Blog #1:
“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike.”  ~John Muir

So...WE ARE BOATING TO ALASKA!!!
(Planned departure: Saturday PM, June 2nd)


Among many must-read books for this journey is John Muir's "Travels In Alaska", comprised of his three pilgrimages to Alaska between 1879-1890.  The above is a favorite Muir quote that reflects on this ambition we are undertaking.

We look forward to sharing our experiences and reflections, and of course the spectacular views as we embark upon one of the great wilderness areas on the globe.  But first a quick overview...

By the numbers:

• Flotilla: we are one of three boats, all Ranger Tugs.  We are good friends who have chosen to travel together for the enjoyment of each others company, compatible cruising style, and safety in numbers; including each of us operating a vessel with nearly identical equipment, cruising speed, and range.
• Timing:
• Departing June 2nd
• Returning mid-August (duration approximately 2.5 months)
• Route: Inside Passage - Anacortes-Prince Rupert-Ketchikan-Sitka-Juneau-Petersburg-Wrangell and back South.  But aside from historical towns and Native American culture, the real highlights we are in search of are Glaciers, Waterfalls, Grizzly Bear, Humpback and Orca Whales, Eagles, and countless miles of wilderness shoreline and cozy remote anchorages.  Our northernmost point will be the National Shrine of St. Therese, 22 miles north of Juneau, which we expect to visit around the 4th of July.  After that, we will make our way South, but hardly ever in a straight line as there are countless islands, inlets, and fjords to navigate and explore.
• Total nautical miles: 3,000 (a bit more than driving from Seattle to New York City!)
• Speed & Range: these are not your grandfather's tugboats.  These Rangers have a top speed of around 20K, although we typically cruise around 10K for a relaxed pace and to keep an eye out for submerged "deadheads" (logs) that lurk in the waters of the Salish Sea and Inside Passage.  These tugs very efficient, and with capacity of 80 to 100 gallons of diesel, we have a cruising range of 200 to 400 nautical miles depending on speed, currents, etc.  We are also each carrying an extra 10 to 20 gallons in diesel jugs as hedge factor.

A bit about the boat and crew...

"Seaquel" is a 27' Ranger Tug, built in 2013. We purchased her, barely used with just 50 hours, going into the summer of 2015, She is our 4th powerboat, and the name refers to the next nautical chapter in our life that has been enriched by spending time on the water.

Our cozy floating cabin will be home to Peggy, my bride and best friend of 38 years (will celebrate our 38th anniversary on this trip); Nicole, our 29 year-old daughter (one of our five children); and Moxie, our 4 year-old Golden Retriever (and "other" best friend). And I'm Mark, recent Retiree, Captain, Navigator, Proud Grandpa, and whom some would consider the biggest (or at least oldest) kid among the growing Leopold Crew. I'll be your tour guide on this journey and hopefully many more, as I hope to reward your interest in our blog by providing stunning pictures and unique perspectives.  There, an appropriate high bar is set!

Below is a picture of Nicole with Moxie.  Yes, Moxie tends to insert herself everywhere in our lives, now including going to Alaska.  For the record, Moxie has found her way into BOTH of the first two pictures of this blog.  That's a harbinger that you will see lots of pictures of Moxie on this blog, but hopefully framed in an array of spectacular settings!

One of our unique perspectives is to show what Nicole is seeing and where she is going on this grand adventure. Nicole has highly involved Cerebral Palsy, resulting from a bout of viral encephalitis that nearly took her life before her 2nd birthday. Much of Peggy's and my goal as parents and outdoor enthusiasts has been to not allow Nicole's disability to deter us from sharing our love of the sea and the mountains....with Nicole, with our other children, and with each other (and now for our 6 grandchildren - soon to be 8!).  Nicole is a primary reason for writing this blog, as many have asked that we share Nicole's adventure.  And heck, if it weren't for Nicole, we likely would not even be boaters today, or living in Anacortes as the jumping off point for the San Juan's, or so many other aspects of our lives.  But I digress.  I'll share more about Nicole and how she has shaped our lives on another day. First, more details as we ready our boat and our minds for our dream trip to Alaska...

About our flotilla:

• "Beyond" is another 27' Ranger Tug, owned by Ollie and Pam Pepper.  Ollie and Pam are the most experienced at this retirement phase among our group, spend their summers living aboard Beyond exploring the waterways of the Pacific Northwest from the San Juan's to British Columbia's Gulf Islands, Desolation Sound, and as far north as the Broughton's.  Ollie and Pam boast the most extensive boating resume among the flotilla, with interesting nautical history dating back decades that I hope to have opportunity to share in more detail later in the blog.

Beyond and Seaquel rafted at anchor last year in Pendrell Sound, British Columbia

Peggy and Pam (Two P's In A Pod) bookended by two graybeard retirees Mark & Ollie

• "Journey" is a 25' Ranger Tug, owned by Glen Wagner.  Glen, like me is more recently retired, but has a wealth of applicable experience in his former life as an automotive design engineer for Ford, moving from Michigan to Anacortes when he purchased Journey just a couple of years ago.  Glen now works part-time for Ranger Tug, delivering boats and teaching new owners about all the systems.  Really, Glen just gets paid to share his love of boating and Ranger Tugs with happy people living the dream of getting on the water.  It is a dream job, but no one deserves it more or does it better than Glen!

Glen single-handing Journey earlier this Spring on a shakedown cruise
with Seaquel at Eagle Harbor, Cypress Island (San Juan Islands)

The route:

• We'll be sharing more details of our route along the way, but these maps help provide perspective of the scale of this trip.  We are experienced cruisers, having boated in the relative calm of the picturesque San Juan Islands of Washington State with four different boats we have owned, plus two other power boats we have chartered.  We've also cruised extensively into British Columbia's Gulf Islands, and across the wild open waters of the Strait of Georgia to Jervis Inlet, Princess Louisa, Desolation Sound, and the Discovery Islands.  These are all considered to be among the finest cruising waters in the world.  And yet the furthest North we have journeyed, using the map below as reference, is barely about half-way up Vancouver Island (just North of Nanaimo on the map, which looks like next-door neighbors to Seattle).
• Even before we reach Prince Rupert B.C., prior to crossing Dixon Strait to Alaska, we will have traveled nearly THREE TIMES FURTHER NORTH than ever before in our 30 years' experience.  And then we will DOUBLE THAT AGAIN traversing the full length of the Inside Passage of Alaska, just North of Juneau.  This is true wilderness, among the most remote places accessible anywhere in the world.  And our little, trailerable tug Seaquel will transport us from the safe confines of our driveway on the shores of Campbell Lake on Fidalgo Island (Anacortes) all the way to calving glaciers of Alaska where we may be dodging ice burgs, and where accurate calculations about cruising range are critical to make it to the next fuel stop that may be almost a week away.  The further North one ventures into Canada and Alaska, the fewer services there are.  Self reliance is a must.  A bit daunting, but exhilarating!
  

We are so excited!!!  Excited to realize a dream, a "bucket list" item that has "tugged" at us for decades but, given Nicole's disabilities, never truly expected to realize until about a year ago.  The past year's planning and boat renovations have been part of the fun, but now putting our plans and experience to the test will be where the dreaming becomes reality.  So thank you for tuning in, we are so excited to share this dream with you!

In closing our very first blog, it seems appropriate to invoke our God, for whom we give thanks for the opportunity to be in such proximity to the wonders of His creation:

All-powerful and ever-living God, when Abraham left his own land and departed from his own people, you kept him safe all through his journey. Protect us, who also are your servants: walk by our side to help us; be our companion and our strength on the seas and our refuge in every adversity. Lead us, O Lord, so that we will reach our destination in safety and happily return to our homes. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

And this, mounted at the helm of Seaquel:

Stay tuned, more updates to follow...

~Mark