| Lat ▲ | Lon | Boat name | Note | Created at | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55º 13.458' N | 131º 9.18' W | Denali Rose | Wed, 5–Sep-2018: Alava Bay, Misty Fjords This is our last stop before turning the corner and arriving in Ketchikan… tomorrow? What am I saying? We have to go back to civilization tomorrow as our morning coffee will use the last of our creamer… This is a nice anchorage next to a Forest Service cabin, and a scrap of AT&T cell signal can be received using a booster with antenna on the mast spreaders. | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 55º 19.548' N | 131º 39.768' W | Denali Rose | Clam Cove opposite Ketchikan, where we visited with dear sailing friends on SV Sauvage for a couple of days. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 55º 20.58' N | 131º 40.998' W | Denali Rose | Hunkered-down in Ketchikan, Alaska http://svdenalirosenc43.blogspot.com/2015/08/hunkered-down-in-ketchikan.html | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 55º 21.018' N | 131º 40.914' W | Denali Rose | Wed, 6–Sep-2018: Ketchikan
A few days in Ketchikan visiting friends [and making new ones…] Shopping, updating charts and apps using fast internet, you know the drill… | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 55º 28.56' N | 132º 23.646' W | Denali Rose | Wed, 22-Aug-2018: Kasaan We continued S again and this stop is Kasaan Bay. We will do some exploring and make sure to visit the village as there is much to see there. We took many photos of the totems on the walk to the long house. Very worthwhile. We are across Clarence Strait from Ketchikan, so we may also swing over and tour Misty Fjords if weather allows. PS: There is not enough clearance for us to use the inner float, so we stayed on the outer- which is rarely calm... | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 55º 28.728' N | 133º 8.652' W | Denali Rose | Craig Alaska [Thur, 4-Jul-2019 16:44 UTC]
We will depart Craig today after enjoying their 4th of July fireworks last night. [Wrangell canceled their fireworks due to fire concerns in the rain forest…] With fuel and provisions topped up, we are ready for a few more months without stopping if necessary. This departure will begin our meander N toward Sitka, etc… Stay tuned as we attempt to also upload some of our KML tracks… and simultaneously post these position updates to our Denali Rose Sailboat page… We are outta here as soon as we get a bit more water under the keel after this morning’s -2ft tide… | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 55º 28.728' N | 133º 8.652' W | Denali Rose | Craig Alaska [Tue, 2-Jul-2019 00:03 UTC]
We transited to Craig today using all the back channels from Kaguk Cove, which are well marked and easily navigated. We fueled up before taking a transient slip in the harbor. Provisions and a few boat parts are on tomorrow’s shopping list… It is 70s and 80s °F in SE Alaska right now, with relative humidity running low at 20-30%. Extreme fire hazard in in the southernmost rain forest [very rare…] Irony? It is so bad we heard today that Wrangell cancelled their locally famous annual fireworks display- possibly a first… We have our first usable cell signal [i.e., internet service] since 23-Jun. Whoopie. | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 55º 31.662' N | 130º 46.908' W | Denali Rose | Mon, 3–Sep-2018: Punchbowl Cove, [Rudyerd Bay] Misty Fjords We waited until the 3 day [Labor Day in the US] weekend was coming to a close to minimize chances of encountering other boats in this most popular Misty Fjord destination. [It is reasonable distance from Ketchikan for float planes and sight seeing boats as well.] Our strategy may have helped as once again the single Nat’l Forest Service mooring was available, and no other boats are in the area [at anchor; There are 4 tour boats further up Rudyerd Bay displaying on our AIS.] Today and the next few promise to be sunny, and the views are [once again] quite spectacular. We still cannot receive NOAA Wx radio on VHF on this side of the Behm Canal, so satellite communications continues to be our only contact until we approach Ketchikan in a few days… [Even the GPS drops satellites on occasion in here due to the sheer high terrain, and sat phone connections only last a couple of minutes until the satellite veers over the horizon.] | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 55º 32.592' N | 131º 39.138' W | Denali Rose | over 9 years ago | Show | |
| 55º 35.43' N | 131º 37.392' W | Denali Rose | Our sunny weather comes to an end with a promised wind/rain/gale hitting tonight/tomorrow. Therefore we have anchored closer to Ketchikan at the head of Naha Bay near the entrance to Roosevelt Lagoon. This way we can more readily drop our friends at the airport this Saturday, wind or no… | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 55º 39.684' N | 132º 28.368' W | Denali Rose | Sat, 18-Aug-2018: Thorne Bay We continued S and stopped in Thorne Bay. [Outer anchorage- Near Tolstoy Bay. There are many rocks that are obscured at high tide, and it is open to Clarence Strait to the N. Therefore some wind and waves /wakes make their way into this little bay.] There several all weather anchorages dotting the inside [E] coast of Prince of Wales Island. This one has a small community and infrastructure as well… [Good AT&T cell signal, and a well stocked market. Score one of the butcher's home made corned beef roasts if you can... And Bubbie's pickles!] | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 55º 42.072' N | 131º 38.376' W | Denali Rose | Sat, 25-Aug-2018: Marguerite Bay [Traitor’s Cove] We crossed ‘Lake’ Clarence [Strait] and anchored in Marguerite Bay [Traitor’s Cove] We intend to tour Misty Fjords and visit some friends in Ketchikan. There is a small float plane dock here where cruise ship passengers from Ketchikan are flown to go view black bears feeding on salmon. And it is the weekend, so numerous weekend warriors are out boating… So far we have only observed one multi-deck powerboat practice using their high-speed underwater winch… [Caught their own crab pot line in their prop… Before you start laughing, remember it can happen to anyone...] We have seen as many as 4 float planes waiting to drop passengers off at the dock. We will come watch the bears some other time… We are off to begin our clockwise circumnavigation of Revillagigedo Island. | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 55º 42.114' N | 131º 38.322' W | Denali Rose | over 9 years ago | Show | |
| 55º 43.92' N | 130º 45.252' W | Denali Rose | Thu, 30-Aug-2018: Walker Cove, Misty Fjords We moved ahead of a slight southerly blow that may hit tonight and tomorrow. We are moored in Yosemite Valley. This is a fjord! Reminds me of all my years in Prince William Sound. The single Nat’l Forest Service mooring was free, so we grabbed it [on our first try!] The views are quite spectacular, so we may be here for a bit… We cannot receive NOAA Wx radio on VHF on this side of the Behm Canal, so satellite communications continues to be our only contact for the near future… [Even the GPS drops satellites on occasion in here due to the sheer high terrain.] | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 55º 44.37' N | 132º 15.498' W | Denali Rose | Tue, 11–Sep-2018: Meyer’s Chuck
You can tell the season is ending for many; the dock has space for us, and few chimneys on the homes have smoke coming out in the cool mornings… | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 55º 44.37' N | 132º 15.498' W | Denali Rose | After a rough passage heading N against N winds in Clarence Straight
yesterday, we anchored in Meyers Chuck at sunset. What an immediate relief from prevailing conditions, and a great little off-grid community to boot. We are enjoying severe clear [sunny and hot] weather patterns the next couple of days as we continue our journey back to Wrangell. [Sent from Gmail as our cell connectivity is much better from some distant source than it was at the docks in Ketchikan... We blame the cruise ships for bringing 10,000 additional cell phone users in Ketchikan daily... Gmail at least publishes our trip notes; something we have been unsuccessful achieving using our usual sat phone email UUplus address...] | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 55º 47.856' N | 133º 14.52' W | Denali Rose | Anchored in Yahku Cove on Tuxekan Is..
[Thu, 4-Jul-2019 01:15 UTC; 55° 47.8555' N 133° 14.5198' W] We motored from Craig to the S entrance of Tuxekan Passage today. Very warm Wx with haze from smoke from numerous severe fires in Alaska and Canada. This is a nice little cove with a kayakable cove off to one side… We will continue generally retracing our steps back to El Capitan Passage tomorrow. We have learned of some unpublished [to our knowledge…] petroglyphs since our last transit and want to stop and investigate in person. Sat comms are all that work here- and for the next week or so most likely… | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 55º 56.442' N | 131º 50.262' W | Denali Rose | Sun, 26-Aug-2018: Yes Bay This morning we were watching a small family of orca whales feed in the head of the bay where we are anchored. While we were photographing the orcas, wolves started howling in the woods. We think we may stay another day or so… [And Wx may help convince us…] | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 55º 58.884' N | 131º 10.812' W | Denali Rose | Wed, 29-Aug-2018: Fitzgibbon Cove, Misty Fjords As we came out of the E side of Behm Narrows, the wind was blowing 15-20 from the S. That made Fitzgibbon Cove all the more appealing for today. Little of that wind, and none of the wind waves are making their way into this cove. We are hunkered down in 80ft of water, mud bottom. Bring it on. Elsie [our black cat] was somewhat excited to pass by Point Elsie. We have photos… | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 0.666' N | 132º 49.998' W | Denali Rose | We made it to Coffman Cove on Prince of Wales Island unscathed.
Otto von Helm got into the grog and we promised him a new rudder indicator… It is satellite comms only here… No cell signals on GCI or AT&T… [Yay!] | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 0.96' N | 132º 50.316' W | Denali Rose | We are anchored in Coffman Cove watching the comings and goings at the small dock. There is still no cell service here, but there is a fee based WiFi service [Cove Connect] we can receive from the boat [we have a WiriePro.] Cove Connect advertises 5Mbs service, but we only averaged less than half that speed [with one brief 4.5 Mbs spike] during our 24 hour usage. Regardless, it is reasonable priced if you need to catch up on some updates and email. Coffman also has a good grocery/clothing store, library with WiFi [last we knew earlier this year] and very friendly people. | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 2.526' N | 132º 12.594' W | Denali Rose | Wed, 12–Sep-2018: N Canoe Passage; Menefee Point
Nice spot with Fisherman’s Chuck and Canoe Passage for hiding from inclement Wx. | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 3.438' N | 133º 5.178' W | Denali Rose | Rocky Bay, Whale Pass…
We came in the N entrance as high tide approached. Charts and nav markers all seemed accurate. No issues… Will likely depart via S route when we leave. Too many cabins and homes [for us] to anchor in main bay. Reminiscent of Gulf Islands further S. So we anchored just inside the entrance of Rocky Bay. I took a panographic image at zero tide that demonstrates how this bay got its name. Nice breeze and impending sunset. Sat comms only here… Beginning Prince of Wales Island exploration and circumnavigation… | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 3.936' N | 131º 58.176' W | Denali Rose | over 9 years ago | Show | |
| 56º 9.306' N | 133º 27.156' W | Denali Rose | Dry Pass, West Inlet [Entrance to El Capitan Passage]
Anchored in Yahku Cove on Tuxekan Is.. [Fri, 5-Jul-2019; 56° 09.3061' N 133° 27.1542' W] We motored through El Capitan Passage today, with winds boxing the compass. Unseasonably warm Wx [70s F on the coast?] with haze from smoke continuing from numerous severe fires in Alaska and Canada. This is a sheltered anchor spot just E of day mark #25, with skinnier water than we usually prefer. However, we are in search of petroglyphs and our kayaks don’t care about depth all that much… Sat comms continue to be all there is- and still for the next week or so most likely… Did I mention how hungry the horse flies are? | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 56º 9.582' N | 133º 30.558' W | Denali Rose | Outside N El Capitan entrance; Prince of Wales Is. [Wed, 26-Jun-2019 23:23 UTC]
We are tucked in just W of Divide Island [which is W of Middle Island] for a day or two. The view is quite spectacular with a bald prominent granite dome in view… Wx is still severe clear with unseasonable high temps [70s-80s °F] Sat comms and radio continue to be the contact methods of choice [or the only ones that work in this remote area.] We plan to transit El Capitan passage soon… | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 56º 10.464' N | 132º 8.358' W | Denali Rose | We transited from Meyers Chuck to Thoms Place in 5 hours today, during a severe clear. The wind is supposed to shift from NW to SE tomorrow/tomorrow evening bringing a good chance of rain for the weekend… Meanwhile we have this sunny, protected cove all to ourselves… so far… | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 56º 10.518' N | 132º 8.448' W | Denali Rose | Thom’s Place, Wrangell Island [Sat, 22–May-2021 @ 18:54 ADT]
56° 10.5172' N 132° 08.4505' W This is our 2021 shakedown trip after routine maintenance in the boat yard. [We do a bottom paint job every 4-5 years, and needed an insurance survey this year.] Since we have some dear friends transiting their new [to them] boat through Canada to their new permanent slip in Wrangell, we will wait here so they might join us on their way by. Thom’s is always a pleasant place to hang out [and a well sheltered anchorage.] And since we are here ahead of commercial crab season......... | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 56º 10.518' N | 132º 8.454' W | Denali Rose | Thom’s Place [Thu, 16-Jul-2020 @ 17:16 ADT; 56° 10.5172' N, 132° 08.4505' W]
We are hanging out prepping for a rainy weekend. Moose stew on the menu, and crabbing is usually very good here… Sat comms only here— and for the near future… [We can also receive email sent to Denali Rose’s and/or Bill’s gmail addresses…] | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 56º 10.518' N | 132º 8.448' W | Denali Rose | It is sunny and we wanted to head out… Anita Bay was at the top of our list since we can fish King Salmon there- but so can the commercial guys… [We spotted 6 processors and numerous commercial fishing boats as we passed by…]
We decided to go for a quieter anchorage and skip fishing for now… We are all alone in Thom’s Place sans the bald eagles, seals, ravens and ? … | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 10.878' N | 131º 36.846' W | Denali Rose | High pressure in the Gulf of Alaska continues to brighten our days…
We are exploring Bradfield Canal for the first time. Lots of streams and a river, so there is the potential for spotting bears… Sat comms only for the foreseeable future. [For those of you who have it, see the comms document we shared with you for more info and send us a [text only] email…] | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 10.896' N | 131º 36.894' W | Denali Rose | Duck Point; Bradfield Canal: Day 3 of the severe clear weather spell… We are hosting guests, and over-indulged on crab for dinner.
Beautiful spot with a light breeze and 4 million crab pots… | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 11.436' N | 132º 30.132' W | Denali Rose | Anita Bay; Etolin Island; [Wed, 12–Aug-2020 @ 20:09 ADT; 56° 11.4337' N, 132° 30.1306' W]
We continue to explore local bights and refuges for early/late season, and winter boating while awaiting arrival in Wrangell of a N bound sister-ship approaching the US border from BC Canada.. This is a large bay with a hatchery which attracts various commercial fishing boats when they are allowed to fish here. Currently there are a few seiners hanging around the entrance to this deep bay, but not yet fishing in force. [We will leave if they have an ‘opener’ while we are here.] There is room for several boats to anchor at the head of Anita Bay, and being a bowl, we are protected from all Wx, but not the sun! [This would be a great winter anchorage.] Sat comms only here… | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 56º 16.962' N | 133º 18.864' W | Denali Rose | Red Bay Entrance [Thu, 10–Oct-2019 @ 12:31 ADT; 56° 16.9613' N, 133° 18.8631' W]
We are now anchored [in 35ft w/ sticky mud bottom] near the head of Red Bay in preparation for an impending gale/storm. We will have a couple of Wx days to visit friends on Fluenta before they resume their journey back to Canada. Crab and shrimp pots down… [We know there is crab… doubtful there are shrimp…] Sat comms only here. | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 56º 17.154' N | 133º 39.078' W | Denali Rose | Another severe clear weather spell… during crabbing season… and now we can fish king salmon as well… Darnn it… | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 17.154' N | 133º 39.078' W | Denali Rose | Day 4 of the severe clear weather spell… but… after exploring Point Baker and Port Protection [in both places we found boating friends unsuccessfully hiding from us; you know how you are…] we were met with 25 knots of wind on the nose from SSW coming up Sumner Straight. It was tempting to turn around and sail in it… But instead we carried on and ducked into our favorite hidden hole in Labouchere Bay. Now we can BBQ dinner while we watch the white caps dance in Sumner over the low, treed, exposed reef that separates the anchorage from the maelstrom.
The wind generator is happy to be a productive member of the crew… | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 17.232' N | 133º 39.024' W | Denali Rose | over 9 years ago | Show | |
| 56º 19.056' N | 131º 43.926' W | Denali Rose | Bradfield Canal [Wed, 22-Jul-2020 @ 16:54 ADT; 56° 10.9057' N, 131° 36.7927' W]
We are currently anchored in ~100ft of water on a steep slope off the mouth of a river called Eagle Bay in Bradfield Canal… [Designated ‘Bay’ possibly because tidewater goes up river at high tide… or the cartographers blew it…] If we get pushed toward the river, the depth at the end of our chain will be ~10 ft under our keel… When we wander away from the river mouth, we are in 150ft… [360ft of chain with a 99lb Spade anchor well set into a level portion of the clay bottom…] According to our log, we were here exactly 2 years ago on 22-Jul-2018. We recall from that visit watching the moon traversing the mountains framing the river, with a brightly lit Jupiter following close behind. We will have no such luck this time. It is expected to be [and in fact has been] rainy during this visit [just N of the Misty Fjords] But winds are not forecast to be a factor, so this less conservative than usual anchoring approach should serve us once again. [We can always set a Bahemian moor into the river mouth if needed…] Sat comms only here— and likely for the near future… [count your blessings…] [We can also receive email sent to Denali Rose’s and/or Bill’s gmail addresses…] | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 56º 19.608' N | 133º 18.54' W | Denali Rose | Red Bay Entrance [Wed, 09–Oct-2019 @ 15:00 ADT; 56° 19.6080' N, 133° 18.5370' W]
We are anchored outside the entrance to Red Bay to await favorable entrance conditions in the morning. Our friends on Fluenta, who are transiting back to Canada from the Marshall Islands, will meet up with us this afternoon. An impending 2+ day gale/storm will allow us to enjoy each other’s company as we plan to enter Red Bay Thursday morning as high slack approaches and anchor down at the head of the bay in the very sticky mud bottom to ride it out… Sat comms only here. | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 56º 24.048' N | 132º 10.32' W | Denali Rose | Madan Bay, Opposite E side Wrangell Island on mainland [Fri, 28–May-2021 @ 15:52 ADT]
56° 24.0470' N 132° 10.3218' W This is a convenient location close to Wrangell to get away and do some crabbing, kayaking, and work on some projects over the rainy Memorial Day weekend. We have a few more things to do in Wrangell before heading off for a few months, so we are sticking close by for now. And since we are here ahead of commercial crabbing season......... | over 3 years ago | Show |
| 56º 24.984' N | 132º 13.794' W | Denali Rose | Madan Bay [Sat, 25-Jul-2020 @ 17:08 ADT; 56° 24.0985' N, 132° 10.3796' W]
With another atmospheric river with possible gale force winds predicted, we left our precarious perch in the river mouth of our last position report [Bradfield Canal] for more protected waters. We ducked into Berg Bay, but it was too crowded with crab pots to provide us adequate swinging room. [At least without involuntarily adjusting/ relocating some crab traps with our ground tackle…] We pressed on to Madan Bay with winds picking up [25kts and rising] where we found another vessel we know from Wrangell already at anchor. Perhaps we can get together once the weather abates… We will set some shrimp traps as sometimes we catch spot prawns here. What better to share for dinner? Sat comms only here— and likely for the near future… | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 56º 26.358' N | 132º 57.63' W | Denali Rose | We finally got off the docks of Wrangell after many months of projects this spring and summer. We are enjoying day 3 of a severe clear spell in the weather while anchored in St. John’s Harbor.
We have a minor fuel leak on the high pressure fuel pump to contend with, then we are off to points further north… | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 56º 26.358' N | 132º 57.708' W | Denali Rose | Fri, 28–Sep-2018: St John Harbor; Zarembo Island
Our favorite anchorage for sunsets. A high is forming over land to the NE in Canada, so N-NE winds will be the order of the day for the weekend… [20 gusting 40] Four foot seas [windwaves] in Sumner St. with some of them refracting into the anchorage around Lowe Pt. That makes for a lumpy- but not windy- anchorage. We may head across Sumner to Totem Bay today seeking a quieter anchorage… but then we wouldn’t get our sunsets… Such dilemmas we face… | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 26.358' N | 132º 57.708' W | Denali Rose | Labouchere Bay; Prince of Wales Is. [07–Jul-2019; 01:30 UTC]
We’re back from El Capitan. The wind switched early to southerly lowering air temperature to low 50s [from mid 60s] and creating a fog bank [Vis 1/4-1/2 mile] and confused seas from SSW in Sumner Strait. Bouncy ride for a bit. Reached N end of fog bank about 2 miles from Labouchere Bay S entrance point. Tucked into Labouchere Bay in our usual spot. All is calm, and clear. We need to be at the S end of Rocke Pass by Monday evening… | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 56º 26.358' N | 132º 57.708' W | Denali Rose | Kaguk Cove; Prince of Wales Is. [01–Jul-2019 23:00 UTC]
We enjoyed a sunny, uneventful passage on the back channels towards Craig. Tomorrow, Craig for a few provisions, fuel, a couple of bits of hardware, then… continue exploring, ultimately heading N for a buddy boating rendezvous Sitka bound mid month… We had some brief cell signals today, but are still restricted to sat comms in this anchorage… Tomorrow we can catch up on all the things we haven’t missed… | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 56º 26.358' N | 132º 57.708' W | Denali Rose | Labouchere Bay; Prince of Wales Is. [23-Jun-2019 23:04 UTC]
Holding here while the Wx clears, then on to El Capitan passage hopefully tomorrow… | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 56º 26.358' N | 132º 57.708' W | Denali Rose | St John Harbor; Zarembo Is. [21-Jun-2019 03:44 UTC]
We spent the summer solstice anchored under scattered clouds.. We are venturing towards the western side of Prince of Whales Island to spend some time exploring… | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 56º 26.358' N | 132º 57.708' W | Denali Rose | St John Harbor; Zarembo Is. | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 56º 26.358' N | 132º 57.708' W | Denali Rose | Wed, 31-Oct-2018: St John Harbor; Zarembo Island
The lengths some people will go to to avoid Halloween… We actually planned to duck into some different anchorages but there were other boats in them already… The nerve… Therefore we arrived in this very familiar anchorage after dark- not our favorite thing to do… | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 26.358' N | 132º 57.708' W | Denali Rose | Fri, 28–Sep-2018: St John Harbor; Zaremba Island
Our favorite anchorage for sun sets. A high is forming over land to the NE, so N-NE winds will be the order of the day for the weekend… [20 gusting 40] Four foot seas [windwaves] in Sumner St. with some refracting into the anchorage around Lowe Pt. Lumpy but not windy. We may head across Sumner to Totem Bay today seeking a quieter anchorage… but then we wouldn’t get our sunsets… Such dilemmas we face… | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 26.406' N | 132º 57.642' W | Denali Rose | St John Harbor on Zarembo Island… Great sun all day long… 15kts wind from W [on the nose…]
Blowing 20 gusting 35 tomorrow afternoon, so we will decide whether to stay or go… tomorrow… Staging for Prince of Wales Island circumnavigation… | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 26.406' N | 132º 57.642' W | Denali Rose |
St John Harbor on Zarembo Island… Great sun all day long… Minus 4 tides… Sea Otters, Whales, and Dolphins in the area… | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 26.406' N | 132º 57.642' W | Denali Rose | We intend to depart St John Harbor on Zarembo Island. We plan to transit to Coffman Cove on Prince of Wales Island, arriving early evening today… | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 26.406' N | 132º 57.642' W | Denali Rose | St John Harbor on Zarembo Island… One of our favorite places to catch a sunset…
We met up with our friends on Dawn Treader V… rafted for the night… | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 26.43' N | 132º 57.756' W | Denali Rose | St. John Harbor | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 56º 27.384' N | 132º 22.998' W | Denali Rose | Denali Rose wrapping up summer projects preparing to depart for a rendezvous further north...
| over 7 years ago | Show |
| 56º 27.384' N | 132º 22.998' W | Denali Rose | Denali Rose is ramping up for departure for a rendezvoux further north...
| over 7 years ago | Show |
| 56º 27.39' N | 132º 22.992' W | Denali Rose | Wrangell, Alaska (Home port...) | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 56º 27.396' N | 132º 22.992' W | Denali Rose | Thu, 2–Nov-2018: Wrangell
We are back in our slip in Wrangell. The fall weather pattern is in full swing… Now we can work on some more boat projects while at the dock… | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 27.396' N | 132º 22.992' W | Denali Rose | We are now in our slip in Wrangell, Alaska (our home port.) Many boaters are putting their vessels up for winter. We are looking forward to exploring all winter... | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 56º 27.396' N | 132º 22.992' W | Denali Rose | Fri, 31-May-2019: Wrangell Island
We are back in our slip in Wrangell for a few days. Donna flies out next week to visit some family for a week, and attend a graduation ceremony. Then we are off again for parts yet to be determined… | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 56º 27.396' N | 132º 22.992' W | Denali Rose | Thu, 18-Oct-2018: Wrangell
We made it back to our slip in Wrangell as the sun was setting after motoring into headwinds in fog most of the day. The fall weather pattern is installing itself with the first storm force front moving in tonight for the weekend. Now we can work on some boat projects while at the dock… | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 27.396' N | 132º 22.992' W | Denali Rose | Back in Wrangell prepping for company…
| over 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 27.396' N | 132º 22.992' W | Denali Rose | Back in Wrangell for a bit… Donna is off to Anchorage for a few days…
| over 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 27.396' N | 132º 22.992' W | Denali Rose | Back in Wrangell. We are excited to attend a private Potlatch this weekend…
| over 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 27.396' N | 132º 22.992' W | Denali Rose | Back in Wrangell troubleshooting an Espar heater malfunction…
| over 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 27.396' N | 132º 22.992' W | Denali Rose | We are back in Wrangell prepping to go south into Canada for a couple of months or so… Stay tuned…
| almost 7 years ago | Show |
| 56º 27.396' N | 132º 23.118' W | Denali Rose | In her slip while we attend to some landlubber matters... :( | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 56º 28.836' N | 133º 25.794' W | Denali Rose | Totem Bay; Kupreanof Island; [Thur, 20–Aug-2020 @ 17:56 ADT; 56° 28.8379' N, 133° 25.7908' W]
We just completed a quick touch-and-go in Wrangell where we also welcomed a sister-ship to her new permanent slip across from us. Now we will meander north. On our way to Rocky Pass in Sumner Strait we ducked out of 25kt winds into Totem Bay, where we found respite in a small, uncharted bight in the SW corner of the main bay. [Uncharted in that the map tack will likely show us on land, but I assure you, Denali Rose is not an amphibious vessel.] We anchored in 25ft @ +8ft tide, sticky mud, and will carry 12ft of water under the keel in tomorrow morning’s -2ft tide. This little bowl offers good protection from the 25+ knot ESE winds. We observed white caps in main bay, but only a small refracted swell entered this bight. This is a good hunker hole for any conditions but perhaps extreme N winds- from which it offers no windbreak. For northerly winds, the NW corner of the main bay offers better protection. We will take in the rocky spires adorning the N shore of Totem Bay before we depart. Sat comms only here… | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 56º 29.076' N | 133º 25.548' W | Denali Rose | Sun, 30–Sep-2018: Totem Bay on Kupreanof Is.
A new favorite anchorage for sun rises and sets, and watching sea otters. Wx wise, yet another high is forming over land to the NE, so small craft N-NE-E winds [20 gusting 40] will be the order of this afternoon and evening; diminishing tomorrow [Tue]… Five foot seas [wind waves] are forecast in Sumner St. We will see if any wind waves make their way into the corner we are tucked into… We are near the confluence of Clarance and Sumner Straits, so it will be interesting to see if the N winds forecast for Clarence or the E winds for Sumner prevail. I’m betting predominantly N-NE for us. Meanwhile, all this is happening during severe clear Wx where we will be in the low 60s F today [and tomorrow, etc.] | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 29.952' N | 132º 36.558' W | Denali Rose | Sokolof Island; W bight [Thu, 6–Aug-2020 @ 16:15 ADT; 56° 29.9578’ N, 132° 36.5043’ W] We ducked out of Wrangell to spend some time exploring local bights and refuges— especially for early/late season, and winter boating— while awaiting arrival in Wrangell of a N bound sister-ship mid-month. This is a decent bight in all but westerly Wx. We can observe Sumner St. looking W. (We are expecting sub-gale winds with ESE & S components while here.) We occasionally receive a sliver of short-lived AT&T cell signal [from Wrangell?] The booster doesn’t seem to help much. Occasionally it is usable with our low bandwidth apps. Sat comms are standing-by… | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 56º 32.13' N | 133º 45.858' W | Denali Rose | Monte Carlo Is. [S entrance to Keku Strait]; [Sat, 22–Aug-2020 @ 15:39 ADT; 56° 32.132’ N, 133° 45.859’ W]
We had a nice transit to S of Rocky Pass, which we intend to transit tomorrow. Tonight we are tucked in behind [N side] Monte Carlo Island, which affords decent protection from southerly winds as well as swell/ windwaves/ wakes from Sumner Strait. We anchored in 33ft @ +14ft tide, sticky mud bottom, and will carry 19+ft of water under the keel in tonight’s zero tide. As usual there is not another vessel in sight, and barely any VHF-FM traffic, and that is distant. The belted kingfishers are always happy to have us around since we provide a perfect fishing platform for dive-bombing, and subsequently consuming the small fry which create glinting freckles on the surface of these calm [for now] waters. The otters are everywhere because we are in an area of many rock lined shallows supporting the mollusks the otters crave. We can hear them crunch-crunch-crunch as the consume their harvests while floating on their backs. And this is the time of year the little ones are still with their mothers. We can hear the wheesy whistle of the babies all around; the alarm they sound when their mother is diving for more food and they are left on the surface alone. And speaking fo wildlife, I was surprised to hear some Sandhill Cranes near our last anchorage as we were bringing coffee this morning. I never did spot them, but they definitely had found a place to rest and likely graze. While we received a weak cell signal [enough to do a quick email download] as we rounded Pt Barrie, now that we are anchored it is back to sat comms only. | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 56º 32.142' N | 133º 45.816' W | Denali Rose | Wed, 17–Oct-2018: Monte Carlo [Island] We transited Rocky Pass [south bound] today, heading back to Wrangell to beat the first storm force low of the season. This anchorage is a nice bight on the N side of this little island. Good southerly protection. Probably not the place to anchor in severe Wx though… [but good mud bottom...] It is quite pretty and we watched many families of sea otters drift by to check us out– especially the youngsters. Off to Wrangell first light [and likely in fog] as a gale begins Thur afternoon/evening into Friday. | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 39.768' N | 132º 38.28' W | Denali Rose | Mon, 20-May-2019: Ideal Cove
This aptly named cove across from LeConte Glacier is a great crabbing ground as well… [We shall attempt to verify since Donna recently completed her class in crabbing at BOW… And no excuses since we are here ahead of commercial crabbing season…] The sticky mud bottom adds to its credence as a bomb shelter… Two other sailboats were at anchor when we arrived. As of mid day Tuesday they are off seemingly for an attempt at viewing LeConte Glacier. We will stop in Petersburg in a few days to visit with friends flying in from the interior [of Alaska…] Today [Tuesday] is a perfect sunny [and 8kt breeze] Wx to go play with the new drone on the beach! Stay tuned for our first arial photos… [or not…] | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 56º 44.61' N | 133º 52.098' W | Denali Rose | Port Camden; [Wed, 26–Aug-2020 @ 17:39 ADT; 56° 44.6084’ N, 133° 52.0957’ W]
There is a gale force [or stronger] low headed our way as an ongoing contributor to our summer that never was. While our High Is. anchorage would have provided adequate protection, we ducked into our next planned destination (Port Camden) to take advantage of an even more secure anchorage. This is a good spot to anchor in any Wx- especially with its conical shaped bottom of sticky mud. Despite our proximity to Kake, and unlike the adjacent High Island anchorage, we are not receiving a usable cell signal here. [Perhaps it is time to upgrade our cell booster setup- or experiment with a phone hauled to the top of the mast.] For the time being we are back to sat comms only. | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 56º 44.994' N | 133º 42.558' W | Denali Rose | Mon, 08-Jul-2019: N Rocky Pass; Keku Strait
We traversed Keku Strait northbound this afternoon/evening [playing the tides and currents] We tucked in just N of High Island [about 10 miles S of Kake.] We are getting a 3 bar AT&T cell signal in this anchorage. Unexpected. Likely from Kake… This is part of our continuing journey to Sitka… but first— since we have another high forming in the Gulf [meaning no appreciable winds or seas in the near future] we will explore the Keku Islands. | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 56º 44.994' N | 133º 42.558' W | Denali Rose | Tue, 02–Oct-2018: High Island; N Rocky Pass- Keku Strait
We traversed Keku Strait northbound this afternoon originating from Totem Bay. We stopped for the day and anchored about 10 miles S of Kake behind High Island. Wx is still majorly influenced by an onshore high effectively blocking the fronts traversing the Gulf. Still mostly severe clear- meaning cooler at night due to radiational cooling… [It was just below freezing this morning… The cats came in quickly from their morning walkabout on deck…] We are getting a 3 bar AT&T cell signal in this anchorage. Unexpected. Likely from Kake… Maybe we'll have Kake sometime soon…? | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 44.994' N | 133º 42.558' W | Denali Rose | N Rocky Pass; High Is. [Keku Strait]; Mon, 24-Aug-2020 @ 18:05 ADT: 56° 44.9967’ N, 133° 42.5562’ W
We traversed Keku Strait northbound this afternoon/evening [playing the tides and currents] We tucked in just N of High Island [about 10 miles S of Kake.] We are getting a 3 bar AT&T cell signal in this anchorage as we have in the past. | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 56º 48.804' N | 132º 57.642' W | Denali Rose | Petersburg [Sun, 15-Sep-2019 @ 15:33 ADT; 56° 48.8056’ N, 132° 57.6395’ W]
We are in the N Harbor in Petersburg [PSG]. Now we can visit various friends, and meet new ones while we wait out a succession of predicted fall gales. While it isn’t Sat comms only here, the internet via cell [AT&T and especially GCI] is S O S L O W that that it might as well be sat comms… They seem to have a trunk issue as it was this way when we visited in May as well. | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 56º 48.804' N | 132º 57.642' W | Denali Rose | Calm Wx ensued after the blow allowing us to complete an easy transit to Petersburg today. [Thur, 19-Oct-2017]
Here we can re-provision, fuel-up, and visit with more friends who are staying here on their boat this winter. Not to mention world class pizza at Papa Bear’s and equally world class pastries, sandwiches, and quiche at the Salty Pantry. Everything is within easy walking distance from the marina… All is well until we get another Wx window to make the transit to Wrangell… Meanwhile, in case we don’t get the Wx window in time for our friends to fly to Fairbanks before the end of Oct, they are scrambling to make new arrangements from Petersburg… [The irony being the flight that originates in Wrangell stops in Petersburg, and is likely the shortest 737 flight in the world at 7 minutes or so… and for this the airline wants a change fee that matches the original ticket price? Whats wrong with this picture?…] | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 56º 48.816' N | 132º 57.696' W | Denali Rose | Spending this rainy evening in Petersburg, and having a Papa Bear pizza for dinner! Whoot!
| about 7 years ago | Show |
| 56º 48.816' N | 132º 57.696' W | Denali Rose | We took advantage of severe clear weather to venture to Petersburg and catch some of their annual Mayfest activities. | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 53.31' N | 133º 47.634' W | Denali Rose | Fri, 12–Oct-2018: Hamilton Bay; Keku Strait [Just S of Kake]
We did a float-by of Kake today. We didn’t stop as nothing was needed except to find an anchorage— possibly for the next few days as a gale force front is approaching. Stay tuned! I know we will [with our strong cell signal and streaming movies.] | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 56º 54.942' N | 134º 10.65' W | Denali Rose | Honeydew [Sandman] Bight; Kuiu Is. [Sat, 29-Aug-2020 @ 14:35 ADT 56° 54.9411' N 134° 10.6507' W]
After winding in and around much of the Keku Islands and Islets, we anchored just inside mouth of this bight on the NE corner of Kuiu Island. It affords a northerly view of Frederick Sound while providing good protection from all winds except N and NW. It can be slightly bumpy depending upon direction of chop. We are receiving a weak but usable cell signal here [from Kake]. | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 56º 55.962' N | 134º 5.418' W | Denali Rose | Payne Island Anchorage [Tue, 9-Jul-2019 @ 17:11 ADT; Wed, 10-Jul-2019 01:11 UTC; 56° 55.9623' N 134° 05.4153' W] We stopped to fish before anchoring today. Donna caught her first halibut! We are having a great time buddy boating with a friend from Wrangell. And we even have an AT&T signal from Kake. More northing [or is that nothing?] tomorrow… | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 56º 58.242' N | 133º 18.036' W | Denali Rose | Portage Bay; Kupreanof Is. [Thu, 29–Oct-2020 @ 16:29 ADT]
56° 58.2431' N 133° 18.3616' W This is the second of our anchorages on our transit from Warm Springs to Petersburg. Some Wx will hit while we are here, so we got close to the head of the bay to reduce fetch in the impending gale [The last ~ mile is too shallow.] We chose this more exposed bay for its excellent holding, increased swing, and no lee shore in the coming blow. The two alternatives across from us in Frederic Sound offer more shelter, but less swinging room, a lee shore for impending Wx, and reported rocky bottoms with fair to poor holding [per Coast Pilot.] We will hunker down here until Wx abates and we can finish our 1/2 day run into Petersburg. We are receiving a usable 2 bar AT&T cell signal here- likely courtesy of Petersburg. Note/reminder to selves: Once daylight savings time goes away this Saturday, we are going to have to begin our transits earlier in the day so we can continue to arrive at our destinations before dark. | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 56º 58.788' N | 132º 48.882' W | Denali Rose | We had a mostly sunny and warm motor to Thomas Bay. It only rained when we tended dinner on the BBQ…
Tonight/tomorrow a front Is due to pass through bringing rain and Small Craft Advisory SE winds. | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 56º 58.788' N | 132º 48.882' W | Denali Rose | We enjoyed a mostly sunny and warm motor to Thomas Bay today. It only rained when we tended dinner on the BBQ… Tonight/tomorrow a front Is due to pass through bringing rain and Small Craft Advisory SE winds. | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 56º 59.07' N | 133º 18.69' W | Denali Rose | Today [Tue, 17-Oct-2017] we sprinted between Wx spells to get across most of [a somewhat lumpy] Frederick Sound.
We tried for Petersburg, but opted to put into Portage Bay as the E winds predicted for the evening were showing up early [and of course on our nose…] And, with the prevailing conditions slowing us a bit, we would have arrived well after dark [something we try to avoid… We have difficulty seeing logs in the water in the dark…] A lumpy night at anchor was had as SE winds blowing 20KN [and gusting 40+] opposed the incoming tide and- with almost 2 miles of fetch to the head of the bay- made for some rambunctious spells… Our wind generator certainly earned its keep… Note to self: anchor nearer the head of the bay next time [closer to Stop Is.] to reduce both fetch and the influence of incoming tide and opposing winds from the SE… | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 57º 3.522' N | 135º 21.036' W | Denali Rose | Sitka [14–Sep-2020 @ 15:00 ADT 57° 03.522’ N 135° 21.328’ W]
We broke our ~30 day quarantine to be with friends, procure fuel and provisions, and follow-up on some medical appointments- including flu shots! The only minor downside to Sitka is their transient dock rates are somewhat high for the region. [It cost us almost US$800 for 11 days at the dock- which couldn’t be helped due to medical appointments.] But it was absolutely worth it to see friends [even while practicing ‘social distancing’ courtesy of the ongoing C-19 pandemic.] Needless to say, cell phones are happy here, as are the larder and fuel tanks. | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 57º 3.522' N | 135º 21.384' W | Denali Rose | Sitka [Fri, 12-Jul-2019 @ 13:12 ADT; 57° 03.5248' N 135° 21.3826' W]
Arrived Sitka. Fun with friends, some boat maintenance, shopping, visiting Raptor Center, etc. and off again in a few days. Both AT&T and GCI cell signals here… | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 57º 5.328' N | 134º 49.962' W | Denali Rose | Warm Springs Bay; Baranof Is. [Wed, 24–Oct-2020 @ 13:45 ADT]
57° 05.3255' N 134° 49.9585' W Another beautiful fall day [but not a good sailing day since no wind…] led us to another of our favorite places; Warm Springs Bay. Soaking in the natural springs is wonderful in any weather. While here we made more more friends, and witnessed the waterfall become a monster after 4.9” of rain overnight… [Watch for a future blog post with photos and videos… A couple of days after the deluge, the falls continues to be a monster, and the springs somewhat cooler due to all the rain mixing with the hot water. We watched the beat-up bow of what looked like an aluminum canoe floating point up... and a few hours later, the stern float by... We are guessing someone’s canoe left at the lake that sponsors the falls broke loose and transited those rapids... Only the two ends with flotation were seen... We didn’t see any people, so they must not have worn PFDs [Bill’s macabre humor… Don’t blame Donna…] Actually, we understand that some leave boats in the lake, so this one must have broken loose or been floated off the bank… | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 57º 5.328' N | 134º 49.998' W | Denali Rose |
Wed, 11-Oct-2017 We continued our trek south purposefully dodging fall gales. We motored S on Chatham Strait with a slight wind to our backs, 2-3’ wind waves, and more sun on our faces with our destination being Warm Spring- opposite Sitka on Baranof Island. There is a nice public float with a bath house above with 3 private tubs looking out on the magnificent waterfall across the head of the bay. We were invited to a pot luck that evening sponsored by the few remaining locals and transient boaters. It was lots of fun to meet everyone. The weather forecast appears to be conspiring to keep us here until early next week… darn… Thursday may be our last sunny day for while, so we plan to hike up the hills to Baranof Lake. Stay tuned for follow-up blog posts… A few photos have been attached to the blog post portion of this position update, but they won’t be visible on the Farkwar posting. | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 57º 5.34' N | 134º 48.096' W | Denali Rose | Baranof Warm Springs Bay [Wed, 10-Jul-2019 18:04 ADT; 57° 05.3372' N 134° 48.0973' W]
We jaywalked the W end of Frederick Sound after visiting the petroglyphs at the entrance to Halleck Harbor on Cornwallis Point [NW tip of Kuiu Is.] We rounded Point Gardner entering S Chatham Straight, and beelined to Wooded Cove inside Baranof Warm Springs bay. This is a nice little cove away from the hubbub of the giant waterfall and warm spring docks everyone vies for to visit the springs. We rafted up with our buddy boat friend from Wrangell and enjoyed another great evening together. The Wx pattern is pumping smoke from wildfires in interior Alaska and Canada, reducing visibility on an otherwise severe clear day to less than 5 miles… and we occasionally smell smoke— reinforcing our sympathy for those living in the thick of it. As we head to these more popular destinations, we are reminded how popular SE Alaska is as a summer cruising ground. The whales don’t seem to mind… We will visit the hot springs for a dip before heading further N up Chatham Strait for Peril Strait and ultimately Sitka to rendezvous with even more boating friends there and other points further N. The long range Wx now hints at our first front [from the W] in a while. Perhaps we will see some wind next week. Perhaps not. | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 57º 6.744' N | 133º 11.136' W | Denali Rose | Farragut Bay; Read Is [Sat, 14–Sep-2019 @ 18:49 ADT; 57° 06.7426' N, 133° 11.1379' W]
After spending almost a week in close proximity to amazing humpback whale activity in Seymour Canal, it was time to head toward a hardware store to accommodate a few projects… [e.g., 1 new throttle cable- running on a temporary repair… good thing we have two helm stations…] While departing Seymour, the whales seemingly bid us farewell with great, simultaneous breaching contests, and a pair even surfaced— and then immediately dove— right in front of the boat. The best whale displays we have observed in years. What memories [and even a few photos…] Sat comms only here. [Although we did receive a short lived AT&T cell signal on the way… It only lasted just long enough to download email and receive a backlog of text messages, and faded before we had a chance to reply to any messages… We will try and catch up with y’all once in Petersburg…] | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 57º 8.004' N | 134º 51.474' W | Denali Rose | Takatz Bay [Chatham St.] [Wed, 07–Oct-2020 @ 15:35 ADT]
57° 08.1019' N 134° 51.4749' W A beautiful fall day [but not a good sailing day since no wind…] led us to one of our favorite places; Takatz Bay. We anchored so we can observe the [typical] shoal bay head where fresh water effluents attract wildlife. A hanging glacier dominates that scene. Sitting in the cockpit we can’t ignore the rush of several waterfalls, one of which is in pain view just S of our anchored position. The sheer vertical grades here are mostly covered with mature trees, and with that exception remind us of Misty Fjords down by Ketchikan. If you are ever in the area, this bay- the next one N of Warm Springs Bay- is absolutely worth a visit. We are alone here [as we have been most of this year; our version of social isolation… We still meet up with fellow cruisers when we and they have been 2+ weeks since any encounters with fellow humans…] To top it all off, there is a cell/microwave relay tower on a hilltop just S of the entrance to this bay, and it is providing us with a usable signal at anchor. But you may still include us among the bandwidth impaired none-the-less… (We say this even though we just successfully downloaded the next season of the British series ‘New Tricks’ we have been enjoying in isolation this summer, not to mention the next couple of audio books…) Perhaps we aren’t so impaired after all… | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 57º 8.004' N | 134º 51.588' W | Denali Rose | Takatz Bay; Baranof Is. [Chatham St.] [3–Sep-2020 @ 17:05 ADT 57° 08.0024' N 134° 51.5865' W]
What a beautiful hurricane hole. Waterfalls and a hanging glacier demand our attention. It’s a short hike to the lake [trout anyone?] This is a great place to spend time exploring, and in the event of inclement Wx. Sat comms only here. | over 4 years ago | Show |
| 57º 8.874' N | 134º 20.364' W | Denali Rose | We reluctantly slipped the dock in Baranof Warm Springs today [Mon, 16-Oct-2017] southbound once again.
We already miss our new friends, and the daily soak in the 107°F hot spring water while sipping a cold beer and watching the sun set over the 120ft waterfall. Magnificent. Today’s transit began on S Chatham Strait and then entered Frederic Sound. This confluence is ill-advised when any seas are running… [Today was fairly calm, with 3-5ft wind waves- i.e., like being inside a washing machine at times- mixing with latent ocean swell entering Chatham Strait from the Gulf of Alaska further south of us…] An interim stop on the way to Petersburg in the very secure anchorage in Chapin Bay on Admiralty Island is the goal. We were generously gifted a very nice black cod before we departed Warm Spring [yummy eating!!] which we split with our boating partners [since we are anchoring and dining separately tonight instead of rafting up.- A simple precaution in case the Wx takes a turn in the dark hours…] Dinner beckons… Thank you Dave and Anke! | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 57º 8.904' N | 134º 20.388' W | Denali Rose | Chapin Bay; S Admiralty Is. [Wed, 28–Oct-2020 @ 15:54 ADT]
57° 08.9044' N 134° 20.3891' W With difficulty we departed Warm Springs to begin our transit towards Petersburg. sSome Wx will hit this Fri-Sun, so we want to travel enough in the next couple of days to be close enough to make it in a few hours when the Wx lays down again. Therefore, we plan to make the hop using two anchorages along the way. This is the first of those anchorages. A beautiful sunny afternoon made it difficult to voluntarily leave the remaining 90 minutes of sun as we turned into this well protected [and shaded this time of year] anchorage. We saw whale spouts along the way, and had to contend with the usual lumpiness where Chatham Strait meets Fredrick Sound. Poor Gus needed a piece of Bonine before he could be comfortable on that leg of today’s journey. Kake provided a cell signal all the way, and we even retained one bar of a sometimes usable signal at the anchorage. Once daylight savings time goes away this coming weekend, we are going to have to begin our transits earlier in the day so we can continue to arrive at our destinations before dark. | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 57º 11.214' N | 135º 26.256' W | Denali Rose | Beehive Cove; Beehive Is. [S tip of Halleck Is] [13–Sep-2020 @ 12:00 ADT 57° 11.2150' N 135° 26.2563' W]
This is a secluded anchorage, yet very close to Sitka, and good in about any Wx. We usually get a weak cell signal in here, but this year the signal died once we were inside. Therefore, sat comms only here. | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 57º 11.214' N | 135º 26.256' W | Denali Rose | Beehive Island Cove [Thu, 18-Jul-2019 @ 18:34 ADT; 57°11.2150' N 135°26.2563' W]
After spending several days visiting with good friends in Sitka, we fueled up and headed out relatively late in the day. We traveled an hour N and are now tucked into the cove between Beehive Island at Krugloi Point [Beehive Is. Cove]. This is a great spot for one vessel in any Wx. Wilderness and only an hour from town— and a GCI cell signal through our booster… We will head further N soon to undetermined destinations… | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 57º 11.934' N | 134º 51.006' W | Denali Rose | We slipped the dock in Tenakee Springs today [10-Oct-2017] southbound in between fall gales.
We enjoyed another leisurely motor down Chatham Strait with a slight wind to our backs, 2-3’ wind waves, and sun on our faces. We stopped short of Warm Spring and ducked into Ell Cove- a wonderful little ’hurricane hole’ just about opposite Sitka on Baranof Island. We shall keep this beautiful anchorage in mind for future use. The trade-off on a sunny day is shade due to the surrounding mountains- which are what make it a bad weather destination… A slight N swell [wind waves from the 10-15kt N wind…] made its way into Ell Cove and refracted around. We doubt this would occur with winds from any other direction. Our friends on Dawn Treader V caught a halibut jigging on the bottom at anchor. | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 57º 13.428' N | 133º 30.216' W | Denali Rose | We tried to beat a collapsing high and intercepting low pressure front. We almost made it… While transiting to Cape Fanshaw winds which began at 15 NE [behind us…] were gusting 35 by the time we reach the cape. Seas grew to 2M in that period as well. The barometer dropped 10mb during our transit… [I guess the pressure gradients wanted to give us a squeeze… ]
We flew in while dousing sail and anchored close to the E shore behind the S side of Whitney Is. in Cleveland Passage. The wind set the anchor. Well. We haven’t budged in 90 minutes. Holding seems to be good, and the wind generator is earning its keep… | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 57º 16.698' N | 135º 40.632' W | Denali Rose | Sukoi Inlet; Partofshikof Is. [Sat, 26–Sep-2020 @ 14:51 ADT 57° 16.6991' N 135° 40.6316' W]
With an approaching southerly storm force low in the Gulf of Alaska [5 miles W of current position] we decided to hunker down in this large, yet protected bay. The sticky mud bottom swallowed our 99lb Spade anchor, and we let out 350 ft of chain in 60ft of water. [We would have to drag 1/4 mile to get into trouble, and our Spade has yet to drag…] To back up our usual anchor bridle, we prepared our storm bridle as back-up. It will self deploy if the primary bridle fails. An unexpected bonus is a weak, albeit usable usable cell signal that comes and goes [likely courtesy Sitka] so we can enjoy catching up online while we let the wind generator earn its keep. Update: Next day [Sunday, 27-Sep]: It is blowing 60kts 5 miles W of here in the Gulf, but we are only seeing 10-15kts with occasional gusts 20-25kts. We are enjoying it here for the time being. | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 57º 16.992' N | 135º 40.908' W | Denali Rose | Sukoi Inlet [Sun, 21-Jul-2019 @ 16:04 ADT; 57° 16.9909' N, 135° 40.9066' W]
A fresh high in the gulf brought sunny Wx, so we ventured a couple of hours N to Sukoi Inlet. This is a nice area in any Wx that can accommodate many vessels, and would be an easy, safe stop after easting the gulf. There is one other sailboat anchored about 1/2 mile SSE of us. We are receiving a weak AT&T cell signal using our booster. | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 57º 17.142' N | 135º 33.552' W | Denali Rose | St. John Baptist Bay; Neva St.; Baranof Is. [Fri, 25–Sep-2020 @ 18:39 ADT 57° 17.1405' N 135° 33.5543' W]
We enjoyed our time in Sitka fueling and provisioning, and especially getting to know some other [virtual] boating friends we finally got to meet in person, and put faces with their fonts once again. We all agreed we cannot wait for the pandemic to wind down so we can meet up for meals, etc. [Or we will all just get tested and depart our areas, waiting at least 2 weeks before rendezvousing in an anchorage…] There is a hurricane force low headed our way and hitting tonight through Monday. Therefore, given that the Coast Pilot reports severe williwaws in this bay during SE gales, we will go around the corner to Sukoi Inlet, where we have anchored before in inclement Wx. It is pretty much [meterologically] bombproof. Sat comms only here. | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 57º 24.222' N | 135º 1.068' W | Denali Rose | Hanus Bay [Dead Tree] Anchorage; Peril St. [Tue, 06–Oct-2020 @ 17:14 ADT]
57° 24.2210' N 135° 01.0674' W This semi-fair Wx anchorage is exposed to northerly winds, but protected [at least fetchwise] from other directions. We saw a grizzly bear on the beach as we came in. It was dotted with commercial crab traps during this visit, but there is still room to anchor in numerous spots. Although we received a weak cell signal while near here but still in Peril St. [likely courtesy Angoon?] it is Sat comms only here in the anchorage. | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 57º 26.136' N | 135º 33.324' W | Denali Rose | Baby Bear Cove; Peril St. [Thu, 01–Oct-2020 @ 13:10 ADT 57° 26.1379' N 135° 33.3260' W]
We took advantage of a severe clear day to transit Sergius Narrows today. Baby Bear Cove is a favorite refuge from any Wx- especially when we can enter and depart during fair Wx. As we count the [warm] fronts passing through, we will juggle where we might go for our next destination. Sat comms only here. | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 57º 26.148' N | 135º 33.318' W | Denali Rose | Baby Bear Cove; Peril St. [11–Sep-2020 @ 15:25 ADT 57° 26.1468' N 135° 33.3181' W]
Another favorite anchorage when transiting Peril Strait, and a very good hurricane hole. [But it would not be wise to enter/depart during inclement Wx.] This is a good position to await one’s preferred timing if crossing Sergius Narrows. There is only room for one or two ~50ft cruising boats, so it is good there are several alternative anchorages close by. Sat coms only here. | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 57º 26.82' N | 135º 23.658' W | Denali Rose | Rodman Bay; Peril St. [Sat, 03–Oct-2020 @ 15:30 ADT]
57° 26.8171' N 135° 23.6588' W Hop-scotching our way around as the days get shorter and the fronts hit every other day… Another gale force front due tonight/tomorrow, so we tucked-in S of Lauf Is. near the head of Rodman Bay. There are many commercial crab floats in the bay, and in the vicinity of the anchorage area. We were escorted part of the way here by a handful of [always] playful porpoise; watched a pod of humpback whales feeding in Peril St; and some sea lions hunting as we entered Rodman. We are standing by for [late season] bears at the mouth of Rodman Creek. Sat comms only here. | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 57º 28.014' N | 135º 16.506' W | Denali Rose | Appleton Cove; Peril St. [10–Sep-2020 @ 16:15 ADT 57° 28.1123' N 135° 16.5036' W]
A favorite anchorage [and sometimes crowded] when transiting Peril Strait; good in about any Wx. There is a Forest Service cabin in the N bight with a dedicated mooring buoy. Sat comms only here. | about 4 years ago | Show |
| 57º 28.326' N | 135º 17.274' W | Denali Rose | Appletone Cove in Peril Strait [Thur, 25-Jul-2019 @ 15:22 ADT; 57° 28.3235' N, 135° 17.2729' W]
A series of lows— some bowling in thunder storms every hour along our proposed route— discouraged us from exploring the W [gulf] side of Chichagof Is. the last couple of days. Therefore we wimped out and took the inside route through Sergius Narrows into Peril Strait- heading for Chatham St. and points N from there. [Glacier Bay anyone?] This is a decent, all Wx cove with room for several vessels in different bights. No waves would make their way into the S bight where we anchored, but I bet a NNW wind could…[blowing E today, and we are in the lee here.] Sat only comms here… | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 57º 31.116' N | 135º 35.112' W | Denali Rose | Poison Cove; Peril Strait [Thu, 11-Jul-2019 18:34 ADT; 57° 31.1177' N 135° 35.1121' W]
We In Peril Strait on our way to Sitka. We are poised to run Sergius Narrows at ebb slack at 08:30 tomorrow morning. Poison cove is deep [we anchored in 100ft at half tide] but shoals very quickly [80’ to exposed rocks in about 30 horizontal feet] in the E head of the bay, so some attention to the anchor drop spot is needed. Sat comms only here. Surf’s up tomorrow! | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 57º 32.616' N | 133º 30.024' W | Denali Rose | After two nights hiding from the SE winds anchored against the E shore behind Cape Fanshaw, we escaped as the Wx cleared today and motored N to Windham Bay.
Humpback whales greeted us as we entered the bay with displays of breaching in the distance. Now that we are at anchor they continue to entertain us from across the bay. They are getting closer… We even picked up some snippets of cell signals on the way up- enough to catch up on a few emails and text some friends… Now in the anchorage, the AT&T phones have no signal, and the GCI phone- in the booster- has 1-2 bars, but no usable data connection… Back to sat comms for tonight… | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 57º 38.514' N | 133º 59.562' W | Denali Rose | Admiralty Island; Seymour Canal; Pleasant Bay [Sun, 08–Sep-2019 @ 16:40 ADT; 57° 38.5114' N, 133° 59.5600' W]
Taking advantage of the unseasonably warm and dry Wx— and sad to depart such good pawning grounds— we departed Ford’s Terror on high slack tide and headed toward our next destination: Pack Creek [although reports are of a poor bear viewing season due to lack of rain keeping creeks too low for salmon to enter for spawning, so the bears are shopping elsewhere…] In Endicott Arm we collected some clear Dawes glacier ice for our coolers and cocktails… [volleyball size is about our limit net-wise— and for safe handling…] In the afternoon—as we rounded Point Hugh into Seymour Canal— we started seeing [humpback] whale spouts. Lots of them. Then whales breaching in the distance, pectoral fin slapping [sounds like a distant shotgun being fired…] and lots of tail flukes diving. We even received an escort for a while from a group of 7 or so seemingly partying porpoise. They were begging us to make a larger bow wave, but they made do… Once anchored with the engine off, we can hear the whales breathing close by, and fin slapping on occasion. This has been the best whale viewing of our summer so far… Sat comms only here. [Although we did receive a short lived AT&T cell signal on the way… It only lasted just long enough to download email and receive a backlog of text messages, and faded before we had a chance to reply to any messages… Stay tuned everyone…] | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 57º 41.874' N | 133º 11.016' W | Denali Rose | Holkham Bay, Endicott Arm; Ford’s Terror (W Arm) [Fri, 06–Sep-2019 @ 15:43 ADT; 57° 41.8758' N, 133° 11.0152' W]
A nice day to transit to Ford’s Terror. It is quite beautiful- reminding us of a personal Punchbowl [Misty Fjords reference…] We were immediately visited [right up to the boat] by 3+ Harbor Porpoises. Cute little guys. After watching the 4 grizzly bears in our last anchorage, we have hopes of seeing more- especially if this river supports salmon… Stay tuned… We entered Ford’s Terror on a low slack tide [+5ft] and made our way to the T. We investigated the E arm with the shallow terminal moraine, and saw the possible opening [high tide only…] on the S side near the shore. We could still make out the rock shelf underwater during this +5ft low tide. We dropped the anchor in 102ft [during +5ft tide] We backed toward shore [on the delta of the confluence of a large waterfall and river.] We veered 240ft chain backing toward the waterfall. The shallowest seen was 35ft @ 224ft from anchor. Good holding dragging uphill ;-) Might need shoreline [walk stern anchor on mudflat] in any Wx. A great article about this area by SlowBoat is available at: http://slowboat.com/2016/09/feature-article-fords-terror/ Sat comms only here. [No VHF Radio reception either- unless another vessel enters this area...] | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 57º 46.674' N | 135º 12.426' W | Denali Rose |
Another sunny day transit today [Sat, 7-Oct-2017] found us leisurely motoring with SV Dawn Treader V heading S into Chatham Strait bound for Tenakee [Hot] Springs. [http://www.tenakeespringsak.com] Lots of whales and dolphins were observed along the way- and in Tenakee Inlet after we arrived at the harbor as well. Sunday-Monday promise 30kt S winds and 6’+ seas in Chatham Strait [12’ near ocean entrances, and 23’ in the Gulf…] so we will likely stay in Tenakee until next Tue [10-Oct] when it looks like it may be another sunny, calm day for transiting further south. We did take a walk through town after arriving. The public hot springs was not in use, and the General Store had closed early. Businesses and the Post Office all declared winter hours [and rates…] began 4-Sept… The Cafe and Bakery listed on the Tenakee Springs web site are closed [the cafe for some time it appears…] The bakery is for sale, and if the the boxes scattered everywhere inside are any indication, someone is relocating. The town is small [~100 residents] and the houses all line the southerly waterfront with fantastic views of the inlet. And, as we observed during our walk, the whales actively feeding… This has been quite a beautiful and rare sunny day. What a fall treat this has been… Even with our booster we are not able to receive any cell signals here. We thought we might have a chance for a scrap of a signal from Angoon- across Chatham Strait. Nope. Sat comms only for now folks; hence the somewhat degraded photos included with the blog post portion of this sat email (which is cross-posted to Farkwar… [https://farkwar.com/boats/denali-rose]) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 57º 48.552' N | 133º 38.262' W | Denali Rose | Holkham Bay, Tracy Arm; NoName Cove [Wed, 04–Sep-2019 @ 15:01 ADT; 57° 48.5518' N, 133° 38.2627' W]
We met some nice people while hanging at the floats in Taku Harbor, and even caught halibut from the float, and the commercial guys even left us some legal size Dunguness crabs. Feast! After transitting Stephens Passage in intermittent dense fog, we arrived in this sizable cove. [Missing a name on the chart, but perhaps one of the only secure small vessel anchorages in all of Holkham Bay, it is locally called ‘NoName’ Cove]…] After anchoring and shutting down the engine, I heard bear huffs and growls on shore. We were immediately entertained by a family of grizzly bears apparently fishing in a creek. [Momma and 3 teenagers. Cubs stay withe their mother for 2-3 years in this area. The 3 ‘cubs’ are almost adult size, and may likely be 2 year olds.] Like many teenagers, they seem to want their mother to do all the work. She was the one barking her disagreement… Perhaps we will stay a while since it promises to be sunny and warm [and benign Wx…] I suspect the bears will remain present…. With another high dancing in the gulf, we plan to soon transit Ford’s Terror and perhaps practice some drone photography while there… Sat comms only here. [Can’t even receive USCG or Wx broadcasts on VHF Radio.] | about 5 years ago | Show |
| 57º 50.574' N | 135º 1.596' W | Denali Rose | Pavlof Harbor [Freshwater Bay] [Mon, 29-Jul-2019 @ 17:23 ADT; 57° 50.5756' N, 135° 01.5975' W]
After waiting for favorable Wx, we headed N today on our quest of visiting Glacier Bay during the tourist season… [We typically go in Apr or Oct/Nov…] We are about half a day from Hoonah now. There is a salmon stream at the head of this cove and grizzly bears are having dinner and walking the beaches. Beats staring at a screen for entertainment. [another of our passtimes.] Maybe we will go into Hoonah tomorrow or so and see if we can get a permit to go into the GB… Sat only comms here… | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 58º 3.75' N | 134º 1.23' W | Denali Rose | Taku Harbor [Wed, 28-Aug-2019 @ 18:07 ADT; 58° 03.749’N 134° 01.231’W]
After visiting with friends and fellow boaters, topping up on groceries, fuel, and propane in Auke Bay, we took advantage of the severe clear Wx and lazily motored to Taku Harbor [not to be confused with Taku Inlet…] We are roughing it again: tied to an isolated [and free…] float [dock] maintained by Juneau Marinas… [Thanks!] The feline crew are enjoying walking the dock, and munching some grass growing between some of the wooden planks… Nice view, and there is another dock with ramps to land. An abandoned cannery [ç1900] is at the head of the bay, and a cabin [abandoned?] is on the shore opposite the float we are tied to… With a high firmly implanted in the gulf, we may take advantage of the nice Wx and go watch grizzlies feeding on late run salmon at Pack Creek this weekend. Sat comms only here. | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 58º 3.75' N | 134º 1.23' W | Denali Rose | We had a nice motor up on a calm, partly sunny Stephen’s Passage from Windham Bay to Taku Harbor [not to be confused with Taku Inlet…]
We are roughing it now: tied to an isolated float [dock] maintained by Juneau Marinas… [Thanks!] The feline crew are enjoying walking the dock, and munching some grass growing between some of the wooden planks… Nice view, and there is another dock with ramps to land. An abandoned cannery [ç1900] is at the head of the bay, and a cabin is on the shore opposite the float we are tied to… | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 58º 5.82' N | 135º 27.468' W | Denali Rose | Hoonah [Wed, 31-Jul-2019 @ 16:21 ADT; 58° 05.8176' N, 135° 27.4673' W]
After watching grizzly bear families catch salmon in the waterfall in Pavlof Harbor, we motored on glassy N Chatham and Icy Straits. [Very unusual for us…] We were turned down for one Glacier Bay permit request, but will put in another tomorrow. Cross your fingers for us. Tomorrow we will explore Hoonah, do a grocery shop, and visit the ‘museum(s). We plan to top-off fuel on the way out- whenever that may be. AT&T and GCI cell signals here [AT&T since False Bay- in the booster.] | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 58º 12.744' N | 135º 6.588' W | Denali Rose | We transited back to Swanson Harbor today [Wed, 4-Oct-2017] to join up with our boating buds on Dawn Treader V, John and Artha.
Icy Strait was fairly windless [no sailing…] but lumpy with 3-5’ confused seas from the prior day’s blow. Gus succumbed to Gato Mal de Mer… We will have to try the vet’s advice and give him a quarter of an antihistamine next time we are expecting to ride inside of a washing machine… We will hang at the floats there for a couple of days while this next Wx blows itself out… [Gale warnings all around us for Thur and early Fri…] There are two sturdy state maintained floats here, plenty of places to explore on land and water, crabbing, shrimping, fishing, and a strong AT&T cell signal, and we have the place all to ourselves… What’s not to like? | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 58º 12.756' N | 135º 6.588' W | Denali Rose |
Another great motor transit in the sun today [Thur, 28-Sep-2017.] We traveled the southern portion of Lynn Canal to Swanson Harbor, just inside of Point Couverden, on the mainland. [Read bears…] We are moored at the confluence of Icy Straight, Lynn Canal, and Chatham Straight. A tough spot to depart from if the Wx turns nasty as you are exposed to almost everything in any of those waters… We are roughing it once again; tied to an isolated float dock [i.e., no ramp to land] maintained by the State of Alaska… [Thanks!] The feline crew as always are enjoying walking the dock. Gus, our blabby tabby, even ventured under the float through a gap left by a missing deck plank… Thankfully, he emerged a short time later dry and unscathed… That gap is now temporarily covered by one of our fender boards… Another great view, and a pretty snug anchorage to boot! [Except when winds have a N and /or E component- then this is a wind funnel- per a great local fishing family we chatted with…] | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 58º 12.756' N | 135º 6.588' W | Denali Rose | Swanson Harbour [behind Couverden Island] [Wed, 14-Aug-2019 @ 13:33 ADT; 58° 12.7555’ N, 135° 06.5895’ W
We left Glacier Bay on the tide after a wonderful 11 days there. We hit over 11 knots [due to current] several times. Fun! The first storm of the season is predicted to hit us in a day or two, so we will head to Swanson Harbour [sic]. Swanson at the confluence of Lynn Canal, and Icy and Chatham Straits. The advantage is you can travel N, S, or W depending upon prevailing conditions. The disadvantage is these three bodies of water can be rough in the wrong conditions, and you can be pinned down for a while… Following is the Wx report [and what we experienced] during our stay in Swanson. [We were tied to one of two ~120ft. floats for the blow. We could have anchored as well, but were pointed bow into the wind on the float, so it was perfect…] Southern Lynn Canal- 359 AM AKDT Sat Aug 17 2019 ..STORM WARNING TONIGHT... TODAY...S wind 10 kt becoming N and increasing to 35 kt in the morning. Seas 3 ft building to 7 ft. Rain early in the morning. TONIGHT...N wind 50 kt. Gusts to 65 kt. Seas 10 ft. SUN...N gale to 35 kt. Gusts to 50 kt. Seas 8 ft. SUN NIGHT...N wind 20 kt. Seas 4 ft. MON...N wind 15 kt. Seas 3 ft. TUE...N wind 25 kt. Seas 5 ft. WED...SE wind 15 kt. Seas 3 ft. We are now less than half a day transit to Juneau [Auke Bay] and will make that provisioning and fueling [and friend visiting] hop once the Wx lays down… As we experienced on previous visits here, we are receiving a usable AT&T cell signal [best with the booster…] No GCI signal yet. | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 58º 22.962' N | 134º 38.94' W | Denali Rose | Auke Bay [Juneau] [Wed, 19-Aug-2019 @ 13:06 ADT; 58° 22.9619’ N, 134° 38.9389’ W]
We refer to it a Yuck Bay as there is nothing appealing at all about the location or Statter Harbor facilities. Mooring is an unassigned free-for-all on 120ft fingers [read cram in where you can] and power [when available] is limited and located on centralized power poles that serve only about 20% of the vessels within reach [you will typically need 100 -150ft of power cord as well…] And there is no real shopping within walking distance… [There is a well stocked convenience store...] But there are all the major stores, including a Costco if you really need to provision. We stop here knowing all this, but at least we get to pay for the privilege… It is worth it to visit friends, top up some fuel and provisions and head out again. And the Wx when we arrived was a severe clear so it is quite accommodating in that regard. Their fishing derby was postponed due to last weekend's Wx [see previous post] so it happens this weekend, so we are outta here by then! [Hoards of competitors, and too many speeding boat driven like they are the only ones on the water...] Both GCI and AT&T cell signals here. | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 58º 22.98' N | 134º 39.108' W | Denali Rose | We're still hanging in Auke Bay- where partly sunny forecasts really mean cloudy with little precipitation... We are enjoying visiting with our boating buddy John, and wishing his wife Artha was her too. [She's home on family missions...] Its also been great to see old friends and colleagues too... More of the same to come for the next few days... Here comes today's rain... Partly sunny forecast again tomorrow... | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 58º 22.98' N | 134º 39.108' W | Denali Rose | Sunburn while motoring to Auke Bay [go figure…] to meet up with our good friends on SV Dawn Treader V.
We also look forward to visiting some old friends and colleagues while we are here over the next few days… Did we mention it is sunny?… | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 58º 23.76' N | 134º 45.366' W | Denali Rose | After spending some time with John on Dawn Treader V, we decided to go exploring while he is away for a week on business.
We took advantage of a brief, but sunny high to motor a little N to Lena Cove Monday afternoon [26-Sept-2017.] Surrounded by houses, this feels a bit like the Gulf Islands… One advantage of civilization so close at hand is we have a strong cell signal… So, we experimented with a Hulu live TV trial and streamed Monday night football [over a 3G cell signal no less.] It worked very well, and was the first game we have seen since the last Super Bowl… A N wind blew [10-15kts]overnight[as predicted] raising 3 ft seas and making this anchorage a bit lumpy for a while the next morning… [I suspect it would be untenable in stronger N winds…] But, as the front passes, the winds will shift southerly [by this afternoon…] making this a decent spot to remain anchored as we await the impending atmospheric river deluge through Wed night. [3-5” of rain predicted…] | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 58º 27.348' N | 135º 53.16' W | Denali Rose | [Resend of yesterday’s report to confirm it is now automatically posting to our ‘Denali Rose Sailboat’ Facebook page…]
We are enjoying these fall high pressure systems… Another weekend that will require sunscreen… On Sat, 30-Sep-2017, we transited a glass smooth Icy Strait all the way to Bartlett Cove in Glacier Bay. Humpback whales, sea otters [some with with their young], seals, dolphins, sea lions, and more have graced us with a glimpse of their lives… We arrived at Bartlett Cove just after 5pm local time. Today also happens to be the last day until next spring that this facility will be staffed… Lots of exploring to do under the sun. | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 58º 27.348' N | 135º 53.16' W | Denali Rose | We are enjoying these fall high pressure systems… Another weekend that will require sunscreen… On Sat, 30-Sep-2017, we transited a glass smooth Icy Strait all the way to Bartlett Cove in Glacier Bay.
Humpback whales, sea otters [some with with their young], seals, dolphins, sea lions, and more have graced us with a glimpse of their lives… We arrived at Bartlett Cove just after 5pm local time. Today also happens to be the last day until next spring that this facility will be staffed… Lots of exploring to do under the sun. | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 58º 27.348' N | 135º 53.16' W | Denali Rose | Another beautiful fall day in Glacier Bay [Tue, 3-Oct-2017.]
NOT!! It has been raining since yesterday afternoon [as predicted] with the ceiling about 100ft off the water surface… [i.e., poor visibility…] Since the turn in the Wx limits our prospects for seeing any wildlife, and a Gale force low will bear down upon us this Thursday, we are outta-here… Tonight we will spend the evening at the Bartlett Cove dock where you would normally check-in with the National Park Service for your permit to enter the park… They are closed for the season [as of 1-Oct…] but were kind [forgetful?] enough to leave their free Guest WiFi on, and our signal booster picks it up from the dock. Whoo hoo! Tomorrow we plan to transit back to Swanson Harbor to have a reunion with our boating buds on Dawn Treader V, John and Artha. Can’t wait to see them. We will hang at the floats there for a couple of days while this next Wx blows itself out… Fun times ahead. Stay tuned… | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 58º 27.516' N | 135º 53.388' W | Denali Rose | Bartlett Cove- Glacier Bay [Tue, 13-Aug-2019 @ 15:40 ADT; 58° 27.5153' N, 135° 53.3901' W
We spent a few hours at the dock today prepping to leave the park tomorrow ahead of a predicted storm force blow. Donna got to tour the ‘visitor’s center’ on the top floor of the lodge, while I topped up the water tanks and hosed the remnants of a couple of weeks worth of glacial silt off the deck, and out of the anchor locker. [This fine silt migrates everywhere— like finger paintings by two year olds…] Tomorrow we will depart with the favorable tide and head E toward Swanson Harbor. Sat comms still rule. [There is WiFi near the Ranger station and lodge, but both require cllose proximity— neither can be received from the water- even with our WiFi booster...] | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 58º 33.708' N | 136º 10.764' W | Denali Rose | Finger Bay- Glacier Bay [Sat, 03-Aug-2019 @ 18:01 ADT; 58° 33.7097' N, 136° 10.7649' W]
We arrived in Bartlett Cove at 13:00 and tied to the dock in preparation for our 14:00 ‘Boater Orientation.’ We finally got to see the magnificent inside of the local Huna Tribal House. [we usually come in off season when everything is closed.] We met some sailors from Switzerland in our orientation whom we were destined to get to know better latter. [They went aground and we hosted them soon our boat until the tide could float them off at 03:36 the next morning.] We used the tail end of the favorable current [5+ knots each way] to transit about 12 NM N of Bartlett Cove to anchor in Finger Bay [where their hard grounding occurred.] We shacked a few hours sleep after the early morning re-floating, and are pondering where to head to today. [Favorable current N from noon to 17:00 or so.] | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 58º 43.212' N | 135º 59.136' W | Denali Rose | A beautiful fall day. Clear, sunny, and warm.
After dropping the anchor in N Sandy Cove, we watched 5 young bachelor sealyons [dubbed ‘the hoodlums’…] swim in circles all afternoon around the cove while they fed. [In synchronized fashion too; they all dove, and then came up for air together…] One wonders if the calories consumed make up for the effort sometimes… Donna spotted a momma black bear on the beach leading a recalcitrant cub for a walk along the waterline… What thick and slick winter coats they sported… Cirrus clouds tinged the sunset, foretelling of changing weather. [It can’t stay summer-like all fall, can it?] We may head to Gustavus next, then Hoonah- depending upon the weather. | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 58º 51.192' N | 136º 48.438' W | Denali Rose | Reid Inlet- Glacier Bay [Sat, 05-Aug-2019 @ 17:51 ADT; 58° 51.1933' N, 136° 48.4380' W]
We are anchored in front of Reid Glacier [which is no longer tidewater, so no ice bergs]. It is a severe clear day and 55°F in front of the glacier. Tropical by Alaska standards. The katabatic winds off the glacier are enough to keep the wind generator productive, and what a view! On the way here we passed the vessel that went aground the other night. When speaking on the radio, they mentioned they found a knife they had borrowed, so we rendezvoused about a mile before we crossed the terminal moraine and entered Reid Inlet to anchor. Great timing! Tomorrow we will go ashore and explore the base of the glacier. [It has no cliff faces left, so no chinks can fall on us.] Sat comms only here of course. | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 58º 52.182' N | 136º 48.33' W | Denali Rose | Reid Inlet- Glacier Bay [Tale two] [Thur, 08-Aug-2019 @ 14:52 ADT; 58° 52.1793' N, 136° 48.3319' W]
Today we went up Tarr Inlet to see the two tidewater glaciers at its head on another severe clear day. Amazing. Last night it blew an un-forecast 25 gusting 30+ knots all night long. We were in the elbow of Russell Island, but it was as if the island wasn’t there. I think this far N in Glacier Bay one needs to pay attention to the Lynn Canal forecasts [similar orientation and latitude…] and typically higher winds in these conditions. Being a fjord, Reid Inlet blocks morning and evening sun- a precious commodity this time of year- especially during severe clear Wx spells. So we are trying a different anchor spot hoping to get earlier morning sun than our previous spot closer to glacier- along with longer day than the anchorage on the opposite [S] side of the terminal moraine. We sounded deep [50-70ft] within 100 ft. of shore on a 2 ft tide on the N side of the moraine. We are anchored in 80ft. [on a 2ft tide] Very nice. We will take note of sunrise/sunset from this location. Sat comms rule the day. | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 58º 54.672' N | 136º 7.788' W | Denali Rose | Hunter Cove- Glacier Bay [Tale two] [Sat, 10-Aug-2019 @ 17:52 ADT; 58° 54.6743' N, 136° 07.7889' W]
Another severe clear day. Exquisite! We saw whales along our way to this spot, which is just S of Wachusett Muir Inlets. Sat comms only here- not even VHF Wx anywhere in GB so far… | over 5 years ago | Show |
| 58º 55.506' N | 136º 48.432' W | Denali Rose | Russell Island- Glacier Bay [Wed, 07-Aug-2019 @ 15:53 ADT; 58° 55.5061' N, 136° 48.4317' W]
We left Reid Inlet today and toured the adjacent Johns Hopkins Inlet— having it and all its glaciers to ourselves for the afternoon. It was a sunny 70°F in front of the ice. Unreal. The heat has caused the Johns Hopkins Glacier to shed a few berg bits, but the concentration is sparse and easy to maneuver in. We are hunkered down in the E elbow of Russell Island for the night. Sunny, 75°F, with a 15 knot WSW breeze gusting 20. [Supposed to shift out of the N tonight…] The wind generator couldn’t be happier [nor could we.] Tomorrow we may head up the Tarr Inlet and see its tidewater glaciers- and be only a few miles from the Canadian border [in the farthest N point in the park…] We may try and find an anchorage up there in the fjord as well. [One is purported to exist.] We could not have picked a better Wx window for this visit to Glacier Bay. Sat comms continue to be the norm… | over 5 years ago | Show |
