Posts In The “North America Pacific Coast” Category
Glacier Bay has long been high on our list of places to visit. And after nearly a week cruising southeast Alaska, the first day of our permit to enter finally had arrived. We’d technically been in the park for two nights already, as Dundas Bay is inside Glacier Bay National Park, but doesn’t require a…
On our Christmas trip to Desolation Sound this year, we were looking forward to testing the boat in some rough winter weather. We’ve been out in a few gale warnings, and the boat has handled well, but we wanted something more serious. We got our chance one morning on a trip from Gorge Harbor to…
Two weeks ago, while anchored off Blake Island, a Defender Class Coast Guard boat approached. Rare before 9/11, we now frequently see these boats around Elliott Bay, accompanying ferries, patrolling the shoreline, or passing through Bell Harbor Marina where we often keep our boat. This one approached unusually close, and the crew indicated that they…
We spent Christmas this year in Desolation Sound (map of area). The area is so popular in the summer that Kenmore Air has regular float-plane service to one of the anchorages there at Prideaux Haven (pictured above). That’s way too busy for us–we prefer the winter, when we can have it all to ourselves. We…
Last weekend we presented at the Seattle Boat Show on our 24×7 run to Alaska. The slides are posted at Hamilton_SBS11_Alaska24x7.pdf. A couple of questions we were asked that weren’t covered in the presentation were on seasickness and how Spitfire did on the trip. Seasickness generally isn’t a problem for James, but I will get…
The seminar schedule for the 2011 Seattle Boat Show has been posted. This year we’ll be presenting on Saturday Jan. 22nd at 11:30am on our trip to Alaska this summer. We’ll be describe our 5-day, 2-crew, 24×7 offshore run from Seattle directly to SE Alaska, and share highlights of our visit. We’ll also discuss how…
After the astonishing view to Mt. La Perouse in Dundas Bay West Arm, we didn’t think the north arm could compare. But we were wrong–we liked the north arm even better. The head of the bay felt almost land-locked, with steep mountains all around. In the calm, glacial green waters, we felt as if we’d…
Nope–these pictures were taken in the south Puget Sound earlier today. We’re out on a Thanksgiving cruise, and were anchored last night in the cove behind Raft Island (map of area). Temperatures were slightly above freezing yesterday, with a light snowfall. This morning we woke to a layer of snow on deck and a temperature…
Porcupine Bay was our last stop on the west side of Chichagof Island–we would spend the next week in Glacier Bay National Park. We still had two more days before we could enter the permit-only portion of the park, but we planned to spend a night or two in Dundas Bay first. (Dundas Bay is…
From Klag Bay, we toured north along the west shore of Chichagof Island, overnighting at Kimshan Bay and Porcupine Cove. We could easily have spent days in the area–the charts show a complex shoreline ideal for exploration by dinghy or kayak, along with several sheltered anchorages (map of area). Read more …
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…
Our Alaska trip was simply amazing. The glaciers and mountain scenery were incredible—we spent over a week in Glacier Bay National Park and several days in Tracy and Endicott Arms (trip map). We also cruised the complex outer coasts of Chichagof, Baranof and Prince of Wales Island, but barely scratched the surface there. The outer…
The fridge and freezer are filled, and the dry goods and spares are stowed. Tonight we set off for Alaska. Most summers we spend a bit of time between the northern tip of Vancouver island and the Alaska border. This year is a little different for two reasons. First, we’re heading further…
We spent the July 4th Independence Day weekend anchored at the head of the Hood Canal (route map). We went mainly because we’d not anchored there before, and were planning to stay only for the 3rd. This, however, turned out to be a great place to watch fireworks. Private displays are illegal in most cities…
The week before last, our home was up in the air next to Emerald Harbor Marine‘s shop at Canal Boatyard in Ballard. Although we’re happy to be back at Bell Harbor, we had a good week. Living aboard in the yard was an adventure, and we enjoyed exploring Ballard and visiting its many pubs. We’d…
Lynwood Center, tucked into the corner at the west end of Rich Passage, has become one of our close-to-home favorites. It’s nearness to the ferry routes and other traffic in Rich Passage make it an unusual anchorage. When we first stopped there, we expected that ferry wakes in particular would toss the boat a fair…
We spent the final two nights of our mid-March shakedown cruise in Hammersley Inlet. Shelton and the Oakland Bay Marina are at the elbow of Hammersley Inlet, where it bends into Oakland Bay. We’ve anchored in the area many nights, and spent hours exploring the area by dinghy and on foot. We enjoy the industry:…
A major spring storm was forecast to hit the Puget Sound on Friday. A 972-mb low over southern Vancouver Island would generate storm-force winds along the Washington state coast. A gale warning was in effect for the more-protected Puget Sound, and winds there were forecast to reach 30-40 knots, with wind waves of 5-7 feet….