a trip to pelican...alaska

L

lil debbie 2

New member
I haven't seen or heard of anyone taking a c-dory out to pelican ..(island), is the trip too far off the main land or is there nothing to see once you get there ? My niece and her family live there, and said the c dory is too small for the trip?

What do our alaskan c dogs have to say about that!
 
Pelican island? Do you mean the town of Pelican on Chichagof Island?

We took our 22 Cruiser to Pelican in 1996. Have been there a few times since in our 26-footer. It's not a particuarly difficult place to reach safely, not much further out there than Elfin Cove. If you're coming west on Icy Strait, and Cross Sound is kicking up badly you might want to wait for better weather, but that's not much different from anywhere else in SE Alaska.

You could also head for Pelican from the south, from Salisbury Sound north of Sitka. There's more open water in that route, and it can get pretty wild on the wrong day.
 
I found that most anywhere in SE AK you just need to watch the weather and the tides, even back inside the islands, particularly in the narrow passes twixt the islands or rapid shallowing areas. You could get into trouble with a 40' boat in the wrong conditions, same going up or back thru BC, I skirted whirlpools larger than our 30+ foot boat, in some straits or other bodies of water the tide flows both ways and meets with tidal falls, the ones I went thru were not dangerous but quite interesting the first time encountered. It never hurts to chat with the locals as they are good about pointing out "problem" areas/situations.
 
I have been to Pelican Cove / town AK several times. Other than it is a bit further out, there is no barrier to going there in a C Dory 22. Jay and Jolene in Hunky Dory were there this summer, as we Brent and Dixie in Discovery.

I am not aware of any Island named Pelican specifically, but there certainly could be one.

If you can get a lat and long, to be sure we are not missing something, and there is an Island, and that this may not be the town of Pelican.

My feeling is that there is no place in SE Alaska that cannot be reached by C Dory. When you start going North of Icy Straits, then that becomes an entirely different story--because of open Pacific Ocean, and the distance between fuel stops.

In our times in Alaska (the equal of 5 summers), We found very few days when we could not travel. If we could not travel, 80 footers were not traveling either. As far as passes, whirl pools, and "Tidal falls", careful planing avoids any issues with these. In fact I navigation far easier in the C Dory than in my Cal 46, which I would take any place in the World. You have to do homework--and know the weather, the obstructions, dangers and currents. These are made easy in today's world, with chart plotters, computers and internet giving all of the information easily available, which had to be dug out of books and tables in the past.

Having said that--Alaska, or anyplace in the PNW is not for a neophyte or novice boater. Any water can be dangerous--and always be prudent.
 
Very well put, the C dory is a fine boat from what I can tell from the written word. specs and many post and reading much previously written here. There is however a great responsibility for the operator to do their part and for the novice learn as much as possible from all valid sources. I have been off the water pretty much for 30+ years and am sold on these boats for SE AK usage but I will need to precede with caution not having been on the water for so long, as does anyone plying these or any PNW waters. All the new electronics will be of little help if you find yourself someplace you should not be at the wrong time, but with all the solid advice/info here there is a great opportunity for even the greenest boater to get a leg up on running most any section of coastline, east or west. Some time on the water with a veteran boater is of great value also. (IMNO)
 
I'd go there. But, then again, there isn't anywhere up here I don't go to. With that said, there are certainly times I don't go anywhere - damn weather!
 
As Bob said, JoLee & I & Brent & Dixie were there during our cruise together last summer. We launched at Skagway, Alaska & after visiting Pelican went down the outside water to Sitka.

You mentioned not being able to find any information about anyone here's visiting Pelican. If this is the Pelican you were referencing, then here are links to write ups of our travels since 2007 that include Pelican. The first link concerns a proposed Gathering, I posted last year & has information about it, getting there & the surrounding area. The rest are individual write ups of our trips in 2007, 2010, 2012 & 2015, that included Pelican with the last being Brent & Dixie's write of our joint trip last summer.
http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t=21688

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t=6392

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t=13945

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t=17853

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t=23008

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t=23046

All of these links are from the C-Brat Grand Adventure Forum in which you posted this thread except for the first, which is in the C-Brats Cruises & Gatherings Forum.

We are tentively planning on a return to Pelican in May 2016 & as its a favorite of our in Southeast Alaska very much looking forward to being there again.

Jay
 
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