On our way to Alaska

[Al]

Well as Murray's line goes, something about "A straight line is no fun or similar'. Ye Gads,
Or as Queen may have said to Columbus, "You didn't fall off?" What I am trying to say Bill, is that traveling as you did across that bit of water where conditions can be savage, I take my hat off to a successful voyage, not one that this Mother's little boy will take.
Now that I have your Garmin, will enjoy following you back - At least to the last known position

Al-Ketchikan

 

[ksanders]

Seward = Yes.

Lots of reasons. Former colleague has arranged moorage, repair (head,no panic, I have another).

Also have social engagements in ANC.

Will cross to Resurrection Bay n 7/1 if weather permits.

See you?

PM Sent

I don’t know if you’ve been to Seward or not. Fox Farm bay is the place to overnight before venturing to Seward from Prince William Sound.

It s a very big, pretty popular anchorage. We stay there often and are almost never the only boat there. There is always more than enough room.

Seward and the North Gulf Coast gets pretty breezy in the afternoon due to southerly sea breezes. We generally depart Fox Farm early in the morning so that we can make Seward by noonish. The whole experience is more fun that way.

 

[AlaskaProf]

Thanks, Kevin,

We will almost certainly take your advice. No substitute for local knowledge.

Bill

 

[Salish Nomad]

We are in Sitka until mid July. We are pleased to report that we have had visited with Dream Catcher, Big Red, And Interim.
Is there is any else in Sitka?

 

[AlaskaProf]

We are in Sitka until mid July. We are pleased to report that we have had visited with Dream Catcher, Big Red, And Interim.
Is there is any else in Sitka?

Seeadler will be there about July 20. Spent the night last night near Dream Catcher at Hinchinbrook; didn't know they were "one of us".

Leaving Cordova in the a.m., will watch for them.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Wide-spread cell coverage here in the Sound, who knew?

AT&T has been putting up towers around Cordova. Coverage maybe less on the West side.

 

[Salish Nomad]

Quiet evening in Sitka Harbour.

 

[AlaskaProf]

AT&T has been putting up towers around Cordova. Coverage maybe less on the West side.

One of the many proposed projects for EVOS settlement monies was to pay for a complete network. I thought that had died, but maybe not...

Still talking to you at Knowles Head, 30 miles out of Cordova.

Landlock Bay tonight, Esther Island Hatchery tomorrow.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

One of the many proposed projects for EVOS settlement monies was to pay for a complete network. I thought that had died, but maybe not...

Still talking to you at Knowles Head, 30 miles out of Cordova.

Landlock Bay tonight, Esther Island Hatchery tomorrow.

Are you taking the shortcut to Cordova or going around via Hintchbrook Entrance?

 

[AlaskaProf]

Are you taking the shortcut to Cordova or going around via Hintchbrook Entrance?

That decision got made three days ago. Hinchinbrook Entrance about midnight, slept in Port Etches, then Cordova.

I've looked and looked at those channels across the Copper Delta, which admittedly can save as much as a day's travel, but all those soundings of 1 or 1/2 are pretty intimidating. There's a reason all the local bow-pickers are jetboats.

 

[AlaskaProf]

Met Kevin Sanders of Lisa's Way Friday night in Fox Farm Cove. Didn't get a picture of Lisa, but here's the rest of his crew:

 

[AlaskaProf]

Columbia Glacier ice repurposed:

 

[AlaskaProf]

Render honors to starboard:

 

[AlaskaProf]

Ketchikan Welcoming Committee:

 

[Rebel112r]

Looks like pretty slim Pickens in that cooler!

 

[AlaskaProf]

Looks like pretty slim Pickens in that cooler!

Much bigger cooler than the photo suggests.

One can hide a lot of stuff under 60 pounds of thousand-year-old ice.

 

[Rebel112r]

Whiskey tastes great with that 1000 year old ice, of course it’s pretty tasty without it!

 

[ksanders]

Met Kevin Sanders of Lisa's Way Friday night in Fox Farm Cove. Didn't get a picture of Lisa, but here's the rest of his crew:

Thanks for the Great conversation Bill!

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

I miss PWS.......

 

[Ken E.]

We are in Sitka until mid July. We are pleased to report that we have had visited with Dream Catcher, Big Red, And Interim.
Is there is any else in Sitka?

We're arriving Sitka tomorrow, presently just to the north. I saw Rebel and Dream Catcher yesterday steaming south down Chatham Strait. I think Prof is in Ketchikan. Not sure about Westerly, Interim or any other TFers still in this area (?)
____________________
Ken Hatt Trick

 

[AlaskaProf]

'Prof is in Anchorage; boat is in Seward. Leaving for Cordova on the 10th;
Depart Cordova to cross the Gulf (again) on the 16th.

Planning Sitka about the 20th + any weather delays.

 

[Ken E.]

'Prof is in Anchorage; boat is in Seward. Leaving for Cordova on the 10th;
Depart Cordova to cross the Gulf (again) on the 16th.

Planning Sitka about the 20th + any weather delays.

Bill - When we got together at Shearwater some weeks ago, I neglected to write down the chart plotter software you are using and the tablet or laptop you are running it on, with the temporary gps antenna. We still might be in the Sitka area by the time you get here, with guests coming and going.
____________________
Ken Hatt Trick

 

[AlaskaProf]

Bill - When we got together at Shearwater some weeks ago, I neglected to write down the chart plotter software you are using and the tablet or laptop you are running it on, with the temporary gps antenna.
____________________
Ken Hatt Trick

Ken,
I run Coastal Explorer by Rose Point Software of Redmond WA, as do many others here. It is compatible with nearly any Windows platform; I run it on a cheap old Acer I pulled out of the discard pile in my home office. You get three uploads for $399 (I got a $50 boatshow special). They will sell you a USB GPS antenna/processor for about $20, but your AIS probably has the requisite interface; my new Vesper does.


I am delighted with the program, and discover a new feature nearly every time I use it. In the PacNW, one of the best features is the almanac which gives you a graphical presentation of tides and currents for requested locations, or simply those which it thinks relevant to your position/route.


Anytime you have WiFi, it updates itself, grabbing literally hundreds of files and amending your charts, almanac, and Pilot, as well as program updates.


Tech support is phenomenal, and domestic. I had a port compatibility problem, which was really about my AIS (and my own lack of sophistication), but the tech guy at RosePoint, who I suspect may be the boss, cleared up the issue with a couple basic instructions.


Another occasion, I called (same guy responded) to find out how long my subscription for updates would last before I had to pay for renewal. His response: "We get those data free from the government, why would we charge you for something we get for free?" Well! for an aviator who has been screwed by Jeppesen for decades buying "free" data for 3 or 4 hundred bucks a pop, I was absolutely stunned.


These guys are simply the best.


Bill, waiting out some really shi77y weather in Seward.

 

[ksanders]

Looks like you are going to be stuck in Seward until Thursday

 

[Ken E.]

Thanks Bill, and good luck with the weather. Calm winds here in Sitka today with some sun showing through.

 

[ksanders]

Bill...

Are you going to PWS and then south, or are you going to cut across the gulf?

Planning on Yakutat? or straight to Elfin Cove?

Theoretically you could save 35 miles or so if you caught a good window and made the 430NM straight crossing. That is a long way across the open ocean though. For my insurance I would have to get a waver, since I am limited to 50NM offshore.

Personally I really like the hold points at Hinchinbrook Entrance (try the 2nd hook in Zykoff bay as an anchorage it’s better than Garden Cove) and Yakutat. That breaks the trip into mush shorter sections.

The Cape Clear Bouy is showing 7’ X7s square waves right now.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

WOW! Be careful and keep us updated with pics as I am wanting to do this trip in a few years and will use your notes....

 

[AlaskaProf]

Northbound...actually it's westbound, we went direct from Elfin Cove to Hinchinbrook, 439 miles in 44 hours. ( maximum of 46 miles offshore, Kevin). I had a crew of three. Going back, there are only two of us, so I'm going to aim for Yakutat, just in case we need to get some sleep.

 

[AlaskaProf]

WOW! Be careful and keep us updated with pics as I am wanting to do this trip in a few years and will use your notes....

share.garmin.com/williambutler3

 

[ksanders]

Northbound...actually it's westbound, we went direct from Elfin Cove to Hinchinbrook, 439 miles in 44 hours. ( maximum of 46 miles offshore, Kevin). I had a crew of three. Going back, there are only two of us, so I'm going to aim for Yakutat, just in case we need to get some sleep.

Thats the route I have taken as well. Since it only saves 35 miles Vs going directly from Seward.

Yakutat is not a bad little town. The only problem is the harbor is a couple road miles to town. One is better off taking a skiff around the point to town, or to anchor or otherwise tie up at one of the private docks in the next bay to the south, which is where the town actually is.

It becomes really clear using google earth

Regarding fuel... Not counting fuel prices... Elfin Cove is far easier to deal with for fuel than Yakutat. There is or was no fuel dock with pumps. Just a dock, and you call for a fuel truck to deliver.

Regarding route... I attached another photo. Looking it is visually misleading. It “appears” thast going straight from Seward to Elfin Cove is allot shorter, but it is visually deceptive. The real savings is only around 35NM. I have spent many an hour looking at this part of the ocean with my route planner, and still think it looks shorter straight across than it really is.