Inside Passage to Juneau

May - June 2023

My journey to Juneau via the Inside Passage while working on the American Cruise Lines ship American Constellation. Read more

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Nancy Webb...Pat Bonetar Inside Passage to Juneau
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- May 29, 2023, 8:00am
- ☁️ 52 °F
- Altitude: Sea level
- United States Washington King County Sunset Hill Leif Erikson Statue 47.676984, -122.41071847°40’37” N 122°24’39” W
Day 1
The New Adventure Begins!
May 29, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F
The American Constellation has just begun its annual cruise to Juneau via the Inside Passage. See our ports of call here:
https://www.americancruiselines.com/cruises/ala….Read more
Traveler Ur THE CrazyNancy
6/2/23Reply
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Nancy Webb...Pat Bonetar Inside Passage to Juneau
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- May 29, 2023, 10:24pm
- 🌙 52 °F
- Altitude: 13 ft
- United States Washington Skagit County Guemes Guemes Channel 48.52171, -122.61539648°31’18” N 122°36’55” W
Day 1
Anacortes via Port Townsend
May 29, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 52 °F
Not on our itinerary today was an emergency stop in Port Townsend for a passenger who fell in the bathroom. The waiting EMS had a tough time getting his 374 pounds on a stretcher and across the gangway, but fortunately he only suffered a couple of broken ribs.

The only other events that happened today were a small, self-extinguishing fire when a thruster circuit exploded while docking at Port Townsend [not so good] and heavy winds that pushed us into Anacortes almost on time [not so bad].

All of that on Day 1. I'm almost afraid to see what tomorrow will bring. 😳Read more
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Nancy Webb...Pat Bonetar Inside Passage to Juneau
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- May 30, 2023, 11:45pm
- 🌙 50 °F
- Altitude: 13 ft
- United States Washington Skagit County Guemes Guemes Channel 48.521711, -122.61540148°31’18” N 122°36’55” W
Day 2
Geocaching in Washington
May 30, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 50 °F
I'm working the noon to midnight shift, so before going on duty today I picked up my first geocache in Washington 😁. I wish I would've remembered caching sooner 🤦.

I also hit the local Safeway grocery store for a few unnecessary items before heading north, like granola and sugar free caramel candies 😋. Then I had a wonderful breakfast burrito before heading back to the ship.

We stayed docked all day, and this evening an electrician is attempting to fix the stern stabilizer that "didn't" catch on fire yesterday 🤞.Read more
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Nancy Webb...Pat Bonetar Inside Passage to Juneau
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- May 31, 2023, 11:59pm
- 🌙 59 °F
- Altitude: Sea level
- Coastal Waters Of Southeast Alaska And British Columbia 49.251556, -123.7908749°15’6” N 123°47’27” W
Day 3
Friday Harbor and Places North!
May 31, 2023 ⋅ 🌙 59 °F
We left Anacortes at around 06:00, which put us in Friday Harbor around 08:00. This is a cute town, a village really, but everything is uphill from the pier, so I stayed on the ship except to find another geocache about 100 feet from where we docked 🤣.

When I left my room, I was pleasantly surprised to hear I had won Employee of the Cruise for our last 7-day trip. It comes with a stateroom for either the rest of this trip or for the next one. I like my small, solo accommodations--which are larger than my RV--so I gave the stateroom to a server.

While in Friday Harbor we learned that our guest--for whom we made the emergency stop two days ago--passed away after suffering a heart attack. I feel terrible for his partner and family, but I am very thankful he was not on the ship when it happened.

After filling our water tanks, we left Friday Harbor at 18:00 and sailed away into a glorious sunset. Luckily, the Captain didn't fall off the ship 😱.

Right now we're passing through Canadian waters in the Strait of Georgia almost due west of Vancouver 🛳️.

Next stop: Ketchikan, Alaska!Read more
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Nancy Webb...Pat Bonetar Inside Passage to Juneau
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- Jun 1, 2023, 11:59pm
- ☁️ 50 °F
- Altitude: Sea level
- Coastal Waters Of Southeast Alaska And British Columbia 51.8841, -127.939151°53’3” N 127°56’21” W
Day 4
Orcas!
June 1, 2023 ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F
We've been underway for over a day now. One of my duties as a deckhand is to be helmsman, that is, I get to drive the boat (steer the ship's rudder). Otherwise, it's a bit boring. When I'm not at the helm, I'm doing laundry, checking the engine room for fires or anything else wrong, wiping down outdoor furniture, etc. I was pretty bored when all of the sudden there were orcas nearby! I ran to the bridge where I had stowed my good camera and was able to get a few shots, but the pictures don't do justice to the powerful grace of these awe-inspiring wonders.

We've had very good weather so far, but once we passed Port Hardy and the shelter of Vancouver Island, we were subjected to the Pacific swells rolling in. It made several crew and several more passengers ill for the few hours it lasted until we turned to the east of Calvert Island.

What a great trip so far!Read more
Traveler Coole pictures👍
6/2/23ReplyTranslate
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Nancy Webb...Pat Bonetar Inside Passage to Juneau
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- Jun 2, 2023, 11:59pm
- ☁️ 50 °F
- Altitude: Sea level
- United States Alaska Ketchikan Gateway Borough Black Rock 55.017677, -131.07355355°1’4” N 131°4’25” W
Day 5
30 NM Away
June 2, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F
I'm on Alaska time now and only 30 nautical miles away from our first port of call, Ketchikan!

Despite being so close, we won't dock until 05:30, so to kill some time and save some fuel, the Captain shut down our starboard (right) engine. Our port engine is running us at 5 knots with only 800 rpm. These things are beasts! While starboard is off, the engineer is going to change its secondary fuel filters. I'd like to see that, but not enough to stay awake for it 🤣.

It's been an overcast and sometimes rainy day, but the scenery was still magnificent. Around 21:00, we passed Green Island Lighthouse. See it here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/2KKZZ2f2qMdiumDS8

We'll be docked before I wake up in the morning. It has been a smooth and uneventful journey through the Inside Passage, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the cruise in Alaska.Read more
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Nancy Webb...Pat Bonetar Inside Passage to Juneau
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- Jun 3, 2023, 11:59pm
- 🌧 46 °F
- Altitude: 23 ft
- United States Alaska Ketchikan Ketchikan Harbor 55.344408, -131.65511255°20’40” N 131°39’18” W
Day 6
Ketchikan
June 3, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 46 °F
I walked the town this morning to collect two geocaches, get a couple of crepes for dinner (scrambled eggs with spinach, tomatoes, and onions, and goat cheese) and desert (Nutella!), eat reindeer sausage with eggs and hashbrowns for breakfast (yummy), and get soaking wet from the cold rain. Turns out, I walked right by the Harley-Davidson shop without even realizing 😱. Oh well. I didn't need to spend $100 in there anyway 🤣.

Bald eagles were everywhere, but alas, I am becoming immune to their majestic presence. There was also a gigantic raven who was very interested in our rubbish, and I in him. I hope the normal-sized pigeons help you understand how big this guy was! Under the dock, lion's mane jellyfish dotted the water, at times surrounded by moon jellyfish (almost clear) and little fish. It was a beautiful day despite the weather.Read more
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Nancy Webb...Pat Bonetar Inside Passage to Juneau
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- Jun 4, 2023, 11:59pm
- 🌧 45 °F
- Altitude: Sea level
- United States Alaska Wrangell Wrangell Seaplane Base 56.470838, -132.38895356°28’15” N 132°23’20” W
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Day 7
Wrangell
June 4, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 45 °F
I woke up just in time to help throw lines for our arrival in Wrangell at noon. The wind was whipping a cold rain straight into the bow, which stung my face, fogged my glasses, soaked my pants, and numbed my fingers. Fortunately, a deckhand who left for another ship forgot his rain jacket, so I had one to wear today. I was also thankful for my rubber boots that kept my feet warmer than they would've been in just the tennis shoes they gave me.

It never stopped raining today, and I didn't make it off the boat. Here are a few pictures of the dreary day, including one from underneath the dock.Read more
Traveler Beautiful!!!!
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Traveler Love this !!!
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Traveler Nice!
6/8/23Reply
Traveler You are so amazing! Xxxooo Love your pics.
6/8/23Reply
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Nancy Webb...Pat Bonetar Inside Passage to Juneau
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- Jun 5, 2023, 11:59pm
- ☁️ 43 °F
- Altitude: Sea level
- United States Alaska Petersburg Borough Kupreanof M/V Chugach Ranger 56.809958, -132.97223756°48’36” N 132°58’20” W
Day 8
Petersburg
June 5, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 43 °F
[My ship is in the satellite view of Petersburg here and in Google Maps! Too cool 😎!
https://goo.gl/maps/BRk9zVGC4MneG2h57]

I just couldn't get out of bed this morning in time to walk the town, but I did grab a geocache just off the dock in Wrangell before we left at noon.

We had an very nice cruise north through the Wrangell Narrows. We were able to take that route because we're so small; the ship's draft is only 9 feet (that's how deep our hull sits below the waterline).

The banks of the Narrows are lined with green and red buoys to mark the lane. "Keep red on your right upon return," so they say. But we're not returning. Our guest speaker says in Alaska, they use red on the northernmost part of a channel like the Narrows.

Anyway, the buoys use solar power to light up at night, and the result has caused it to be nicknamed "Christmas Tree Alley." It's a tight steer, so the Captain took control of the rudder for most of the time.

I hope to make it off the ship in the morning to walk the half-mile into Petersburg...and grab another geocache 🤞. This town seems to be even smaller than Wrangell, which was definitely smaller than Ketchikan. It's also getting colder. It's only 45°F right now 🥶! I don't think I brought enough clothes for Alaska.Read more
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Nancy Webb...Pat Bonetar Inside Passage to Juneau
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- Jun 6, 2023, 11:59pm
- ⛅ 48 °F
- Altitude: Sea level
- Coastal Waters Of Southeast Alaska And British Columbia 57.554768, -134.80114657°33’17” N 134°48’4” W
Day 9
Heading to Glacier Bay
June 6, 2023 ⋅ ⛅ 48 °F
Humpbacks today! And a bear!!

We left Petersburg around 13:30 with sea lions barking at us from the buoys as we began heading north toward Glacier Bay, where we should arrive in the morning. On the way we've seen several humpback whales and even a bear on the shoreline, as well as two waterfalls and a gorgeous sunset.

Oh, and I didn't make it off the boat this morning. Again, too tired. I don't sleep well and this job is exhausting. As interesting as it can be, a geocache isn't usually enough to get me out of bed. Fingers crossed for tomorrow, though 🤞🤞🤞!!Read more
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