2019 Fast Boat cruise to Alaska

[jagizzi]

Hi folks,

I am currently considering a trip to Alaska the summer of 2019. We are in an R23 which gives us a lot of flexibility were we to join up with the Waggoner cruise but there are times I would guess that we would be chomping at the bit to go a bit further on many days.

This got me thinking that maybe there are other R23 or new R27 owners that might wish to do the same thing so I thought that I would reach out and see if there were any interest.

At this point I have no preconceived notions about final destination, stops or details around the route so we are pretty flexible. We will be constrained by the schools schedule but that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Any interest out there?

Jim

 

[Ernie]

I’m quite interested in joining other Ranger outboards on a trip to Alaska. I hope we can keep this moving over the next year and do it.
Wondering also how many R23s are planning to do the Desolstion sound cruise this summer? I’ve been up there on a little sailboat and I’m looking fwd to doing it with more power.

 

[jagizzi]

We will be doing the desolation Sound trip this year. I am hoping that the dates are set soon so we can plan around them.

 

[olygirl]

We too are planning to do the Desolation Sound trip!

Laura & Cynthia
Cool Mint

 

[20dauntless]

I've led group trips to Alaska for the last four or five years through Waggoner and now Slowboat.com. Participant boats have ranged from Rangers and Cutwaters to a 30' Sea Ray (fast!), a 40' Coastal Craft (really fast), and a 40' Willard (really slow!).

I've also done the trip in a C-Dory 22, which isn't as fast or comfortable as the newer generation Rangers and Cutwaters but is a lot faster than 8 knots!

A few thoughts...

Fuel stops can eat up some of the time saved by having a fast boat. Sometimes you'll need to go 10 or 15nm out of the way, track down someone to open the fuel dock, and then fill up.

During the day, flotillas spread out. Some people sleep in, others are gone by daybreak. Some people stop to fish. Others want to remain in sight of the lead boat all the time. We do stay close when we need to, like timing rapids.

We average about 30nm a day. That doesn't sound like much, but it adds up when you're doing it every single day for a month.

Often the fastest boats are also the smallest with the fewest amenities. The couple with the 60' Nordhavn doesn't need to rush into port to do the laundry and take a shower. Sometimes the smaller boats want more time in port to take care of chores, so it's not uncommon for them to run ahead or linger behind. We run our trips with two lead boats, so if the group splits up for a day or two leaders can stay with everyone.

When I took the C-Dory to AK, we did the trip to Ketchikan in about 10 days. Half those days were pretty short or we were stuck in port. I think we covered 100+nm on three or four of those days, running about 18 knots. It's hard to do multiple days like this back-to-back because the fuel docks are often closed by the time you arrive at the destination and they aren't open again until after you want to leave the next day.

If I was doing this trip in a fast boat, I'd use the speed in a few places. First to get north of Vancouver Island. It's not that Desolation Sound and the Broughtons aren't worth seeing, but presumably you've already seen those areas or they'll be easier to return to later since they're closer to home. Speed will also be your friend rounding Cape Caution, heading up Grenville Channel (which I often find boring), and crossing Dixon Entrance.

Let me know if you have additional questions! I love talking about boating to Alaska!

 

[johnniethek]

I love the idea.

I take delivery of my new 2019 R-27 with 300 hp outboard in June, and have a trip to Alaska on my bucket list. Heck, I would do it this summer if there's a group that wants to make that trip in July/August.

I've been to Desolation Sound twice, and really recommend it. But think I would prefer to slide on by on my trip North to Alaska.

My new boat will be called the Salish Searcher, by the way.

JtheK

 

[Salish Seaker]

Ernie & gang,

The summer of 2019 might be perfect timing for us. We'll have a year in the new boat under our belt. I'm sure the R-23 will be very comfortable for long-term cruises. I've been following Sam conducting his tours for several years now and he's a real pro at what he does. He knows boats and he knows Alaska and Canada extremely well. And he's a helluva nice guy to boot.

Jonniethek, I like your boat name. We were initially thinking of calling our boat Salish Seaker but decided to go with

 

[Ernie]

I like the responses here. I’d love to be in company next year on an Alaska trip. I have R23 Daisy,which I’m getting to know. I’ll have her out cruising this year, and plan to make it to Desolation in July. A gateway goal for me is to move past Johnstone strait, my previous trips up North have been on small slow sailboats, I think that would have some good lessons for me, and I’d do that this summer before the cruise gathers at Comox in July, if any others are interested in company in Johnstone.

 

[20dauntless]

The summer of 2019 might be perfect timing for us. We'll have a year in the new boat under our belt. I'm sure the R-23 will be very comfortable for long-term cruises. I've been following Sam conducting his tours for several years now and he's a real pro at what he does. He knows boats and he knows Alaska and Canada extremely well. And he's a helluva nice guy to boot.

Thanks for the kind words Peter! It would be a lot of fun to have you and Caryn on a trip to AK!

Last year after the Points North seminar there was some discussion about doing a Ranger/Cutwater flotilla to Alaska. How cool would a picture of 10 or 20 Rangers/Cutwaters in front of a glacier be?!? I'm up for helping organize or even lead such a trip, but I don't have a fast boat.

If there was interest in a Tugnuts group trip to Alaska, I think a 2-week run from Anacortes to Petersburg would be ideal. Something like this:

Anacortes to Nanaimo
Nanaimo to Comox
Comox to Port Harvey
Port Harvey to Port McNeill
Port McNeill to Pruth Bay
Pruth Bay to Ocean Falls
Ocean Falls to Shearwater
Shearwater to Rescue Bay
Rescue Bay to Lowe Inlet
Lowe Inlet to Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert to Ketchikan
Ketchikan to Wrangell
Wrangell to Petersburg (just 20nm to Le Conte Glacier from Petersburg)

Keep in mind that this is an ambitious schedule, averaging about 75nm a day. Definitely a trip for fast boats! Most nights would be at a dock. We'd probably add some additional days to give us more weather flexibility. Most people would want to slow down on the return and enjoy some side trips in BC.

Just writing down all these place names has me excited for summer cruising!

 

[oneeyedjackass]

v
Any interest out there?

we would be most def interested. Please keep us posted. we'll be heading up to seattle/san juans july 11-31 maybe join up with the desolation cruise if it works out
mark

 

[jagizzi]

So there definitely is interest here. now we have to decide how to organize and communicate for the possible trip, and set some tentative dates.

This forum is a great place to start and there is definitely some experience here for us. I've been all through Sams's blog and it's clear he's done this before. The first pass tentative list of ports is a great outline to start pondering.

Let me get the list of possible initial participants together from these posts.

I will also pull the Waggoner cruise info and see if we can't organize around the same lines.

What are some tentative departure dates that work for folks.

We would want to come up with a boat spares list, and a group spares list.

A suggested outfitting checklist would also be a good idea.

An easily accessible place to store this info would need to be agreed upon

And then probably a hundred other things to think of, but this is a great start

Jim

 

[Ernie]

I like it
I’m ready for AK ‘19
June July is a good time for me

 

[johnniethek]

I teach at a college so wouldn't be able to leave until the third week in June. Please keep that in mind when putting together a time for this exciting trip.

Thnx,

Johnnie the K

 

[baz]

I think the thing that would be of concern to me given using 'fast boats' which can drink fuel fast is for attention be given to fueling locations along the way.

 

[oneeyedjackass]

maybe a shared google map would be a good way for community to put there 2 cents in????

 

[jagizzi]

Agreed on the fuel concern Baz, but we should be able to plan ahead for it. That is part of the reason this is a 2019 cruise ;-)

 

[jagizzi]

Hi Mark, or Dea ;-)

At this point anything might help. I haven't shared a Google Map with a group before, have you?

It would be nice to have someway of tracking maps, lists etc as well as communications. I don't know the best way for that at this point but will give it some thought.

Jim

 

[jagizzi]

So far I have the following list as interested in this trip:

Ernie - Daisy R-23
JtheK - unnamed R-27, in the build process ;-)
Peter and Caryn - Island Time R-23
Mark and Dea - Nixie R-23
Jim - Next Ten R-23

5 boats so far, which ought to make enough for a great trip as well as a safe one.

I plan on sitting down with Sam to pick his brain a bit about what we need to do and plan but am certainly open to any suggestions or ideas anyone else has at this point.

Really, I would most like to get some type of web space for us to collaborate and archive info. I will ask around on this as well.

Jim

 

[baz]

Jim: What is the estimate for the time it would take for the round trip ? That is, how many weeks, and would the boats return as a group as they obviously would for the outbound trip ?

I ask this as my #2 daughter and long-time partner (a German fella 🙂 ) is/are showing interest in this trip. Thus it could be that 3 of us would make the trip with y'all in our R-27/OB and of course share the total cost of the adventure between the 3 of us. 😀

It could be that daughter and partner would fly back from Alaska once we reach there as that would mean less time off work for them.

 

[jagizzi]

Barry, we haven't worked any of this out yet 🙂 Everything is still in the discussion stage at this point and we don't yet have stops planned.

Have said that I would hink that we should be able to make it up there in two weeks unless folks want to take our time on the way up.

My initial thought, subject to discussion and change is to get up there and then mosey back. Maybe total of 6 weeks. But I could also see splitting up and having two groups return on different schedules.

Jim