AK -- Alaska Ferry, 11-14 May 2018

Our route and stops were:  Bellingham, Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Juneau, and Haines

Why…

Fastest way for us to get to Alaska!

How…

We originally made Alaska Ferry reservations in November to sail on April 27^th, from Bellingham to Juneau on the Columbia, the largest ferry in the Alaska fleet.

The schedule is divided by winter (Oct-Apr) and summer (May-Sep) seasons and it is not possible to make reservations till the schedule is out. Winter schedule comes out approximately in August and the summer schedule comes out in December or January. The schedule must be cleared through all the communities that utilize the ferry system before it is finalized.

When we were booked into Juneau on the winter schedule in April, it saved us several hundred dollars. After spending a few weeks in Colorado, we scratched Juneau from our plan. With a May (summer) departure from Bellingham to Haines (975 miles, 3.5 days), it cost $469 per person, $4569 for a 52’ ‘High double unit’, and $771 for a four person berth (all two person berths were booked) with full facilities and an outside window for a total of $6278…yikes!

We were thankful there was space for our 52 foot long rig. Apparently, early season is not as tightly booked as we had imagined. In fact we met Jerry and Cathy who were able to get their truck on the last minute via standby. They woke up that morning and decided to head to Alaska. We admire their spontaneity.

We still haven’t solidified our return itinerary in October. That ferry schedule will be released in August.

Unfortunate detour…

Six hours before we were to board the ferry in Bellingham, Washington, I received a frantic phone call from my Mother. My stepfather, Leon had just unexpectedly died.

Leon entered my life while I was still in high school. As a retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant, he was a great mentor who helped me to decide to enlist in the Air Force 27 years ago. His sudden death left a huge hole in our lives but especially my Mother’s. We had to be with her.

The next few hours were a blur. Arleen made calls to adjust the ferry reservations, cancel campground reservations, get us airline tickets from Seattle to Denver that night, arrange airport parking for the truck, and for her sister to pick us up at the airport.

I made arrangements with the campground host, Ken, to store our little home in a secure location on the Navy base. Knowing that Ken had an eye on things gave me peace of mind.

I’ve always been amazed at how human kindness comes forward during times of tragedy. The campground in Juneau, Spruce Meadow RV Park allowed us to cancel our reservations without penalty and took care of our mail that was already in route. They also mailed us a nice card.  When we make it to Juneau someday, we will definitely stay there and we highly recommend Spruce Meadow RV Park.

Even though it was a tough few weeks, it was a blessing to spend time with my Mother, my sister and her family. In addition, Arleen was able to see her sister and her niece a few times.

On the Ferry…

Sleeping Options:

After a few rough weeks in Colorado, we treated ourselves to a berth for the four days and 3 nights we would be at sea. The berths are available in two and four person configurations with and without bath facilities and inside (without window) and outside rooms. From Bellingham to Haines they vary in price from $435 to $800.

The Columbia has 59 two person berths and 44 four person berths for a sleeping capacity total of 294 sleeping berths. The Columbia has a passenger capacity of 600 persons. Where do the other 306 people sleep? In accordance with safety regulations, you cannot sleep in your vehicle or RV. But your pet must sleep in your vehicle. We’ll circle back to that.

The original plan had been to sleep on the cabin deck in a tent. The deck is on the backside of the ferry, under an overhang. There were about 4 tents set up there and they appeared to be out of the wind with the exception of the one that was against the rail rather than under the overhang.

Up on the Bridge Deck, about 20 folks were sleeping on chaise lounges under the solarium. The solarium has heat lamps that shine down on it. With windows all around, it is a scenic way to ride. Tents are also allowed on the Bridge deck just not under the heat lamps. There were two tents set up here that were exposed to wind and rain. At first there were a few sleeping hammocks that had tied off on the corner rails. As soon as we got under way, they took the full brunt of the wind and their occupants rocked violently. The next time we went by, they had moved and tied off on pillars under the solarium.

Throughout the ferry, anywhere there was a flat surface; folks were enveloped in sleeping bags, on couches in hallways, table benches and floors in the observation decks… The ferry service is very accommodating.

Eating Options:

The Columbia has a snack bar and a full service dining room. During our research we learned that there was a microwave available in the snack bar. Arleen prepared meals for us in advance, froze them, and we stored them in a cooler in the truck.

Pets are allowed on the ferry but they have to remain in vehicles in the car hold below. Four times a day (weather permitting), the Captain allows folks to access their vehicles for 15 minutes. So during the pet potty breaks, we would access our truck for frozen meals and fresh fruit.

We had cold cereal for breakfast. Two bowls of cereal with milk in the snack bar was $6.

Additional Services:

The Columbia has men’s and women’s restrooms on the three main levels. The Cabin Deck has a women’s and men’s shower room with 4 stalls and 2 washer/dryers and a coin operated detergent dispenser.

There are soda/juice vending machines throughout the ferry plus a few ice machines. A bucket of ice is 25 cents. There are a few sets of lockers that would accommodate a duffle bag for 50 cents. There are sea sickness bags containers on each floor. They are free.

There are observation decks on two levels, a kid’s play room area, and a theater room. We enjoyed viewing the “Vessel Tracking” map in the purser area every few hours to find our position.

There is no wi-fi on board and spotty cell phone signals near towns.  If your data plan doesn’t include Canada, you could get a surprise bill.

There are plenty of electric outlets scattered throughout the ship.  The ferry web page warns that power surges occur and suggests to use a surge protector.

   

Tucked in for our departure  /  Leaving Juneau.  Note the space between our trailer and the boat.  The boat was backed in and had no more than 6 inches of clearance on both sides at times.

   

There’s roughly 2 feet of space between the rows  /  Vehicles are hoisted to the next deck

Vehicles get off and on at each stop.  We entered from the stern and excited through the side.  Some vehicles had to back either on or off the ship.  This is Juneau where quite a few vehicles got off and then quite a few new ones got on.

This is the lower observation deck.  The high windows make it difficult to see things while seated.

    

The upper observation deck.  The higher point of view and bigger windows make this the best place to look for wildlife and scan the incredible scenery.  /  This is the theater.  Four movies were shown on long sail days, and just a movie or two on short sail days.

   

You can sleep almost anywhere on the ship.  Tents are allowed in a few places.  Tents on the open deck get blasted by constant winds.  Tents under the deck are much more protected from the elements.  Note the duct tape to secure the tent to the ship.

   

The solarium is enclosed on three sides and has heat lamps.  There were roughly 10 reclinable lawn chairs.  Some people slept on the floor in their sleeping bags.  There were also a few hammocks strung between poles.  /  The berths are expensive: $435 – $800.  Most have either two beds or four.  Our berth had a small sink with two open shelves underneath.  Between the sink and the door is a roughly two foot wide place to hang clothes and stash a bag or ice chest.  The bathroom has a small shower and toilet.  There were two different power outlets.

       

The snack bar area is open 24 hours but only serves hot food for lunch and dinner.  There is one microwave available.  We froze a bunch of meals beforehand and ate those each day.

   

The Dinning Room was nice and had a decent menu.  (Click to see items and cost.)

 

   

There was a small kids play room  /  Washers, dryers, and detergent are available

   

These maps are posted near most of the stairs and are handy until you figure things out.  /  We checked the ship’s location on this map multiple times each day.

       

The car deck was only accessible at certain times for just 15 minutes each time.  We made sure that we could easily get to our fruit and our frozen meals and grabbed some each day.  Pets must stay in vehicles so the car deck calls give pet owners regular opportunities to take care of their four-legged friends.  The ship is always on Alaska time.

   

There are quite a few lockers available.  They would be handy if you are sleeping some place other than a berth.  /  Sea sick bags are located all over the ship.  Though most of the route is through the protected Inside Passage, there are a few open water crossings than can get rough.

Day 1…

Getting on the ferry in Bellingham…

Our journey began at the Port of Bellingham, Washington. We arrived at the terminal around 1pm, a good two hours before the 3pm show-time.  We were scheduled to depart at 6pm.

After a brief inspection (accurate measurement, confirm propane was off), we got in line with several other folks that had already been waiting. There were about 50 cars and a few motorhomes, 5^th wheels, and other travel trailers. There were also boats, utility trailers, and even a tractor waiting to make the journey to all the different stops along the way.

Next, we walked into town to get lunch. Then we returned to the truck and the long wait began. Arleen walked aboard the ferry to get a key to our room and get a lay of the boat. I chatted with others waiting in line and the ferry personnel. They nicknamed me the 52 footer. We were one of the longest and the only big one going all the way to Haines.

An accident on busy Interstate 5 and a few mechanical issues, extended our wait from 5 hours to 7 hours. Finally, around 8pm I was motioned to drive forward. I gave Arleen a big wave as I slowly drove onto the ship.

Washington State gave us a bon voyage gesture in the form of a spectacular sunset against the San Juan Islands and Vancouver Island.

Arleen had familiarized herself with the Columbia and gave me the full tour when I arrived. The Columbia, built in 1974, is 418 feet in length and the flagship vessel for the Alaska ferry system. It’s the fastest at a service speed of 17.3 knots. With 66 crew members and a 600 passenger capacity, it can transfer up to 134 vehicles (if all were 20 feet in length) in a lower and upper car hold – there is a hoist to get the vehicles to the upper car hold. It’s quite the puzzle to load the vehicles. Size plays a key role, but departures and future arrivals must also be considered. Vehicles get on and off at each stop.

M/V Columbia in Bellingham WA

The Bellingham Terminal and our ride to Haines AK.  Note that a 5th wheel RV is being backed onto the ship.

   

Our spot in line between a boat and a tractor  /  We estimated roughly 50 cars and 25 RVs, boats, utility trailers, tractors, etc. got on the ferry

   

That’s us at the very end of the line  /  Happy to get on the ferry!

   

Leaving Bellingham and Mount Baker behind  /  Sailing towards a glorious sunset

Day 2…

At sea between Bellingham and Ketchikan…

We spent the entire day at sea without any stops. The morning was dreary with low clouds, occasional drizzle, and patchy thick fog. Northern Vancouver Island was still to our port side.

As we left Vancouver Island behind, we moved into the open water of Queen Charlotte Strait and the ferry started rocking. We made several tight turns. The Captain always announced these with the warning, “sit down or if there is a need to move about the boat be sure to have a hand on the boat such as a railing”. He even advised to take anti-sickness medication if you suffer from the malady.

Waves switched from rocking the boat forwards/backwards to a side to side motion. The side to side motion was worse and the entire boat would creak ominously. We had about three and a half hours of open water cruising where it was fairly rough.

About the time we moved into the protection of the inside passage, the temperature inversion broke, the clouds lifted and we were treated to blue skies and views of the British Colombia coastline including rocky islands and distant snow covered peaks.

We moved through Bella Bella, British Columbia that afternoon where we saw our first totem pole. The ferry purser gave a good brief on the history of the area. We found it was good to hang out in the forward observation deck, because he often stopped by to brief the room on the inner passage trivia.

Day 2 started out dreary and …

   

finished gloriously!  /  Spotted our first totem pole in Bella Bella BC

Interesting and spectacular place to live

Day 3…

Ketchikan to Wrangell to Petersburg…

On Sunday morning we made our first stop in Ketchikan, Alaska. Arleen and I were up, showered, breakfasted and ready to disembark the ferry at 0700L. We had five and a half hours in the coastal town and we had a plan.

We grabbed a taxi with our new friends Cathy and Jerry and got a ride out to Totem Bight State Park. The friendly taxi driver recommended that we also visit Potlatch Totem Park and the Alaska Totem Trading Post which were right next door.

Totem Bight has several examples of historic totems along a path that winds through a rain forest and then opens to a view of the Tongass Narrows. A Bald Eagle sailed above us and landed on a nearby tree, just as if he had been trained to do so.

In addition, there are interpretive signs that explain the meaning of the characters and the colors depicted on the handsome landmarks.

At the turn of the century Tlingit natives moved into communities and original totems were falling to ruin. “In 1938, the U.S. Forest Service began a program aimed at salvaging and reconstructing these large cedar monuments.” They hired skilled native carvers who trained young artisans. Together they repaired or duplicated the old totems.

Also, there is a replica clan house. A dwelling this size would have housed 30 to 50 people around a central fireplace. Belongings were kept under the floor boards. The outside and inside walls are decorated with similar characters and colors as the totems.

The fee to walk around the park is a recommended $5 per person.

As we walked into Potlatch Totem Park the owner greeted us and gave us a quick brief on his native collection. Then he quickly ran home, so he could unlock some of the buildings for us – it was so Alaskan! The park included several bright totems, boats, a large clan house, several smaller native homes, and a totem carving shed. There was also a large antique car collection that we never expected to find in rural Alaska.

Finally, we visited the Trading Post. Inside there we found a large, impressive gun collection that included a Gatling gun. The owner told us his father had started the collection as a young man. His father also collected Alaskan animal taxidermy. Eyes followed us around the room.

We offered to give the owner a donation for allowing us to visit. He refused saying that he just likes folks to see his father’s collections. He said that the souvenir store does well enough to support that collection. So we bought a couple of post cards.

The four of us then visited the Landing Restaurant across from the ferry port for an early lunch.

After we left Ketchikan, we spent a few hours on the observation deck. We had our binoculars and were eager to spot wildlife. We weren’t the only ones. There were always folks scanning ahead for anything interesting. When someone spotted something, they announced it so everyone could focus their efforts. That afternoon we spotted 6-8 whales and 6-8 porpoises! Arleen did her best to get pictures, but the critters didn’t pose long enough.

Around dinner time, we stopped at Wrangell, Alaska. We only stayed for 45 minutes and remained on the ship. Next we headed to Petersburg, Alaska. We arrived around 10:15pm for another quick 45 minute stop. The purser briefed us that the ferry had to make it through the Wrangell Narrows when the tide was above a certain height or the big ship could bottom out. It was tight!

   

The Ketchikan Harbor and a cruise ship  /  Our ride docked in Ketchikan

Totem Bight

   

The Clan House in Totem Bight

The inside of the Clan House

   

One of the many interesting totem poles  /  The meaning of the totem poles

Houses and a totem pole at the Potlatch Park

   

The Clan House  /  Pretty intricate designs

The inside of the Clan House

   

Having fun at Potlatch Park

       

More fun at Potlatch Park

They also had an impressive old car collection and an old weapon collection

   

That afternoon we spotted 6-8 whales and 6-8 porpoises between Ketchikan and Wrangell

Nearing Wrangell AK

Wrangell AK

Day 4…

Petersburg to Juneau to Haines…

We were into Juneau at 06:45 the next morning. The purser briefed us that the ferry had moved the port 13 miles from downtown. It ended up saving two hours in route to Haines. However, passengers no longer get a glimpse of Juneau from the ferry.

We were only in Juneau for two hours. We discussed grabbing a taxi and going for a quick hike around the glacier. But it was cloudy, raining, and breezy, exactly as forecast and typical weather. Though we could not see town, we could see a small portion of the Mendenhall glacier.

Nearly 75 percent of the passengers that had been on the boat from Bellingham, debarked at Juneau. This included an enthusiastic group of older folks that were part of a Road Scholars tour.

We spent the rest of the morning in the observation deck. Thankfully, the clouds parted from time to time to tease us with glimpses of the scenic mountains.

We passed by the picturesque Sentinal and Eldred lighthouses. We could see where they had been necessary in the narrow rocky, glacial fjords.

Finally, as Lynn Canal got narrower and the mountains more vertical, we turned a corner towards Chilkoot Inlet. We finally got a glimpse of Haines, cradled in a bowl of rugged glacier covered mountains. But we continued past it... The Haines Ferry terminal is 4 miles northwest of town.

We threw together our bags, Arleen turned in the keys to the purser, and we hurried down the stairs to the truck. The ferry personnel carefully guided us out the tight exit and we drove off.

The mountains are getting higher.  Too bad the weather was dreary again.

Spotted a glacier through the rain and clouds

The Sentinel Island Light

       

Just a few of the many waterfalls we saw between Juneau and Haines

The Eldred Rock Light

   

The mountains climb straight out of the water along Lynn Canal just south of Haines  /  The crew practiced emergency drills. 

Our goal: Haines AK

Final thoughts and lessons learned…

The ferry was a very positive experience. We arrived in Alaska relaxed and rested and ready to hit the rivers and trails.  We also saw some incredible scenery and spotted wildlife.

Our plan to stow frozen meals and fruit in our rig worked out great. It saved us money and we ate our own yummy healthy food.

If we were to drive the Alcan, it would take 2-3 weeks each way. We would stop every 250 miles or so and spend at least two nights at each stop. (We are adventurers and must explore places we’ve never seen.)  If we traveled like this both ways from the Seattle area, it would take us four to five weeks.  Riding the ferry both ways takes just one week.  That gives us roughly a month longer to explore some sweet spots in Alaska!

We’ve both driven the Alcan and have both had maintenance issues that cost time and money. The Alcan can be brutal on vehicles.

Compared to most full-service pleasure cruises, the Alaska Ferry is a more affordable option.  Though bringing an RV is expensive, it saves wear and tear, is relaxing and scenic, and allowed us much more time to explore Alaska.

Taking an RV on the Alaska ferry is expensive. Was it worth it?  The answer is subjective, but to us, it was worth it.

Parting shots…

       

Washington’s Rhododendrons are beautiful  /  This cracked us up!

(200,000!)