Chartering my 22' C-Dory in SE Alaska

C

Cornforth Images

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My wife and I bought a brand new 22' C-Dory this past year, Serenity. It is a 2007 model with grey trim, fully loaded with Raymarine C-series electronics, rear enclosed canopy, 90hp Honda outboard, and a Yakima roof rack mounted on top. This is my first boat, but I grew up sailing and have chartered boats around the world. As a professional nature photographer, my big plan was to take it up to Alaska for the summer, so I left in May to do the Inside Passage. I flew back and forth a few times using it with different crews throughout the summer in different loactions in SE Alaska. Alas, I had too much fun up there and decided to store it at Willie's Marine in Juneau for the winter. They will be pulling the boat out of Auk Bay later this week. I'm now going through boat withdrawl and am plotting what I want to do with it up there next summer.

I will probably continue to use Juneau as a base and fly back and forth every few weeks in 2008. I have 2 very young daughters who just can not do what I ask of myself when I am creating my images, so I will never be gone from Seattle for more than a few weeks at a time. The boat will most likely be sitting for a few weeks at a time without me. I've been thinking that it would be nice to find another C-Dory owner or two back here in the NW who might be interested in trading some boat time around here for use of my boat next summer in Alaska. Anyone got a boat in Hawaii? In the next few years, I'm intending to move my boat up to Prince William Sound and Kenai Fjords, as well as down to Baja and the Sea of Cortes. I would really like to build up some relationships with other C-Dory owners who might not have the time and money to move their boat around as much as I do.

I saw some older posts on here that some of you were looking for this type of opportunity. I'd also appreciate advice from anyone who has rented their boat out. I'm sure that I can figure out my insurance, but are their any other issues that I should be aware of? I figure that there is nobody out there who is going to do worse to my own boat than me. I would much rather have a trade/charter using my boat than letting it sit in the harbor for several weeks at a time collecting a nice scum line.

This next week, I'm going to put up a photo album with a couple of images of the boat in Glacier Bay and then some of my images that I created this summer. Some of my whale images are truly outstanding and unique! You can also see them on my NEWS page on my website. I look forward to hearing back from any of you that are interested. Happy boating.

PS-I forgot to mention that I have a 12' Achilles inflatable with a 15hp Honda engine. I either have the boat rolled up on the back deck with the engine mounted on a kicker bracket or I tether it and pull it behind the boat when it is inflated.
 
I'd certainly be interested in meeting you and discussing either chartering or trading boat use or even trading some days fishing. I'm thinking about positioning my boat at or nearer to Neah Bay for much of next summer.
 
Helen & I just bought a 16' C-Dory Cruiser advertised in Fairbanks AK and towed it back to Juneau. We may be interested in chartering the 22' Cruiser for a trip to Elfin Cove or Pelican. We saw your boat in Auke Bay and I was really impresses with the layout & the roof rack storage bin.
 
the spousal unit and I have often talked about how neat it would be to have a network of C-Dorys set up like a time share.....but...over time ones boat almost becomes like a family member, it would be hard for us to loan out a boat.

bjidzik- if you make to Elfin cove, do stop in and say howdy, I plan on spending many summers to come there...and if you do make to Elfin Cove, do take the 40 minute drive on to Pelican, very scenic.

Jon- very nice picture collection, I want to learn how to take better pics.
 
The loan of a boat on a person-to-person basis is one thing. We were the grateful recipients of Tom and Kathy Callahan's generous unsolicited offer to let us cruise Otter on the Chesapeake in 2005. One day we hope to be able to return the favor if the Callahans ever get to the Upper Left Coast. But setting boat exchanges up as a business arrangement, a time share, charter or whatever is an entirely different kettle of fish I'm afraid. Too fertile a field for problems I think...
 
B~C":2qykcct1 said:
bjidzik- if you make to Elfin cove, do stop in and say howdy, I plan on spending many summers to come there...and if you do make to Elfin Cove, do take the 40 minute drive on to Pelican, very scenic...
Click to expand...

Elfin Cove & Pelican are on our "wish" list, but we're limited to 12-18 gallons of fuel on our 16' Cruiser. We still have lots to learn about navigation, load, balance, etc. Has anyone cruised from Juneau to Pelican or Elfin Cove on a 16' Cruiser yet?
 
B~C, Elfin Cove is doable in a 16 but you would have to watch the weather very closely and pick the right time. You can, and likely would need to take additional fuel but can stop in Hoonah and Glacier Bay for fuel if you have to. You would need to be aware of safe harbors in case it got rough. A lot of people do that run, leaving about 3 am in the summer. I have a client that does it in a skiff when he needs to bring his dog in but he makes the trip in just a few hours on flat water. Might be more fun and safer to go with a second boat too. PM or email me if you want to talk more about it. Steve
 
Thanks for all of your kind words about my images. I am very grateful that I get to do what I do for a job (and a tax deduction!).

My boat got yanked out of the water in Juneau this morning. I guess the summer is really over. 7 more months to go until I get to pick up where I left off.

As a side note, as long as the wind wasn't kicking up, I ran all over the place in SE Alaska this summer without any problems. My last trip into Glacier Bay I even did it all on my own. I ran hard from near Hoonah back to Junuea in about 2+ hours at 20+ mph. I have a picture on my NEWS page of a humpback breaching in stormy overcast conditions. I was actually steering and shooting out the starboard window at the same time. That was about the worst seas I saw all summer.
 
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