What I was afraid would happen, did indeed happen. When it is a nice day in Ketchikan, we will pay for it the next day with low hanging clouds. Very dense and very low hanging clouds. Luckily it remained clear during the night and I had an undisturbed sleep, as I knew today was going to be a very long day indeed. Seymour Narrows tide was going to be a late night affair. But by 10 am. it became “a very small world” and the white wall was not further than about 300 feet away from us, and there it remained. Once in a while it teased us a little bit by letting blue sky come through but the moment our hopes went up, the curtain came down again. Such a beautiful day and we did not see anything. Continue reading

In between all this Alaska weather, navigation and inspections there is also still the guest element involved in a captains job, although in Alaska it is on a much more reduced scale. The amount of time needed on and around the bridge, plus the extended port times, do not allow for many activities in that area. Also the need is much less as the majority of the guests see the ship as a convenience to get them there, where they want to go, and are fully focused on what Alaska has to offer. And that is the way it should be. Once we are out of Alaska the focus of the guests will be again more on life on board. The destination might still be a big draw but the sea days around the port days fully focus the guests mind on what the ship has to offer. The social side of the captain’s function then comes much more into play than is now the case. Continue reading

It was a very early morning when we came around the corner and steered into Gastineau channel. This is the approach water & canal towards Juneau. We had to go for a 04.30 approach time as the whole parade of cruise ships was coming behind us and it simply works easier if we dock first and are then out of the way for everybody else. So blazing the trail for the rest of the world we sailed up the channel and parked ourselves at the Alaska Steamship dock at 06.00 hrs. Behind us was the Norwegian Pearl, followed by the Island Princess, followed by the Celebrity Century. By 09.00 hrs. The port was full again, only the anchorage was not in use. Which is nice as it makes our departure a lot easier. When a ship is at anchor it normally sits on the location where you want to swing and then you have to go to the North East corner of the bay and that takes more time. Continue reading

The weather forecast had already been indicating that wind was to be expected and we were not disappointed. When we left Glacier Bay, it started to breeze up and by the next morning there was 30 to 35 knots blowing from the South East. In a way that was our luck, it was with us and that meant very little issues for Haines. The town is sheltered from the whole south side and only opens to winds from the North. To approach the dock when coming from the southern part of the Lynn Canal you have to make a 90o turn to the west and then gradually you come into the shelter of the mountains. By the time we approached the dock the wind had died down to 10 knots with the occasional gusts of up to 20 knots. Continue reading

At 07.30 we changed course from the South East to the North East and rounded Cape Spencer. Here we left the Gulf of Alaska behind and entered Cross Sound which forms the entrance to the Inside passage. Here we collect our American Pilots again who will stay with us until Ketchikan. They fly into a little village where there is a nice hotel run by a husband and wife and he also runs the pilot boat. I have never been there but the pilot likes the food and hospitality and I never hear them moan when the weather is too bad for the float plane to fly them out. I always offer breakfast as soon as they come on board and only when they board here, they refuse has they have been loaded up with sufficient food to last a week when they have stayed there. Needless to say that none of the pilots are really of the skinny kind. Good food in the hotel and good food on the cruise ships. Summertime pilotage in Alaska is not a bad gig. (I could not get a good photo off the internet, so here is the link: www.tanakulodge.com Continue reading

Today we were sailing the same way back as we went west the day before yesterday. A gloomy day with low ceiling clouds and a bit of wind from the South East. The weather front that was threatening to bring a lot of wind to the area decided to cancel its performance for the time being and thus it was a nice and quiet day. Recently I posed the theory that whales do not like rain, and I do not know if it is true, but today we had a lot of whales; and no rain. As they were humpbacks they were quite lively. Humpback whales are considered the clowns of the whale family and today they did live up to their reputation. Continue reading

After a smooth crossing of the Gulf of Alaska with only the occasional gentle movement of the ship, we entered Resurrection Bay at 03.00 in the morning. Again a wind still and clear night, with just a slight haze playing around the feet of the mountains. Rain was forecast for the morning but when I arrived on the bridge and looked outside, it did not look like it would for the morning period. Rain needs a little bit of wind to get inland and that wind was not there. Indeed we had a sunny morning and only with the afternoon wind, did some precipitation come in. By then all our guests were happily on their way into the interior. For the boarding guests it is not such a problem, as they come in small groups so there is no line of waiting people between the terminal and the gangway. Outbound about 300 guests stream off in one go, as they go with the train. Then we get slow downs at the gangway and at the train boarding area and then it is really good if it is nice and dry. Continue reading

Today we crossed the Gulf of Alaska and it was really gloomy. Drizzle all day, rain showers and low hanging clouds everywhere. But…..very little wind and that meant apart from some residual swell from yesterdays strong winds, the sea was nice and calm. That was all I asked for. A nice calm day to finish a very nice cruise. The weather on a last day is not so omni important as most guests are more concerned with packing, or with going through the daily program, to see what the ship has to offer. So if I can provide a smooth ride with the ship then 99 out of a 100 guests are already happy campers. With the low swell and our sedate speed of 12 knots I could do that and thus all was well in the world. Continue reading

By 06.30 we came around “the bend” and passed the southern most boundary of Glacier Bay. Ready to embark the Rangers at 07.00 hrs. So the pilot called the dispatcher, only to be advised, No Rangers today, the boat has broken down. That was not very good news; what to do next. I could go up the Bay without the Rangers as I have a very good On Location Guide on board who could do the job but the Rangers are an integral part of the whole Glacier Bay experience, thus that was not the perfect answer. What was perfect was the weather, wind still and only a bit of drizzle which indicated that it would nice and dry further up the bay. So what to do next. ? Continue reading

It is always an early arrival in Skagway but for once I did not mind as it was a glorious day. No sunrise to enjoy as that all happens behind the mountains but it just went from a very clear night via a beautiful dawn into a great day in the Lynn Canal. We had our regular line up of cruise ships and we slid into position as ship number three, going to the Broadway dock. It was a pity that it was so early in the morning, meaning that there was hardly anybody around, as it had an almost Christmas like atmosphere with the well-lit cruise ships against the backdrop of the majestic mountains and the lights of Skagway. Yes, the lights of Skagway. The season is ending and we are already starting to arrive in the dark and soon we will be leaving in the dark as well. Continue reading