I have a desire to trailer my boat to Washington and depart for Alaska.
My uncle did it in a 22ft Sea Ray 30 years ago.

I have a twin engine Regal 2660. Range is 150 mi. (statute) and I need
to find out if I can get gasoline along the coast.

How do I find out?

Dave

I did it last year in a 26' cruiser. You will be able to get gas if you
can go 100 nautical miles. Watch out for the run north from Port Hardy
across Queen Charlotte Sound and the one north of Prince Rupert.
Otherwise you're inside almost all the time.

I wouldn't have done it without the Garmin chartplotter/GPS. You have to
have paper charts and a radar reflector to go through BC, according to
their laws, but it's a good idea anyway. I think you need a dinghy and a
head, because it's often tough to get ashore, and the dinghy is the only
way. Get Dan Douglass' cruising guides.

I brought way too much food; it's available everywhere but at Hartley
Bay. The Indians were very helpful at all the gas stops, and the only
bad gas I got was at Ketchikan.

I can answer any specific questions and/or give you a list of the gas
stops that were available for me if you email me.

Capt. Jeff

Cap'n Jeff, thanks for the encouragement. It's going to be awhile before I
can get the time for such a trip. I got to wondering if my range was
enough. It's going to be close unless I add another fuel tank. I can still
plan the trip. I bought the largest cruiser I can trailer for that reason.

We, my wife and I, have been staying on the boat while at the lake for about
the last eight years. Camp grounds have long ago turned into parking lots
and this solves several problems.

I'm an inland boater (Oklahoma) so I will need to get advice from someone
who is experienced cruising the coast. I've been as far east as Lake
Champlain and west to Lake Powell.

If you don't mind answering some questions, how long did your trip take?
Is cell phone service available along the coast?
Can you use the VHF in Canada?
How do you get updated on weather?
Are there places to anchor for the night?
How's the view? I can't wait!

Where do you live?

Dave

There is about six zillion books on cruising the inside passage.
G


"dw" wrote in message
...
I have a desire to trailer my boat to Washington and depart for Alaska.
My uncle did it in a 22ft Sea Ray 30 years ago.

I have a twin engine Regal 2660. Range is 150 mi. (statute) and I need
to find out if I can get gasoline along the coast.

How do I find out?

Dave

"dw"

Is cell phone service available along the coast?

Not for much of it in B.C. - there is a distinct lack of people

Can you use the VHF in Canada?

Yes

How do you get updated on weather?

VHF Weather broadcasts in BC and Alaska, though you might be out of range of
a transmitter for 1/2 a day on parts of the trip

Are there places to anchor for the night?

Hundreds

How's the view? I can't wait!

O.k. if you like misty fjords with waterfalls and snowcapped peaks, that
sort of thing.

--
Evan Gatehouse

you'll have to rewrite my email address to get to me
ceilydh AT 3web dot net
(fools the spammers)

Ditto on everything Evan said. The only phone service I got with Verizon
was in Prince Rupert. Nothing else in all of BC and Alaska.

We went from Port Hardy, as the trip from Seattle to Port Hardy is
another adventure all in itself, with lots of big water and wild
currents. It took us six weeks to get to Sitka and back, and we didn't
loaf nearly enough. We cruise at 20 knots and it took 11 days to get to
Sitka. Make sure to allow time to wait for good weather at places like
Queen Charlotte Straight and Dixon Entrance.

There's always weather available on the VHF. Also you can get on the
radio and ask for a report from someone who is out where you're going.
The VHF almost always worked, but sometimes not in the little
steep-sided inlets. And sometimes there is no one else out there. Have a
406 EPIRB. Get some cruising guides to help you through the winter; they
have lots of good hints. Know your boat; get a GPS chartplotter (I
recommend the Garmin 182C.).

Anchoring is somewhat of a challenge with the 20+' tides. I recommend a
SPADE. Let it out and leave it alone rather than backing down on it
right away seemed to work best for us.

We're from Minnesota and trailered from here.

Capt. Jeff

On the cell service:
Good coverage on the east coast of Vancouver Island, including most of
Johnstone Strait. Practically none in the northern portion of BC.

Paul
www.jcruiser.org
"dw" wrote in message
...
Cap'n Jeff, thanks for the encouragement. It's going to be awhile before
I
can get the time for such a trip. I got to wondering if my range was
enough. It's going to be close unless I add another fuel tank. I can
still
plan the trip. I bought the largest cruiser I can trailer for that
reason.

We, my wife and I, have been staying on the boat while at the lake for
about
the last eight years. Camp grounds have long ago turned into parking lots
and this solves several problems.

I'm an inland boater (Oklahoma) so I will need to get advice from someone
who is experienced cruising the coast. I've been as far east as Lake
Champlain and west to Lake Powell.

If you don't mind answering some questions, how long did your trip take?
Is cell phone service available along the coast?
Can you use the VHF in Canada?
How do you get updated on weather?
Are there places to anchor for the night?
How's the view? I can't wait!

Where do you live?

Dave

In article ,
dw wrote:

I have a desire to trailer my boat to Washington and depart for Alaska.
My uncle did it in a 22ft Sea Ray 30 years ago.

I have a twin engine Regal 2660. Range is 150 mi. (statute) and I need
to find out if I can get gasoline along the coast.

How do I find out?

Dave


Your a bit late in the season to try it this year, but there is always
next year. Cell coverage is good in southeastern alaska if you have a
NATION WIDE EXTENDED Coverage Plan. Gas is available within your
cruising range, but an extra tank would be advised for safety sake.
Nothing like a good set of charts, with an electronic backup.
20+ft tides are common, so make sure you got enough chain and wire
for good scope. If you stop a Sitka, you didn't come far enough north.
Glacier Bay is WAY COOL, and if you get to Excursion Inlet, seek out
Grumpy Bruce, for a Hawg-anDos Bar.

Me

I'm researching a trip for next year and the only place I'm going to
have trouble with fuel is from Juneau to Kake or Petersburg. I want to
do Tracy Arm and will have a tough time with it, as I haven't found
anything in between those fuel stops. I will use lots of jerry cans.

Capt. Jeff

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 03:19:25 GMT, "Gordon" wrote:

There is about six zillion books on cruising the inside passage.

As a beginning start with NorthWest Boat Travel.
http://www.nwboattravel.com
It covers Tacoma to Skagway.

Make sure that you get the appropriate charts.
The Canadian Hydrographic Service has produced chartbooks of the Gulf
Islands and Desolation Sound. They are less expensive than buying a
single charts.

Be weary of the tides (18 feet) and currents (15 knots) just north of
Desolation Sound.

Jack
__________________________________________________
Jack Dale
Swiftsure Sailing Academy
Director/ISPA and CYA Instructor
http://www.swiftsuresailing.com
Phone: 1 (877) 470-SAIL (toll free)
__________________________________________________