route04

route04

2004 Route: Prince Rupert, B.C. to Skagway, Alaska (via Sitka)

Tonie O Home Page Click on the home page to see notes from past trips

This year's voyage required a lot more land driving on Shawn's part. Shawn was off from work a week earlier than me, and I had decided to work a little later, so that I could participate in a curriculum software training in San Jose. My plan was to fly to Ketchikan to meet Shawn and the "Tonie O". I felt pretty odd about sending Shawn off to tackle the Dixon on his own, and we have both since decided not to start this trip at different times in the future. Shawn had quite an adventure with the trailer on the way up to Prince Rupert, described in the first leg of the trip.

Nonetheless, it was pretty exciting for me to fly to Ketchikan, walk off the plane into the terminal and traipse down a gangway to where Shawn and the boat were waiting for me. Ketchikan International Airport has a handy public dock right below the terminal. I felt a little bit like the host of the reality TV show, "Survivor." I had been working quite intensely at my job up to that point, so the experience of suddenly finding myself on my boat Alaska was almost surreal. However, Ketchikan is really beginning to feel like a second home to us, since we always come through here on our journeys. People in our "repeat ports" remember us, and we always get a warm welcome.

We were less "goal-oriented" on this trip. Our main plan was to get to Sitka, and spend some time there. We also really got to know some wonderful people, and had all kinds of great interactions in communities throughout Southeast Alaska. We especially enjoyed our visits to the native communities of Angoon, Kake and Hoonah, which don't normally get a lot of "press" in the cruising guides.

This was also the year of the great Alaskan (and Canadian) heat wave. Normally, Southeast Alaska has cool, wet weather. This year, we counted the rainy days on one hand. Rough sea days were also thankfully low in number. Temperatures were balmy, and we wore short sleeves most of the time. This was not the Inside Passage of 2002 and 2003.

We did really miss the waters of the B.C. Coast this year, and will likely start a little further south as in past years. However, we really enjoyed the return drive through B.C.'s interior, and have much to share from the return leg of the trailering portion of our trip.

It's great to be amphibious!

Click on the links below for details about each leg of this year's trip....

Truck and trailer in BC's interior, after the installation of a new axle in Oregon.