Cruisers & Sailing Forums - Gasoline Availability Inside Passage?

Inside Passage – Distance between fuel stops 2/15/2010

Longest distance between fuel stops:

We've wandered pretty much all over the Inside Passage in BC and SE Alaska, in all sorts of different directions. Sitka, Elfin Cove, Glacier Bay, Juneau, Haines, Skagway, and most points south of there.

Distances are from tested routes in my chartplotter. They're in Nautical Miles. To convert NM to statute miles, multiply by 1.15.

You can get to most places you'd want to go in a small boat if you can COMFORTABLY (with a good reserve to handle weather changes etc) go 140 nautical miles on a tank. If you have 200-300 NM range you have a lot more flexibility in your routes, but I don't think there's anywhere much more than 140 NM from a fuel stop. Many are a lot closer together than that.

One place which would take significantly longer range to get to is the fancy glaciers up at the end of the Tracy Arm, the entrance of which (assume at Tracy Arm Cove, the anchorage just inside Holkham Bay) is about 55 NM south from downtown Juneau, or 70 NM from Auke Bay. The run up to the glaciers from Tracy Arm Cove is 26 NM each way. So you'd need about 160-190 NM range, depending on where you start and end up.

Some of the other longest runs between fuel stops:

Petersburg-Juneau (downtown): 136 NM

Petersburg-Sitka: 153 NM, but you could stop for fuel at Angoon (some days) or Tenakee Springs (by going out of your way)

Auke Bay-Sitka (via Peril Strait): 131 NM

Hoonah-Sitka (via Peril Strait): 126NM

Glacier Bay, Bartlett Cove-Margerie Glacier and back: minimum about 130 NM, depending on where you anchor overnight.

Shearwater-Prince Rupert: 170-180 NM, but you could stop for fuel at Klemtu or Hartley Bay.

9/29/2011 – Fuel Stops on the Inside Passage

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:

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

BC North Coast:

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

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

Not positive, but I believe most if not all of these have both gas and diesel.