- Joined
- Oct 6, 2007
- Messages
- 844
- Location
- Poulsbo, WA
- Vessel Name
- Dream Catcher
- Vessel Make
- Nordic Tug 37-065
Some years ago, we were on our first SE Alaska cruise in our little C-Dory 22. We had worked our way north from Sitka, toward Cross Sound and Elfin Cove along the outside of Chichagof Island, and ducked inside some of the small islands just north of the Khaz peninsula via an intricate route called Piehle Passage. Went back outside maybe 15 miles further north at Imperial passage, and then turned back into protected waters at LisianskiStrait. Weather was fine, and we loved the route.
Two weeks later we headed back south along the same route, anchoring for the night halfway down to Sitka. This time we had with us a guest, who had never seen waters any wilder than Lake Powell. Next morning wind was up to maybe 15 knots from the SW, but it didn't look too bad. We were inexperienced interpreting barometer changes for weather prediction, and were out of weather radio range. We proceeded down through Piehle Passage, poked our nose out of the narrow opening, and found we were heading into 8-10 foot relatively gentle waves. Thought they might be just piling up as the swells came in to the shallower water there, and if we crossed them to deeper water we might be OK to head SSE, outside the Khaz peninsula toward Sitka. It turned out not to be such a fine idea.
Just outside the narrow exit into open water, we managed to get kelp wrapped around our Yamaha 90 outboard, shutting off the water flow and activating the overheat alarm. So now were in big waves, without power. I fire up the 9.9hp Suzuki kicker (it started right away, thankfully), but then we could go only basically straight out into the waves while the big motor cooled down. So I sit out in the rain steering the kicker, watching the bow go up and down ever higher, for maybe 15 minutes, while every so often Cindy tries the big motor, until finally it comes on without the alarm. By this time we're a mile or so offshore, and the waves are getting really big. I come back into the cabin, and we try to figure out what to do.
Don't want to head SSE to Sitka, because there would be 15 miles of unprotected water and the waves are already up to 15+ feet. Wind is only maybe 20 knots, but later we learned that the waves tend to pile up especially big in that area, where the bottom comes up from very deep to only 200 feet or so, when the wind comes long enough from certain directions. After all, theres nothing west of us until the Aleutians.
We don't want to go back into Piehle Passage, because of the kelp, and the narrow rocky entrance.* We decide to go with the wind and waves, NNW 8 miles to Khaz Bay, a much wider opening. Heading that way is tricky, as toward the shore there are big rocks just below the surface. They create huge explosions of spray when the water is moving up and down that far. On and off from the massive wave tops we can see these boomers, looming out there in the rain. The waves keep driving us closer toward them, and we decide we'll never make it on this course, so we have to bear left. The size and steepness of the waves keep us from bearing just a bit left, so we have to tack maybe WSW to gain sea room, then come back to our desired NNW course. After a mile or two of that we turn back NNW, eventually get to the mouth of Khaz Bay, and slide in to safety.
We had estimated the following seas at 15-25 feet. While Cindy was navigating, I had been concentrating on steering and continually adjusting the throttle, so we would climb up the back of a wave, slow down and mush through the top of it, then maintain our heading down to the next trough, not going so fast as to stick our nose into the next wave. The C-Dory was so good! We never once took green water over the bow, in maybe 1.5 or 2 hours of this (we were too busy to look at a watch - sure wish I had videotape). I would hate to try the same thing in the much heavier deep-V boat we now have.
At anchor later, whilst thanking our lucky stars, we were scanning the radio (still out of CG broadcast range) and listened in on two commercial fishermen who had been out in the same stuff in a 38 and a 54-footer. They clearly had not enjoyed it. We broke in, told of our adventure, and asked them how big they thought the seas had been. They said 20 to 30 feet, with an occasional 35. Thank you again, C-Dory!
Over the next three days we holed up, waiting for the seas to moderate. We tried poking outside three times, and each time came back in with our tail between our legs. We called fishermen who were on the outside for conditions reports, and finally got one that said waves were down to halfway reasonable. We asked him if he thought wed be OK in our 22-footer, and he said yes. As we came out Imperial passage heading north, he called us back. He had been talking to his mate, and revised his opinion. "You could make it, but it sure wont be a cake-walk". Two hours of 10-15 footers later, with our hearts still up in our throats, we gratefully rounded the nun into the mouth of Lisianski, and began to relax. Pulled into Pelican, went to have a warm breakfast, and must have looked so bedraggled the waitress asked us if we were "in for the closing" (of salmon fishing).
Our guest has not been back to cruise SE Alaska to this day.
*
*
-- Edited by RCook at 08:13, 2007-12-20
-- Edited by RCook at 08:20, 2007-12-20
-- Edited by RCook at 08:21, 2007-12-20
-- Edited by RCook at 08:26, 2007-12-20
Two weeks later we headed back south along the same route, anchoring for the night halfway down to Sitka. This time we had with us a guest, who had never seen waters any wilder than Lake Powell. Next morning wind was up to maybe 15 knots from the SW, but it didn't look too bad. We were inexperienced interpreting barometer changes for weather prediction, and were out of weather radio range. We proceeded down through Piehle Passage, poked our nose out of the narrow opening, and found we were heading into 8-10 foot relatively gentle waves. Thought they might be just piling up as the swells came in to the shallower water there, and if we crossed them to deeper water we might be OK to head SSE, outside the Khaz peninsula toward Sitka. It turned out not to be such a fine idea.
Just outside the narrow exit into open water, we managed to get kelp wrapped around our Yamaha 90 outboard, shutting off the water flow and activating the overheat alarm. So now were in big waves, without power. I fire up the 9.9hp Suzuki kicker (it started right away, thankfully), but then we could go only basically straight out into the waves while the big motor cooled down. So I sit out in the rain steering the kicker, watching the bow go up and down ever higher, for maybe 15 minutes, while every so often Cindy tries the big motor, until finally it comes on without the alarm. By this time we're a mile or so offshore, and the waves are getting really big. I come back into the cabin, and we try to figure out what to do.
Don't want to head SSE to Sitka, because there would be 15 miles of unprotected water and the waves are already up to 15+ feet. Wind is only maybe 20 knots, but later we learned that the waves tend to pile up especially big in that area, where the bottom comes up from very deep to only 200 feet or so, when the wind comes long enough from certain directions. After all, theres nothing west of us until the Aleutians.
We don't want to go back into Piehle Passage, because of the kelp, and the narrow rocky entrance.* We decide to go with the wind and waves, NNW 8 miles to Khaz Bay, a much wider opening. Heading that way is tricky, as toward the shore there are big rocks just below the surface. They create huge explosions of spray when the water is moving up and down that far. On and off from the massive wave tops we can see these boomers, looming out there in the rain. The waves keep driving us closer toward them, and we decide we'll never make it on this course, so we have to bear left. The size and steepness of the waves keep us from bearing just a bit left, so we have to tack maybe WSW to gain sea room, then come back to our desired NNW course. After a mile or two of that we turn back NNW, eventually get to the mouth of Khaz Bay, and slide in to safety.
We had estimated the following seas at 15-25 feet. While Cindy was navigating, I had been concentrating on steering and continually adjusting the throttle, so we would climb up the back of a wave, slow down and mush through the top of it, then maintain our heading down to the next trough, not going so fast as to stick our nose into the next wave. The C-Dory was so good! We never once took green water over the bow, in maybe 1.5 or 2 hours of this (we were too busy to look at a watch - sure wish I had videotape). I would hate to try the same thing in the much heavier deep-V boat we now have.
At anchor later, whilst thanking our lucky stars, we were scanning the radio (still out of CG broadcast range) and listened in on two commercial fishermen who had been out in the same stuff in a 38 and a 54-footer. They clearly had not enjoyed it. We broke in, told of our adventure, and asked them how big they thought the seas had been. They said 20 to 30 feet, with an occasional 35. Thank you again, C-Dory!
Over the next three days we holed up, waiting for the seas to moderate. We tried poking outside three times, and each time came back in with our tail between our legs. We called fishermen who were on the outside for conditions reports, and finally got one that said waves were down to halfway reasonable. We asked him if he thought wed be OK in our 22-footer, and he said yes. As we came out Imperial passage heading north, he called us back. He had been talking to his mate, and revised his opinion. "You could make it, but it sure wont be a cake-walk". Two hours of 10-15 footers later, with our hearts still up in our throats, we gratefully rounded the nun into the mouth of Lisianski, and began to relax. Pulled into Pelican, went to have a warm breakfast, and must have looked so bedraggled the waitress asked us if we were "in for the closing" (of salmon fishing).
Our guest has not been back to cruise SE Alaska to this day.
*
*
-- Edited by RCook at 08:13, 2007-12-20
-- Edited by RCook at 08:20, 2007-12-20
-- Edited by RCook at 08:21, 2007-12-20
-- Edited by RCook at 08:26, 2007-12-20
