SE Alaska group cruise 2022

jkidd · Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2022 11:35 pm Post subject:

29.6 mph

Hunkydory · Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2022 12:31 am Post subject:

Hunkydory · Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2022 1:06 am Post subject:

7-27-2022 Day 69

I Woke up at the Bohemia dock on Lisianski Strait to the fog having lifted & made way, the short distance to Pelican with plans of staying a day or two, but when I got the weather report it said today was the last of the west winds for a week & they were shifting to come from the east with more heavy rain & fog. Didn’t want to pound into the east wind & now knew, I had limited time to make south Inian by Elfin Cove before it changed to an ebb. I made a quick stop at Pelican, then on plane out Lisianski Inlet to the open to the Gulf swells of Cross Sound & through South Inian Passage on plane, then the last of todays 70 miles to Hoonah at displacement speed.

I had a startling experience with a whale, while coming around Adolphus Point. I had noticed a whale very close to a small fishing boat as I was approaching the point, then shortly after passing the fishing boat & point, I hear a load noise & a bump on the boat, but couldn’t see anything, until I raised & looked out the port side window. The whale was going the same direction as me & the side of it, when I looked out & down was not 2 feet from the boat. It went down & my first thought was it’s tale isn’t going to clear the boat, but it did & then it raised up behind me for just a few seconds & was gone. Don’t know what the whale was thinking, but it sure got my attention.

70 miles today & 2001 total

7-28-2022 Day 70

Up at 5 am to rain & fog, with plans for slow cruise up Port Fredrick. The fog lifted slightly, but then the rain became heavy, which lasted to the evening. Only saw one bear, but in these conditions I could have missed several more. The weather report is calling for a rare very calm water day tomarrow, then more rain & wind, so I think I’ll take advantage of a light variable wind day on the Lynn Canal & make for Skagway tomarrow. It’s hard for me to believe this summers Alaska adventure is about over.

33 miles today & 2034 total

7-29-2022. Day 71

With a quick run up the Lynn Canal in good weather, I’m now back at the Skagway dock. When I checked on the pick up, I found both batteries dead. The assistant harbor master after trying to jump start it loaned me her personal pick up to purchase new batteries at Petro Marine. They were low quality & pricey at $450 for the two size 78 lead acid, but just glad they had them & thankful for the generously loaned vehicle.

I’ll pull the boat tomarrow morning & give it a good cleaning with the rentable hot water pressure washer, then shortly after be on the road for home. It’s been a wonderful trip and as always hate to see it end.

Bill, spent the night in Boat Harbor & will likely be here later tomarrow or Sunday.

108 miles today & 2142 total for the trip

I used 365 gal of gas for an average of 5.9 mpg.

The HunkyDory since 2003 has now cruised 13,875 miles in the SE Alaska area & 25,068 miles in total & by the time I’m home, I will have spent 1100 nights aboard.

Jay

Tony Ferris · Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2022 8:33 am Post subject:

You have no idea how great it has been to read of your adventure. Thanks so much for posting such great detail. Glad you have found your way safely back to Skagway. Here's to a safe trip back home.

Peter & Judy · Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2022 12:03 pm Post subject:

Jay,

I'm enjoying your posts on this great adventure. More than any other C-Brat I think you can truthfully boast that you are getting your money's worth out of your boat.

Dora~Jean · Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2022 12:09 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the info on the highway conditions. Great trip, glad you made it back safely.

Some thoughts on your dead batteries. All vehicles have some parasitic current loss. Some more than others. For months-long trips like this, would it be prudent to disconnect the battery (...ies) and put them on a small trickle solar charger(s)?

ssobol · Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2022 12:59 pm Post subject:

colbysmith · Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2022 1:10 pm Post subject:

When I spent two months on my Alaska Cruise several years ago, I did disconnect my battery. I was parked at Coastal Propane in Prince Rupert and informed the owner/manager there in case he needed to reconnect to move the rig. When I got back from cruising, I reconnected the battery, and it took a very short time for some things to reset to work properly. (Mostly things dealing with the Sync radio system and such electronics.)
I usually don't worry about the parasitic draw for a month or less, but if I'm leaving it for more than 5-6 weeks, I would disconnect again.
Jay, like others, I've enjoyed your, Jody and Bill's posts, both here, on Facebook and in private emails. Would have loved to been with you guys to see a few new places that I missed last time. The Inside Passage in our boats is a bucket list item that I highly recommend others do if they get the opportunity. Colby

kennharriet · Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2022 1:16 pm Post subject:

Thanks for sharing your adventures Jay. I really appreciate your tips and advice as we prepped for our Prince William Sound trip this spring. Safe travels home. I smoothed out some of the frost heaves for you on my trip earlier. Maybe see you at Bridge Bay on Yellowstone. Headed that way ith grandsons mid Aug. Ken

jkidd · Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2022 8:40 am Post subject:

Jay in Red Bluff Bay

jkidd · Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2022 1:26 pm Post subject:

Jay headed out to the open ocean and the fog.

Hunkydory · Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2022 10:49 pm Post subject:

Yes, disconnecting the batteries & possibly a small solar trickle charger, good advice, however I’ve in the past on this pick up left it several times up to three months with no problem starting. This time, I had left the inverter & GMRS two way radio plugged in.

Thanks for all the positive comments about the trip.

I made it back home today. 4741 miles & 356 gal of diesel, averaging 13.3 mpg. 8 nights on the road. 5 nights going & 3 nights on the return home. No problem with pick up or trailer other than the batteries.

Good to see more photos from Jody.

Jay

Devonaire · Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2022 10:20 pm Post subject:

Hi everyone,
Devon in C- ration. Picking up a co captain in Ketchikan tonight. Heading across Dixon Entrance tomorrow. Winds 5 -15 increasing 10- 20 Friday. Wanting to get that behind me. Hopefully I'll make the Blackberry Festival in Powell River on the 19th. Maybe run into Ron on Meander. It was great to reacquaint with Jay. He is right on more fuel, would be awesome. I took the LeConte Glacier tour out of Petersburg. $225, and well worth it. No bent props, and gas would have been half that price.went right into the Glacier watched it calve several times. On my way down from Juneau at Five Finger Lighthouse I caught a whale breaching. Finally got the camera going. Five breaches in 1 minute and 8 seconds. Some things just make your trip. Anan Bear Observatory. Yes!!! Lots of pink salmon and lots of bears catching fish. That fuel thing kept me from going to Pack Creek on Admiralty Island to watch the Bears there.

thataway · Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2022 1:02 pm Post subject:

Hunkydory · Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2022 4:59 pm Post subject:

For others, the bear experience at Pack Creek may be worth the hassle of permitting & timing, but definitely not for me. As Bob said, I went by it this year on July 14th, while cruising the upper Seymour Canal, but the bears if there are not viewable from a passing boat, even if they are at the creek. Before the permitting process, we stopped there in 2004 & talked to the Ranger. It was a hot summer & only one bear hanging around, so didn’t pay the fee, to go to shore. I’ve seen literally hundreds of bears with many very close, so the idea of being led around by Rangers with other people to view the bears in a controlled setting not appealing to me, especially with so many anchorages having bears on the shore & if cruising near shore bears can often be seen. Also places like Red Bluff Bay, Takatz Bay, Pavlov Harbor, Port Fredrick, Sister Lake, Black Bay, Dundas Bay & many others, when the sedge grass is growing, salmon berries ripe or fish running up the streams have great places to view bears.

Anon & Pack creek for bear viewing is comparable to the process set up for cruising Glacier Bay. Permitting, timing for weather & extremely controlled regulations on what one may or not do, to me not appealing, when there are other better choices available. Holkum Bay with its tide water glaciers & Fords Terror is every bit or more scenic than Glacier Bay with plenty of wildlife & much less chance of being caught out in bad weather. We did finally cruise Glacier Bay in 2016, but that was in late April, so no permits required & we were free to go anywhere we desired. We cruised it for 6 days & 325 miles without seeing another boat or person, so I can make legitimate comparisons of it to the freely accessed areas in SE Alaska.

Jay