Yearly trip to Alaska from Florida!

[boatworkfl]

Headed back to Seward, Alaska in the morning, 7 days ride, getting older maybe 8 days.
Going to install my tunnels on my 3870 gas boat, and a set on a 3870 diesel.
At 74 the 4800 mile ride is getting old, time to think about selling my gas 3870 next year now that I have it the way I want it, all the comforts of home.
Time to think about a summer home in northern North Carolina or the border with southern Tennessee.
I have often wondered about getting old, but life is good1

[Davico]

Howdy
your trips caught my attention.
By the way,74 is no excuse😆!!!!😈
I turning 79 this march! and on my 4th-week post hip replacement surgery, running out of original parts!!!
Also as a comment,I live in Morehead City NC and summer is a time I will prefer not be here, hot, humid and the ever threats of hurricanes.
Last year I went north and spend the summer in Halifax, BUT that I believe was my last sailing ( Cape Dory 30) , have to bow to reality!!!
Set my eyes on a Bayliner 32xx and will purchase this spring, plan to go north again, doable on coastal legs of about 100 -+ miles to Cape Cod.
The issue is Cape Cod to Nova Scotia (Shelburne) is around 300 miles of relative open waters and again doable in 2 long days and one night.
Coastal Maine is no due to the minefield of lobster pots!!!
A weather window in summer or late summer looks like a few days of south winds and 3 to 6 ft swells on the stern. (that is what I have on my round trip)
QUESTION
How doable is the stretch from Cape Cod to Nova Scotia?

[ksanders]

I was just in Seward on the boat day before yesterday.

Seward is not so bad right now. Lots of snow in the parking lot of the harbor though.

[Centerline2]

my wife wants to cruise to alaska, (personally, at this time I would like to drive up) but i told her we dont have time to take our boat, so she booked passage for us on a cruise ship leaving the middle of may....

im sure it wont be as enjoyable as it would be if we could take 3-4 months to do it on our boat... Ideally, I would like to cruise up early in the year in our boat, spend the summer exploring, and then when the weather turns sour, drydock the boat for the winter... then fly up the following year to make a slow return passage in the boat.

[ksanders]

my wife wants to cruise to alaska, (personally, at this time I would like to drive up) but i told her we dont have time to take our boat, so she booked passage for us on a cruise ship leaving the middle of may....

im sure it wont be as enjoyable as it would be if we could take 3-4 months to do it on our boat... Ideally, I would like to cruise up early in the year in our boat, spend the summer exploring, and then when the weather turns sour, drydock the boat for the winter... then fly up the following year to make a slow return passage in the boat.

Nothing wrong with taking a cruise ship. You’ll get to see a lot of stuff from a nice warm, dry, comfortable platform.

[FBKboater]

I just bought another boat down in Lake Union and will be cruising it up to Valdez in late April and early May. My wife was a bit timid about doing the trip, due to her work schedule. I was going to have to make it to Ketchikan in 10 days to drop her at the airport so that she could fly back to Fairbanks for work. Not impossible but I hated having a schedule. I showed her some videos of Seymour and Dent rapids at full flow, and now I have all the time in the world to make the trip. I still have a wife too but she's sitting this adventure out.

[Jim_Gandee]

Safe travels Pat!

[ksanders]

I just bought another boat down in Lake Union and will be cruising it up to Valdez in late April and early May. My wife was a bit timid about doing the trip, due to her work schedule. I was going to have to make it to Ketchikan in 10 days to drop her at the airport so that she could fly back to Fairbanks for work. Not impossible but I hated having a schedule. I showed her some videos of Seymour and Dent rapids at full flow, and now I have all the time in the world to make the trip. I still have a wife too but she's sitting this adventure out.

It sounds like you have done this before possibly???

I’ve made the trip from Washington to Seward/Whittier twice with new to me boats in the spring after having had little time aboard.

Best advice is not to have a schedule. Every time I’ve been spanked was because I was tied to a schedule and decided to leave port when I really should have just sat it out.

OH!!! the important question... What did you get???

[FBKboater]

I got a Bayliner 4587. The "new to me" part is what I am most concerned about. I hate surprises.

[ksanders]

I got a Bayliner 4587. The "new to me" part is what I am most concerned about. I hate surprises.

When I did this, the biggest thing I brought was tools. You are going to put a lot of miles on your boat in a short amount of time. A “stress test” for your boat. Things are probably going to break. Be prepared to fix them. Be prepared to fly in parts, and sit and wait if necessary.

Again, take your time. My first trip up was in a 3488 Bayliner. I did it in 10 days but was suposed to make it in a week. Hit a log in the Gulf of Alaska at 26 knots and had to limp into Icy Bay and fly in a diver on a float plane to change props that I had flown in to Yakutat.

Second time my son had two weeks of vacation. We pushed the weather and paid the price.

My next trip will be south bound. I’ll be retired and will take a month or so. It will be pleasant because I won’t be leaving port unless the weather is nice.

[FBKboater]

Ouch how long did you sit in Icy Bay? I've given myself 5 weeks to make the trip, I expect it to take 3. Bringing up 12 extra injectors, 4 impellers, 1 turbo, and 1 alternator. Not really expecting to change all these parts but i'll need them some day and they are easy to get in Seattle. I'll have oil, coolant, fuses, wire, belts, basic tools and tools for electrical, but any other spare parts you think of let me know. I'll probably forget toilet paper. I was concerned about getting stuck in Prince Rupert but now thanks to you Prince Rupert sounds like a nice place to be stuck.

[ksanders]

Ouch how long did you sit in Icy Bay? I've given myself 5 weeks to make the trip, I expect it to take 3. Bringing up 12 extra injectors, 4 impellers, 1 turbo, and 1 alternator. Not really expecting to change all these parts but i'll need them some day and they are easy to get in Seattle. I'll have oil, coolant, fuses, wire, belts, basic tools and tools for electrical, but any other spare parts you think of let me know. I'll probably forget toilet paper. I was concerned about getting stuck in Prince Rupert but now thanks to you Prince Rupert sounds like a nice place to be stuck.

Just a few days in Icy bay.

Prince Rupert is one of your weather hold points. Dixon entrance can get really bad. Do not make this mistake like I did. When listening to the Canadian weather reports the sea state is in meters. . Yes dumb me left Prince Rupert in 3-5 meter seas. That was a VERY bad day. Prince Rupert is a nice place to get stuck. Easy peasy walking distance from the Prince Rupert Yacht Club to everything.

For this trip your big weather hold points will be

Port Hardy
Prince Rupert
Elfin Cove
Yakutat

If you go up the east side and avoid Chattam Strait you will be happier.

[Jim_Gandee]

Just a few days in Icy bay.

Prince Rupert is one of your weather hold points. Dixon entrance can get really bad. Do not make this mistake like I did. When listening to the Canadian weather reports the sea state is in meters. . Yes dumb me left Prince Rupert in 3-5 meter seas. That was a VERY bad day. Prince Rupert is a nice place to get stuck. Easy peasy walking distance from the Prince Rupert Yacht Club to everything.

For this trip your big weather hold points will be

Port Hardy
Prince Rupert
Elfin Cove
Yakutat

If you go up the east side and avoid Chattam Strait you will be happier.

There’s nothing better than local knowledge!

[Cliff2850]

If you are near Elfin Cove, I recommend sawmill cove in Excursion Inlet!

[MidnightSun]

My wife and I booked a cruise in July of this year however we will see how things go with the covid scene. Every person I have talked to says the alaskan cruise is spectacular.