Wandering the Inside Passage to Alaska

Wanderer

The WiFi held up for me to start putting together the first section on our trip to Alaska.

This first section take us into Desolation Sound. Even this section is not complete. Take a look if interested.

LINK

Link updated by Da Nag

Papillon · Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 7:48 pm Post subject:

Thanks George

oldgrowth · Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 8:10 pm Post subject:

Great pictures - looking forward to more and wondering what the other three obstacles are?

john schuler · Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2006 5:51 am Post subject: Thanks

Love the "want to lease horse" picture. Those are the kind makes helping worthwhile to bad she isn't liveing in MT. You all be safe and keep the
pictures comming.
CoolSmile

john schuler CoolSmile

Byrdman · Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2006 8:17 am Post subject:

Hey George and Penny!! Great stuff as usual. Hey, I was thinking about Penny when someone posted a link on our site called Hot Water I think was the name of it... 2.5 gallon and on a 22.... I never will forget how happy she got when she used my hot water on FreeByrd to wash her hair. Loved traveling with you two, and hopefully you can make the Gulf Coast Gathering 20-22Oct 06 in Apalachicola Bay/Eastpoint, FL area. Pretty sure I will cruise down the east side of AL/west side of GA down to FL on the river(s). Bill and El did this...and I think it is a nice 3 day cruise. Keep on posting.

Byrdman

Otter-BelleHavenMarina · Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 11:20 am Post subject:

Wonderful pics, George and Penny! Thanks from all of us living vicariously through your adventures. Please give our regards to El & Bill and Casey as well.
Best wishes,

Discovery · Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2006 6:21 pm Post subject:

George and Penny,

The pix are great and it's obvious you all are having a great time. We wish we were there with you. Keep sending updates--we love hearing about the trip. Give our best to Bill, El and Casey.

Brent and Dixie

Wanderer · Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 9:36 pm Post subject:

Wanderer reached Petersburgh, Ak today - 15 June. Casey waited in Ketchikan for Sandy to arrive today. El and Bill were to meet family in Prince Rupert on 12 June. We hope to run into them again on this trip.

Met Tonie O in Prince Rupert and again yesterday in Wrangell. Expect them to be in Petersburgh tonight.

Hope to visit Le Conte Glacier tomorrow if conditions are right. Otherwise will try to update: [url]www.2Wander.com[/url].

Wanderer · Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 2:15 pm Post subject:

Wanderer arrived in Juneau this morning - 19 June.

Several days ago we visited the LeConte Glacier along with Tonie 0.

Here is one picture from that trip.

Byrdman · Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 2:38 pm Post subject:

What an A W E S O M E picture George and Penny....

Yall are killing me....

Safe Travels and tell the gang I said Hey!

Maybe some of yall will want to try this again next summer...

Byrdman

Not For Hire · Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 3:54 pm Post subject:

Love these vicarious thrills. George you should send a copy to the factory site, you could be photo of the month.

Grateful to all on this Alaska adventure for sharing.

Regards,

ffheap · Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2006 7:24 pm Post subject:

Hi Folks,

What a great adventure. Keep the story coming.

Fred

JamesTXSD · Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2006 8:33 pm Post subject:

Dear George, Penny, and all the Alaska travelers,
We have been following your adventures and enjoying it all. I have to relate something my wife just said..."I have never been interested in a trip to Alaska, but after seeing those photos and reading the stories, it is something we should really consider. Especially now that we'll have a boat that can keep us toasty and out of the weather."

Thank you for showing us the endless possibilities of these wonderful boats. Thumbs Up

Best wishes,
Jim & Joan B.

Wanderer · Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 8:14 am Post subject:

I have added a new section to the web site. Pics only. Write-up later.

www.2Wanderer.com

Wanderer · Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2006 2:21 pm Post subject:

Wanderer is in Echo Bay after a fast passage south from Wrangell. Halcyon, Rana Verde and Wanderer left Wrangell on July 5 and spent the night in Berg Bay. The next day we went up the Bradfield Canal scanning the deltas for bears. That night we dropped anchor in Vixen Harbor near the junction of Clarence and Ernest Straits.

Next morning, July 7, we pulled anchors at 04:30 and headed south. After a stop for fuel in Ketchikan we slogged our way in rising wind and waves to drop anchor at 11:00 in Foggy Bay. A gale was forecast for the evening. By 18:00, the wind is down and we decide to cross Dixon Strait and to get into Prince Rupert ahead of the gale. The wind did not begin to rise until we were about 5 miles from our destination. Four hours after leaving, we tied up at the Prince Rupert Rowing and Yacht Club and checked through customs -128 nm.

Next morning the dock master told us to leave - they had no space available. Halcyon and Rana Verde pull their boats and leave by land. After failing to find a slip, we tie up to a fishing boat and wait for the gale to blow out.

July 9. It is not until 05:10 that there is enough light to see debris in the water. The wind is light in the marina. We start south. A stop in Hartley Bay for fuel at 09:50. Tie to dock in Shearwater at 16:30. A beautiful run of 181 nm.

July 10 – a day to remember. Down Fitz Hugh Sound, into Fury Cove, for flat water to pour fuel from jugs into tanks for preparation for rounding Cape Caution and crossing Charlotte Sound. Weather report from Egg Island is 14 knots from the NW with a 1.6 meter swell from the SE. Forecast is for NW 5 – 15 in the afternoon. Wanderer departs Fury Cove at 08:45.

Life aboard soon got interesting. My undivided attention is given to keeping the boat on course as we work south –one hand on the wheel to maintain course and one on the throttle to adjust speed for up wave and down wave. As is our practice when conditions warrant it, Penny continually looks for harbors of refuge, reports her findings and I inspect the chart for a vector to that destination. There is a stretch of about 20 miles as you pass Egg Island and Cape Caution where there are no harbors to seek refuge. To the west lies the Pacific Ocean, an unforgiving shore lies to the east. You either continue or turn back. We continued. We passed inside of Egg Island and gave Cape Caution a wide berth. Along this stretch, we saw one large fishing boat. When both of us were in a trough, at the same time, I could see only the top of her masts. Fortunately, there was only about a foot of white water on top of the swells.

We put into Miles Inlet for lunch and thought to wait for the wind to do some of its 5 knot duty. It didn’t. We left. Our goal was to be in the Broughtons when a SE gale was forecast for the next day. We sighted one ship and a 72 ft sailboat. No other pleasure craft or fishing boats were out. We continued to Wells Passage with the wind aft at about 12-15 knots. It heaped up in the entrance for about ¼ mile, then, the water flattened out as we got inside. In bright sunshine, we enjoyed the spectacular scenery. We took on gas at Sullivan Bay and motored in calm water to Echo Bay arriving at 18:00 – 139nm.

Today, July 11, we are tied to the small public dock, where a sign reads no boats larger than 23 feet. Small is sometime good! There is free Wifi, it is raining and we are enjoying our lay-day. Here it is calm. I wonder if that predicted gale is over Charlotte Sound? We expect to stop traveling and begin cruising again. Some of our favorite stops lay between here and the next open water - Johnstone Straits. We’re so relaxed I may not even listen to a weather report.