Alaska
Alaska
- DAY 1Juneau - Tracy Arm FjordDistance44nmDuration3h 40m
- DAY 2Tracy Arm Fjord - Fords TerrorDistance17nmDuration1h 25m
- DAY 3Fords Terror - Frederick SoundDistance43nmDuration3h 40m
- DAY 4Frederick Sound - Saginaw BayDistance21nmDuration1h 50m
- DAY 5Saginaw Bay - Red BluffDistance18nmDuration1h 35m
- DAY 6Red Bluff - Takatz BayDistance17nmDuration1h 30m
- DAY 7Takatz Bay - Admiralty IslandDistance23nmDuration2h 0m
- DAY 8Admiralty Island - PetersburgDistance102nmDuration8h 35m
Juneau - Tracy Arm Fjord
The Tracy Arm fjord is accessible only by boat or seaplane. It is a wonderful place to visit and should be included in any charter in the region. It is a place to view some marvels of nature from the water, surrounded by mountain peaks and waterfalls. Apart from the two glaciers, North and South Sawyer which are major spectacles themselves, you will see much land and marine life. On land you will probably see bears, wolves, deer and goats. Because the ice interferes with whales’ communication, it is a good spot for seals to have their pups. Above these spectacles you will see majestic eagles and other minor birdlife flying around. The glacier is live, in that it is flowing and “calving” or losing pieces of ice into the water. You will enjoy the stillness and the sounds of the ice if the boat’s engines are turned off. A loud and memorable crash normally accompanies larger pieces of ice hitting the water. In the water and on the ice flows you may see whales, orcas and seals of various sizes.
Tracy Arm Fjord - Fords Terror
Despite its dramatic name, Fords Terror is a gorgeous Alaskan spot that is well worth seeing. Being a super steep and narrow fjord that sits within the Tracy Arm Fords Terror Wilderness, it lives up to its domineering reputation. It takes its name from a crew member who back in 1889 rowed his boat to the narrow entrance at a slack tide and then proceeded to get trapped in the swirling currents for over six hours when the tide rose and created a bottleneck situation of scary waters. While this may sound daunting, the system of how Ford's Terror works is well understood so your crew can plan accordingly. The vistas of soaring icy mountains, calving glaciers, and the chance to paddle around these glaciers and see a wealth of Alaska's famous wildlife make Fords Terror a spine-tingling treat.
Fords Terror - Frederick Sound
In the depths of the Alexander Archipelago, the Frederick Sound flows for eighty miles beneath towering snowy peaks that ripple from the east to the west. Rich in marine life and dreamily diverse, the Frederick Sound brims with bays and fjords. The cold waters support a whole host of life and larger sea mammals flock here for the wealth of nutrients. With over a thousand humpback whales migrating through this sound, charter guests shouldn’t be surprised to see whale tails and these larger-than-life animals breaching the surface. Seabirds swirl around the air and there are also orcas, sea lions, porpoises, and seals to be seen too. Sail the breadth of this beautiful Alaskan spot and lose yourself at what can feel like the end of the earth.
Frederick Sound - Saginaw Bay
Part of the ever sprawling Lake Huron, Saginaw Bay sits on the eastern side of Michigan and boasts an impressive thousand square miles or more to its name. With energy built around waterfront recreation, charter guests can enjoy the flow and the fun of the great lakes from Saginaw Bay. From charter fishing to kicking back on the beaches, paddling, and exploring the on-land activities like mushroom picking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing - it's the perfect spot for combining land and lake adventures. Keen fishers will be happy to hear that this is one of the best walleye fisheries around meaning you can cast your line and catch some impressive wall hangers. As an outdoor paradise, hunting, shooting, and ORV riding are all on the list for those who want to experience pure Michigan pastimes.
Saginaw Bay - Red Bluff
Situated on Baranoff Island, Red Bluff Bay is an Alaskan beauty. The entrance to this picture-perfect bay can be found east of Frederick Sound - a spot famed for its ample whale watching opportunities. Red Bluff Bay takes its name from the shorn hills that close in on it - coloured in rusty hues from the presence of chromite. The striking contrast of red and blue and green is spectacular and charter guests can also see brown bears, shoals of salmon, thundering waterfalls, and the spots of whales against this backdrop. Kayaking, hiking, wildlife watching, and photography are all excellent ways to spend your days in Red Bluff Bay.
Red Bluff - Takatz Bay
Southeast Alaska is brimming with beautiful anchorages and Takatz Bay is definitely at the top of that list. Filled with thundering waterfalls and a natural delta mouth at high tide, it's a great spot for kayaking upstream, hiking the trails, and keeping a keen eye peeled for grizzlies. With dense fir-packed slopes and a feeling of being dwarfed by nature, charter guests can breathe easy in this idyllic spot. Along with bears, you can also see bald eagles, seals, and other wildlife wonders too.
Takatz Bay - Admiralty Island
The first alphabetically of Alaska’s ABC Islands, Admiralty is home to more bears than humans, and more bald eagles than bears. A prime activity on the island is watching brown bears interacting in their natural habitat from safe observation posts in the pack creek Brown Bear Viewing Area, for which a permit is easily obtained. Main activities on the island include hiking, cycling, back-packing, bird-watching, fishing, kayaking in fjords, white-water rafting and snorkelling. If you plan on spending some time on the island, cabins in the wild can be rented from the Forest Service. There are no restaurants on the island and it is best to get provisions from Juneau if necessary.
Admiralty Island - Petersburg
A very popular summer yacht destination along the Inside Passage, Petersburg has a strong Norwegian presence and background. During May each year a four day Little Norway festival takes place. It is situated on Frederick Sound and near the summer feeding grounds of humpback whales. Apart from whale watching, flying is one of the best ways to see the whole area. Helicopters are also used to take skiers to the slopes not too far away. The nearby LeConte Glacier will provide spectacular sights of glacier calving, the experience of a lifetime. Hiking on the many trails, birdwatching, sports fishing and general sightseeing are there for the asking and taking. The climate will give you a healthy appetite and the eateries cater for this, serving mainly local food, Scandinavian, American, Mexican, Chinese and seafood.
The Captain retains overriding authority and shall not be bound to comply with this itinerary nor any order or request which might, in the Captain’s sole discretion, put the safety of the vessel and persons onboard at risk.
This itinerary is not binding and may be modified before or during the charter subject to prevailing weather and sea conditions, at the discretion of the Captain.
This itinerary is not to be used as a navigational tool, chart plotting tool or nautical reference guide.