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MAGAZINE ARTICLE WHALES & WILDLIFE FISHING ALASKA CRUISING AREAS OTHER ACTIVITIES PHOTO GALLERY CONTACT INFO DOCUMENTS RATES & TERMS

ALASKAN SONG
 ALASKA YACHT CHARTERS Since 1996
Crewed Yacht Charter - The Personalized Cruise Alternative

PREPARING FOR YOUR TRIP

 

CLOTHING SUGGESTIONS

Casual clothing is the norm both on the boat as well as in towns, even in some of the better restaurants. Staying warm, dry and comfortable will allow you to maximize the enjoyment of your experience. Layering for warmth is the best approach. If you plan to be outside in windy or rainy conditions, We recommend a long sleeve shirt, sweater and waterproof (not water-resistant) windbreaker and rain pants.

- Pants (Levi’s, denims, khakis)
- Shirts (long & short sleeved cotton, one flannel-like, one turtle-neck) 
- Sweaters ( sweatshirts, wool or synthetic pile) 
- Sweatpants or other comfortable pants 
- Rain jacket/windbreaker - preferably with hood 
- Rain pants - lightweight waterproof/optional
- Shorts (it can be warm!) 
- Gloves - lightweight wool or acrylic gloves are the best
- Bathing suit (in case we stop at a hot springs) 
- Hats - Rain hat and a sun visor or ball cap 
- Shoes - Soft, with non-marking soles for the boat. 
- Knee-high rubber boots for hiking, beach landings and tide pooling.  Rubber boots can be easily cleaned of after a muddy hike.  If  you  don't want to pack boots, we have a good assortment of rubber boots on board or you can buy inexpensive ones in Juneau & Sitka.  

 

CLIMATE INFORMATION

Southeastern Alaska is a temperate rain forest, with the most rain falling in the southern part.  Annual rainfall amounts range from 150 inches in Ketchikan to 30 inches in Skagway.  May and June are the driest months while July and August are a bit wetter but warmer as well.  Normal temperatures run from the mid-fifties to low seventies with temps dropping about ten degrees at night.  Rarely, when the sun comes out, temps in the eighties can occur.  It is important to note that there can be up to 20 hours of daylight in early summer.   The weather in southeast can and does change with amazing frequency.  In order to stay comfortable one needs to be prepared for these changes.

 
SITKA CLIMATE AND HOURS OF DAYLIGHT

Month

 Avg. High Avg. Low Rain Daylight
Jan 29 19 4.5" 7.1 hrs
Feb 34 23 3.75" 9.4 hrs.
Mar 39 27 3.28" 11.8 hrs.
Apr 47 32 2.77" 14.4 hrs.
May 55 39 3.42" 16.8 hrs
Jun 61 45 3.15" 18.3 hrs.
Jul 64 48 4.16" 17.6 hrs.
Aug 63 47 5.32" 15.4 hrs.
Sep 56 43 6.73" 12.8 hrs.
Oct 47 37 7.84" 10.3 hrs.
Nov 37 27 4.91" 7.9 hrs.
Dec 32 23 4.44" 6.4 hrs.

LUGGAGE TIPS

Remember that you will be on a boat. Avoid bringing hard luggage.  The cabins have closets and drawers, but storage is limited. Soft luggage or duffel bags are to be preferred as they stow easily and you will not be competing for space in your stateroom with your luggage.

 EQUIPMENT AND OTHER ITEMS

- Soft day pack 
- Binoculars 
- Sunglasses 
- Sun block, lip balm 
- Hair dryer - We have hair dryers on board
- Camera with extra batteries & lots of film
- Fly-fishing gear (saltwater gear and light spinning gear is already on board) 
- CD's (if you have a favorite) We have a library of over 200 CDs 
- Personal toiletries
- Bring sunscreen, just in case.  Bug spray is a good idea too.  Mosquitoes are generally not a problem on board but can be in small, quiet, windless  coves or on shore.  

  CAMERA AND VIDEO EQUIPMENT

- Rule #1: Start with fresh batteries and bring extras.

- Rule #2: Bring twice the amount of film than you think you could possibly use. You'll really kick yourself if you run out!

- 400 ASA film allows you to shoot in the many different light conditions, but the prints will be grainier if you enlarge the pictures. If you are more into photography, you may want to use film in the range of ASA 64 (slides) or ASA 100 (prints) for sunny days to ASA 200 for overcast days. If you use a camera with interchangeable lenses, bring at least one wide-angle lens (between 24mm and 50mm) and one telephoto. An 80-200mm zoom is the most versatile. A 300mm lens can be very useful for wildlife, if you have a steady hand.  A monopod is quite useful on a boat.

-Digital photographers, we do have a computer (pc) on board with a CD-R/W burner.  We can copy your digital photos from either floppy, smart media, memory stick, secure digital or compact flash to the hard drive during the cruise and then burn all your images on to a CD-ROM for you prior to your departure.

- If you have a video camera, you'll be able to get memorable footage and you'll be recharging your battery often, so bring two batteries and lots of video tape.

- When traveling in the skiff we will be close to the water. Even on a sunny day in calm water there is an "invisible" salt mist in the air. This is hard on camera equipment. Make sure to bring some kind of case for your equipment or at least a heavy plastic bag. Rubbing alcohol works great to remove salt spray from camera bodies. Lens cleaning fluid or a chamois cloth is best for cleaning lenses.

SUGGESTED READING LIST

Guidebooks & Travelogues

Destination Map - Alaska's Inside Passage             National Geographic Maps Trails Illustrated                1-56695-122-4

Best map of the area to use for planning your trip and to bring along

Passage to Juneau                                                        Jonathan Raban             Pantheon Books                          0-679-44262-6
New in 1999 – A lovely & thoughtful look at the history and culture of the area

The Coastal Companion                                               Joe Upton                        Coastal Publishing                     0-9645682-0-9

All around guide to the entire inside passage
Southeast Alaska- Touring the Inside Passage      Sarah Eppenbach           Globe Pequot Press                    1-56440-363-7
Good background on history, wildlife, weather, native heritage and points of interest
Adventure Guide to Coastal Alaska                           Lynn & Ed Readicker- Henderson Hunter Publishing 1-55650-630-9
All around guide to coastal Alaska
The Curve of time                                                         M. Wylie Blanchet         Seal Press                                    1-878067-27-3
Written by a single mother from British Columbia who cruised the coast while home-schooling her children  in the 20s & 30s 
The Last Wild Edge                                                     Susan Zwinger                Johnson Books                            1-55566-241-2
A thoughtful naturalists account of her journey from the arctic circle to the Olympic rain forest (friend of the captain)
Spirited Waters                                                           Jennifer Hahn                  The Mountaineers                       0-89886-744-4
A woman's solo sea-kayak and spiritual voyage through the inside passage from Ketchikan to Bellingham   (friend of the captain)
Reaching Home - Pacific Salmon, Pacific People  Natalie Fobes                    Alaska Northwest Books          0-88240-449-0
Award winning, National Geographic photographer's work on the natural and human history of the salmon  (friend of the captain) 

 

History & Fiction

Where the Sea Breaks its Back                                Corey Ford                        Alaska Northwest Books         0-88240-394-X
Story of naturalist Georg Steller and the Russian Exploration of Alaska
The Sea Runners                                                           Ivan Doig                           Penguin                                       0-14-006780-9
Fictional Account of true story of four Swedish indenture servant who escape Sitka in a stolen Tlingit canoe and paddle all the way to the Columbia River.  A great read!
The Reader’s Companion to Alaska                           Alan Ryan                         Harcourt Brace                          0-15-600368-6
Compendium of great travel writing about Alaska
Working on the Edge                                                    Spike Walker                  St. Martin’s Press                     0-312-08924-4
Great account of the perils of work on a king crab boat not about Southeast but a great read
Coming Back Alive                                                       Spike Walker                  St. Marin's Press                       0-312-26971-4
Incredible true story of an heroic Coast Guard rescue mission on Alaska's high seas
The Inside Passage to Alaska                                     Hugo Anderson                Anderson Publishing                 0-945989-21-0
Hard to find but worth the effort
Cruising Guides and Mariner’s Resources
Exploring the Inside Passage to Alaska                    Don & Reane Douglas  Fine Edge Prod.                             0-938665-33-2
Excellent guide to anchorages and passages San Juan Islands to Skagway
Charlie’s Charts – North to Alaska                          Charles Wood                                                                          0-9697265-4-6
Similar to above but not as detailed on anchorages – good hand drawn charts
Southeast Alaska Current Atlas                              Randel Washbourne      Weatherly Press                            0-935727-05-1
Invaluable graphic atlases of tidal currents – requires current annual tables
Southeast Alaska Boat Harbor Directory Alaska Dept. Fish & Game
Complete information & charts of all small boat harbors in Southeast Alaska

Other Books of Note
·        Alaska-Yukon Handbook, David Stanley
·        Travels in Alaska, John Muir
·        National Geographic, January 1984, "Southeast Alaska-An Incredible Feasting of Whales" (highly recommended)
·        Guide to Marine Mammals of Alaska, Kate Wynne
·        The Sierra Club Handbook to Whales and Dolphins, Leatherwood and Reeves
·        Voyaging With the Whales, Cynthia D'Vincent
·        Alaska's Glaciers, Alaska Geographic
·        Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, J. Pojar & A. MacKinnon
·        The Tlingit, A. Krause (about native cultures)
·        I Heard an Owl Call My Name, Margaret Craven (about priest who learns the ways of the native culture)
·        Raven Stole the Moon, Garth Stein – Supernatural thriller set in modern day Alaska

CLICK ON A LINK BELOW TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT:
HOME THE CREW THE YACHT GUEST COMMENTS SAMPLE ITINERARY SAMPLE MENUS FAVORITE LINKS CLIMATE & CLOTHING  SCHEDULE  & AVAILABILITY
MAGAZINE ARTICLE WHALES & WILDLIFE FISHING ALASKA CRUISING AREAS OTHER ACTIVITIES PHOTO GALLERY CONTACT INFO DOCUMENTS RATES & TERMS