Getting to Craig: By Boat, By Sea

The F/V Investor was based in Blaine, Washington, snug on the Canadian border with British Columbia (B.C. in local parlance). Traveling from Blaine to Craig by boat is a distance of some 700+ nautical miles. The Investor, like many of the Delta 58″ fishing vessels, was capable of a cruising speed of 9 knots. That translates into a minimum 3-day trip through the legendary Inside Passage, assuming good weather, an average boat speed of 9 knots and a non-stop journey with everyone on wheel-watch.

There is a good reason not to stop: A U.S. boat will have to clear Canadian Customs. The only exception to this rule is for those vessels transiting directly from one foreign point or port outside of Canada (say Blaine, Washington) to another foreign point or port outside of Canada (say Craig, Alaska). Vessels in transit are defined by motion: “vessel movement must be continuous, uninterrupted, and without delays or stopovers.”

That can, of course, get tricky, for the Inside Passage is a fickle mistress. The Inside Passage is famous for its fast currents. This is in part because water flooding and ebbing from the Pacific Ocean is constricted as it forces its way through the slender passages that help define this waterscape. Smart sailors wait till slack tide, when the waters momentarily stop roiling.


Whirlpools near Dent Island, Inside Passage, B.C. (copyright Leland E. Hale)

Along the way, much of the transit is dependent on currents — how strong they are, which way they are flowing, and how they interact with the wind and the tide — all of which determines how long it will take to get from one point to the next. Better to wait than get pulled under or flipped over by these churning waters.


Rapids near Dent Island, Inside Passage, B.C. (copyright Leland E. Hale)

To some skippers, the currents are the ultimate lesson in humility. There are a few places, such as Dodd Narrows and Yuculta Narrows, where the transit can happen only during slack water. And, yes, both places are in Canadian waters. Get stuck there and you might have some explaining to do.


Yuculta Rapids (copyright Leland E. Hale)

Transiting Queen Charlotte Sound and Dixon Entrance — on either side of Haida Gwaii and Queen Charlotte islands — is weather sensitive. Skippers usually keep a sharp eye on the weather prior to crossing these waters. They may be forced to change their plans — to either arrive ahead of a system, or wait out the bad weather, hiding behind Vancouver Island.

These crossings take the vessel into the open sea. There are no convenient islands or harbors to duck into. You are out in the open. There is no place to hide. And yes, many fishing vessels are designed for the rougher seas of open waters. Still… This ain’t child’s play.

At least until you “exit” the Dixon Entrance and are behind Dall Island. And then you’re home free. The only thing you have to fear then are… Other people.

Boat
Queen Charlotte Sound and Dixon Entrance (wikipedia)


Many thanks to Christine Smith for her Inside Passage tips. Want to book a trip? Check out her site.

Copyright Leland E. Hale (2018). All rights reserved.


Order “What Happened In Craig,” HERE and HERE, true crime on Epicenter Press.

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