Well we finally did it. We just bought Snoopy-C! For those who don't know her, she is a 22' Cruiser. We are very excited about it and spent the weekend on the boat cruising around Lake Ponde Oreille, ID... We were wondering if anyone was going to Alaska next summer? We plan on spending four months up there and would love to cruise with some other C-Dorys.. We will be trailering the boat up with a Cabover Camper and will put it in at different ports. Any interests please contact us on this site. Or if you have any info on boating in Alaska that would be helpful also. We need info about ports from Homer Spit to Haines. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks for your input... Azygos
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Just bought a C-Dory! Newbes!!
- Thread starter azygos
- Start date
Pat Anderson
New member
Yes, congratulations Azygos! What fantastic plans on your horizon.
Suggest you spend considerable time reading and yes studying the cruise information book "Exploring Southeast Alaska" by Don Douglass and Reanne Hemingway-Douglas, it was by far the biggest overall help for us in our preparation for exploring your planned area to cruise.
If you haven't already you should read over several times the different cruise adventures written up in the "Grand Adventure Forum" in this site. It contains many interesting enjoyable accounts of cruises in your planned area along with valuable first hand knowledge of many of the places you will want to see.
As you are trailering north with the time you have allotted you may want to consider checking out Atlin and Tagish Lakes, the head water lakes of the Yukon River. If you trailer in to Skagway you will pass right by them about 70 miles before Skagway, Alaska. In the Grand Adventure Forum there is accounts and video of cruising these lakes also.
Between leaving time and now us c-brats that have knowledge of or cruised there will help the best we can. The year after you have plans for we plan on returning again to further cruise these areas.
Jay
Suggest you spend considerable time reading and yes studying the cruise information book "Exploring Southeast Alaska" by Don Douglass and Reanne Hemingway-Douglas, it was by far the biggest overall help for us in our preparation for exploring your planned area to cruise.
If you haven't already you should read over several times the different cruise adventures written up in the "Grand Adventure Forum" in this site. It contains many interesting enjoyable accounts of cruises in your planned area along with valuable first hand knowledge of many of the places you will want to see.
As you are trailering north with the time you have allotted you may want to consider checking out Atlin and Tagish Lakes, the head water lakes of the Yukon River. If you trailer in to Skagway you will pass right by them about 70 miles before Skagway, Alaska. In the Grand Adventure Forum there is accounts and video of cruising these lakes also.
Between leaving time and now us c-brats that have knowledge of or cruised there will help the best we can. The year after you have plans for we plan on returning again to further cruise these areas.
Jay
Congrats Azygos!
There is a wealth of information on this site regarding C-Brat trips to Alaska. I would recommend curling up with the book "River Horse" which is about a trip across the lower 48 in a C-Dory written by William Least-Moon as I recall.
I would recommend that your tow vehicle have heavy duty mud flaps over at least the rear tires if not the front as well. Roads up here are a bit rough and we regularly hear loud rock "pings" that will wake up even the deepest sleeping back seat driver.
A decent front bumper with a grill guard would be a worthwhile investment as well; some of the critters you may encounter can take out a one-ton truck if you are moving fast enough. There are also a fair share of inebriated drivers after 8 pm or so near small towns as there is not a whole lot of other entertainment options so it's worth starting early and then parking for the night around six or so.
As to boating in SE Alaska, I would recommend asking around the town you are launching from before heading out regarding local danger areas and "hidey-holes" to pull into in case of bad weather. The Harbormasters around SE Alaska can have weird hours but they are knowledgeable, also try the boat supply places that the commercial fleet hang out in. So long as they know you are not a Charter Captain, the commercial guys are very helpful. It is always helpful to know where to pull in and wait out a storm, depending on where the weather is coming from. Just don't make any jokes about working on a fish farm.
Although a firearm helps against bears, bear spray is cheaper and easier to haul around. It is also very effective in close quarters. Of course shotguns are a bit more comforting when a critter is giving you the eye.
El and Bill with Halcyon Days http://www.geocities.com/bill_fiero/index.htm have explored all over up here, they have some great stories on their site.
More than anything else, plan extra time or fewer ports of call. You can always add on at the end. Rushing around up here tends to invite trouble. We just lost two visitors who tried to push their luck flying into Sitka on low fuel despite warnings.
Enjoy Snoopy-C, she's a great boat!
There is a wealth of information on this site regarding C-Brat trips to Alaska. I would recommend curling up with the book "River Horse" which is about a trip across the lower 48 in a C-Dory written by William Least-Moon as I recall.
I would recommend that your tow vehicle have heavy duty mud flaps over at least the rear tires if not the front as well. Roads up here are a bit rough and we regularly hear loud rock "pings" that will wake up even the deepest sleeping back seat driver.
A decent front bumper with a grill guard would be a worthwhile investment as well; some of the critters you may encounter can take out a one-ton truck if you are moving fast enough. There are also a fair share of inebriated drivers after 8 pm or so near small towns as there is not a whole lot of other entertainment options so it's worth starting early and then parking for the night around six or so.
As to boating in SE Alaska, I would recommend asking around the town you are launching from before heading out regarding local danger areas and "hidey-holes" to pull into in case of bad weather. The Harbormasters around SE Alaska can have weird hours but they are knowledgeable, also try the boat supply places that the commercial fleet hang out in. So long as they know you are not a Charter Captain, the commercial guys are very helpful. It is always helpful to know where to pull in and wait out a storm, depending on where the weather is coming from. Just don't make any jokes about working on a fish farm.
Although a firearm helps against bears, bear spray is cheaper and easier to haul around. It is also very effective in close quarters. Of course shotguns are a bit more comforting when a critter is giving you the eye.
El and Bill with Halcyon Days http://www.geocities.com/bill_fiero/index.htm have explored all over up here, they have some great stories on their site.
More than anything else, plan extra time or fewer ports of call. You can always add on at the end. Rushing around up here tends to invite trouble. We just lost two visitors who tried to push their luck flying into Sitka on low fuel despite warnings.
Enjoy Snoopy-C, she's a great boat!
Nine Inches
New member
Trip to Alaska how fun is that, remember getting firearms thru Canada can be a trick but a flare gun is for emergencies and signaling. Check out West Marine for flare options.
:moon
:moon
Nine Inches
New member
:sad I'm sad to say that we are broke and i don't mean by money (well that too) our 50 honda has been condemned. With less than 300 hours Dan thinks we might be closer to 400 we checked the oil after it was running bad (looked fine)put new plugs in it. Ran it about 15 min. and it still was not running well, checked the oil again and it looked like a latte coffee drink. guys at sportscraft said around $4000 to fix and even then it would be 'ifeee' at best....so we can go anywhere are 8hp can push us at this moment. Maybe next March I will be willing to put money out but not right now, we just put out 1500.00 on our block project in the back yard and Dan is working like a mad man putting my patio in. I keep asking him if retirement is a good thing?
We still want to pick up a carborated 50hp and that might bring us some bargins with everyone going to the FI types.
Thanks for still keeping in touch...oh we are riding to Bend just Dan and I this coming week-end....
We still want to pick up a carborated 50hp and that might bring us some bargins with everyone going to the FI types.
Thanks for still keeping in touch...oh we are riding to Bend just Dan and I this coming week-end....
Hey Brad, glad you got some time on the old girl. Sent you a replacement fishfinder head for the cockpit replacement. Hope you get it and that it works for you. Kathy already misses Snoopy, as the current replacement isn't nearly as cute as Snoopy is. Have fun on her...Ron and Kathy
I'll have to figure out how to change my posts to take away snoopy-c references -- don't want to intrude on the new owners
I'll have to figure out how to change my posts to take away snoopy-c references -- don't want to intrude on the new owners
Between Haines and Homer I would recommend the following - south to north:
- Haines - Accessible by vehicle - fairly exposed water - Lynn canal - not sure about fishing
- Valdez - Accessible by vehicle - somewhat protected - access to eastern PWS - good halibut/very good salmon fishing/excellent shark fishing
- Whittier - Accessible by vehicle - Lots of places to cove up - great access to all PWS - good halibut/good salmon fishing
- Seward - Accessible by vehicle - fairly exposed water - good Halibut/great salmon fishing
- Homer - Accessible by vehicle - fairly exposed water - great Halibut fishing/fair salmon fishing
All of these areas are extremely beautiful, in my opinion leaving out of Whittier gives you the most options because you have many places to cove up if the weather is not fantastic. Check out "New combined edition (Vols. I and II) of A Cruising Guide to Prince William Sound. (196 pp. 104 photos, 176 sketches) spiral binder, (1998)," Excellent resource for most the information you will need for boating in and around PWS. Hope you have a great trip.
- Haines - Accessible by vehicle - fairly exposed water - Lynn canal - not sure about fishing
- Valdez - Accessible by vehicle - somewhat protected - access to eastern PWS - good halibut/very good salmon fishing/excellent shark fishing
- Whittier - Accessible by vehicle - Lots of places to cove up - great access to all PWS - good halibut/good salmon fishing
- Seward - Accessible by vehicle - fairly exposed water - good Halibut/great salmon fishing
- Homer - Accessible by vehicle - fairly exposed water - great Halibut fishing/fair salmon fishing
All of these areas are extremely beautiful, in my opinion leaving out of Whittier gives you the most options because you have many places to cove up if the weather is not fantastic. Check out "New combined edition (Vols. I and II) of A Cruising Guide to Prince William Sound. (196 pp. 104 photos, 176 sketches) spiral binder, (1998)," Excellent resource for most the information you will need for boating in and around PWS. Hope you have a great trip.
azygoes,
Quite a coincidence-we are about 90% sure we will make the same trip next summer. We also will tow CAVU behind a truck camper and plan on spending 3 months in Alaska. I did the same trip with an RV 15 years ago, but I am really excited about having a boat this time. Lets keep in touch next spring and compare schedules.
Quite a coincidence-we are about 90% sure we will make the same trip next summer. We also will tow CAVU behind a truck camper and plan on spending 3 months in Alaska. I did the same trip with an RV 15 years ago, but I am really excited about having a boat this time. Lets keep in touch next spring and compare schedules.
Ken and Azygoes,
Be sure to let us know your schedules. I would skip staying in Valdez. Just put the boat in and go to Cordova (80 or so miles). Nicer town, more laid back, and a lot fewer tourists. We've done the trip to Cordova twice from Whittier and plan to do it next July 4th again. Been to Valdez once by boat and decided I didn't need to go back. The last 20 miles after Sawmill Bay is nothing but a slog.
Be sure to let us know your schedules. I would skip staying in Valdez. Just put the boat in and go to Cordova (80 or so miles). Nicer town, more laid back, and a lot fewer tourists. We've done the trip to Cordova twice from Whittier and plan to do it next July 4th again. Been to Valdez once by boat and decided I didn't need to go back. The last 20 miles after Sawmill Bay is nothing but a slog.