Heading for Alaska

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long ranger

Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2018
Messages
8
Location
USA
Vessel Name
Long Ranger
Vessel Make
Nordhavn 57
Hi Fellow Trawlers! just joined and i am looking forward to learning through Trawler Forum. i recently bought a 57' Nordhavn, Long Ranger, from a great couple in the Seattle area. the plan is to pilot her to Whittier, Alaska this spring. and keeping her there for a number of years at a slip we recently purchased in Whittier, and explore Prince William Sound.
A question to anyone reading this; what spring month is "normally" the sest to cross the Gulf of Alaska? we are thinking late April or Early May.
i have 25 years of summer expeience in SE Alaska and would be happy to share with others. Cheers, Kent
 
Welcome and congratulations on a very nice boat.
 
We crossed in may and it was a wonderful trip. Just wait for a good weather window.

You got an amazing boat, both in that model, and in that boat in particular.. Congratulations!
 
long ranger said:
Hi Fellow Trawlers! just joined and i am looking forward to learning through Trawler Forum. i recently bought a 57' Nordhavn, Long Ranger, from a great couple in the Seattle area. the plan is to pilot her to Whittier, Alaska this spring. and keeping her there for a number of years at a slip we recently purchased in Whittier, and explore Prince William Sound.

A question to anyone reading this; what spring month is "normally" the sest to cross the Gulf of Alaska? we are thinking late April or Early May.

i have 25 years of summer expeience in SE Alaska and would be happy to share with others. Cheers, Kent
Click to expand...


Congrats on the nordhavn. Nice boat. Where are you docked?
 
thanks and i was trying to find your blog on your crossing. is it still around? are you back east now? Cheers, Kent
 
at the present time in Lake Union, Yacht Services, Seattle. heading to Whittier in early spring. thanks, kent
 
Like anywhere, if you watch the weather...
Some of the inside passages, where they react with the tidal currents and wind are more dangerous than crossing the gulf.
Years ago a large tug towing a barge from Seattle to Alaska went missing. Later the barge was found anchored near Johnstone Strait. The anchor was the tug.
 
Safe travels Ranger. Post some pics of your boat If you are so inclined. Sounds like a beauty.
 
May/June was good for me, two transits up. The Coast Pilot has prevailing wind and sea tables, that's how I chose my travel dates first time. A vessel that seaworthy would be a go for almost anything but a storm. I did it once in a 24' Bayliner Trophy and once in my Willard, same time of year both trips and never anything over 4' and 20 knots.

Exiting Cape Spencer you can get some huge swells (and worse) on the outflow, but it lays down when the tide turns back in. I imagine there are quite a few commercial fishermen coming North about that time of year for the salmon season. You might make a few inquiries that direction...
 
Congratulations on your purchase of a beautiful boat. Can't wait to see the pictures of it and I hope you "take us along" on your trip to AK.
 
Welcome! Are you going to PWS or Seward? Kevin out of Seward has done that trip a few times.


You will have everyone on TF excited now that you let them know you have a Nordy!!!
 
Late April on through summer and you will be fine.

Congrats on the great boat!!
 
long ranger said:
, Alaska this spring. and keeping her there for a number of years at a slip we recently purchased in Whittier, and explore Prince William Sound.
A question to anyone reading this; what spring month is "normally" the sest to cross the Gulf of Alaska? we are thinking late April or Early May.
i have 25 years of summer expeience in SE Alaska and would be happy to share with others. Cheers, Kent
Click to expand...

Kent, I have done the passage SEA-KTN once in mid-May delivering a 35' motorsailer, and Seward to Juneau with similar timing. I found the weather quite acceptable with no storm delays either time.

I will be departing Tacoma about May 15 and Vancouver on the 25th (pax drop) this year in my 41' trawler for PWS. If you'd like to travel in-company for any of the trip, send me a private message on this site.
 
AlaskaProf said:
Kent, I have done the passage SEA-KTN once in mid-May delivering a 35' motorsailer, and Seward to Juneau with similar timing. I found the weather quite acceptable with no storm delays either time.

I will be departing Tacoma about May 15 and Vancouver on the 25th (pax drop) this year in my 41' trawler for PWS. If you'd like to travel in-company for any of the trip, send me a private message on this site.
Click to expand...
thanks for the info. would like to go with you, but at this time we will be heading up to cross in early May. Cheers, Kent
 
Great plan. I slip my boat in Cliffside Marina 2 spots from the unit you purchased. I have made the trip from the Victoria area numerous times and loved it! Make sure to take shrimp pots(Alaska net size, not Canadian) and a crab pot. Makes every morning a delight. The only part of the trip that I find stressful is the Yakutat to PWS. It is a 30+ hour trip on atrawler and can be brutal if you get caught in a storm. It is well worth waiting for 6’ or less and Yakutat is not a bad place to be in June. I try to cross in June because the light is longest then. I suggest the strongest lights you can get even if they are not permanent. Mounting them as far forward as possible is important to prevent glare.

You will love PWS. I started boating there 17 years ago and just can’t bring myself to not spend my summers there. Have some great shrimping spots for you if interested.
 
Good Day and many thanks for getting back on this post. i look forward to meeting you this summer. the slip we purchased is M-13 on the end. yes, we have both shrimp and crab post on board from our times spent exploring SE and love doing that! i will try to take your advise on the crossing and have enlisted some weather forecasters to assist in staying away from a storm during the crossing. i have installed a 30" LED light bar on the brow that will really light up the seas in front. i have had them on other vessels and it is really quite increadable the amount of light they put out and at such low amperage. we have learned that the Stainless Steel Marine version from Rigid Industries is the best out there, although a little pricey.
is your vessel in Whittier now? we are in Seattle making changes, sonar, etc. and she will be ready in late April. CHeers, Kent
 
You sound like you have it figured out. I am in M-15 but I put my boat in dry dock in Seward for the winter. I just sleep better that way and there are some pretty good marine trades people there to fix what needs to be fixed. Not too many of them in Whittier, like almost none.

Well, see you this summer!

Larry
 
Cliffside can take a wicked beating in the winter from wind and ice, another good reason to pull out and move around to Seward. I use a friend's slip there once in a while, he sold his NT and now his son in law uses the slip for his seiner. It's empty for most of the summer so it's convenient for short visits.

I have a Rigid Spot/Flood for my bow, but find I don't use it at all from mid-May until mid-July since there is so much daylight anyway. After mid-July it's pretty much indispensable for finding the shrimp pots and my way into some of my favorite anchorages in the Sound.

Whittier as a port is pretty much a stinker unless you can afford Cliffside, the rest of the harbor is cramped, inconvenient, and expensive. As well as no liquor store, no tackle store, no grocery store, and no services except fuel and the lift. Last I knew the port didn't even want you to wash your hull, many vessels were being ferried around to Seward just for bottom cleaning.
 
Thanks Doug for the info. i have heard that Whittier is a windy place but it was impossible to find anything for summer rent for a 60+ foot boat. we did buy a slip in Cliffside Marina and i too have a 30" rigid on the Nordhavn. Have a great spring and will look for you up there. Cheers, Kent
 
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