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When we planned the offshore run directly from Seattle to Alaska, we’d allowed ourselves a day or so to recuperate and several days for weather delays before our permit entry date for Glacier Bay. We decided to spend a few days exploring the outer coast of Chichagof Island if we arrived early. We ended up not needing any of those buffer days, so had five nights before we were scheduled to enter Glacier Bay. Our first anchorage was at Klag Bay, about 65 miles north of Sitka (map of area). Sheltered anchorage is at the head, and ashore are the ruins of the abandoned mining town of Chichagof.
There are certainly folks who do go to sleep for periods and leave the boat to its own. Single handers have little choice. I guess the Ocean is sufficiently lightly populated with boats that it (mostly) works but we don’t do it.
We do 4 hour shifts and there is always someone awake at the helm and we have an alarm that goes off every 5 min if its not touched in between to ensure we don’t accidentally drift off.
James Hamilton
jrh@mvdirona.com
Newbie question. When you’re running 24×7, is someone up at all times to keep an eye on things?