Alaska Info - tow for Elfin Cove to Auke Bay

[Kathys226]

I know there are some Alaska folks on here and am hoping you can help. I have a friend enroute from Hawaii and he wants me to get info on being towed from Elfin Cove to Auke Bay in September. And to top it off, this needs to be as budget friendly as possible. Any help would be greatly appreciated! (All the numbers for companies listed in the yellowpages doing online searches do not work, they are disconnected or are for other companies.)

[ksanders]

Originally Posted by Kathys226

I know there are some Alaska folks on here and am hoping you can help. I have a friend enroute from Hawaii and he wants me to get info on being towed from Elfin Cove to Auke Bay in September. And to top it off, this needs to be as budget friendly as possible. Any help would be greatly appreciated! (All the numbers for companies listed in the yellowpages doing online searches do not work, they are disconnected or are for other companies.)

If he is enroute now then his boat is drive able.

Why in the world would he want a tow that far. There are no budget friendly tows for that distance.

My advice is if he is enroute that he just continue on. If he has something like close quarters maneuvering issues he will never get into elfin cove any way.

I've been to elfin cove more than once. It is a interesting little town but there is nothing there. I've never found the store, and the whole town is maybe a hundred yards long.

It is very photogenic though, because it's built on a boardwalk.

[Kathys226]

He is sailing only, "prop shaft came off tranny" is the short message I got. Due to the tides and currents I believe it is not something you want to do without power. He knows the area, used to live and sail there.

[Glenn.Brooks]

Best bet is try to go into Hoonah and go up on the grid to fix his prop shaft, or run down the coast to Sitka. Iam sure there are fishing boats about that could provide a tow - or a tender making a run into Juneau, if he wanted to negotiate a price. I doubt you will not find any commercial towing companies near Elfin Cove, near being within 100 mile radius... Unless someone has a South east vessel assist franchise in place.


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[DeepFrz]

He could use his tender as a tug.

[bobofthenorth]

There's grids in every 2 bit harbour up there. There's probably one in Elfin Cove. If not he could do a poor man's haulout on a muddy beach

[DeepFrz]

Here is a thread discussing using the dinghy as a tug.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ghy-60106.html

[Glenn.Brooks]

Looong way from Elfin Cove to Auke Bay in a dinghy, particularity with the currents in Southeast. Actually, he probably doesn't need a grid to fit his prop shaft, if it came off the transmission it sounds like a coupling problem.

One thing you can suggest is have him work up a parts list and order replacements via his VHF through one of air taxi outfits, who will expedite the parts from one of the marine supply stores or cannery and fly them out to him wherever he can anchor. Fix on the boat and keep going. Commercial fisherman in Alaska do this all the time.

[Sealaskan]

Your friend should go into Sitka where he could easily get repaired. They probably even have more available than Juneau does and he would not have to contend with the passes at Inian Island where tide currents can be pretty brisk.