Alaska 2023 - Channel Surfing

[Submariner]

We arrived in Prince Rupert today. We left Everett,Wa on May 25.

We’ve complete 688 miles and have the Dixon entrance left to cross to get to Ketchikan. Waiting out the weather here at the Prince Rupert Rowing Yacht Club.

If you wish to see where we are, we do have AIS. In addition, I am running a Garmin InReach satellite tracker.

The inreach shows our path traveled in 10 minute increments.
The password to view the InReach is “SE Alaska”. (Without the quotes).

https://share.garmin.com/share/ChannelSurfing


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[scross]

Congratulations on a great start to your voyage.
Very envious!
Have fun and please keep us posted!

 

[Submariner]

So far it’s been a fantastic trip!! So much more to see once we get to Alaska tomorrow.


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[Nwdiver]

When are you heading out of Prince Rupert, is it weather dependent? How is the solar controller holding up

 

[scross]

Martin,
Why did you need to replace your solar controller? Was it a Victron Energy?

 

[Submariner]

Martin,
Why did you need to replace your solar controller? Was it a Victron Energy?

Our trip through Seymour Narrows and Johnstone Strait is best described as “learning our lesson”. We timed it wrong. Really wrong. I’ll never make this mistake again I assure you.

Channel Surfing, Lemondrop and Annie Time. All are Rt27-OB’s, we traveled together that day.

We found ourselves on an ebb tide going with the current against a 26 knot opposing wind. The water just kept falling all around us. My scupper on the starboard side was clogged, so much seawater was flowing over the Bimini down into the cockpit, by the gallons LaZina said (she saw it). overflowed the starboard scupper, ran into the starboard lazarette, aft and ran across my solar controller. (Victron 100/30).

Of course, while we were in the 2-4 foot seas with a gale warning, all LaZina and I knew was there was an electrical burning smell that started faint and got really strong in the cabin. We didn’t know what was burning at the time. The waves just sucked, but we felt safe. We tried this side of the channel, that side of the channel, slow speeds, faster speeds. Didn’t matter. Things changed once we smelled electrical smoldering. I was worried about an electrical fire in those sea conditions.

We changed course and headed to Port Neville, 3nm away, across the channel, and ducked into the anchorage for shelter. I dropped anchor, rafted all 3 boats together in 15 knot winds. (Rocna held us all) as I tore my boat apart sniffing every corner to find the source of the smell. When I opened the starboard lazarette, aft, it was super strong smell and there was water everywhere. Looked like someone took a hose in that compartment. The solar controller and engine battery reside there. The center and port lazarettes were dry. (Except for water in my bilge, center cockpit).

My solar controller was powered on and the engine battery worked, so I was baffled. But the water had stopped falling and the smell dissipated. We came up with an alternate plan. Back out into Johnstone for 10nm, took a right into Port Harvey and enjoyed a very nice +15nm extra of a detour through protected waters. We had flat water.

We made it to Port McNeal 3 hours later than we planned.

It wasn’t until the following day that I realized even though the solar controller was powered on and reporting via Bluetooth, that volts and watts from solar (the PV side) were both zero as that’s the part that fried.

The Victron 100/30 has an internal fuse on the solar (PV) side, but it’s not a replaceable fuse. It blew I’m sure. The unit is toast, scorch marks and all. Got the controller replaced today and cleaned my scuppers. All is good. 🙂


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[Submariner]

We made it across the Dixon early this morning. WOT at 27 gph and 30knots.

We are in Alaska!!!


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[mikey]

caution Johstone straight and seymour narrows! A few years ago were fishing commercially in a 65' longliner for halibut in Dixon Entrance in March/April and for those 2 months had the worst seas in Johnstone Str with wind against the tide- the wind tends to funnel and the tide runs a few knots so yes be very cautious.

 

[Submariner]

We are going to stay in Ketchikan through Wednesday. Our next stop is Petersburg and then Juneau.

Port of Everett to Ketchikan stats.
9 days total. 693 miles.
3 days at anchor. 6 days at a dock.
2 days spent waiting on weather.

4 gates from easiest to worst as we experienced them.
1) Dixon (flat seas, 33 mph)
2) Cape Caution (2-3 foot rollers, 15mph)
3) Georgia Strait (3 foot or less wind wave chop)
4) Seymour Narrows/Johnstone Strait (we timed this wrong and were punished for it).

Ketchikan is the 3rd wettest city in the USA. It averages 141 inches of rain a year. The national average is 38 inches. Yakutat and Whittier Alaska get more rain than Ketchikan.

Tide swings are up to 21 foot a day.

Went shopping at Tongas Trading marine and outdoor store. Short walk from the dock. Picked up a couple more gallons of kerosene. We’ve burned 3 gallons thus far. Also bought some warmer rain gear.

Safeway is a short walk from the dock.


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[Seakr25]

I motored past you two yesterday while heading back into my slip. I have the 08 R25 named Fika one dock north from where you’re located. Beautiful boats! Enjoy your adventure.

 

[Submariner]

I motored past you two yesterday while heading back into my slip. I have the 08 R25 named Fika one dock north from where you’re located. Beautiful boats! Enjoy your adventure.

I saw you leave as we pulled in. Nice look’n boat!


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[Rebel112r]

I may be wrong, but the day you transited Seymour, the slack was at six am turning to flood, which would have been with the wind. Looks like just too much wind. Flooding from the N. Flood and ebb change which way they flow just S of Cape Mudge. Great trip!

 

[Submariner]

I may be wrong, but the day you transited Seymour, the slack was at six am turning to flood, which would have been with the wind. Looks like just too much wind. Flooding from the N. Flood and ebb change which way they flow just S of Cape Mudge. Great trip!

It was slack before flood at 6:58am at Seymour.
High tide was 8:38am.
Then the tide was falling (ebb).

Look at the current for Seymour’s on May 27 then look at the tide table. Then the wind did pick up to 26 knots. Annie time got that wind speed off local weather report when we were anchored in port Neville at 12:30pm.

We crossed Seymour at 6:50am.
We were in Johnstone from 7:30 - 3pm.
The video footage shows decent water up until around 9:00.
The worst we experienced was 9-12:00pm in Johnstone.

My solar controller fried at 9:47am per the Victron logs it keeps. .


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[mikey]

one other note of caution when transiting the BC coast is that some of the worst seas for the coast can be at Cape Mudge with a flood tide against a SE wind.

 

[scross]

When we cruise the Broughtons next summer I’m really liking my idea of just taking the rig on the ferry from Tsawwassen to Nanaimo then trailering up to Port McNeill. Adventure - Yes! Nightmare - No!

 

[The grouch]

Hi,

Super trip . My favorites ,for your consideration
Between Ketchikan and Wrangle is Santa Anna inlet for Anchorage and crabs. Just outside inlet is Deer island, the s.e. side was the best halibut fishing I've EVER had.

Endicott Arm. Ice will dictate crusing speed down to my favorite of the whole trip, Fords Terror. The entrance into Fords Terror must be made at slack tide. Anchorage at the end of the north fork then catch the slack tide in a.m. thru the terror .

Safe trip

The Grouch

 

[Rebel112r]

Martin, current continued to flood at Seymour till 11.24 PST on the 27th when slack, then a turn to ebb.

 

[Submariner]

We had so much rain fall yesterday in Ketchikan. It was like a torrential downpour most of the day. We're burning through a lot of kerosene. Lemondrop is a 2019 RT27-OB and has no fuel gauge on the diesel/kerosene tank. (2021 models and newer all have a fuel gauge for the diesel/kerosene tank). She ran out of fuel.

While refilling the tank with a couple gallons of kerosene, in the torrential downpour, water must have got into the fuel tank. I learned a few things last night about the RT27-OB that I didn't know.

I now know where the 3 fuses are for the Webasto heater.

This is important because once the Webasto errors out after 2 tries, it needs to be power-cycled else it won't even try to start. There's a fuse for the controller, a fuse for the fuel pump and a fuse for the Webasto heater. They are located in the cave, near the 24x7 fuse block. But they are not in a fuse block. They are in fuse holders secured to the bulkhead but not easily visible due to their location. If you pull out the Engine On/OFF, Parallel On/Off, House On/Off panel and look to the starboard and down, you will easily spot the three of them next to each other. I pulled out all 3 fuses for a minute to reset the Webasto.

I pulled the fuel line that goes into the fuel pump on the port side (under the sink) and let that drain into a clear bowl. Kerosene/Diesel floats on water, so the water is at the bottom of the tank and will come out first. This confirmed our problem. But this also meant that water was in the fuel line from the output of the pump over to the Webasto.

Removed the microwave to get access to the Webasto. The fuel line is on the starboard (outboard) side. You can't visually see it. The entire job of pulling the fuel line off is done blindfolded, all by feel. I used my cell phone, take a photo in 10 seconds... to see back there and so I knew what tool(s) I needed (Philips head screwdriver).

Once disconnected from the Webasto and I put the fuel line into the clear bowl, then start the Webasto to get the fuel pump working so it can push out the water and put in clean fuel through the line. I did this twice to make sure the water was out. (The Webasto will eventually stop and throw an F01 error (no fuel)). Then I re-attached the fuel line securely to the Webasto and we were back in the business of making heat! Took me 3-4 hours last night, finished just after midnight.

I'd recommend not filling up the diesel fuel tank when it's raining (torrential downpour kind of rain).

I'll get some photo's of the 3 fuses and the fuel lines posted up on our website, as this is really best illustrated. The 3 fuses weren't labeled. Now that I know where they are at, they are easily accessible by feel via the cave cutout (access to the 24x7 fuse opening).

 

[Submariner]

We arrived in Hoonah today. 25nm from the entrance to Glacier Bay. We scored a pair of permits for Channel Surfing and LemonDrop. We will be in Glacier Bay tomorrow morning.


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[Thorolson]

Question regarding heat. We do not have diesel heat aboard GG. The plan is to use “radiator” heat while underway, electric space heat or reverse air/heat at dock or when recharging batteries. While on the hook I plan to use a Buddy propane heater. Anyone have any thoughts on this? How ofter will we run it? Thought is to just take the chill out once in a while.