A Worthy Destination

An April departure date usually means rain showers but Got d’ Fever is well suited for the Pacific Northwest including a hydronic heat system and a comfortable Pilothouse.  Our early departure from Seattle will give us the time needed to reach our destination in Northern Alaska.  We will make fewer stops than in previous years while passing through British Columbia and Southeast Alaska, pausing mainly for rest or to wait out weather as needed.  Our goal this summer is to spend time in Prince William Sound, America’s most northerly protected cruising ground with incredible mountain peaks, fjords, and glaciers.  Of course we reserve the right to change our destination based on weather over the Gulf of Alaska. 

Prince William Sound is bounded by the Chugach Mountains to the north and east, and by the Kenai Peninsula to the west, encircling an area of 25,000 square miles containing 150 glaciers.  The towns of Cordova, Valdez, and Whittier, along with the Native communities of Chenega and Tatitlek are the main settlements located within the Sound.  Due to the Sound’s circular shape, no two points are more than 120 miles apart, still a fair distance considering our speed of only 7 to 8 knots.  Although Prince William Sound encompasses 3,000 miles of coastline, the Sound looks like a small area as seen on the map of Alaska, illustrating the State’s enormous, almost incomprehensible size.