Summer in SE Alaska

Just got back last week and finished up my trip summary. Enjoy.

[FONT=&quot]2016 SUMMER CRUISE[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]WESTERLY: 37' Pacific Trawler, 34.4' LOA W/L, single 210hp Cummins, cruise[/FONT][FONT=&quot]7.35 kts at 1650 rpm[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]LEG 1 SUMMARY: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Edmonds to Ketchikan via Discovery Passage, Lama Passage, Grenville Channel: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Edmonds, Shoal Bay, Silva Bay, Westview, Forward Hbr, Potts Lagoon, Port McNeill, Fury Cove, Codville Lagoon, Bottleneck Inlet, Klewnuggit, Pillsbury Cove, Ketchikan. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Apr 29 to May 11, 13 days, 699.8 miles, 106.0 engine hours (6.60 kts).[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]LEG 2 SUMMARY: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Ketchikan to Sitka via Cape Chacon, El Capitan, Rocky Pass, Peril Strait: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Ketchikan , Kassa Inlet, Soda Bay (Shelikof I), Craig, Sakar Cove, Shaken Bay, High I (Rocky Pass), Keku Is, Takatz Bay, Appleton Cove, Baby Bear Bay, Magoun Is, Sitka.[/FONT][FONT=&quot]May 14 to Jun 1. 18 days, 472.4 miles, 71.5 engine hours (6.61 kts).[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]LEG 3 SUMMARY: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Sitka to Juneau via W Chichagof I, Lisianski Strait, Cross Sound, Icy Strait: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Sitka, Falcon Arm, Klag Bay, Kimshan Cove, Baker Cove (Goulding Harbor), Pelican, Elfin Cove, Hoonah, Neka Bay, Flynn Cove, Blue Mouse Cove (Glacier Bay), Reid Inlet, Hoonah, Couverden I Cove, Juneau (Auke Bay).[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Jun 6-20, 15 days, 431.7 miles, 67.5 engine hours (6.40 kts).[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]LEG 4 SUMMARY: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Juneau to Juneau via Lynn Canal, Icy Strait: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Juneau (Auke Bay), Echo Cove (Lynn Canal), Skagway, Haines, Sullivan Bay, Hoonah, Fingers Bay (Glacier Bay), Reid Inlet, Blue Mouse Cove, Beartrack I Cove, S Sandy Cove, Hoonah, Couverden I Cove, Juneau (Harris Harbor).[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Jun 26 to Jul 12, 17 days, 507.1 miles, 77.7 engine hours (6.53 kts).[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]LEG 5 SUMMARY: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Juneau to Juneau via Lynn Canal, Icy Strait, Cross Sound: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Juneau (Harris Harbor), Couverden I Cove, Excursion Inlet, Reid Inlet (Glacier Bay), Blue Mouse Cove, N Sandy Cove, Fingers Bay, Hoonah, Elfin Cove, Pelican, Dundas Bay, Couverden I Cove, Juneau (Auke Bay). [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Jul 17-30, 14 days, 550.1 miles, 82.9 engine hours (6.64 kts).[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]LEG 6 SUMMARY: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Juneau to San Juan Islands and Puget Sound via Stephens Passage, Wrangell Narrows, Zimovia Strait, Principe Channel, Laredo Sound, Meyers Passage, Fisher Channel, Discovery Passage: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Juneau (Auke Bay), Taku Harbor, Fords Terror, Windham Bay, Petersburg, Wrangell, Vixen Harbor, Ketchikan, Nakat Harbor, Prince Rupert, Gasboat Cove, Devlin Bay (Estevan Group), Tate Cove (Aristazabal I), Rescue Bay, Ocean Falls, Kwakume Inlet, Port McNeil, Sointula, Cordero Is, G[FONT=&quot]o[/FONT]wland Harbor, Campbell River, Boho Bay, Clam Bay, Port Browning, Friday Harbor, Fisherman Bay, Anacortes, Pleasant Bay, Chuckanut Bay, Bellingham, Oak Harbor, Edmonds.[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Aug 1 to Sep 6, 37 days, 1123.8 miles, 172.2 engine hours (6.53 kts).[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]TOTALS: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Apr 29 to Sep 6, 131 days (4.4 mo, 18.7 weeks), 3784.9 miles, 577.4 engine hours (6.56 kts).[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]FUEL SUMMARY: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Fuel Locations: Anacortes ($2.08/gal), Ketchikan ($2.31/gal), Sitka ($2.22/gal), Juneau ($2.66/gal, $2.62/gal, $2.76/gal), Ketchikan (2.57/gal), Campbell River (2.96/gal), Oak Harbor ($2.15/gal). 2.63 gal/op hour, total 1518.6 gal consumed, average $2.49/gal, total $3781.31, 2.6 miles/gal, $1.00 per mile, $6.55/op hour. (Includes incidental fuel use for Northern Lights 5kw gen, Espar hot air furnace and Dickinson cabin heater)[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]WEATHER SUMMARY: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]N[FONT=&quot]R[FONT=&quot]=[/FONT][/FONT]NO RAIN[/FONT][FONT=&quot], SR[FONT=&quot]=SOME[/FONT] RAIN, MR=MOSTLY RAIN[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]APRIL NR: 1, SR: 1[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]MAY NR: 18, SR: 10, MR: 3[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] JUNE NR: 16, SR: 13, MR: 2[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] JULY [FONT=&quot]NR: [/FONT]14, SR: 15, MR: 2[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] AUGUST [FONT=&quot]NR: [/FONT]25, SR: 5, MR; 1[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] SEPTEMBER NR: 3, SR: 3 [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot] Cruising delay due to high winds/rough seas: none[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]MECHANICAL ISSUES: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Alternator mounting bolt broke when arriving [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Petersburg. Installed spare.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Transiting W coast of Chichagof I between Sitka and Juneau. Three trips into Glacier Bay with 3 sets of guests. Ride the WhitePass Yukon RR out of Skagway. Trip into Fords Terror. [/FONT]

Nice summary Jay, were on our way back to Portland and hope to do a lessons learned from our trip.
Thanks for the post!

Fantastic Jay, As a visitor you see more of my part of the world than the majority of us including the professionals. Truly a wondered retirement!!
Look you on the way through next season if there is to be one.

Al-Ketchikan

Jay,

Good to meet you this summer in Sitka. We have done the outside of Chichagof and it is a nice remote trip in SE with very few boats.

Tom

Jay,
No wonder you haven't been posting very much lately.

Tom - Pleasure meeting you and Caroline in Sitka, thanks for "sharing" my birthday dinner at the Channel Club.

Al - Sorry we didn't match up this summer, we'll try it again in 2018. The adventure continues!!

Eric - Haven't posted much because it's hard to get a good word in edgewise. Looked for you out there, saw some other Willards, but no Willy!

Hi Jay,

Very nice of you to drop by SPIRIT BEAR in Hoonah, and VERY nice to meet you as well. Glad your trip went well. Looks like our trips were similar, although we did get weathered in 3 times (Nanaimo and Ketchikan northbound, Gorge Harbor southbound). Linda and I did not take on guests, nor visit Glacier Bay on this trip, but thoroughly enjoyed SW side of Prince of Wales Island, Pelican, Elfin Cove, Hoonah, ahhhh----the list is endless! And Skagway will have to await another day.

We left Everett 1 May, but didn't arrive in Ketchikan until 26 May or so, having dawdled northbound. Went south-around Prince of Wales, north to Sitka, north some more to Icy Straits, east via Auke Bay, Petersburg, Wrangell, Ketchikan. South towards home west of Pitt Island near Kitkatla, got blown back into Princess Royal Channel at Hartley Bay, and on to Shearwater, Broughtons, Inside Passage through Desolation Sound, and arrived home 5 Sept. Still not sure why I'm back...

I haven't gotten around to tallying fuel/speed/gph/etc details just yet, but notice that SPIRIT BEAR, as a 40' extended-swimstep version of the Pacific Trawler, cruised slightly faster (9 kts) on more fuel (~4.2 gph) being pushed with her 300hp John Deere at 1600 RPM. KILLER sea boat, particularly up-swell, although somewhat cranky down-swell. The autopilot may need some tuning, as the boat bow steers a bunch in a stern-quartering sea. May be the nature of the beast, also.

Again, great to meet you, and hope we can get together in the near future. If you need help on your next Pacific Trawler Rendezvous, give me a call. Organized a bunch of cruises for Roche Harbor YC, and will be glad to lend a hand.

Regards,

Pete

Jay,
We've been very busy these last two weeks hauling Willy, bottom paint, cap rail and prop. No blisters at all this time (sometimes we have 40-60 5/8" dia 1/8" deep and need to tend to them but none this time). Prop got re-pitched and more varnish on the cap.

Going north for a week or so ... Maybe to Cape Caution but maybe not that far. We're going to take advantage of the weather hoping for unshore flow and min fog.

Great summer you had. Been many places I've not ever seen. My favorite area is tween Anger Is and Allison Barbour. Too far for this trip. Once in awhile we'll find a Starbucks and log on to TF.

Nomad Willy. The Anger Island area is beautiful, we spent some time at Tangent Is, and went thru Ala Passage. Great country, hopefully back again next year.