Travel Adventure to Alaska

Travel Blog Travel Adventures - Cruiser's blog on an adventure trip to Alaska Follow the adventure of Missy and Hubby aboard the yacht TANGLEBERRY on a three month expedition trip along the Inside Passage from Vancouver to Alaska. Page 2 Provisioning for the boat Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 HOME AT LAST Going on a sailboat trip from Vancouver to Alaska Being a first generation immigrant, I like my comforts and enjoy five-star luxury vacations. The concept of sailboat cruising is not my idea of fun. However, I have made a deal with my husband and the time to deliver my promise has come. Thus, the three-month sailboat trip from Vancouver to Alaska. So, come along and share my 2008 summer adventure. The Boat and the Crew		Your Ad Here
	Our sailboat is a Hanse 371 made in Germany. Her name is Tangleberry, named after a type of blueberry found along the BC coast. She has a Volvo 30 HP engine capable of running 6 nautical miles an hour. Under sail, she averages about 5 miles an hour. There is usually no wind along the Inside Passage to Alaska, so we expect to motor 90% of the way. She carries 220 litres of water and 80 litres a fuel. She consumes 1 litre of fuel for every 2.5 miles, so we can travel 200 miles on a full tank.
Captain	First Mate
Galley	Sleeping berth
Dinette	Cockpit configuration
Three weeks away from departure date Let's do the math. The distance from Vancouver to the Alaskan border, Ketchikan, is about 800 nautical miles. A cruise ship has an average speed of 20 knots (nautical miles) per hour. It takes a cruise ship 48 hours to reach Ketchikan, Alaska going non-stop at 20 knots per hour. Our 37 foot sailboat has a range of 5 to 6 knots an hour with a maximum speed of 8 knots in a strong breeze. We stop every night either at a marina or at an anchorage. At 5-6 hours of travel per day, we'd likely average 30-50 knots a day, that would take us about 15-20 days to reach the Alaska border. From Ketchikan where we clear U.S. customs, we plan to explore the different ports and anchorages including Sitka, Wrangell, Junneau, and allocated another 15-20 days for these side trips. Allocated time are flexible, as our schedule will depend on weather and wind conditions. If needed, we may stay for days at port for good weather. Go to Page 2 - Provisioning for the trip. Or skip this boring bit and go to Week 1 - Vancouver to Desolation Sound Page 2 Provisioning for the boat Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 HOME AT LAST