06/10 Departure - WA to ALASKA

Back up to the top - only two boats signed up? This is about a month long trip, two weeks each direction. Good chance to hook up with a "boat buddy," you cruise up and the boat buddy flies in to Ketchikan and cruises your boat back down...or vice versa. Woud be cool to have a couple of more boats signed up...
 
Okay, just got a confirmation on my matey for the return 2 week trip. So I am all set for crew going up and returning. Or is that coming and going?? Looks like a short month at sea with ample time on the return to duck into some neat areas.
 
OK, Alaska Airline reservations are confirmed for Patty to fly in to Ketchikan on 6-18, and for both of us to return on 6-25, leaving Daydream in the capable hands of Rolf Hildre and Dave Olson.

Departure from Blaine for Dave Olson, Alan Olson and me is now 6-11 at zero-dark-thirty, as the lovely Miss Lydia screwed up her tracking of General University Requirements, and graduation is delayed to June - Saturday, June 10, to be precise. Since she attends Western Washington University in Bellingham, this will be fine, we will be at Birch Bay, attend the graduation, and leave VERY early in the morning on Sunday (or maybe even Saturday late afternoon, depending on the graduation schedule) to catch up to David and Jim Browning on Anna Leigh, probably at Montague Harbor, and keep right on going.

June 18 to 25 we think is circumnavigating Revillagigedo Island, Misty Fjords and all...

Rolf and Dave on Daydream and David and Fritz Ribary (David has Jim Browing on the way up, and Fritz on the way back) on Anna Leigh will then head back at a somewhat more leisurely pace, taking probably two weeks to make the trip back with lots of stops, poking into rivers and inlets...

So anybody else tantalized here? Rendevous at Montague Harbor on Sunday morning June 11 as early as possible and make it as far was we can Day One?

 
Janet and I will be staying (landlocked :( ) at Nanoose Bay, just north of Nanaimo, June 2-11.

If your schedule actually includes a June 10 departure, and you are docking on Vancouver Island that night, perhaps we could drive to your location and say hello. (We'll be exploring the island anyway; one of our reasons for going.)

I am fully aware that any such scheduling adds uncomfortable restraints to one's cruising plan -- not my intention at all. But if it seems feasible, keep us posted. (I'll assume there's a very slim chance of pulling this off . . . ; no problemo.)

(Another possibility - we bring a handheld VHF and wave as you go by!)

Ed
 
One more enticement to come along - we are going to stop in and visit Brent ("lightkeeper" here on C-Brats) and wife Sylvia at the Ivory Island Light Station! This is at Robb Point on Ivory Island, at the junction of Seaforth Channel and Milbanke Sound. Shortly after our visit, Brent will be going to Estevan Point light house, and Sylvia will become the Head Keeper at Ivory - the first female Head Keeper the Canadian Coast Guard has ever had! Would be a C-Brat, wouldn't you know!

This is going to be one GREAT adventure!
 
David/Pat

There is probably NOTHING I would like more on the boating scene, as that is my ultimate goal plus going on up to Skagway/Haines, Elfin Cove and etc. BUT, it is at least a couple years away :sad , as I am still boatless. Les should be delivering it about this time next year :D. Hopefully you guys will be well schooled on the route and ready for a repeat and possibly extended trip by then and I would surely tag along!

In the mean time, I (we all) will look forward to the posts we all know you will provide during the graat adventure. Have a GREAT trip and as DaveS would say, "BE SAFE"!

PS, The inticements would not really be necessary, but rather a BONUS!

Doug DeVore..........still boatless
 
oldgrowth":3h7tmoyq said:
Gig Harbor Wa to Ketchikan Ak

Mapquest says
Total Est. Time Driving: 26 hours, 30 minutes
Total Est. Distance: 1146.66 miles
Click to expand...
By boat, inside passage Gig Harbor, WA to Ketchikan, AK is 766 miles
Go flat out all the way - 30 mph - it would take 25 hrs & 32 min.
Click to expand...

You won't be driving a car to Ketchikan unless it's an amphicar. You drive to Prince Rupert BC, Skagway, or Haines and then ferry down or launch from there and drive the boat. Ferry is two days from Bellingham or a day from Prince Rupert. You can make Prince Rupert in two hard days of driving, or three sightseeing days from the Washington border. In June it won't really get "night" up on the Yellowhead highway (West from Hope, BC). Makes for nice scenics.

I and about a dozen other C-Dories are in Sitka, just up the line from KTN. good fishing and sightseeing here in June and July, if anyone cares.
 
This will be a great tirp, but two weeks each way may be a little tight. Things come up like the wind and water + S----- can happen both good and bad.
Make the trip safe and plan in a few extra days and nights.

good luck
Jim :thup
 
Four days and counting for David's departure, five days and counting for mine! We will meet up Sunday evening the 11th at Refuge Cove in Desolation Sound. We should have some internet, will try to report in as often as feasible. Met a couple of hours with my crew, Dave and Alan Olson, on Saturday - things are as under control as they can be. The adventure is about to begin!
 
You guys are going to really enjoy this! What a great way to start the summer.

I know it is all in the thread here, but how about a synopsis in one post of the final plans upon departure? I have a feeling this topic will be moved to the Grand Adventures forum before it sees its last post. And just so you don't have to remind me, Pat, I just set up the album for you guys. It will hold some beautiful stuff, I'm sure. After the East Coast folks have had some time in the limelight we will move the album to the top of the stack.

Have a wonderful voyage!
 
OK, this is a MS Word table pasted in, the formatting goes to hell in a handbasket, but you should be able to figure it out. It is probably WILDLY optimistic, and if it takes a couple of extra days, we are OK - if it takes an extra week, Patty is going to be one unhappy camper waiting for us to arrive! After we get there, we are running up to Myers Chuck, and then cruise around Revillagigedo Island. Probably will substitute Shearwater for New Bella Bella as the fuel stop. Patty and I will fly home the 25th, and Dave Olson and Rolf Hildre will cruise Daydream back at a considerably more leisurely pace, along with David and his crewmember, Fritz Ribary.

SCHEDULE - BLAINE TO KETCHIKAN

DATE LOCATION PURPOSE LEG (NM) LEG (SM) TOT (NM) TOT (SM) TIME
(12 kt / 13.8 mph) TIME
14.5 kt / 16.7 mph TIME
(16.5 kt / 19 mph)

6/11/2006 Blaine Launch
White Rock Clear Canadian Customs
Refuge Cove Fuel & anchor in vicinity 119.19 137.00 119.19 137.00 9.93 8.20 7.21

6/12/2006 Refuge Cove
Alert Bay Fuel & anchor in vicinity 98.57 113.30 217.76 250.30 8.21 6.78 5.96

6/13/2006 Alert Bay
New Bella Bella Fuel & anchor in vicinity 117.45 135.00 335.21 385.30 9.78 8.08 7.11

6/14/2006 New Bella Bella
N Princess Royal Anchor in Vicinity 88.48 101.70 423.69 487.00 7.37 6.09 5.35

6/15/2006 N Princess Royal I
Prince Ruppert Fuel & anchor in vicinity 88.39 101.60 512.08 588.60 7.36 6.08 5.35

6/16/2006 Prince Ruppert
Ketchikan Destination 89.70 103.10 601.78 691.70 7.47 6.17 5.43
50.12 41.42 36.41

PATTY ARRIVES KETCHIKAN 6/18/06 SOME TIME AFTER NOON
ONE AND A HALF DAYS TO SPARE FOR WEATHER
KEY APPEARS TO BE TO MAKE REFUGE COVE ON 6/11/06 - START AT 5:00 - 6:00 AM. BIGGEST QUESTION MARK IS CROSSING QUEEN CHARLOTTE SOUND
PROBABLY NEED TO ALLOW HALF AN HOUR IN WHITE ROCK
TIMES DO NOT INCLUDE STOPPED TIME FOR MEALS
LONGEST RUN BETWEEN FUEL STOPS IS NEW BELLA BELLA TO PRINCE RUPPERT - 202 SM
 
Bon Voyage! This looks to be spectacular, and there will be a lot of us following along with your adventures. Counting down the last 23 days of work here and really looking forward to participating in these C-Dory adventures.

Travel safe and post as time/connections permit... I'll put a towel on the keyboard to catch the drool. :smilep

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Pat,

A couple of comments:

You can stay on the dock at Refuge, that would save the time anchoring.

The slack at Gillard passage(north of Desolation Snd) is at about 5:00am.(Be sure to get the correct time on this slack.)

Alert Bay may not have fuel anymore. Port McNeil has fuel and a city dock to stay on.

Klemtu, (north of Shearwater/Bella Bella) has fuel and is only 135 miles from Prince Rupert.

Please be careful crossing Queen Charlotte Sound and the Dixon Entrance. Try to cross on the flood tide. Strong ebbs can cause very dangerous seas.

Don't forget to check into customs at Ketchikan.

Alaska time is one hour earlier than Pacific time.

Have a good time!!
 
I checked, and yes it does. Advantage to Progressive! Coverage in all US states and Canadian provinces within 50 miles of the shore.


Nancy H":1cmxwv66 said:
Pat and David,

Have you checked if your boat insurance covers you all the way into Alaska?
Click to expand...
 
Looks like you people are in for quite an adventure. May you have gentle seas and gentle winds. Good Luck and enjoy your trip. Wish I were going.
 
Pat, be safe and have the time of your life! I'll be following your exploits and recalling the summer of '78, the only time I cruised from Bellingham to Southeast Alaska. Mine was a fabulous trip through the most beautiful passage on earth. Yours will be even better.
:rainbow
 
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