ASD Inside Passage Cruising Books

I thought I would share the books we have on board of ASD for cruising the Inside Passage and Puget Sound. These are by no means the only ones, but these are the ones we use when planning the next day's cruise.

FYI, I just used the link to Amazon for easy reference. You may find the book cheaper somewhere else like the Seattle boat show.


Cruising Books for ASD

This one is a new one for us. We like it because it goes all the to Skagway where the Waggoner only goes to Ketchikan.

https://www.amazon.com/Northwest-Bo...9045624&sr=8-2&keywords=northwest+boat+travel

https://www.amazon.com/Waggoner-Cru...sr=8-2&keywords=waggoners+cruising+guide+2019

Very important book.

https://www.amazon.com/Ports-Passes...ENT0ZKN6RBY&psc=1&refRID=QF1E7CJCWENT0ZKN6RBY


Vol 1

https://www.amazon.com/Marine-Atlas...9046095&sr=8-1&keywords=marine+atlas+volume+1

Vol 2

https://www.amazon.com/Marine-Atlas...9046144&sr=8-2&keywords=marine+atlas+volume+1

https://www.amazon.com/Charlies-Cha...=1549046258&sr=8-12&keywords=Charlie's+Charts

https://www.amazon.com/Anchorages-I...eywords=Best+Anchorages+of+the+inside+passage

The next 3 are the most important with the Port and Passage above.

https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-So...74&sr=8-4&keywords=exploring+southeast+alaska

https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-So...78XT2K4FFW8&psc=1&refRID=4JN30SC7F78XT2K4FFW8

https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-No...YFMR2ED8A4Y&psc=1&refRID=D0YC4814SYFMR2ED8A4Y

When I brought my first boat up from Seattle, a group of boat owners in the Olympia area provided me with all of the charts and a set of paper bound chart books for the Inside Passage, to be returned after my voyage. The books were like road atlases, with courses and reciprocals and the distances marked out on the transit lines. Every land mass had the history of the area printed on it so you could read about where you were traveling through as you transited.

I wish I had paid attention to who printed them, I have never seen anything like them ever again. That was in 1985, the boat was a 24' Bayliner Trophy, and the transit was to Seward Alaska. The guys on the dock were questioning why I needed two 300' anchor lines as I measured it out and put in the eye splices on the dock. They were very generous in any help and information they could provide.

I have to say, Butedale was one of my favorite stops along the route! It was really amazing how much it had fallen apart in the 27 years between voyages...

AKDoug said:

I have to say, Butedale was one of my favorite stops along the route! It was really amazing how much it had fallen apart in the 27 years between voyages...

Click to expand...

Yeah Butedale is falling into the sea. Sad it is half way between Bella Bella and Prince Rupert. Would be an awesome place for cruisers. Last I heard someone was buying it trying to lease it to the First Nations. B.C. government was also into it too, on the regulation side.

Lots of good info here if you want to get off the Inside Passage treadmill:
https://www.amazon.ca/Exploring-North-Coast-British-Columbia/dp/0938665804

There seems to be buzz about Butedale from time to time. A couple years ago I was tied up next to a guy at Shearwater who said he had the required permits and approvals to renovate the docks and buildings. Nothing much happening so far, at least in 2018.

My favourite Butedale memory is coming upon a breaching Humpback just above Butedale. We saw it from miles away, stopped for 45 minutes to watch the show, and it was still breaching when we left.

Wandering around in net loft was also pretty cool.