Inside Passage: Best Season ?

[bdurham]

Id like to know what is the optimal time to do the inside passage from seattle to alaska and back. How long would we need to do this? I assume the best season is in the summer? is this the best season to see wildlife as well?
any help would be great

[NewMoon]

Depends somewhat on your tolerance for weather. In our small power cruiser, I'd say early May through mid September. I'd prefer not to be north of Cape Caution after the equinox, when the North Pacific high is breaking down and stronger storms are more common.

This is also a great time for whale watching and for all the other critters. Also good for halibut and salmon fishing, although King salmon fishing is probably best on the early end.

If you're traveling slow (as we generally do) you'd probably want at least three, preferably four, months to enjoy it well.

[bdurham]

we would probably being doing the trip in a sailboat. what are the winds like at that time of year? And is it easy to plan layovers at towns on the way to get supplies and fuel?

[NewMoon]

Not having a sailboat, I don't have direct experience with the winds for sailing purposes. Nasty weather usually seems to come from south-southeast much of the time. Often winds are below 15 knots (my preference). Most sailors I see are motoring most of the time.

There are plenty of places to get provisions, except along the north coast of BC (between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert). On the North Coast, Bella Bella is probably the place with most to choose from, unless you go way inside, up the very long inlets to either Bella Coola or Kitimat.

Here's a blurb on fuel stops I put together recently:


There are lots of fuel docks in the San Juans, Gulf Islands, and along the BC mainland on the east side of the Strait of Georgia. There's fuel at Campbell River and a few other places in the Desolation Sound area. North of there fuel docks are further apart.

There are fuel stops on the west side of Vancouver Island, but I'm not current on that area.

We've been cruising mostly SE Alaska the last few summers, so may not be current on BC fuel dock changes - I've heard that some have closed down rather than upgrade facilities as required. The Waggoner Guide may be a good source of more current BC info. But, here are some we know of:

Broughtons and Queen Charlotte Strait:


Pierre's at Echo Bay
Sullivan Bay
Lagoon Cove
Port McNeill
Sullivan Bay
Port Hardy

BC North Coast:


Duncanby Landing
Dawson's Landing
Bella Bella
Shearwater
Klemtu
Hartley Bay
Prince Rupert

I'm sure there's fuel at Bella Coola and Kitimat, but we haven't been there yet.

SE Alaska:

Ketchikan
Yes Bay in Behm Canal
Thorne Bay
Wrangell
Petersburg
Kake
Point Baker
Angoon (M-F, I think)
Tenakee Springs
Sitka
Craig
Juneau
Hoonah
Bartlett Cove (Glacier Bay)
Elfin Cove
Pelican
Haines
Skagway

If you have a safe range of 200 nm you should be able to get around more or less anywhere. If you can do 300 nm you'll be more flexible in your routes, with less planning for fuel stops.



I'd recommend the Douglass "Exploring" series of cruising guides, three of them: Exploring the South Coast of BC, Exploring the North Coast of BC, and Exploring Southeast Alaska.



I also have a list of anchorages that we consider useful/desirable, which I could send to your email if you like. This summer was our tenth trip to Alaska, and we've done several more in BC.

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by NewMoon

Depends somewhat on your tolerance for weather. In our small power cruiser, I'd say early May through mid September. I'd prefer not to be north of Cape Caution after the equinox, when the North Pacific high is breaking down and stronger storms are more common.

It's important whatever your plans to keep an eye on the weather alerts. This year September has been pretty vicious north of Georgia Strait with Hecate getting 70 knots and big waves over an extended period.

[burgoynebc]

August is known as "fogust" when you get north of Port McNeil it can get to zero visibilty n. of Cape Caution for days on end. This last summer had bad weather until august in Nanaimo and north. US boat came in and reported only 3 days in July when it didn't rain. Normal summers weather is great starting mid may so see what the long term forecasts are to time trip from P McNeal and north. Its beautiful and sparsely settled. Georgia Straight Boat traffic is high in Desolation Sound and Princess Louisa Inlet (off Jervis Inlet) starting when schools let out but scenery in both areas is better than N of Van Island. 3rd scenery choice would be Broughton archepeligo.

[NewMoon]

Interesting - I heard lots of reports of poor weather in BC this year, but where we were (launching at Prince Rupert and cruising SE Alaska) the weather was great, except for a few days in the third week of August. We were off the water early this year, on August 19.

[DeepFrz]

Winds for sailing can be light during the summer. The natives call sail boats "stick boats" because they so seldom have their sails up. The inside passage gets narrow in many places north of Georgia Strait which isn't conducive to good sailing. It is imperative to have a solid engine for the passage trip. Of course you can always choose to go outside for parts of the trip and get in some good sailing.

[Astrid]

It's important whatever your plans to keep an eye on the weather alerts. This year September has been pretty vicious north of Georgia Strait with Hecate getting 70 knots and big waves over an extended period.

That's for sure--well over a week now.

Winds tend to be westerly or northwesterly once you have cleared the Georgia Strait, quite variable in Hecate, then southerly or southwesterly north of Graham Island. If you are heading North, be prepared to motor quite a bit until you are past Hecate Strait. It would be a good idea to get used to navigating with radar as well, as fog is frequently encountered, and be prepared for sudden wind changes both in direction and windspeed.

[Herbseesmoore]

We didn't make Alaska this year, only to the Seymour Inlet. We got very little sailing. With light winds and strong currents we motored most of the time. Listening to others and the unnormal weather patterns (our first trip, so nothing to compare it to) No one really knows. I believe if you want to sail go early, say May. Have a good heater, mornings are chilly. If you go July and August, like we did it was very settled. More than once I heard "all rain north of Cape Caution". The way I figure it, no one really knows how it will be next year and everyone's experience is different. A few years back a buddy went to Alaska and sailed 1 day in 60 and it at least drizzled every day. That was Jul and Aug.

[Astrid]

That sounds about right for this area. Your best bet for sailing is off shore, but in the inland passage, it's pretty chancy.

[Capt Phil]

Get yourself to Bull Harbour on Hope Island by mid May, wait for weather, make sure you have a great, not good, functioning radar and head for the bottom of the Charlottes at 0 dark 30. You should make it across in about 24 hours and out of the Pacific growlers. As the wind begins to pipe up in the afternoon the ride gets smoother. It's a walk in the park once you make the turn north inside... many good memories of that part of the world... Capt Phil

[Astrid]

Well said Phil

[bdurham]

What about places for refueling and reprovisioning once you are out on the queen charlotte islands?

[Capt Phil]

Main provisioning ports used to be Sandspit, Skidegate and Alliford Bay on the east coast. Also used to be a general store and fuel dock at the head of the SW inlet on Lyell Island a bit further south but limited variety.
Sorry, my info is a bit dated so there may be others I forget... Capt Phil