2014 Mother Goose to Alaska

Join our Mother Goose Flotilla on our 10-year anniversary as we depart our home port of Bellingham and make our way towards Sitka, Alaska! This leg will take us to many of our favorite spots as we cruise the Inside Passage route up to Alaska. If you have wanted to join us but have not found the time to fit this into your busy schedule, this is the leg to book. It is the famed trip up the Inside Passage!

Along the way we will visit Fjordland Recreational Area in British Columbia where the isolation allows true immersion into the tranquility of the natural world. If we are lucky enough we will spot a Spirit Bear, a subspecies of the American Black Bear, which has been revered by native cultures since time immemorial.

In the past, this leg has ended upon arrival to Southeast Alaska’s southernmost town of Ketchikan. But this year, not only will you get to visit historic Creek Street while you are in Ketchikan, but you will get to continue and visit more scenic anchorages and picturesque Alaskan communities as we make our way to Sitka.

One of the anchorages we will visit is that of Coronation Island. Clients and crew alike note this as one of their favorite Mother Goose experiences. With large rock caves and enormous pre-historic looking albatross flying overhead, it is no wonder that NWE owner Brian Pemberton likes to refer to Coronation Island as the “Jurassic Park” of SE Alaska. Expect to see an abundance of albatross, whales, grizzly bears, sea otters and other wildlife on this fascinating route.

From here we will proceed up through the wilds of the South Baranof Wilderness. This portion of the trip takes us to some of the most remote parts of SE Alaska. A visit to the remarkable natural pools of Hot Springs Cove will be a relaxing end to a spectacular journey. The former Russian capital of Sitka is the next stop for the flotilla and the final destination for this leg. Sitka is an extraordinary city that deserves additional time to explore. The only National Totem Park, the Alaska Raptor Center which rehabilitates injured birds and the historic downtown of Sitka are only a few of the many highlights worth seeing. And after having spent almost a month on your beautiful Grand Banks, you may not want to disembark. Maybe this is the year to join us for two legs??? Next stop…Prince William Sound!

Calling all truly adventurous mariners! This leg is not for the casual mariner but will challenge you and your crew’s nautical skills and dedication to boating. However, the pay-off for the intensity of this leg will come back tenfold as you will experience cruising grounds that are rarely traveled and whose spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife are unparalleled. If some of your crew does not have the time (or the seas legs) for the entire 21-day duration of leg 2 from Sitka to Cordova, they can feel free to fly directly into Cordova where they can join us for 2 weeks of protected cruising within Prince William Sound.

Leg 2 begins with check out and orientation in the historic city of Sitka, the former Russian capital of Alaska. Be sure to arrive a couple days early to take full advantage of all the sites in Sitka as it is a city not to miss. Our flotilla adventure begins as we cast off our lines and cruise the narrow and sheltered passages to Klag Bay to visit the abandoned Chichakof gold mine. On day two we head to our last stop in Southeast Alaska where will spend the night across from Glacier Bay in the quaint boardwalk village of Elfin Cove. The next five days are not for the faint of heart as we will spend five days covering 515 miles with the longest day requiring us to cover 136 miles. While we have no planned overnight crossings, our longest day could be a 15 to 17 hour day. This trip will require mariners who are comfortable in traveling in open waters and are able to mange motion sickness, a minimum of two qualified persons who can stand a wheel watch, comfortable with being out of sight of land, and while not planned, able to cruise through the night if required. As mentioned, some crew members might wish to join you in Cordova prior to our exploration of Prince William Sound and after our five day transit of the Gulf of Alaska. We have planned stops in Lituya Bay, Yakutat Bay, Icy Bay and Controller Bay. We will have magnificent views of the Fairweather 14,000’ plus mountains and spectacular glaciers. With our arrival in Cordova we will be in the protected waters of Prince William Sound where the summer winds average about five knots. After re-provisioning and visiting Cordova we are off for our two week visit of North America’s most northerly protected cruising ground.

While we all know that the weather can be unpredictable when you get north of 60 degrees latitude, it is comforting to also know that the average wind speed in Prince William Sound during the summer is approximately five knots. These protected waters provide one the northern most recreational areas in the world. The abundance Brown and Black bears, marine mammals including sea otters, Steller sea lions, Humpback and Orca whales and millions of migratory birds can make these a trip of a life time. It begins in the quaint village of Cordova, population about 2,400. While tourism is growing, commercial fishing still provides the majority of employment to these residents. There are only two modes of transportation in and out of Cordova; boat and plane. The Alaska Marine Ferry System has service every day of the week from Whittier and Valdez. There is also commercial air service from Seattle, Juneau and Anchorage.  You will have plenty of time to provision and be checked out on the operation of your boat. And if you need to re-provision, no worries, we will be stopping in Valdez and Whittier where that is also possible. There is a grocery store near the marina as well as liquor and seafood stores available. After our check out and provisioning we will be off for an easy day of cruising (21 miles) to Sheep Bay. In 1897 it was named by the US Navy for the animals they saw on the mountains. The only problem is that they actually saw mountain goats not sheep which can still be seen today. We will continue to work our way around Prince William Sound visiting remote spots. We will spend a day at Valdez in the NE corner of the sound and work our way across the northern side until we reach Whittier. This section of our trip will include visiting many of the tide water glaciers including the Shoop, Anderson, Columbia, Yale, Harvard, Smith, Bryn Mawr, Vassar, Wellesley, Harriman, Surprise and Cascade. We will make a stop in Whittier, population 350, which is located on the west side of Prince William Sound. It is exquisitely set amongst the glaciers. Whittier was built during WWII as a year round ice free port 60 miles from Anchorage. The longest tunnel in North America connects Anchorage to Whittier. You can reach Whittier by train, bus, car or small charter plane from Anchorage. From Whittier we will begin to work our way back to Cordova stopping at the very scenic Passage Cove on the Naked Islands.

There are a limited number of trips available and we expect them to book quickly. So, if you are interested in that once in a life time experience to the far northern reaches of our cruising area, be sure to book this trip early.

While we all know that the weather can be unpredictable when you get north of 60 degrees latitude, it is comforting to also know that the average wind speed in Prince William Sound during the summer is approximately five knots. These protected waters provide one the northern most recreational areas in the world. The abundance Brown and Black bears, marine mammals including sea otters, Steller sea lions, Humpback and Orca whales and millions of migratory birds can make these a trip of a life time. It begins in the quaint village of Cordova, population about 2,400. While tourism is growing, commercial fishing still provides the majority of employment to these residents. There are only two modes of transportation in and out of Cordova; boat and plane. The Alaska Marine Ferry System has service every day of the week from Whittier and Valdez. There is also commercial air service from Seattle, Juneau and Anchorage.  And if you need to re-provision, no worries, we will be stopping in Valdez and Whittier where that is also possible. There is a grocery store near the marina as well as liquor and seafood stores available. After our check out and provisioning we will be off for an easy day of cruising (21 miles) to Sheep Bay. In 1897 it was named by the US Navy for the animals they saw on the mountains. The only problem is that they actually saw mountain goats not sheep which can still be seen today. We will continue to work our way around Prince William Sound visiting remote spots. We will spend a day at Valdez in the NE corner of the sound and work our way across the northern side until we reach Whittier. This section of our trip will include visiting many of the tide water glaciers including the Shoop, Anderson, Columbia, Yale, Harvard, Smith, Bryn Mawr, Vassar, Wellesley, Harriman, Surprise and Cascade. We will make a stop in Whittier, population 350, which is located on the west side of Prince William Sound. It is exquisitely set amongst the glaciers. Whittier was built during WWII as a year round ice free port 60 miles from Anchorage. The longest combined rail and highway tunnel in North America connects Anchorage to Whittier. You can reach Whittier by train, bus, car or small charter plane from Anchorage. From Whittier we will begin to work our way back to Cordova stopping at the very scenic Passage Cove on the Naked Islands.

This entire trip takes place within the sheltered waters of Prince William Sound. There are a limited number of trips available and we expect them to book quickly. So, if you are interested in that once in a life time experience to the far northern reaches of our cruising area, be sure to book this trip early.

While we all know that the weather can be unpredictable when you get north of 60 degrees latitude, it is comforting to also know that the average wind speed in Prince William Sound during the summer is approximately five knots. These protected waters provide one the northern most recreational areas in the world. The abundance Brown and Black bears, marine mammals including sea otters, Steller sea lions, Humpback and Orca whales and millions of migratory birds can make these a trip of a life time. It begins in the quaint village of Cordova, population about 2,400. While tourism is growing, commercial fishing still provides the majority of employment to these residents. There are only two modes of transportation in and out of Cordova; boat and plane. The Alaska Marine Ferry System has service every day of the week from Whittier and Valdez. There is also commercial air service from Seattle, Juneau and Anchorage.  You will have plenty of time to provision and be checked out on the operation of your boat. And if you need to re-provision, no worries, we will be stopping in Valdez and Whittier where that is also possible. There is a grocery store near the marina as well as liquor and seafood stores available. After our check out and provisioning we will be off for an easy day of cruising (21 miles) to Sheep Bay. In 1897 it was named by the US Navy for the animals they saw on the mountains. The only problem is that they actually saw mountain goats not sheep which can still be seen today. We will continue to work our way around Prince William Sound visiting remote spots. We will spend a day at Valdez in the NE corner of the sound and work our way across the northern side until we reach Whittier. This section of our trip will include visiting many of the tide water glaciers including the Shoop, Anderson, Columbia, Yale, Harvard, Smith, Bryn Mawr, Vassar, Wellesley, Harriman, Surprise and Cascade. We will make a stop in Whittier, population 350, which is located on the west side of Prince William Sound. It is exquisitely set amongst the glaciers. Whittier was built during WWII as a year round ice free port 60 miles from Anchorage. The longest tunnel in North America connects Anchorage to Whittier. You can reach Whittier by train, bus, car or small charter plane from Anchorage. From Whittier we will begin to work our way back to Cordova stopping at the very scenic Passage Cove on the Naked Islands.

This entire trip takes place within the sheltered waters of Prince William Sound. There are a limited number of trips available and we expect them to book quickly. So, if you are interested in that once in a life time experience to the far northern reaches of our cruising area, be sure to book this trip early.

Calling all truly adventurous mariners! This leg is not for the casual mariner but will challenge you and your crew’s nautical skills and dedication to boating. However, the pay-off for the intensity of this leg will come back tenfold as you will experience cruising grounds that are rarely traveled and whose spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife are unparalleled. If some of your crew does not have the time (or the seas legs) for the entire duration of leg 5 from Cordova to Sitka, they can feel free to fly directly in and out of Cordova where they can join us for 2 weeks of protected cruising within Prince William Sound.

While we all know that the weather can be unpredictable when you get north of 60 degrees latitude, it is comforting to also know that the average wind speed in Prince William Sound during the summer is approximately five knots. These protected waters provide one the northern most recreational areas in the world. The abundance Brown and Black bears, marine mammals including sea otters, Steller sea lions, Humpback and Orca whales and millions of migratory birds can make these a trip of a life time. It begins in the quaint village of Cordova, population about 2,400. While tourism is growing, commercial fishing still provides the majority of employment to these residents. There are only two modes of transportation in and out of Cordova; boat and plane. The Alaska Marine Ferry System has service every day of the week from Whittier and Valdez. There is also commercial air service from Seattle, Juneau and Anchorage.  You will have plenty of time to provision and be checked out on the operation of your boat. And if you need to re-provision, no worries, we will be stopping in Valdez and Whittier where that is also possible. There is a grocery store near the marina as well as liquor and seafood stores available. After our check out and provisioning we will be off for an easy day of cruising (21 miles) to Sheep Bay. In 1897 it was named by the US Navy for the animals they saw on the mountains. The only problem is that they actually saw mountain goats not sheep which can still be seen today. We will continue to work our way around Prince William Sound visiting remote spots. We will spend a day at Valdez in the NE corner of the sound and work our way across the northern side until we reach Whittier. This section of our trip will include visiting many of the tide water glaciers including the Shoop, Anderson, Columbia, Yale, Harvard, Smith, Bryn Mawr, Vassar, Wellesley, Harriman, Surprise and Cascade. We will make a stop in Whittier, population 350, which is located on the west side of Prince William Sound. It is exquisitely set amongst the glaciers. Whittier was built during WWII as a year round ice free port 60 miles from Anchorage. The longest tunnel in North America connects Anchorage to Whittier. You can reach Whittier by train, bus, car or small charter plane from Anchorage. From Whittier we will begin to work our way back to Cordova stopping at the very scenic Passage Cove on the Naked Islands.

The next five days are not for the faint of heart as we will spend five days covering 515 miles with the longest day requiring us to cover 136 miles. While we have no planned overnight crossings, our longest day could be a 15 to 17 hour day. This trip will require mariners who are comfortable in traveling in open waters and are able to mange motion sickness, a minimum of two qualified persons who can stand a wheel watch, comfortable with being out of sight of land, and while not planned, able to cruise through the night if required. As mentioned, some crew members might wish to leave you in Cordova prior to heading out for our five day transit of the Gulf of Alaska. We have planned stops in Lituya Bay, Yakutat Bay, Icy Bay and Controller Bay. We will have magnificent views of the Fairweather 14,000’ plus mountains and spectacular glaciers. As we get back into Southeast Alaska we will spend the night across from Glacier Bay in the quaint boardwalk village of Elfin Cove. From there we cruise through the whale infested waters of Icy Strait. You will lose count of the humpbacks you will see. Our flotilla finally ends in Juneau, Alaska’s state capital. Be sure to spend a couple of days here to take full advantage of all the sites as it is a unique city with a glacier in its backyard!

This truly is an adventure of a lifetime! There are a limited number of trips available and we expect them to book quickly. So, if you are interested in that once in a life time experience to the far northern reaches of our cruising area, be sure to book this trip early.

This leg has it all: ice, whales, sunshine and beautiful scenery! The grand adventure begins with your arrival to Juneau, the capital city of Alaska. According to TravelJuneau.com, “Here, you’ll find an unexpected mix of fishermen and teachers, legislators and artists, lawyers and homemakers, dock workers and frontier entrepreneurs, students and Native elders.” As you can imagine, this makes Juneau a very interesting place to visit! On top of this, where else are you going to find a city with a glacier in its backyard? Be sure to come in a day or two early in order to see the sites and get to know Juneau.

From Juneau we will go directly to what will no doubt be one of the most memorable parts of your trip. We will visit Tracy Arm where you will guide your boat up a true fjord with majestic mountains surrounding you on both sides as you head towards the North and South Sawyer Glaciers. You never know what the conditions will be like, and whether we will be able to make it to the face of the glacier, but you will certainly be cruising amongst bergy bits, icebergs, harbor seal mom and pups hauled out on ice floes as well as magnificent sea birds feeding in the nutrient-rich waters. If conditions permit, you will approach one of the few remaining tidewater glaciers and watch as ice calves off into the sea below.

From Tracy Arm you will continue to see humpback whales in one of their favorite feeding grounds, Stephens Passage, as we make our way to Petersburg, then on to Wrangell. Both are small, quaint communities that you will enjoy visiting. We’ll stop in Meyer’s Chuck and order up some of Cassie’s famous cinnamon rolls. Cassie is a Meyer’s Chuck local who is not only the postmistress, but also the local baker who delivers her delicious baked goods right to your swim platform!

Next we cruise to Ketchikan where you’ll get a taste of another SE Alaska city and have the chance to visit historic Creek Street where it is said that both fish and men went upstream to spawn!

After one more anchorage in U.S. waters, we cruise into beautiful British Columbia where we spend most of the remainder of our trip. You will visit friendly BC coastal communities, the grand B.C. Fjordlands, a famous cruiser’s destination at Lagoon Cove as well as several other beautiful anchorages. If we are lucky, we will see the resident Orca, or killer whale, pods that frequent the waters of Johnstone Strait.

This is a leg that begins with ice in Alaska and takes you through the Inside Passage back to Bellingham. Join the Mother Goose flotilla on their homebound leg as they celebrate the completion of their tenth year of helping boaters create memories of a lifetime!