Arrival Juneau was wind still and wisps’ of mist where floating over the water. Very scenic. I was on the bridge by 03.30 for the early morning arrival of the ship. As we docked at the Alaska steamship dock we were the first ship coming in and that meant an early morning. We are already halfway through the season and so the days are getting shorter again. No more bright day light a 4 am. Although it still is daylight by the time we dock, this was the first morning that we could see the street lights shining brightly in the distance as dawn was just starting. Continue reading

As explained before, Skagway is a blow hole, where the wind funnels up the Lynn Canal and gathers momentum when coming North of Haines and going through the most narrow part of the Canal. So every captain approaches Skagway with a certain trepidation as you never know what you will find on arrival. We docked with about 20 knots of wind on the stern and that is not bad at all for Skagway. In the course of the day, it started to blow harder and harder and by late afternoon wind gusts of up to 45 knots were measured. The great advantage was that the wind blew the rain clouds away and it was a sunny and dry afternoon. Continue reading

With almost no wind at all we entered Sitka Sound heading for the anchorage. There was still a low swell running and that caused the fishing vessels around us to bob up and down on the waves. Most of the vessels were smaller boats mainly used for charter fishing and had 6 to 8 people on board. Although these boats are very small and highly maneuverable they can create a headache for us, as a lot of the skippers really do not know what is going on outside their little world. We had a few of those this morning. Continue reading

With a lightly moving ship we sailed to the Yakutat Bay again. The weather system that had caused all these waves was rapidly disappearing into the main land only leaving some swell and rain in its wake. Luckily in the course of the day the drizzle diminished and the visibility improved. Exactly what was needed to get through the ice with a minimum of fuss. Continue reading

A wobbly night turned into a windy arrival, with 25 knots of wind gusting from the North East when we entered Resurrection Bay. A wind not very common for this time of the year and also not expected at all. It did die off during the day and by the time we left it was wind still. That will also help to reduce the waves outside in the open sea by the time we get back into the Gulf of Alaska, during the coming night and tomorrow morning. Continue reading

Today was ice navigation with a capital I. We arrived timely at Ocean Cape and received the Rangers on board. The Indian Interpreters where there as well, Ted had not forgotten his ID this time (see Yakutat blog of 10 days ago) so all was well in the world. As the weather forecast had foreseen it was indeed rainy and it remained the so when we moved up the bay where we even had fog banks. Continue reading

There was even less swell in the Ocean than the weather maps promised us so we had a very quiet ride to Sitka. It looked very miserable when we came in but during the day the sun poked through the clouds and it remained a good day to visit the place. The area around Sitka remained covered in low hanging clouds but somehow that goes well with Sitka. It gives a very atmospheric presence. Same for the ship. When you come back on the tender and you see the Veendam in a frame work of dark mountains and white whips of clouds, it somehow looks special. Continue reading

Thus we lead the convoy into the port and were docked by 5 am. at the Alaska Steamship dock, as far into down town as possible. We had to be early; to be out of the way of the other ships and it has the advantage that by the time that the guests wake up, they can walk directly off the ship as we are already there. We arrived with a bit of drizzle but for most of the day it was dry, cool and overcast. A regular day for Juneau; and one with weather that worked out very well for the tours and the sightseeing. Continue reading

It is a very tight schedule that we have to make to Haines on time and the distance does not allow us to arrive any earlier than 10 am. alongside. On the other hand we stay until late in the evening, so there is ample time for everybody to go ashore and enjoy the sights. The weather was as predicted, with the rain clouds remaining on the other side of the mountain and the day being overcast. Continue reading

Approaching Ketchikan took place under gathering clouds. The closer we came to Tongass Narrows the greyer the sky turned and by the time we were five miles from the dock, it started to rain and drizzle. Ketchikan lived up to its reputation. Luckily for all of us, the rain later moved away and by the time we sailed the sun was shining and it was a beautiful sail away. Continue reading