixie's & back again after dinner with just enough light to see, making going out to dinner a real adventure in itself, as was Brent's after dinner trip for their dog Rusty to shore, rowing his small rubber dinghy to the same place the bear just vacated. 50 miles today & 1035 total. On the water--day 49.

7-28-15. We left Fords Terror just a tad to early for a slack tide run out across the entry bar, making for another accelerating start for the run today to tonights anchorage at the entrance to Holkham Bay. We have found a spot just off a row of crab pot floats, between the southern point that forms Holkum Bay & Wood Spit, which is the west point of the entry into Endicott Arm. The winds are forecast from the south, so even with us being able to see out the Holkum Bay entrance & directly up Stephens Passage for at least 45 miles, we should be only gently rocked tonight. 29 miles today & 1064 total. On the water--day 50

7-29-15. We were more than gently rocked last night, but not so bad we couldn't sleep. We much prefer & will stick more closely to the small confined bays & inlets for our future anchorages.

It was a smooth run today up to Taku Harbor with the tide & 15 knot wind on our sterns. Tonight we are tied to the state docks near the old cannery & had a very enjoyable walk about their remains this afternoon, followed by a good gab fest aboard the Discovery this evening. It sure was fun rehashing what we've seen & done together so far since we met up in Idaho on June 6th. We will be in Juneau tomarrow & in a few days from there, Jolee & I will continue on alone back to the Chatham Strait, Icy Strait & Cross Sound Areas & Brent & Dixie to Haines, Skagway & home. What a wonderful two months this has been sharing some of our favorite places & finding new ones with such fantastic company. Their combined boating skills & teamwork added to what we have learned on previous cruises in Southeast Alaska made this joint adventure as safe as possible, while cruising to areas many others will never have the pleasure of seeing. 33 miles today & 1097 total. On the water--day 51

[thataway]

Jay,
What size was the "cruise boat" in Ford's terror? The only commercial boat we met in our 4 trips in, was one charter boat which had 6 passengers and 2 crew--probably about 50 feet.

[Cview]

Diane and I are taking a 1 week cruise in early September on Un-Cruise Advenures 176' Wilderness Explorer ship with 74 other guests and a crew of 27. One of our planned stops is Fords Terror.

We've certainly enjoyed following the adventures of Hunky Dory and Discovery. Hope we meet again at Lake Powell or elsewhere!

Tony and Diane
C-View
C-Dory 25

[Hunkydory]

Bob, the mini- cruise ship we saw there in 2012 was around 100 feet or maybe a little more with about 25 passengers. The "Silver Discover" we saw there this year perhaps 300 to 400 feet & much to big to cross the entry bar. It was anchored in the middle of the outer channel & the passengers were being toured into the inlet in somewhere around a dozen large RIB's. If the boat Tony & Diane will be on actually enters the inner inlet, I think it probably at the max of being able to do so. The one we saw inside the inlet in 2012 was considerably smaller.

Tony & Diane, other then going in your own boat, your plans of going in a mini cruiser like you chose or even smaller will make for a wonderful Southeast Alaska cruise. Your going to love your Fords Terror visit. We hope to meet up again with guys too.

[Discovery]

I just looked up the "Silver Discoverer", It's 338' long, with a beam of 51" and carries 120 passengers. I bet it costs a lot more per day than cruising on Discovery or HunkyDory, and goes to a lot less remote places.

[doc]

Jay and Jolee.
I sent you a pm. Let me know if you want the truck tomorrow. If you call early, I can drop by the harbor on my way to work and you can drop me off. I'll be up at six if you are moving then. Hell of a trip.

[Hunkydory]

7-30-15. Smooth run to Juneau where we found the same poor facilities at Harris Harbor as in our visit in 2007. No showers & bathrooms only portapotties, so with the tide very close to high, we made our 2nd run though the dry when low tide flats of Mendenhall passage. I was advised by Auke Bay Harbor to not try it, when I called there for other formation & they asked for our arrival time. I told them I'd been through before & was confident in our small boats making it through again. Even though we arrived early afternoon, we were lucky to find a space, as we got the last two available.
43 miles today & 1140 total. on the water---day 52

7-31-15. Doc Steve, again came to our assistance by loaning us his pick up to do supply shopping & purchase a new VHF radio. It saved us many hours of bus riding & transfers plus ease of getting supplies to the dock. We also got in a short but enjoyable visit. It was wonderful to see him again & hope to see more of them both in the next couple days, but he & Colleen are super busy as usual & he is having to work this weekend. Day on the water 53

8-1-15. Brent & Dixie fueled & headed out this morning to Skagway. It was fond farewells, till we meet again & they will be missed as we continue this cruise. Brent called me about noon & they were already in their pick up driving around Skagway with plans of being on the road for home this afternoon. The Tomcat sure made a quick run up the Lynn Canal.

I got the radio installed & it is working well. The voice clarity is much improved from our old one.

[Hunkydory]

8-1-15 continued. We fueled up in preparation for heading back out again tomorrow & found in our last 338 miles cruising from Petersburg to Auke Bay, by Juneau, we averaged 5.8 smpg, which is exactly the same as the prior run to that of 297 miles from Sitka

This evening Steve picked us up & we went to their house on Indian Cove for a most enjoyable evening of Alaska boating talk & other conversation. On the water---54

8-2-15 We left Auke Bay at 6AM to catch the early morning flat water & a helpful ebb tide with plans of making Teneeke Springs in a couple days. After another good check of weather decided a better option is to head toward Hoonah. Seas are supposed to be very calm in a couple days around the Dundas River, a non monitored area of Glacier Bay, so hoping to make it there for a run up the river in the Mokai & also back up Dundas Bay Inlet, where we were last n 2007. With the warm blue sky day today, just couldn't stop moving, so tonight we are back up at a forest service dock toward the head of Port Fredrick. They were filming a wilderness adventure film in this area when we were here almost two months ago & today, we had to wait for the film crew of about 15 to leave the dock before we could go in & then tonight, there were three young people dropped off & they took off walking along the shore with guns. The film crew will be back in the morning. The ones we met were not talkative or very friendly. This evening we have our chairs out on the old dock & it's warm, calm & beautiful all around. 79 miles today & 1219 total. On the water--- day 55