Visit our Popular Forums

newbie- · 02-01-2020, 14:51

For the last year or so I've been thinking a little about making a trip North via the Inside Passage from Seattle to... somewhere. Not exactly sure if, when, or how I'd be doing it but toying with the idea.

Has anyone here made this trip? Any key factors to consider?

My trip would probably be in a twin diesel 46' Express/Sunbridge aft cabin with a full canvas enclosure, 400 gallons of fuel capacity, and a onan generator. The trip would probably be more pleasant in a sedan cruiser like a Bayliner 4588 or a Nordhaven 43... if I had one

First question is... Is this worth doing in an express?

rbk · 02-01-2020, 15:43

Time frame? Personally the views don't start until after Petersburg but that's relative. Good beaches and swimming around and south of the north end of Van island, Hot springs, glaciers and wildlife to the north. You could spend lifetimes exploring the entire IP so it all depends on what your goals are. Plenty of threads on the subject here as well. If I were planning the trip I'd spend one season going north, fly back for winter then spend the next season coming back south on a totally different route.

Dsanduril · 02-01-2020, 16:13

I might be biased, but worth doing in just about anything

You're from Seattle so you'll be used to the rain, but you'll still want a place with a good view where you can comfortably stay out of the wet while underway. The scenery is magnificent while underway, and you'll want a view but to be comfortable and dry.

Warmth is the other thing, do you have a way to get warm at the end of the day?

Those two things more than anything (for me), then the rest is just deciding how much you want to see. If you want ice you'll have to get at least as far as Petersburg, otherwise there is some magnificent scenery just in your backyard.

And I second the idea of multiple seasons. Daily marina slips in SE Alaska aren't cheap, but long term (> 6 months) are really cheap and available. Pretty easy to find a place to keep a boat for the winter (in the water or on the hard) and then come back the next season and do more.

Oceansailor · 02-01-2020, 16:24

Did that trip in the month of July and August some years ago. Weather was quite good. Have sailed in many places. Inside passage is still my favorite. You will not have any problems in your boat. Most of the times there is not wind. Strong currents and deep anchorages was the only challenges.

Primal Alliance · 03-01-2020, 08:27

Took my Dana 24 single handed from Shilshole Bay Marina here in Seattle to Port Hardy last April and then from there to Sitka in May. The wilderness and beauty start not at St. Petersburg Alaska{is that what the other responder was saying?}but rather instead a short distance beyond Campbell River once you leave the Straits Of Georgia behind. There is often very little wind. Soueasters are nice if you're sailing. Norwesters blowing up early in the afternoon can put you in an achorage before you want to have it happen and the anchorages are often deep and close to an inhospitable shore. Always arrive in any anchorage in daylight, never in the dark. Have a current cruising guide with you.

newbie- · 03-01-2020, 08:44

Hey everyone, thanks for the great feedback! I'm taking notes of all the thoughts here.

By the sound of it, most of you are making the trip by sailboat. I actually own a Catalina 30 but since I can't be gone for a long trip, I would likely be doing it in a motor boat.

It looks like there are plenty of marinas in the passage. Would I have any trouble finding moorage for a 14'4" beam and nearly 50' LOA?

I would love to find anchorages along the way.. and that may work out. But since I don't have a keel and stability of a sailboat I'm guessing I'll only get sleep in a marina.

rbk · 03-01-2020, 09:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Primal Alliance

Took my Dana 24 single handed from Shilshole Bay Marina here in Seattle to Port Hardy last April and then from there to Sitka in May. The wilderness and beauty start not at St. Petersburg Alaska{is that what the other responder was saying?}but rather instead a short distance beyond Campbell River once you leave the Straits Of Georgia behind. There is often very little wind. Soueasters are nice if you're sailing. Norwesters blowing up early in the afternoon can put you in an achorage before you want to have it happen and the anchorages are often deep and close to an inhospitable shore. Always arrive in any anchorage in daylight, never in the dark. Have a current cruising guide with you.

Been living and cruising up and down the west coast my whole life. IMO the real scenery does not begin until after Petersburg. South of that the mountains are smaller, not as rugged, snow capped, lack of glaciers but in no way ‘ugly’ or developed. After Petersburg every peak just well above the tree line and most are crowned with glaciers. If you’re cruising. From late May to mid July you can arrive near midnight and still have useable light.

50’ is getting on the upper limit of finding easy moorage and you may get turned away from time to time (rare) but if you arrive early or call ahead you shouldn’t have a problem. Most major communities it won’t be an issue. Leave earlier in the year to avoid the crowds and if you plan on hitting up Glacier Bay you need to book your permit in advance (early season you can radio or call from
hoonah and chances are they’ll have space).

desodave · 03-01-2020, 09:35

You'll have to pay attention to the current tables in places (even in a boat like yours), especially through the Discovery Islands at the N end of the Strait of Georgia. Some of the passes will have to be transited at or near slack. It may affect your timing.

NewMoon · 03-01-2020, 09:43

Been doing some or all of the Inside Passage since 1993, first in a C-Dory 22 Cruiser, then a Bounty 257, now a Nordic Tug 37. Your 46 would be more than adequate.

We go May through September these days, typically traveling some 4,000 nm. It sure can be cool and rainy some days, but it's hard to beat for scenery, critters, and fishing/crabbing/shrimping. It can be 80 degrees too, but not very often. Typical temps range from 50-65. Have good rainwear.

Anchoring in a beautiful cove, often with no other boat, is a delight. There are hundreds to choose from. Stay on top of the the weather forecast, probably at least twice a day, and anchor where the likely wind is blocked by land, and it's going to be peaceful. Know where you are on the tide, and what it's going to do, before you pick your spot - the tide can go up and down more than 20

feet.

Transient space in BC marinas can be fairly expensive, but in Alaska it's only about 75 cents per foot.

You could enjoy a good bit of the south coast of BC (inside Vancouver Island) in only 2-3 weeks, but if you want to spend time in SE AK, you'll need much more - unless you tow a smaller boat up to Prince Rupert to launch, as we did for many years.

Lots more to share, happy to discuss further if you like.

newbie- · 03-01-2020, 11:01

Awesome photos! Thanks for sharing. That's exactly what I'm looking for... I'm unsure if I'll make it all the way to Alaska in one season given how much PTO I can take but certainly considering a multi-season trip now.

How many NM do you like to do per day and at what speeds?

My 46' cruises comfortably at 10 mph. I'm charting my days and stops based on that average speed.

But when I push it on to a plane, I can do between 16 and 30 mph at essentially the same fuel economy... opening it up may be tempting on occasion if there isn't too much floating debris.

rbk · 03-01-2020, 11:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by newbie-

Awesome photos! Thanks for sharing. That's exactly what I'm looking for... I'm unsure if I'll make it all the way to Alaska in one season given how much PTO I can take but certainly considering a multi-season trip now.

How many NM do you like to do per day and at what speeds?

My 46' cruises comfortably at 10 mph. I'm charting my days and stops based on that average speed.

But when I push it on to a plane, I can do between 16 and 30 mph at essentially the same fuel economy... opening it up may be tempting on occasion if there isn't too much floating debris.

You’ll find once you get into SE Alaska the amount of debris drastically reduces. Logging is active in BC and booms regularly break free. Best book for general daily routing IMO are the Marine Atlases vol 1&2. There are so many anchorages it is rare that you can’t simply pull over and anchor within 3-5 nm; with a few exceptions of course like Dixon, QC sound etc but even then you’re never too far from safety.

Dsanduril · 03-01-2020, 11:30

FWIW If you get up to SE Alaska both Pack Creek and Anan Creek are worthwhile visits that, like Glacier Bay, require advance permits. And like GB, if you can be a little bit flexible on dates you can sometimes get a "walk up" permit or find a hole in the schedule where for some reason not all the permits are taken.

Otherwise, for both of those reservations open up February 1. For Glacier Bay you can apply for permits 60 days before your entry date (there's a handy table on the page linked). There are a lot of rules, but well worth jumping through the hoops at least once.

desodave · 03-01-2020, 12:33

There's always wood in the water and most of it imo NOT from booms breaking up. As the spring runoff in the rivers increases, the amount of wood increases. As it does also after every storm around partcularly high tides. This is what it looked like near Campbell River after a storm a couple of years ago

NewMoon · 03-01-2020, 12:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by newbie-

Awesome photos! Thanks for sharing. That's exactly what I'm looking for... I'm unsure if I'll make it all the way to Alaska in one season given how much PTO I can take but certainly considering a multi-season trip now.

How many NM do you like to do per day and at what speeds?

My 46' cruises comfortably at 10 mph. I'm charting my days and stops based on that average speed.

But when I push it on to a plane, I can do between 16 and 30 mph at essentially the same fuel economy... opening it up may be tempting on occasion if there isn't too much floating debris.

10mph should work well. For the last 15 years or so we've traveled slow most of the time - 6.5 knots in the 26-footer (could cruise at 16), 7-8 in the 37 (could cruise at 10-12). On a typical day we do only 30-45 nm, but 60-80 or even over 100 when it's needed.

Glacier Bay: we never make reservations way ahead - it can be difficult to get there on a particular day, so many folks wind up canceling. Call at 7AM when you're near and the forecast is encouraging, and your odds of finding an opening are pretty good. You'd want at least 3 days in the Bay. Lots to see there, both glaciers and great mountains - tallest is 15,300 right above you. We avoid socked-in weather in the Bay - makes it impossble to see much of the mountains.

If your objective is to see nifty glaciers and a spectacular fjord, the Tracy Arm is great, and no restrictions.