Anchorages in Alaska

D

dtol

New member
I remember seeing a chart or book listing anchorages in the waters off Alaska. None of the nautical charts indicate the usefulness of a cove to anchor in. Does anyone know of a source of information (book or chart) and can tell me how to obtain it.

Would appreciate if greatly.

dtol
 
There appears to be good information on BC and the SE Alaska to Glacier Bay, and one book on the Kenai Fjords Park. I can't find anything on the area between Glacier Bay and Prince William Sound and Nothing on Blying sound to Cape Aialik. I have boated out of Seward for 13 years with my 22 Cruiser but haven't tried out any of the possible anchorages. We have gone around to PWS for 5 day cruises a number of times and used some tried and true anchorages there. I am about to retire and am playing some head games about what kinds of things I want to do and what kind of boat I want to do them in.
 
Exploring the Inside Passage to Alaska
Don Douglass & Reanne Hemmingway-Douglass
Fine Edge Productions ©1995
ISBN: 0938665332

Is a good start. Don Douglass & Reanee Hemmingway Douglass have spent 5 or so years writing crusing guides to BC and Alaska. They had published the West side of Vancouver book, the year we did that section and it was 95% accurate and a good guide.

We also used a book something like "how to cruise to Alaska without rocking the boat too much"

Also the Waggoner Cruising Guide has good general information on the cruises.

You can look at charts and get a pretty good idea of where there is protection. We went up the Inland Passage to the Juneau/ Icy Straits area three times, and found new coves every time. Don't just go by the book, experiment. We had no problem with 6 foot draft--and a C Dory makes the exploration a real snap in comparison. Some times I took the dinghy with a depth finder ahead and Marie followed in the Cal 46.

Have fun!--Great cruising--hopefully we will be up that way next summer again!
 
I fish out of Resurection Bay to the east alot. Its about a one to two hour trip were I go depending on conditions and there isn't much available to hide in in case of a weather suprise. You need to monitor the weather very closely before you start out because there are no marine weather reports. Lots of Charters use the area so there usually is the possibility of help. Coming back from a week cruise in PWS we had to get behind a large commercial fishing boat and follow it across because the seas were so bad. We could only make about 6 miles per hour.

There doesn't seem to be any information about anchorages or trips between Glacier Bay and Seward Alaska. If I wanted to cruise the inland passage, I would either have to drive 800 miles to Haines, or make the 400+ mile run from Cordova in Prince William Sound past Yukatat to Glacier Bay. The information I am looking for is that area. I might also be interested in bringing a new boat home that way. It might be a pipe dream, but, if your willing to take the time to wait out the weather for the right conditions, its easy to make 12 to 16 hour runs or more if you have access to good weather information. Cordova to Yukatat = 240miles, Yukatat to Glacier Bay 180 miles. The trip would require fuel enough to travel 300 miles in order to have some margin. Knowing that there is a hiddy-hole or two along the way might increase the confidence level a bit.
 
I would suggest doing ALOT more research. The Gulf of Alaska (Cordova to Glacier Bay) is no place for a shallow draft 22' boat irregardless of the name painted on the side. Even 100' commercial fishing vessels run for cover or move further offshore when the weather kicks up there. Last week I overheard a skipper of a 48' commercial boat from Valdez who was waiting in Cordova for the weather to open to make a run to Seattle. He finally gave up after 2 weeks and returned to Valdez. Winds were up to 50 kts., seas 15 to 30 ft.
The reason there is little information about anchorages in that are is that there is virtually no place to hide. A friend of mine hired a seasoned skipper and and mate to help him bring his 52' blue-water sail boat from Port Townsend to Whittier. They spent 2 weeks of picture-postcard sailing up the inside passage, and 4 days of sheer terror crossing the gulf from Yakutat to Cordova. He said never again. Alaska was the boats final home.
Given ideal weather conditions, the trip is probably doable. Problem is the weather is rarely ideal and doesn't stay that way for long.
 
I hear you completly. I wasn't talking about my 22 cruiser. In any case any window of opportunity would be in June and July. By the time late August rolls around the weather is much less consistent. This year especially the storms in August and September have been rolling in one after another with not enough time in between to start out without running into trouble.

However, all these 32+ boats get up here somehow. Are they barged up?
 
dtol,

I cannot speak for the rest of the Alaska, but in the Sitka area the most reliable source for anchorages are the locals. The questions they tend to have before giving you a recommendation are time of year, size of boat and wind direction. As the wind in this area is such a key issue, where it is blowing from can greatly affect where it is safe and comfortable or where you will be up all night praying for daylight. Harbormasters tend to be a good place to call, many of the commercial fishing people in Alaska travel a great distance from their home ports depending on what fishery is open and they are a tremendous resource as well.

By the way, the easiest way to get on a commercial fisherperson's good side is to either stick a bumper sticker on your vehicle that states something nasty about farmed fish or something nasty about charter boats. Asking a commercial guy for advice while wearing a charter outfit's jacket or hat will often get you the opposite of what you seek!

We just lost a Sitkan this weekend when the wind hit hard and he fell from his 50' sailboat. Even though he had a lifeline, it took his deckhand an hour to get him back on board due to the rough sea and wind. He had come all the way from Cordova and was not far from home.

It is all about the wind in this area!
 
Swing into Alaska Mining & Diving and upon entering the building turn left and go to that rotating book rack you see standing by the electronics. On it you will find "A cruising guide to Prince William Sound." (Jim & Nancy Lethcoe) This is a most extraordinary book with much more information than the common man will ever use. Every anchorage from Valdez to Montague is listed along with a myriad of other useful information. Happy cruising, Mike on Huda Thunkit
 
The August edition of Passagemaker Magazine had an article on a couple who made the trip in a 30ft Sea Sport. I think they did it in 2004 or 05. They did it in two legs over two days. Of course the Seasport can cruise at 25+ knots all day so it makes fairly short work of the 200+ miles of each leg. It doesn't sound much like a real fun trip if you have the alternative of trailering around that stretch.
Ron
 
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