CD 27 & Inland Passage From Seattle to Alaska

[Andy Denmark]

Several years ago I went with a couple on their Jenneau 41 to the upper reaches of Campbell River and Queen Charlotte Sound from Anacortes, a 3-week trip on the mainland side north of Vancouver Island. We did this in late September/ & early October. We had some beautiful days, even some relatively warm ones (low 70's) but all the nights were cold. The boat had an Espar system aboard and it was quiet, efficient, and put no moisture in the atmosphere inside the boat.

The moisture problems were there but they are the same anyone experiences in colder wx -- wetness between the bunk cushions and the bunk boards beneath, and condensation at the overhead hatches and portlights that always seems to find a way to drip on you at those times you'd rather not be wet.

Locally, I use a Mr. Heater - Buddy (propane catalytic) to knock the chill off the cabin after a days sailing. On the lowest setting it is so hot that I have to crack the forward hatch and also open a couple of inches at the companionway hatch. It does put some moisture in the cabin, though, and I always shut it down prior to hitting the sack at night. Even so, a First Alert carbon monoxide monitor stays on all night and whenever the heater is running. In the early morning I'll get up to check the plumbing and light Mr. Heater again before crawling back into the bunk for that last few minutes of snoozing before getting up to a warm cabin to make breakfast.

The bunk cushion problem is easily solved with some of the expanded foam product called Dri-Bunk (I think) and I wonder if McMaster-Kerr sells this stuff in rolls that is more affordable than the smaller pieces that West sells? Probably takes a minimum order so this might be one of those things that several people have to split up for it to be affordable? Just a thought ......

Condensation against the hatches and portlights seems inevitable, though.

Cruising in this beautiful area requires a different king of vigilance in planning around the tidal rapids, anchoring (deeeep water with lots of current), and lots of weather weirdness (temperature inversions, layers of atmospheric ice crystals, ice on the decks, etc.) sort of like northern Maine on steroids.

I'd do it on a CD-27 with an Espar or Webasto heater aboard, though. We saw several boats that size and smaller on this cruise.

My $.02 worth .................

[river-rat]

Have done the trip from Portland to Dixon Entrance in a C&C Landfall 35 about 10 years ago. Although we intended to go to Ketchikan we stopped at the North end of Dundas Island and took our time returning to Portland. Just my wife and self aboard except for the section from Astoria to the Straits of Juan de Fuca.

It is a long way and we took our time with extra caution on the open ocean sections. There are lots of good anchorages along the way. We wandered west of the inside passage and came South on the outside of Vancouver Island. We have gone around Vancouver Island a number of times and are comfortable with hunkering down when big storms come through. (Note that we Met John Vigor sailing a CD25D on one of the trips.)

We are in our 80's now and sail a CD25 on the Columbia River.

A CD27 should be very adequate for the trip with care and enough time so that you don't have to push. You need adequate spares and tools because you can be alone up there, especially when off the main inside passage track. When in range, I would advise letting Prince Rupert and Queen Charlotte Islands Canada Coast Guard know you your schedule.
I consider a reliable engine essential as winds can be flukey and tidal currents strong.

Once when we were delayed and without other communications, than VHF, they let our families know of our new schedule and thanked us at avoiding a possible search for an overdue vessel.

[Tom Keevil]

Several years ago we met an older couple cruising in central BC. The conversation turned to heat sources, as we were trying to decide what do add to our boat. He said their only source of heat was an oil trawler lamp, and it worked very well. He then said, "well, we do have a diesel heater, but we haven't used that since we left Antarctica." His wife than disagreed, and he replied "When have we used it? We didn't use it in Iceland; we didn't use it in Greenland." Needless to say, this extended the conversation by quite a bit. Turns out they had just completed a 16-year circumnavigation, returning to Seattle via the Aleutians.

So, we installed a trawler lamp, and it does a nice job of taking off the chill in spring and fall. We burned it for days at a time when holed up on the west coast of Vancouver Island waiting out storms. We never run any heat at night - a down comforter is a much better choice.

However, we are leaving on a two-year trip to Alaska in April or May, and decided that better heat would make for a more pleasant trip. So this past summer we installed a Dickinson Radex heater to tap heat off the engine when we are motoring, and a Dickinson Newport Solid Fuel Stove to use while at anchorage. (Thanks to Paul D. for the helpful hints on installing the latter.) We gave them a test run on a one-week cruise in September, and are happy with the setup.

Back to the original question; a CD 27 is certainly capable of making this trip, but you need to be self-reliant.

[Andy Denmark]

On the trip I referenced earlier, I flew back to the states from Sullivans Bay on a DeHaviland Beaver operated by Kenmore Air out of Seattle (Lake Union?). Being float planes Kenmore can land wherever there's a stretch of open water (and decent weather). All they need is the Lat/Lon. Right after I got off the boat they lost a high-cap alternator and Kenmore flew one out to them from Seattle. I think they were in the vicinity of Hopetown when this happened.

I don't know how much further north Kenmore can fly and there's always the problem of contacting them if you're in the boonies. Ham radio aboard is the solution. All this flying parts around wasn't cheap but it saved the trip for them

Just saying, you're not altogether self-dependent until somewhere north of these places. I imagine Ketchikan also has a flight service (like everything else in Alaska) but access to sailboat parts might be a bit of a problem from there.

[Andy Denmark]

Johnstone Straits

[img][img]http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff27 ... 050015.jpg[/img][/img]

[Richard G.]

Great thread...heat consideration mostly solved but the real question for me is about my trusty, 8hp Yanmar diesel, original to the boat 1978.

No idea how many hours it has but it has been reasonably maintained the last 15 years (since I have owned the boat), and has never failed me. I know how to bleed it (learned that after having run out of fuel a couple of years ago). I would change the fuel filter and oil as usual, zincs, impeller and carry spares of all. Additional fuel jugs and water as well. Anything more?

I will take caution to know when tides and currents are favorable. I have a copy of Charlie's Charts that I have been reading and will get all the appropriate charts as well. What more to do/know?

Thanks for all of all of your collective input.

Richard

[John Schafer]

A complete set of paper charts will cost as much as a new mainsail, but get them as a backup for your electronic charts, coastal pilot books for B.C. and S.E..Alaska. Your boat should handle the trip fine, just watch out for Queen Charlott straits and jumping north from Prince Rupert. Some good advice here and some bad, stay clear of propane heat, too wet. First choice is diesal, if not that then wood and coal. If you don't have the room for a good heater or stove then make the room, take out a bunk, table , head or whatever, after 3-4 weeks of 3" a day rain you will come around to my point of view. With wood you will have a endless supply of fuel, just carry a small hatchet and bow saw, you will be in the biggest rain forest in the world and will soon learn how to find dry wood, dead snags. In 1972 I took a 32'Nat Herreshoff yawl,built in 1904, for a 9month trip north to icy straits and then in the 1980's and 90's I had a Ingrid with many trips to the Charlottes and around Vancouver Island. Both had wood heat and did there job well, during the winter I would toss a few junks of coal in to burn all night. On my CD I installed a Dickenson Alaskan diesal heater with a water coil in the chamber for hot water, we cruise year round, and it works great. Install air monitors and keep vents and hatch open for ventilation. You are going off the grid here big time, so propare for everything, you will be on your own. and you will have a great adventure. Stop by Blaine on the way north and I'll show you a few spots on your charts. John.

[riveredge]

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