Fuel docks in SE Alaska

Ken O

Ken O

Member
Does anyone know of a map showing fuel dock locations in SE Alaska? I know that the major towns have fuel, but it's a long way from one to another (Juneau to Petersburg, for example), There appear to be many smaller docks and resorts, but I'm having a hard time getting an idea of fuel range needed.
 
No fuel between Petersburg and Juneau. Kake has fuel, but it's not really on the way.

I visited Tracy Arm and Fords Terror when I traveled between Petersburg and Juneau. With the side trips included I traveled over 230nm. I stretched the range by keeping the speed down to ~5.5 knots and carrying 20 gallons of extra fuel. Ended up burning ~40 gallons and had plenty left over.

I highly recommend Exploring Southeast Alaska by Don and Reanne Douglass. It's the most comprehensive guidebook for cruising SE Alaska. Expensive, but worth every penny, especially if this is your first visit.

http://fineedge.com/NAUTICAL BOOKS/sealaska.html

(Yes, I work for the company that publishes the book, but it really is good!)

Many of the native towns have fuel (Kake, Hoonah, Angoon). Still, there are plenty of long runs in SE and most C-Dory's cruising in SE Alaska seem to carry extra fuel in jerry jugs.
 
Inside Passage – Distance between fuel stops 2/15/2010


You can get to most places you'd want to go in a small boat if you can COMFORTABLY (with a good reserve to handle weather changes etc) go 140 nautical miles on a tank. If you have 200-300 NM range you have a lot more flexibility in your routes, but I don't think there's anywhere much more than 140 NM from a fuel stop. Many are a lot closer together than that.

One place which would take significantly longer range to get to is the fancy glaciers up at the end of the Tracy Arm, the entrance of which (assume at Tracy Arm Cove, the anchorage just inside Holkham Bay) is about 55 NM south from downtown Juneau, or 70 NM from Auke Bay. The run up to the glaciers from Tracy Arm Cove is 26 NM each way. So you'd need about 160-190 NM range, depending on where you start and end up.

Some of the other longest runs between fuel stops:

Petersburg-Juneau (downtown): 120 NM

Petersburg-Sitka: 153 NM, but you could stop for fuel at Angoon (some days) or Tenakee Springs (by going out of your way)

Auke Bay-Sitka (via Peril Strait): 131 NM

Hoonah-Sitka (via Peril Strait): 126NM

Glacier Bay, Bartlett Cove-Margerie Glacier and back: minimum about 130 NM, depending on where you anchor overnight.

Shearwater-Prince Rupert: 170-180 NM, but you could stop for fuel at Klemtu or Hartley Bay.



9/29/2011 – Fuel Stops on the Inside Passage


There are lots of fuel docks in the San Juans, Gulf Islands, and along the BC mainland on the east side of the Strait of Georgia. There's fuel at Campbell River and a few other places in the Desolation Sound area. North of there fuel docks are further apart.

There are fuel stops on the west side of Vancouver Island, but I'm not current on that area.

We've been cruising mostly SE Alaska the last few summers, so may not be current on BC fuel dock changes - I've heard that some have closed down rather than upgrade facilities as required. The Waggoner Guide may be a good source of more current BC info. But, here are some we know of:

Broughtons and Queen Charlotte Strait:

Lagoon Cove
Pierre's at Echo Bay
Port McNeill
Sullivan Bay
Port Hardy

BC North Coast:

Duncanby Landing
Dawson's Landing
Bella Bella
Shearwater
Bella Coola
Klemtu
Hartley Bay
Kitimat
Prince Rupert

SE Alaska:

Ketchikan
Thorne Bay
Wrangell
Petersburg
Kake
Point Baker
Angoon (M-F, I think)
Tenakee Springs
Sitka
Craig
Juneau
Hoonah
Bartlett Cove (Glacier Bay)
Elfin Cove
Pelican
Haines
Skagway


Not positive, but I believe most if not all of these have both gas and diesel.
 
These are pretty well covered by the posts above. We only had one run which was a bit questionable. That involved going to Petersberg, to Juneau, but also up to Pack Creek, to Ford's Terror, and then up to Auke Bay. We had plenty of fuel, even though the trip was over 200 miles. We just dropped down to displacement speed for part of the trip. We also explored the area of Glacier Bay, and Dundas Bay. There is gas available at Hoonah and Bartlett Cove, so you could explore Glacier bay to the limits of your permit and still get fuel. On the way to the outside,

There is a map which shows the fuel docks--and that is Active Captain. I like the Garmin Blue Chart for I pad. One of the members has put up to date information on may of the coves. Looking at the recent posts in this area, it leaves out some of the fish camps, where you might be able to buy fuel--at a price….if things got a bit dicey. We never tried, but most of our trips up there were in the diesel powered Cal 46, which had a range under power of over 2000 miles…so no worry.
 
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