Intuition to Alaska - 2021
- Thread starter LesR
- Start date
Today we made it to Baker City, OR - we're staying at the Mt View RV Park. I figured we needed a shower before entering Washington tomorrow.
We stayed in North Platte, NE on Friday and Evanston last night. Certainly healthy driving days, given that I generally don't tow faster than about 60 mph. The weather has been nearly perfect, and we haven't had any mechanical issues to slow us.
Yes, we're leaving the boat at Tom and Susan's. We have a slip reserved at Everett the nights of 6/7 and 6/8. My current plan involves taking two days to get to Roche Harbor, then heading from there to Sidney on Friday, 6/11. All dates are weather-dependent, of course. The SlowBoat team just led a group up to Alaska and they also checked in at Sidney, so this shouldn't be a "new thing" for them.
My thought is to go to Anacortes Wednesday and Roche Harbor Thursday. Tom suggested topping off with gas at Blakely, rather than Roche, as it's usually cheaper there.
I'm open to any suggestions for the best route from Everett to Sidney or other intermediate stops other than Anacortes.
Les
We stayed in North Platte, NE on Friday and Evanston last night. Certainly healthy driving days, given that I generally don't tow faster than about 60 mph. The weather has been nearly perfect, and we haven't had any mechanical issues to slow us.
Yes, we're leaving the boat at Tom and Susan's. We have a slip reserved at Everett the nights of 6/7 and 6/8. My current plan involves taking two days to get to Roche Harbor, then heading from there to Sidney on Friday, 6/11. All dates are weather-dependent, of course. The SlowBoat team just led a group up to Alaska and they also checked in at Sidney, so this shouldn't be a "new thing" for them.
My thought is to go to Anacortes Wednesday and Roche Harbor Thursday. Tom suggested topping off with gas at Blakely, rather than Roche, as it's usually cheaper there.
I'm open to any suggestions for the best route from Everett to Sidney or other intermediate stops other than Anacortes.
Les
Les, do you have AIS on board? Either full Class be transponder or a receive only via VHF maybe?
Well, you would have gotten a shower, maybe still will, once you get into WA, at least on the west side.
Hope your travels tomorrow are smooth. If you like great Mexican food, stop at El Porton, Exit 52, Zilla on I-82. Across from the Chevron, for cheap gas and great food.
Harvey
SleepyC:moon
Well, you would have gotten a shower, maybe still will, once you get into WA, at least on the west side.
Hope your travels tomorrow are smooth. If you like great Mexican food, stop at El Porton, Exit 52, Zilla on I-82. Across from the Chevron, for cheap gas and great food.
Harvey
SleepyC:moon
LesR,
Just wishing you luck on your trip. Will keep an eye out on your posts as you travel.
Spent three years in St. Louis - really enjoyed watching one of the best shortstops to ever play the game in Ozzie Smith. Imagine you are one of the few C-Dory owners in that town. You will enjoy the cool weather you get here, compared to the 100 degrees and 100% humidity. I would melt if I ever left Alaska and went back to St. Louis in the summer - 70s and sunny are a little much for me these days.
My best advice would be to not try to follow a schedule. Let the weather and your interests guide you.
Safe travels.
Just wishing you luck on your trip. Will keep an eye out on your posts as you travel.
Spent three years in St. Louis - really enjoyed watching one of the best shortstops to ever play the game in Ozzie Smith. Imagine you are one of the few C-Dory owners in that town. You will enjoy the cool weather you get here, compared to the 100 degrees and 100% humidity. I would melt if I ever left Alaska and went back to St. Louis in the summer - 70s and sunny are a little much for me these days.
My best advice would be to not try to follow a schedule. Let the weather and your interests guide you.
Safe travels.
We arrived safely and launched the boat at Everett yesterday afternoon. Based on a couple conversations, the weather here has been beautiful compared to a few days ago.
I very much appreciate everyone's offers for help and very relevant local information and suggestions.
Harvey, I have AIS receive on one of my fixed VHF radios. I have two fixed radios for all of the reasons described in the recent thread. Your question is a good prompt for a post on how we're outfitted.
Les
I very much appreciate everyone's offers for help and very relevant local information and suggestions.
Harvey, I have AIS receive on one of my fixed VHF radios. I have two fixed radios for all of the reasons described in the recent thread. Your question is a good prompt for a post on how we're outfitted.
Les
Hi Les, Glad to see "Intuition" on the water. I was telling a friend about your planned trip but forgot the name and had told him to look up "Inspiration". Now I need to go back and get him on the right path.
I sent sent a PM with some VTS info that might be helpful along the way. The AIS (even just the receive) will be a tremendous asset.. It does put more burden on you to be more proactive in meeting and crossing situations because you can see THEM and they may only see your shadow (on the radar) since you are not transmitting AIS info. Since most of my cruising is in slow cruise mode, whenever I was in high traffic areas I changed my radar overlay offset from 1/3 behind and 2/3 ahead to showing my boat centered on the screen to have a bigger radar "rear view mirror".
Have a great time. It is an adventure, but it does not have to be unsafe.
Harvey
SleepyC:moon
I sent sent a PM with some VTS info that might be helpful along the way. The AIS (even just the receive) will be a tremendous asset.. It does put more burden on you to be more proactive in meeting and crossing situations because you can see THEM and they may only see your shadow (on the radar) since you are not transmitting AIS info. Since most of my cruising is in slow cruise mode, whenever I was in high traffic areas I changed my radar overlay offset from 1/3 behind and 2/3 ahead to showing my boat centered on the screen to have a bigger radar "rear view mirror".
Have a great time. It is an adventure, but it does not have to be unsafe.
Harvey
SleepyC:moon
Pat Anderson
New member
Les, what will be your first stop after leaving Everett?
Les, wishing you a wonderful grand adventure. I’m looking forward to your sharing of post & photos. You are well equipped, so just adjust your travel plans around the weather & your C-Dory has lots of built in leeway if mistakes are made. I know ours as covered up for many of mine, while learning those waters.
Jay
Jay
Update as of today (6/10):
We had a fairly smooth run from Everett up to Anacortes yesterday going up the east side of Whidbey Island and via the Swinomish Channel. We were against the tide most of the way, but had smooth enough water to run on plane for about half the distance. Resolved a couple minor electrical gremlins yesterday, so our systems now all seem to be working. Our new dinghy has a metal plate on the transom, which blocked my radar looking aft. We scooted it back a couple feet, and on today's run I had good returns from the 6 o'clock.
We left Anacortes at 5:15 today and slow cruised out Guemes Channel and across Rosario. Aside from wakes of the ferries passing us and some fairly gentle swells, we had a decent ride to Roche Harbor.
Unless someone has better info, it looks as if tomorrow will get messier from a wind and weather perspective. We'll check in the morning but will stay an extra day if warranted.
Thanks for all your input and encouragement.
More photos at https://www.facebook.com/kel.rohlf
Blog: https://souldare.com/intuition-diaries/
Approaching Blakely Island from Rosario Strait:
Les and Kel
We had a fairly smooth run from Everett up to Anacortes yesterday going up the east side of Whidbey Island and via the Swinomish Channel. We were against the tide most of the way, but had smooth enough water to run on plane for about half the distance. Resolved a couple minor electrical gremlins yesterday, so our systems now all seem to be working. Our new dinghy has a metal plate on the transom, which blocked my radar looking aft. We scooted it back a couple feet, and on today's run I had good returns from the 6 o'clock.
We left Anacortes at 5:15 today and slow cruised out Guemes Channel and across Rosario. Aside from wakes of the ferries passing us and some fairly gentle swells, we had a decent ride to Roche Harbor.
Unless someone has better info, it looks as if tomorrow will get messier from a wind and weather perspective. We'll check in the morning but will stay an extra day if warranted.
Thanks for all your input and encouragement.
More photos at https://www.facebook.com/kel.rohlf
Blog: https://souldare.com/intuition-diaries/
Approaching Blakely Island from Rosario Strait:
Les and Kel
Les and Kel, thanks for the update. Early rising and running is good. Tomorrow may not be the best weather day and there is always monyana (OK so I don't know how to spell in Spanish), but you get the idea. Stay safe.
FYI, if you add those links into your signature in your profile, it will put them in your first post on every page and save some of us (Me at least) of going back and looking it up each time.
Thanks again, and will be following along.
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
FYI, if you add those links into your signature in your profile, it will put them in your first post on every page and save some of us (Me at least) of going back and looking it up each time.
Thanks again, and will be following along.
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
Les and Kel,
We are following your journey. Looks like Saturday, 06/12/21 may be the day to make the crossing into Canada with a better weather window. Hope your crossing goes well as you start your journey. How exciting it must be as you start this travel to Alaska. (Ps. 119:19).
Gary and Colleen on 'DayBreak'.
We are following your journey. Looks like Saturday, 06/12/21 may be the day to make the crossing into Canada with a better weather window. Hope your crossing goes well as you start your journey. How exciting it must be as you start this travel to Alaska. (Ps. 119:19).
Gary and Colleen on 'DayBreak'.
Just got back (again) and checked the Blog. "Towing". (And signed up for the email notification, Thank you.) My favorite stops are Loves:love Truck stops. Always lots of room, long handled window squeegees, and cleanest restrooms.
Are you looking at going up the west side of the water, staying closer to the Vancouver Island side. I'm thinking, since you are checking in at Sidney. Good protection until you get up to Nanaimo. Strait of Georgia can be iffy. You can get current conditions for just N of Naniamo (off Parksville) from Winchelsea Control, on 16 or (I think 10) They are the monitoring station for what used to be Whisky Golf, the military munitions/torpedo's testing area. WG won't be an issue as long as you stay a couple miles or less off shore there. If you go between Vanc Isl and Denman Island, be advised there is a cable operated(powered) ferry there, 2/3 of the way up the island. There will be red or green lights or if you are close and don's see the lights, (they are down pretty close to the water level), give the Denman Island Ferry a call and confirm you're crossing and you want to know there ETA to Crossing. (They do show up on AIS.) When they are moving that cable comes up to with in a foot or two of the surface.
Just "inches" past Campbell River is Seymour Narrows. CR (before the Narrows) and Browns Landing Marina, just past the Narrows are the last fuel chances until you get up to the north end, (Telegraph Cove, Port McNeill, or Port Hardy-the last one) before the turn around Cape Caution.
From there I can't help you. I turned left and went around to the west.
WOW, just wishing you a great trip, Stay safe, Prayers for that.
Some days are like this on Johnstone Strait.
And, Some days are like this - Scarlet Point lighthouse, Balaklava Island at the North end of Vanc Isl.
Harvey
SleepyC:moon
Are you looking at going up the west side of the water, staying closer to the Vancouver Island side. I'm thinking, since you are checking in at Sidney. Good protection until you get up to Nanaimo. Strait of Georgia can be iffy. You can get current conditions for just N of Naniamo (off Parksville) from Winchelsea Control, on 16 or (I think 10) They are the monitoring station for what used to be Whisky Golf, the military munitions/torpedo's testing area. WG won't be an issue as long as you stay a couple miles or less off shore there. If you go between Vanc Isl and Denman Island, be advised there is a cable operated(powered) ferry there, 2/3 of the way up the island. There will be red or green lights or if you are close and don's see the lights, (they are down pretty close to the water level), give the Denman Island Ferry a call and confirm you're crossing and you want to know there ETA to Crossing. (They do show up on AIS.) When they are moving that cable comes up to with in a foot or two of the surface.
Just "inches" past Campbell River is Seymour Narrows. CR (before the Narrows) and Browns Landing Marina, just past the Narrows are the last fuel chances until you get up to the north end, (Telegraph Cove, Port McNeill, or Port Hardy-the last one) before the turn around Cape Caution.
From there I can't help you. I turned left and went around to the west.
WOW, just wishing you a great trip, Stay safe, Prayers for that.
Some days are like this on Johnstone Strait.
And, Some days are like this - Scarlet Point lighthouse, Balaklava Island at the North end of Vanc Isl.
Harvey
SleepyC:moon
colbysmith
Active member
Hi Harvey. Don't mean to switch this thread to one on boaterhoming, but my favorite stops are Cracker Barrels. Great food, and usually plenty of room to park either in their RV spots, or anywhere else off to a corner in the parking lot. No noisy semis and Cracker Barrel is great at allowing RV over nighters. As for Loves, if I'm using a truck stop, I prefer Flying J or Pilot. (They have a great RV loyalty program that will save you .03/gal.) Loves kind of ticked me off when I found out their loyalty program is only for the "Professional" drivers. (Ie, on the truck diesel pumps) I guess us peon RV folks are more or less a thorn in their side. I politely told the gal at the fuel desk that explained to me that the value card was only for the "professional drivers, that we're all professionals, and the proper breakdown would be commercial vs. private.) (I drove truck for several years, so don't have any reservations about my statement here. lol) Colby
Pat Anderson
New member
Wow! St. Louis...Les and Kel...the synapses closed!
We had dinner at Tony's in Alton, IL, with the Rolfes, in September 2017, and here is a photo of the four of us!
We had dinner at Tony's in Alton, IL, with the Rolfes, in September 2017, and here is a photo of the four of us!
We're staying in Roche Harbor one more day and plan to leave for Sidney tomorrow morning. I've updated our schedule in the ArriveCAN app. The breeze is already starting to whistle through the marina this morning, so I expect it will be more pronounced in the Strait of Georgia.
Pat and Patty, we enjoyed meeting with you in Alton four years ago during your loop trip. It was fun trading stories and ideas - and meeting the famous Baxter.
Harvey, my plan is to stay on the west side of the strait as far as practical. Thanks for the reminder of the Denman Island Ferry. I remember reading about it during my planning, but now it will be top-of-mind.
Les and Kel
Pat and Patty, we enjoyed meeting with you in Alton four years ago during your loop trip. It was fun trading stories and ideas - and meeting the famous Baxter.
Harvey, my plan is to stay on the west side of the strait as far as practical. Thanks for the reminder of the Denman Island Ferry. I remember reading about it during my planning, but now it will be top-of-mind.
Les and Kel
Les, Thanks for adding the links. AND, enjoy the chapel chimes in Roche Harbor. Unfortunately, you are going to have to miss the 2 best Fish and Chips places I know of anywhere. Sidney (Fish on 5th) and Nanaimo, (Trawlers, at the head of the dock to the left of the fuel dock). Maybe on you way back south you will be able to partake.
Do you have a destination for Sat night? Or is it go until you run out of daylight or weather?
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
Do you have a destination for Sat night? Or is it go until you run out of daylight or weather?
Harvey
SleepyC :moon