Alaska - Sailing in the Majestic Fjords

Day 1: Board the M/V Catalyst

The M/V Catalyst will be docked in the South Harbor near downtown Petersburg. Passengers are welcome to come on board at 12 noon, stow their gear and get familiar with the vessel. At 12:30 pm, we will be underway. We head north out Wrangell Narrows and into Frederick Sound. We enjoy a buffet lunch and have an orientation and safety meeting. After about a two and a half hour run, our first night will be spent anchored at Scenery Cove in Thomas Bay. Tides permitting, a boat ride and hike will provide a unique opportunity to explore Baird Glacier’s cobbled outwash plain and touch the glacier’s icy foot. The evening will be spent introducing everyone to kayaking. We carry five doubles and three single kayaks.

Don’t worry if you have never been in a kayak before, the crew are trained instructors. The doubles are very stable for the beginner and the singles allow the expert to exercise his or her skills.

Day 2: Frederick Sound, the Brothers Islands

Underway in the early morning hours to make the slack tide across the spit and back into Frederick Sound, awakened by the smell of fresh baked scones, we are bound for The Brothers, a group of small islands positioned in the middle of Frederick Sound. Along the way we will be alert for humpback or orca whale sightings. This is one of the prime summer feeding grounds for the migratory humpback and it is a rare transit if we do not encounter a pod.

We may shut down the engine and just drift, watching them feeding or breaching and listening to their songs with the hydrophone. We will drop the hook in an idyllic anchorage where the sounds of breathing whales, stellar sea lions hauled out close by, or the screech of an eagle comes drifting across the evening calm. We’ll explore a temperate rainforest, test our kayak skills and enjoy a sunset BBQ dinner and campfire.

Day 3: Admiralty Island — Kootznoowoo Wilderness

This is a day for kayaking around the islands, hiking through the open under story of the rain forest, or fishing for halibut for our evenings’ meal. There is a stellar sea lion haul-out close by where hundreds of the vocal fellows and felines spend their days. If the humpbacks are out our front door, we may get underway and spend some time shadowing their movements.

By midday we will head for Pybus Bay on Admiralty Island and the Kootznoowoo Wilderness. Nearly 100 miles long, Admiralty is one of North America’s largest protected old growth rainforests, and is home to one of the world’s densest populations of brown bears and bald eagles. Here we will explore the Estuarine river and it’s spawning salmon runs.

Day 4: Stephens Passage, Dawe’s Glacier, Ford’s Terror

Underway in the early morning hours we travel up Stephens Passage to make the slack tide across Wood Spit and into Endicott Arm. Passengers awake to the heart beat rhythm of the Washington Diesel as we dodge icebergs and wind our way into the fjord. It is twenty seven miles up the Arm to the face of Dawes Glacier where we will linger for awhile to witness the calving and booming of the bergs.

Then we will make our way to a seldom visited anchorage called Ford’s Terror to enjoy the late light of Alaska’s summer, from the perspective of a kayak.

Day 5: Explore Ford’s Terror by kayak and on foot

At Ford’s Terror we will adventure by foot and kayak. Surrounded by 5,000 foot granite faces, the mist hanging to the precipices, the vessel is suspended in crystal clear water, suspended in time... Today we will kayak through the tidal rapids (at slack water of course) and paddle into the majestic inner fjord.

Day 6: Holkolm Bay, Tlingit culture, Captain’s Ball

After a morning hike ashore, we will sail north out of Endicott Arm and into Holkolm Bay to drop the anchor near Wood Spit. A wonderful place to explore the beach or fish for halibut, this anchorage provides a spectacular panorama of glaciers, sunsets and fascinating geology, Tlingit culture, and gold rush history. Tonight we celebrate our experiences together at the Captain’s Ball.

Day 7: Stephens Passage to Juneau

A relaxing morning, and time for one more kayak ride before the boats get stowed. Underway we enjoy a delicious breakfast as we head north through Stephens Passage. We reach Alaska’s state capital, Juneau around noon. We recommend that you consider overnighting in Juneau, just in case your arrival is delayed due to weather. There is plenty of interest in this scenic state capital — a visit to the Alaska State Museum, a trip up the Mount Roberts Tram, or perhaps a hike on one of the many trails in the area would be a delightful way to end your stay in Alaska.

Please note: itinerary may change according to tides, weather conditions, desires of the guests and nature’s surprises.