56°N
• Walker Cove
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Manzanita Bay
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RUSSIA
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Ketchikan
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Alava Bay
Mountain Pt.
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New Eddystone Rock
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Punchbowl Cove
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Winstanley Island
Rudyerd Bay
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U.S.A.
CANADA
Alaska
CANADA
Bering
Sea
Paul Mirto
Gulf of
Alaska •
Ketchikan
0 5 10 20
Nautical miles
cruiser can easily avoid the tourists and
enjoy the wilderness splendor offered here.
For anyone who is considering cruising
in the Misty Fiords area, I strongly
recommend Exploring Southeast Alaska
(Dixon Entrance to Skagway), by Don
Douglass and Reanne Hemingway-Douglass. This guidebook tells you about
every nook and cranny in the area and is an
invaluable asset.
Our vessel for this voyage was the M/V
Faraway, a 2008 Mainship 34 trawler. I
took possession of her in Vancouver, B.C.,
and ran her approximately 700 miles up to
Ketchikan as her maiden voyage. She
is a good vessel for a couple that plans
to spend anywhere from a day to several
weeks aboard in relative comfort.
The weather in Southeast Alaska in
late May and early June allows you to run
almost all night (without radar), if you want
to, in good weather. The long daylight
Left: We encountered these killer whales (orcas) near Mountain Point, just south of Ketchikan. It is not uncommon to see these and
other types of whales in this area. Right: A U.S. Coast Guard cutter at her mooring at the USCG base in Ketchikan.
We planned a six-day, five-night, close-to-home
cruise to the Misty Fiords National Monument during
late May and early June. The weather and associated
sea conditions in this area can be dangerous, but at this
time of year you can expect the highest probability of
extended periods of good weather.
The cruising ground is most easily accessed from
our hometown of Ketchikan, Alaska, (population
approximately 14,000), but can also be reached from
other Southeast Alaska communities. It is a popular
destination for cruise ship passengers that visit
Ketchikan. There are numerous flight-seeing tours and
day trips by boat in the summer, however, the savvy
hours allow plenty of time to put in the miles, stop for
pictures, yet still find a good place to anchor for the
night and enjoy a pleasant evening aboard.
KETCHIKAN: DEPARTURE DAY
We pulled out around 2: 45 p.m. in sunny weather
with light northwest winds—perfect for running from
the flybridge. Because of the extra-wide beam of this
boat and the flybridge extension, the flybridge area is
very roomy, a wonderful place to be in good weather.
As we approached Mountain Point, barely a few miles
from town, we saw a pod of killer whales. We snapped a
few pictures as they streamed past us.
