Sailing from Vancouver, BC to Seward Alaska

[Johnknutson]

Hello all, looking for human intelligence or useful sailing publications that outline sailing from Vancouver, BC to Seward, AK. I'm an experienced boater, but relatively new to sailing. Thanks!

[Paul L]

https://waggonerguide.com/
The multi volume Douglas guides
https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Nor.../dp/0996979921

[rbk]

Inside/outside or mainly outside?

[Johnknutson]

Not sure. I am just starting to plan. At this stage, I'm just a sponge. Thanks

[jackdale]

Dreamspeaker Guides are good. A little pricey.

[kev_rm]

The waggoner guide is a bit of tourist rag - about 90% of the information is about businesses, not actual cruising.

Originally Posted by Paul L

https://waggonerguide.com/
The multi volume Douglas guides
https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Nor.../dp/0996979921

[rbk]

Originally Posted by Johnknutson

Not sure. I am just starting to plan. At this stage, I'm just a sponge. Thanks

How much time and what are your goals?

[Lepke]

Coast Pilots 7 & 9 West Coast & Alaska and Sailing Directions Pub 154 British Columbia contain info on landmarks, currents, etc. Geared for ships coming into a new area.


https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/publ...lot/index.html
https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/publ...B7_C12_WEB.xml

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by kev_rm

The waggoner guide is a bit of tourist rag - about 90% of the information is about businesses, not actual cruising.

The Waggoner guide is a good deal that covers a large area. The Douglas guides are certainly more detailed with a lot of anchoragres. They are carefully broken up into many volumes making full coverage expensive.
Some of the Douglas guides are a bit old.

OP
You titled this sailing to..... This is primarily a motorboat trip. We did it in a performance sailboat. Most days we'd get an hour or two of sailing in. The winds tend to follow the cuts, so they are either on the tail or the nose. Waiting for winds during the day isn't practical as timing the tidal currents is more important.

[psk125]

“Passage to Juneau” https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...sage_to_Juneau

A memoir that includes first-hand accounts of what it can be like en route.

[Yellowjacket]

Passage inside, so much there not to be missed, but that's personal preference. Books mentioned above. Agreed you will motor most of the way but even then use less fuel and be more comfortable than many trawlers, you can set a steadying sail if it blows. Currents, currents, currents. Respect high and low tides. Make sure anchoring gear is sound, know how to set a shore line. August is Fogest. Plan transit of Queen Charlotte and Dixon carefully re: weather. Take fishing gear.

[Dsanduril]

Books above are a good start. Really depends on whether this is a sight-seeing trip or a quick jaunt to get there. At some point you're going to have to cross the Gulf, you can go up the inside from BC and out at Cross Sound, then hug the coast, so much to see that it would take me well more than one summer.

Alternatively, if you can wait for the right weather you can look for a high to sit in the Gulf and then have a pretty nice reaching sail from BC direct to Seward, leaving the high to starboard. At this time of year there's low after low marching across the Gulf, but during the summer you can sometimes get a high that settles in for week and would allow a nice, pleasant (non-stop) trip on the outside.

[Aksailor14]

Its mostly a motor due to having to time the tide. Charlies charts are great written by an actual sailor. Enjoy and don't rush the trip, there is just so much to see and do on the way.

[Scorpius]

This time of year? (to end of March or April). Miserable wet, cold weather. But at least you would have south-easters behind you for most of the trip. Top up fuel and grub when you can. Many places close for the winter.

I can't speak for the Alaska portion but stay inside in BC. I'd go up through the Yulculta rapids, etc. (rather than Seymour Narrows) in order to stay out of the larger, straighter bodies of water such as Discovery Passage and Johnstone Straits where the combination of wind and current can kick up some really NASTY seas. On one occasion last summer we were slowed from six to two knots (SOG) and we were going WITH the current!

Be VERY careful crossing Queen Charlotte Sound. It's about eight hours at sailboat speeds. Although there are places to hide both south and north of Cape Caution, closing with them involves dodging A LOT of rocks - which in high seas can be seriously nerve-racking.

Get a current copy of Ports and Passages. It's tide and current tables are FAR better than the government publications and it contains many chartlets, hints (like how to get through three successive sets of rapids in one tide) and useful phone numbers for services along the way.

In BC a Telus cell phone is by far the best. Anybody else has very little coverage - although even Telus is spotty.

Both Queen Charlotte and Milbanke sounds are shallow and those big Pacific rollers, coming non-stop from Japan steepen up brutally and can be breaking on miles-long fronts. Not for the faint-hearted. Otherwise, from Vancouver to Prince Rupert it's pretty sheltered.

Enjoy.

[01kiwijohn]

Originally Posted by Paul L

https://waggonerguide.com/
The multi volume Douglas guides
https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Nor.../dp/0996979921

Paul, He's going to Seward; which Douglas guides cover the section north of SE Alaska? I'm also seeking info on sailing to PW Sound and out to the Aleutians.