When we sailed through Southeast Alaska for two months in the spring and summer of 2017, one of the places we wished we’d gone was south through Chatham Strait making stops in Kuiu Island and then east to Prince of Wales (POW) Island and the town of Craig. It was actually the plan had we returned south instead of sailing across the Gulf of Alaska. This time around, with little to no schedule dictating our moves, we took advantage of the continued gorgeous weather and leisurely meandered our way south over the course of a couple weeks.
With the end of the summer cruising season in Alaska coming to a close soon, we’ve realized that this portion of the journey has amounted to a farewell tour of sorts. Seasonal cruisers from the south are leaving or are long gone by now, and we’re mostly just seeing commercial and charter fishing fleets trying to end their summers here on a high note. We certainly are, too.
Our two-plus-years sailing through “The Great Land” from Southeast Alaska to Kodiak and the Kenai Peninsula and Prince William Sound has been nothing short of amazing, and the first two weeks of August have certainly shown how special this place truly is. We’re exceedingly grateful to have experienced such raw wilderness and met incredible people along the way.
After our latest adventures on Baranof Island, we hopped southeast to Bay of Pillars and then Gedney Harbor on Kuiu Island, and then down to Coronation Island and Warren Island before cruising around the Prince of Wales and the Craig area. Each stop has been emphatically punctuated by astonishingly nice weather, which has certainly made life aboard and ashore quite a bit of fun. We’ve done a lot of swimming, fishing and hiking, and have even completed a few boat projects in preparation for heading south. It’s probably best described in pictures, so have a look below.
And if you are curious about more information regarding some of the places we’ve visited in Alaska, feel free to contact me in the comments below. Also, if you’re in the Puget Sound area in early September, come to the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend and check out my presentation “700-hundred miles downwind to Alaska: How a one summer voyage turned into three” on Saturday, September 7 from 2:30 – 3:30pm.
Bay of Pillars, Kuiu Island
Gedney Harbor, Kuiu Island
