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3-29-02
Howdy, Kris Jensen from Ketchikan, AK here. I used this
book [Exploring Southeast Alaska] along with Proven
Cruising Routes and a copy of the old book, Exploring
the Inside Passage I picked up at Port Neville. Definitely
played a large part in my enjoyment of this entirely
too short trip from Anacortes home with the new boat.
I used the 16 day got to get back before I'm late for
work, haul butt itinerary. Not bad for a 5.5 Kt cruise
and never sailing at night.
Anyway I did run into a minor problem at one point I
figured you'd want to know about. On the second to the
last day (21 Jun 01) we anchored in Morse cove on Duke
Island. I noticed the current on our run in was near
4 kts in the narrow spot so I figured I needed to plan
my departure for near slack water to ensure I'd be able
to push out against the current. Low tide on 22 Jun
was -3.75ft at 0810 at Ketchikan so I was concerned
about the depth. My chart showed 1.25 Fathoms near the
rock but your chartlet in the book showed 2 Fathoms.
Hmmm. I figured I'd putt down there at low slack and
see if you were right since I didn't want to hang around
till high slack. If the chart was right I'd be right
on the bottom, if you were right I'd have about 4 feet
under the keel, no sweat. So we head down the narrow
passage just after 0800. Very quickly I notice we are
moving faster than I'd like to and throttle back. As
we pass the last point I could possibly have tried a
U-turn we're at idle and are doing over 5 Kts on GPS!
My dad is on the bow spotting the channel, the bottom
is very visible as we slide by the rock. Kelp is visible
all across the channel beyond the rock, I aim for the
thinnest spot. We run aground in gravel, sand and large
rocks approximately 150 feet to seaward of the rock.
The dink slams into the stern and fills about a quarter
with water before it bounces back up and slides around
to the side. I get this great idea to spin the boat
sideways and increase our drag and heel to hopefully
lessen our draft and carry us over this high spot. Deeper
water is plainly visible only 20 feet ahead. I allow
the current to pull the rudder to one side and we slew
quickly broadside to the current and heel approximately
20 degrees. It feels like we're moving but I think it's
just the rushing of the water. Yep, definitely stuck.
The rudder is jammed hard over against a rock, I'm worried
about it so we stand on the bow waiting for slack water.
My dad wonders aloud why we came down here at 7 in the
morning and I realize I forgot to change my watch over
to AK time when we crossed the line! Arrggh! Saw no
bugs at all during our evening in Morse Cove, now that
we are sitting ducks, they descend in clouds as we wait
on the bow. After significant loss of blood we say "screw
the rudder" and run for the cabin. At about 0815
(Alaska time) the boat stands up and we wait for the
tide to turn. Watching from the companionway hatch the
tide reverses at 23 mins after low slack in Ketchikan.
Now the concern is how fast will the current be when
there is enough water to float us out of the pocket
our keel is now sitting in. I really don't want to be
carried backwards by the current and find a big rock
with my rudder. As the current begins to flow and the
boat rises we are able to spin back around into the
current with a shot of throttle against a hard over
rudder. 30 minutes after slack we are lifted free and
I feel us slip backwards a few inches and bump another
rock. I pop the engine in gear and slowly motor forward
against the current until the keel hits the sand again.
I figure I'll hold it against the ground as long as
possible and try to do a 180 if I can't out run the
current. Soon we are running at cruising RPM which usually
nets about 5.5 Kts and have only a little throttle left.
My dad is up on the bow looking for a path through the
rocks, he says it looks a little deeper to starboard
once I get around this big rock. I back off the throttle
about 3 RPM and we slide back a few feet and maneuver
around a large rock. I have to go to full power to get
moving forward again. We slowly crawl past the kelp
and large rocks toward deeper water. Finally our speed
begins to increase over the ground and the Depthfinder
has something to report. So, I can accurately report
that on a minus 3.75 foot tide there is somewhat less
that 4 foot 7 inches in the channel at Morse cove. Looks
like the chart was closest.
Next item is just for information. I work at the Coast
Guard Loran Station at Shoal Cove in Carroll Inlet.
We commute by boat from town and I have acquired some
useful knowledge you may wish to add to the sections
on page 112 and 113. The Coast pilot entry for Shoal
Cove (actually the little cove just north of Shoal Cove)
is seriously out of date. There are presently no logging
operations going on the eastern shore of Carroll Inlet,
the logging camps have been dismantled. The Forest Service
has installed a very nice float with a vehicle ramp
and about a 35 foot finger on one side. This is a public
access float and may be used by anyone on a first come
first served basis. The only thing you may wish to consider
is leaving the front face of the main float open since
that is the only area easily accessed by float planes.
It's also where we tie up our 44 foot crew boat on Monday,
Wednesday and Friday mornings to do crew swaps and pack
stores. If there is no space when we show up we'll make
you move. (privilege of being the only people who have
to pay to use this dock!) There is all kinds of water
on all sides of this float so draft is not a concern
when tying here. I've even checked the shore side of
the finger and on the lowest of tides there is still
room to get a boat drawing 6 feet back there. Water
and Gasoline are no longer available. Occasionally there
are Forest Service people working out of the camp just
up from the dock, you'll be able to hear the generator
running if they're around. If you do find yourself in
a non-emergency situation that doesn't require a seaborne
response (i.e.: medical, mechanical, electrical) the
Loran Station monitors channel 81A during waking hours
and is about a four mile drive from the dock. We are
not specifically tasked with search and rescue but being
who we are, were usually glad to help out when we can.
Normal SAR of course is via 16 like always, but it will
take the stations boats around 40 minutes to an hour
to get there. We also have a rickety old float on the
south shore of this cove. We park our morale skiff over
there and occasionally personal boats. Mooring is not
allowed without the Commanding Officers permission.
If there is no room at the Inn you could try radioing
the station and requesting permission, but it depends
on the CO's mood. Also I wouldn't tie up anything of
size if the wind is blowing, the concrete abutment the
float is attached to is eroding away from underneath
and is eventually going to tip over and fall in the
water a larger vessel with more wind load might exacerbate
the problem. Towards the Island on the north side of
the cove is a large round steel buoy, low in the water.
Not a threat for an approach from the South or West
but if you head in or out from the North in low light
it's something to think about. In about 100-120 feet
of water to the xxxxx of the island is some of the best
Dungeness crabbing to be found. Got several near 8 inches
across last time out.(crabbing info to be held in the
strictest of confidence) North, in Shelter Cove they
are doing some logging, the Forest Service has built
a float similar to the one we have in our cove there
also. Further north in the head of the inlet is the
Swan Lake Hydro project. It is just past a large sandbar
from the outflow of the river. The sandbar extends almost
halfway across the inlet from the Eastern shore right
under the power lines where they cross, so don't spend
all your time gawking at the towers and the staff quarters,
check your chart and depthsounder. There is a public
float and a picnic/recreation area and public restrooms.
When you arrive check in with the Dam staff via a phone
on the dock, if they're not busy you can get a tour
of the powerhouse. The short (.5mile) uphill hike to
the top of the dam is pretty cool. Make sure to try
the road just before the top when you come back down,
it curves back around for a nifty view of the face of
the dam.
Back in Ketchikan I believe the old section of floating
bridge is no longer in use as the airport passenger
float. Whenever we take anyone to or from the airport
we tie up at the south end of the seaplane floats. There
is a small building on the float and room to tie up
several boats. The ramp goes almost directly up to the
terminal. This is all on the North side of the Ferry
dock. Well that's what I got, hope to see you up this
way in the future, I'll probably be in town, Shoal Cove
gets a new XO this summer and I'm taking on the Electronics
shop on the Base.
Kris Jensen
Fair Winds
5-31-01
Dear Fine Edge,
I have a copy of "Exploring Southeast Alaska"
and have a problem.
We are using the "Classic Itinerary" as a
course for our trip. There are 5 stops on that Day 48,49,50,51
and 52 that are not listed in the "appendices and
References" Do you know what pages we might locate
them on. We are buying our charts based on our itinerary
and need to make sure we have them all.
Derek Ingram
Canada
Dear Derek,
Don and Reanne are in Alaska at the present time, and
unavailable to answer your query. So the crew at FineEdge
forwarded your question to me.
It sounds like you have a lovely trip ahead of you.
For your information the stops on days 48, 49, 50, 51,
and 52 are not described in "Exploring Southeast
Alaska", but they are described in "Exploring
the North Coast of British Columbia" The Itinerary
includes a stretch through Petrel Channel, Principe
Channel, Estevan Sound, Camaano Sound, Laredo Channel,
Laredo Sound, and Milbanke Sound. This is a beautiful
trip, but it does include a short-cut through Higgins
Passage, which is a drying channel that you must transit
only at high-water slack. I would not recommend transiting
Higgins Passage if your boat draws more than a few feet
of water. Your other options are:
1) Go around the south end of Price Island (Catala Passage)
and across Milbanke Sound to Seaforth Channel.
2) Transit Myers Passage to Klemtu and then either Jackson
Passage or Oscar Passage and through Reid Passage, or
directly from Klemtu to Seaforth Channel
The route is shown on pages 507 to 509 of "Exploring
Southeast Alaska"
The anchorages you will be interested in are as follows
Day 48 Captain Cove--page 319 "Exploring the North
Coast of British Columbia"
Day 49 Patterson Inlet--page 310 "Exploring the
North Coast of British Columbia"
Day 50 Helmcken Island Cove--page 225 "Exploring
the North Coast of British Columbia" (should read
"Smithers Island Cove"-Helmcken Inlet)
Day 51 Kynumpt Harbour (Horsfall Island)--page 103 "Exploring
the North Coast of British Columbia"
Day 52 Goldstream Harbour--page 89 "Exploring the
North Coast of British Columbia"
For more information
1) Higgins Passage--page 212 "Exploring the North
Coast of British Columbia"
2) Catala Passage--page 211 "Exploring the North
Coast of British Columbia"
3) Myers Passage--page 215 "Exploring the North
Coast of British Columbia"
4) Jackson Passage--page 191 "Exploring the North
Coast of British Columbia"
5) Oscar Passage--page 190 "Exploring the North
Coast of British Columbia"
6) Reid Passage--page 185 "Exploring the North
Coast of British Columbia"
You can see the entire route (except for Captain Cove)
on Canadian Hydrographic Service chart 3744, or on the
FineEdge planning maps available through the FinEdge
web-site. I also strongly suggest obtaining a CHS Canadian
Chart Catalogue (and a NOAA US chart catalogue) from
any chart seller, and use it to select the charts you
will be needing. I also find the Chart Catalogue invaluable
in the wheelhouse. One glance at the catalogue will
tell you which chart to pull out of storage next greatly
simplifying the task of managing your charts.
Best wishes
Kevin Monahan
Shipwrite Productions
9/01/01
Hi. My son and I recently returned from Alaska's Inside
Passage. Your book was indispensable. Our trip was much
more enjoyable, and safer, because of it.
Dave and Jacqui Barrie
Yarrow, BC, CANADA
1/25/01
To FineEdge.com,
Hello.
I love your publications and am currently using "Exploring
Southeast Alaska" to plan our cruise this summer.
We are cruising from Sitka to Glacier Bay June 23 to
July 7, 2001 and are first timers to Alaska. I am seeking
additional information specifically great fishing/crabbing
sites along this route. Will "Proven CruisingRoutes,
Vol. 1" provide any further insight or can you
recommend any publication or internet sites for bare-boat
charters?
Also, if you had only 14 days to make this cruise, what
must-see stops would you recommend? Thank you in advance
for any information you may be able to share.
Happy cruising,
Brenda King
Brenda,
Glad to hear you are making the trip. Great place. If
you want the really great scenery and are skilled and
confident navigators I would head north along the outer
coast of Chicagof Island. Some really great crabbing
can be found using safer Peril Strait. You should stop
on the south side of Tenakee Inlet at or near Crab Bay.
Fish and crab can be found almost anywhere.
"Proven Cruising Routes" does not cover the
area you will be transversing. You will be in a largely
wildness area and there is not a lot of data on the
area. Check with the people furnishing you the boat
– they may have suggestions.
All the best,
Don Douglass
Summer 2000
Dear Don,
Thank you so much for your reply. We would love to try
the outside cruise but lack the confidence to try it
on our first adventure. We will most likely use Peril
Strait coming and going, even though it adds more mileage.
Please let me know if you are ever in Portland speaking
or just passing through. We would be honored to make
your acquaintance.
Warmest regards,
Brenda King
8-2-00
Don and Réanne,
It was so nice to meet you both in Anacortes. With the
help of your and arrived in Juneau on time for the cruise
around Admiralty, Baranof and Chichagof islands. We
reached Margery Glacier and saw whales, stellar sea
lions, otters but sadly only one small black bear in
Tracy Arm Cove.
Best wishes,
Ann Fraser,
"Gollywobbler" U.K.
Summer 2000
Don,
The Alaska book is totally amazing! Lots of new pictures
and other stuff. I can’t believe how thick it
is. What a deal for the price!
Also, the Proven Cruising Routes book is spectacular.
I like the way everything is laid out. The spiral binding
is perfect. In fact, you should put spiral bindings
on all of your cruising guides. It would make it easier
to lay them open on your chart table or wheel house.
Reader from Massachusetts Summer 2000
Don,
We have received your new book and enjoy it like we
have your others. When we return to our cutter in Alaska
it will be our main reference. I hope that we run into
you when we are cruising SE Alaska and BC. You have
experienced God’s handiwork much closer than most.
Tom and Kathy Bollman
Spirit
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