Accounts of solo sailors traveling the Pacific Northwest Inside Passage

[dmksails]

HI all -

I'm looking for some reading on traveling the inside passage, specifically by someone who did it alone on a sailboat. Found many accounts of boats with crews making this trip - but so far haven't found anyone doing it alone.

Suggestions?

[Chris31415]

No single handed blogs that I’m aware of.

This thread covers the area and at least one reply mentions making a trip single handed.

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ip-228484.html

[sv_pelagia]

What "info" about "cruising solo" up the inside passage interests you?

99% of the info from non-solo trips is relevant to a solo cruiser. And any issues specific to solo cruisers (essentially: docking issues, anchoring alone, meeting other cruisers) for the inside passage are essentially the same as those for other coastal (non overnight) cruising areas.

[boatman61]

A guy got massive abuse on here for doing a solo transit relatively recently.. the Covid crowd were in full cry despite him not stopping anywhere.
A search or someone on here should bring it up, contact the guy who did it and put your questions.

[Kelkara]

Originally Posted by boatman61

A guy got massive abuse on here for doing a solo transit relatively recently.. the Covid crowd were in full cry despite him not stopping anywhere.
A search or someone on here should bring it up, contact the guy who did it and put your questions.

That was the Northwest Passage (Arctic), I think the OP is asking about the Pacific Northwest (Washington) and up the Inside Passage (BC and SE Alaska).

This trip can be done daysailing from anchorage to anchorage for 1000 miles. Apart from having someone to talk to or to keep watch while you nip below, there won't be much difference taking an extra person along. I've met several other people single-handing small sailboats along the way.

[Gadagirl]

https://reddotontheocean.com/

Matt Rutherford? He solo circumnavigated the Americas.

Just google his name, lots of information about him.

[Nord Sal]

You might want to read Joe Upton's book 'The Coastal Companion. A guide for the Alaska-bound Traveler.'


It's not a book on sailing, so perhaps you won't be interested, but it provides a lot of very interesting information about the inside passage, its communities, and the people who live and work there.


I learned how my friend Stormy got his name from reading this book!

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by Gadagirl

https://reddotontheocean.com/



Matt Rutherford? He solo circumnavigated the Americas.



Just google his name, lots of information about him.

But not the "Inside Passage", I believe....

[nwdiver]

I have run from Vancouver BC to Haida Gwaii solo several times in a C&C Landfall 38, don’t hurry pick your weather and do most of it day sailing, not gone on the Alaska but don’t see it as a problem. One trip I came back down the West Coast of VI, some long days there, but you can have daylight from about 4:30am to10:00pm in late June early July.

[Gadagirl]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

But not the "Inside Passage", I believe....

It was the northwest passage, he went east to west. Is that not the same as inside passage? I'm not being snarky I'm just ignorant of the distinction.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/rw/20...s/w-sailor.jpg

[Kelkara]

Originally Posted by Gadagirl

It was the northwest passage, he went east to west. Is that not the same as inside passage? I'm not being snarky I'm just ignorant of the distinction.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/rw/20...s/w-sailor.jpg

Not the same thing ...

[Oeanda]

The books I’ve read involving the inside passage are all historical ones. Haven’t read any modern day versions - might be a pretty boring read barring special plot twists or interesting philosophical musings along the way. Maybe more fruitful searching sailing blogs.

A historical account that pops into my mind is from a local woman here who made the trip from Anacortes up to Ketchikan a couple times in a little tiny dugout canoe. Rowing though not sailing. She passed on a few years ago. Her husband and her got up to a lot of interesting stuff and had some great stories. The tiny canoe is on display at the local airport. https://www.amazon.ca/Bijaboji-Alask.../dp/1550173928

[Gadagirl]

Originally Posted by Kelkara

Not the same thing ...

Thank you! Today was good because I learned something new!

[Nord Sal]

Originally Posted by boatman61

A guy got massive abuse on here for doing a solo transit relatively recently.. the Covid crowd were in full cry despite him not stopping anywhere.
A search or someone on here should bring it up, contact the guy who did it and put your questions.

I came down through the inside passage in September 2020. There was hardly anyone out on the water but I would typically run into as many as half a dozen boats of various types per day North of Vancouver island.

There was a marked difference between smiles and waves I got North of Campbell River and the glares (and the guy who gave me an obscene gesture)I got from Nanaimo south.

I might be wrong but I think the arctic waters were completely closed to travel by foreign nationals.