Anacortes to Skagway

W

Wanderer

New member
I have just ordered radar to add to our Raymarine C80 chart plotter. In addition, I have ordered the charts and the Douglass Guides, for the region from Seattle to Skagway and around the corner to Valdez. So, unless plans change, or the radar does not arrive in time for me to install it, we will go from Lake Powell to Anacortes, attend the Lopez Gathering - if not too late to join - and then head North at a pace to put us back in Anacortes by the end of July.

Please share with us the location of your favorite - CD 22 appropriate anchorage(s) - between Anacortes and Skagway. The more details the better.

Your favorite stops?
 
Yahoo! ...Wanderer is headed for The Great Land!

Oh goodness, there's just too much to put in a quick email, but we'll have lots of recommendations to share at Powell!

Just a couple off-the-cuff recommendations:

Foggy Bay (north side of Dixon entrance north of Prince Rupert) is a perfect place to anchor after crossing Dixon Entrance if the weather is dicey.

Myers Chuck (about 40sm north of Ketchikan) is Sandy's favorite place. No facilities, but a nice quiet anchorage with a free state dock.

I guess my favorite place is Elfin Cove (about 70sm by air, west of Juneau). A free state dock, and an interesting boardwalk community; mostly for sportfisherman. They have fuel, showers, even a (very) small grocery store!

...ooh, the memories!

More to come.

Casey
C-Dory Naknek
 
Yea Dusty, Elfin Cove really tugged at my heart strings. we stayed there about five days, and they were probably the most relaxing five days of my Life!.

I loved the place. Not everyone's cup-of-tea, but I sure liked it!

Casey
C-Dory Naknek
 
Penny and I are looking into ways for a hauling/shipping company to get our tow vehicle and trailer with or without CD22 from near Seattle to Skagway or Haines in Alaska where they will store them until we get there by boat.

The perfect situation would be a company that loads the rig, ships it and unloads and stores it until we arrive.

Any ideas?
 
G&P,
Have you considered a deal where you could boat up to Skagway while someone drove your rig with trailer(empty) to Skagway. When you arrive you could swap places while they brought your boat south to (whereever?). Sort of a variation on Daydream's trip this summer. Another option I have considered is putting my truck, camper, and C-Dory on the Alaska ferry and hit several of the ports on the way up, cruising for 1-2 weeks in each location. Finish up at Skagway and drive home.
 
The Alaska Marine Highway System ("Alaska Ferry") is certainly an option, but would be rather expensive. There are also barge companies that operate the whole distance (and may be more cost effective). Sorry, I don't have any particulars.

There was a thread recently from someone who wanted to barge a C-Dory to King Salmon/Naknek, AK. I've sure that company would probably have routes up the Inside Passage as well.

Casey
C-Dory Naknek
 
George and Penny - not sure if you followed our plans, but a couple of friends and I will be departing Blaine for Ketchikan in Daydream on June 10, going up at a pretty good pace. Patty will fly into Ketchikan and we will spend a week or so circumnavigating Revillagigedo Island (Misty Fjords National Monument), and then flying home June 25. Another crew will then be taking two weeks or so starting June 25 to cruise back down from Ketchikan to Blaine at a leisurely pace. Seems SOMEWHERE the paths of Daydream and Wanderer will potentially pass!
 
The trip from Anacortes to Skagway is fantastic, and, with good planning, well within a C-Dory's reach.

You mentioned you also got charts for:
around the corner to Valdez
Click to expand...
Going across the gulf is a whole 'nother ball game. There have been prior discussions about that; you might run a search for them. My feeling is that cross-gulf in a C-Dory is probably possible, but would be extraordinarily risky business.

As for favorite anchorages, there is hardly a single spot between Anacortes and Skagway that isn't worth a look, and you'll find a good bunch of them described in the Douglass guides. You'll need to get into marinas for fuel and provisioning, but I really favored dropping the hook in some secluded anchorage for spending the night. The ones in the Douglass guides tend to be popular, and every now and then it's worth finding you own little nooks and crannies. C-Dory's can get into little places that the Douglass’s Nordhaven can't.

The Alaska marine highway is a good way to ship a trailer and tow vehicle up. They won't load and unload them for you, but there are commercial services that will. For shipping my trailer up to Juneau, I found the marine highway less expensive than several freight companies that I queried. It wouldn’t be exactly cheap, though. You can price it out on their web site: http://www.akferry.org/schedule.asp. The Malaspina or the Columbia departs Bellingham for Skagway twice a week (the Malaspina on Tuesdays, and the Columbia on Fridays. It's about a 3 1/2 day trip for the ferry.

Bon voyage!

Jim
 
Pat...I got a feeling that if you don't get a certain gal to a tidewater glacier...she won't be a happy camper. Can't do that around Revillagigedo. Any chance you will be able to range further north? Say to Le Conte Bay? Or the more dependable Tracy Arm?
 
Thanks to all of you. I should no longer be surprised at the willingness of C-Brats to provide useful information.

Yesterday, Penny and I installed radar anticipating a trip to the NW. Today the charts and guides for the entire route should arrive. After we have a chance to study them, we will have a much better feel for what we want to undertake. Final decision will await a face to face discussion at Lake Powell with those who are also planning a cruise along the BC-Alaska route. Parts of the trip are a serious undertaking and my comfort level will never reach “warm and fuzzy”. However, a “buddy boat” would mitigate anxiety.

While we still have access to a fast internet connection, we want to investigate different options. Keep the ideas coming!

:arrow: Casey

Again, thanks.

:arrow: Cavu

We have considered “The Daydream option and variations” – We are looking into different ways to transport the boat and trailer to different ports have it launched/stored and cruising out of that port.

:arrow: Pat,

We have been following your published plans. They look very interesting, especially

a week or so circumnavigating Revillagigedo Island
Click to expand...

Your timing and pace on the way up don’t work for us. If we motor the entire way to Ketchikan, you might well pass us on the way up – perhaps arriving at about the same time. At the moment, the most likely scenario is for us to leave Anacortes on Wanderer in early May for the trip up. Who knows our paths might cross. The trip back with Daydream might work but we wouldn’t see you or Patty. If all goes as hoped, we would like to be back in Anacortes by the end of July.

:arrow: Aivig/Jim,

Your account of the Inside Passage in Grand Adventures was entertaining and informative. Thanks for taking the time to share.

We have no plans to take Wanderer around the corner to Valdez. The ferry – maybe. Thanks for the word of caution.

We are looking into ferry schedules and prices. Perhaps, they can give us the name of companies who will handle putting the boat and trailer on and off of the ferry. We don’t know if we have to ship with the vehicle or not. We also don’t know the pros and cons of the cost for also shipping the tow vehicle vs. paying someone else to launch and retrieve the boat for us. Thanks for the tip.

:arrow: C-Worthy/Blain

I took a look at the Northland Services web site. Later today, I’ll give them a call. Thanks.
 
George and Penny,

We shipped three boats, two trucks, a utility trailer and several large containers via both AML (Alaska Marine Lines, (800) 326-8346) and Northland from Seattle to Sitka. Both companies did an excellent job! AML costs more, but then the barge visits twice a week versus Northland's once a week or so. Northland charged $1950 versus AML's $2500 for the 22' Chivita.

If I had the option, I would go with Northland due to the savings and wait an extra couple days. Be prepared to clean up your boat and vehicle when they arrive, as they will have become dirty. Unless you are using a closed container, everything that comes up gets dirty due to the exposed environment. (Today's forecast is for freezing spray and gales, go figure).

There are two scary parts of shipping. First, dropping off your baby. You can cover it, just make sure you have LOTS of tie downs. You cannot cover it until the shipping compnay looks it over though, they need to mark any damage on their forms. They are VERY patient with people dropping items off, just let them know what you need to do and they will guide you to a spot where you can cover up and tie down. Northland's people in Seattle seem to be a bit less stressed than AML's but both are great. Second scary part - Realizing that your boat/truck/trailer is sitting on five other containers about sixty feet in the sky. How the hell are they getting that down? Yes, with a fork lift! For the record, Sitka's fork lift drivers are SO accurate, they lower your trailer down so that the hitch hooks up to your tow vehicle, no need for you to back-up or anything, just don't breath or move the tow vehicle sir. Amazing to watch if it's not your boat!

The shipping yards in Seattle seemed pretty secure, we lost NOTHING and sustained no damage. The shipping lot in Sitka is wide open with little security, BUT, steal a motor or something of that matter and you're Halibut bait up here! Getting caught by the police is much better than the owner or his friends finding you!

If you want to find someone to pick up your boat from the lot and store it, ask the shipping company people in the town you are shipping the boat too. Alaska's different from the lower 48, as the saying goes up here "Be Nice, the person you piss off may be the only one near you when you're having problems" In reality, being nasty up here just doesn't work. You're going to run into everyone on the island within the next week anyway unless you lock yourself up in a cabin. Not that there are not "bad guys" up here, but the ratio of genuine great people to bad guys is much higher than any other place I've ever lived. There was a dumb kid that robbed a bank up north a couple months ago, police just went over to the airport and picked him up when he tried to leave town.

One last note, should you want to start your trip in an amazingly beautiful area with the highest catch rates, try Sitka. As a Sitkian and C-Brat, I'd be happy to pick up your C-Dory and store it for awhile. I can even steer you towards a few Halibut Holes and Salmon spots.
 
Chivita,

Sorry it has taken so long for me to thank you for your informative post and your offer for help. Our children and grandchildren were here (Marathon, FL Keys) for a week. I wasn't "allowed" much boating activity that did not involve taking them out. This morning I took the boat around to the yard to have the bottom painted. Friday, we hook up and head for home - Annapolis Maryland.

Penny and I have not yet decided how we will tackle the NW. We expect to make final plans while we're at Lake Powell with other boats that are planning to make the trip into Alaskan waters. Who knows, we may be so tired of towing that we head back home. On the other hanc, we may appear in Sitka this summer.
 
George and Penny,

We too hope to make the Lake Powell gathering. While there, will gladly share any tidbits of information you may find useful. We hope to glean much boating knowledge from you and others, with much more experience than us.

From our past travels on the Inland Passage, we preferred the area north of Petersburg or say, Frederick Sound north. In the future, most of our trips will start and finish from Skagway.

Jay
 
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