4 weeks Alaska cruise / camp - Where to start if you have a trailer as an option?

[Enyar]

Originally Posted by Drunkonwatch

Grab splash zone and some camping gear fly into a anchorage goof off in resurrection bay if your going to charter as suggested but I wouldn’t tell people what to do. You’ll spend more in travel and you’ll own a boat in Alaska lol

Not mine and no one I know just pondering a month vacation J boat camping I’ll loan you a dink and tools
https://anchorage.craigslist.org/boa...573349015.html

That's honestly not a bad idea. Part of the excitement and fun for me is to be able to do these adventures on our own boat instead of paying for a guide to do it for us. The original plan was to get the boat to alaska and then work our way home over the next few years leaving the boat in different places while we fly home.

Flying in with our own safety gear and stuff does sound kind of neat though.....

[Enyar]

Originally Posted by Grith

Hi Enyar
Just wondering what your 33 foot yacht that is still trailerable is.
We would love to attempt what you are thinking ( also have a big trailer sailer equipped for long range cruising) but stuck down here in Australia I am going to be hoping to find some Canadian friend with an appropriate yacht for us to do it with.
At 28 foot our Imexus is verging on maximum trailable in this country without over width restrictions and at 33 feet you could possibly also be over length here as well.
You can still tow but depending on width, length and weight it becomes much more painful with lots of regulations and sometimes even permits and escort vehicles being required.
My guess is your 33 footer may only be impacted by the less painful of these.

No where near ready yet but maybe in a few years time....lets schedule a home and away series. We will fly to Australia and you can fly here and swap boats.

The boat is a Hobie 33, 8' beam

[Grith]

Originally Posted by Enyar

No where near ready yet but maybe in a few years time....lets schedule a home and away series. We will fly to Australia and you can fly here and swap boats.

The boat is a Hobie 33, 8' beam

Hi Enyar I thought it might be a Hobie 33 being one of the few boats that length still truely trailerable.
I never had the opportunity to review one for sale or even see one in the flesh here in Australia as they are as rare as rocking horse **** here. 🙂
My Imexus has had nearly a years worth effort put into cruising mods and upgrades now to create a trailerable live aboard sailing/motoring expedition platform.
Clare and I retired early just over a year ago to go adventuring and between a 6 week shakedown cruise on the Imexus and a few multi week holidays in our slide on truck camper much of my time has been spent on upgrades and fitout.
Keep in touch we might just be up for a swap. We will be coming to Canada and the States in about 2/3 years for extended travels when the world calms down a bit.
We are off in July this year for around 3 months exploring the Great Barrier Reef and going well beyond my familiar Whitsundays cruising grounds.
Next year we hope to tackle the very challenging Kimberley’s complete with 30 foot tides, monster crocodiles and mostly uncharted in close.
Photos below of our Imexus on our backyard pontoon on the Murray River in South Australia and truck camper rig.
My original 180hp turbo diesel inboard Imexus is about to go up for sale and we will retain the 115hp outboard more recent version I originally purchased for its superb custom built roll on roll off trailer.
Despite lots of fun with my daughter and friends the Yanmar inboard with leg is too technically complex for me to repair or have repaired in very remote locations so perhaps the worlds fastest trailerable yacht under engine power (28knots) is about to go up for sale.
Trading way down to our current very cheap waterfront home in an unknown backwater of cheap South Australia has allowed early retirement and toys indulgences.

[Enyar]

Originally Posted by Grith

Hi Enyar I thought it might be a Hobie 33 being one of the few boats that length still truely trailerable.
I never had the opportunity to review one for sale or even see one in the flesh here in Australia as they are as rare as rocking horse **** here. 🙂
My Imexus has had nearly a years worth effort put into cruising mods and upgrades now to create a trailerable live aboard sailing/motoring expedition platform.
Clare and I retired early just over a year ago to go adventuring and between a 6 week shakedown cruise on the Imexus and a few multi week holidays in our slide on truck camper much of my time has been spent on upgrades and fitout.
Keep in touch we might just be up for a swap. We will be coming to Canada and the States in about 2/3 years for extended travels when the world calms down a bit.
We are off in July this year for around 3 months exploring the Great Barrier Reef and going well beyond my familiar Whitsundays cruising grounds.
Next year we hope to tackle the very challenging Kimberley’s complete with 30 foot tides, monster crocodiles and mostly uncharted in close.
Photos below of our Imexus on our backyard pontoon on the Murray River in South Australia and truck camper rig.
My original 180hp turbo diesel inboard Imexus is about to go up for sale and we will retain the 115hp outboard more recent version I originally purchased for its superb custom built roll on roll off trailer.
Despite lots of fun with my daughter and friends the Yanmar inboard with leg is too technically complex for me to repair or have repaired in very remote locations so perhaps the worlds fastest trailerable yacht under engine power (28knots) is about to go up for sale.
Trading way down to our current very cheap waterfront home in an unknown backwater of cheap South Australia has allowed early retirement and toys indulgences.

Message incoming, you sound like the Aussie version of me just a few years ahead of schedule.

[Kenatsea]

Where to start?
Ok, some qualifiers...and I fully support your dream!
We just trailered ~6,000 lbs trailer down from Alaska to Oregon. If you have not been there yet you will have a hard time imagining the journey involved. I lived and worked +20 years in Alaska but had never actually driven the highway until this year. The distances are immense, both land and water.

You have already received a lot of sound advice. But, I'd like to add a little more for your consideration.

1) The area and possibilities are huge. You could spend many, many summers exploring SE Alaska and or PWS and the Kenai Peninsula.

2) Maybe start with something more manageable like flying to Anchorage and renting a sailboat in Seward (they are available for charter there) and just get a feel for Alaska from the ocean. Resurrection Bay and the Kenai Fiords is a great location with almost everything/experience you could want in your first trip.

3) Assuming you and your family enjoy it. Then plan on bringing your boat up. But plan many years of adventure. One of the great things about SE Alaska is the cost of boat storage. Roughly 1/2 or more less than you will pay in a decent marina in most places.

4) We still keep a boat in SE Alaska, currently stored in Juneau. The larger towns have good marinas and launch facilities. And, as opposed to most places, fuel costs tend to be lower at the docks than in town.

5) Shipping up from Bellingham via barge can be a very good option for you (boat and trailer, either to SE Alaska or the Alaska Peninsula).

We started to keep a boat away and fly to it several times a year as a vacation option about 8 years ago. When we lived in Alaska we kept (and still keep) a boat in Mexico for the winter sailing down there.

Well those are my $.02C. Happy to answer more specific questions.

-Ken

[MJH]

Originally Posted by Enyar

That's honestly not a bad idea. Part of the excitement and fun for me is to be able to do these adventures on our own boat instead of paying for a guide to do it for us. The original plan was to get the boat to alaska and then work our way home over the next few years leaving the boat in different places while we fly home.

Flying in with our own safety gear and stuff does sound kind of neat though.....

Since you have a limitation of four weeks but have accepted the idea of leaving your boat in the area between visits I would strongly recommend you change your goal from Alaska to the Pacific Northwest. You will miss a lot if you do otherwise.

I have been sailing north into British Columbia and Alaska since 1995, first in a San Juan 28 solo and lately in my 42 footer; it is all doable. Besides, since you are not familiar with the waters and tides it will be learning curve as you continue to head north over the summers...there is so much to experience from your own boat. I would suggest starting from either Port Townsend or the Port of Anacortes with your first voyage being being the beautiful San Juan Islands. Both of those jumping off cities have outstanding marine services to get anything done on your boat after that long journey by trailer before you truly get underway. After the San Juans you will need to clear customs into Canada and pass through the wonderful Canadian Gulf Islands.

I suggest you get a copy of the annual Waggoner Cruising Guide publication, the Northwest bible for cruising from Olympia WA to Southeast Alaska, for your planning. You will quickly see how much you will miss if you jump right into Alaska bypassing everything south. I personally prefer British Columbia.

Good luck.

[MVDarlin]

I spend summers in Ketchikan Alaska on a 34ft C&C. More like car camping, ice chest. I took my power boat to Alaska 12 years ago. One month to get to Ketchikan, one month to cruise SE Alaska and one month to return. Most of the trip is in Canada.
Recommendstion: Trailer your boat to Tofino on the west side of Vancouver Island and sail up to Nootka Sound. Much closer. Similar scenery, whales, fishing and better weather. Good practice and you could do it in a month.