Re: [bolger] Re: Illinois: This is the Bolger I want!
The Wyoming should have no problem coming up the Inside Passage in the
summer. You wouldn't believe some of the vessels that make it here to
the northern end every year. Read Three's a Crew by Katherine Pinkerton
about Pre WW2 cruising up here or Joe Upton's Alaska Blues from the
early 70's. There are more up to date cruising guides, but these two
capture the magic of the region very well. You will need a good heater.
HJ
summer. You wouldn't believe some of the vessels that make it here to
the northern end every year. Read Three's a Crew by Katherine Pinkerton
about Pre WW2 cruising up here or Joe Upton's Alaska Blues from the
early 70's. There are more up to date cruising guides, but these two
capture the magic of the region very well. You will need a good heater.
HJ
> I would love to do the inside Passage. If anyone if familiar with it, do
> you think a Wyoming could handle it?
>
> The wife and I purchased a tape on this passage. It wasn't made for boaters
> but for historical information. It was loaded with tragedies of ferries and
> cargo boats going down in the poor weather and fog.
>
> Just curious. The Wife is from Oregon and I lived north of Seattle in the
> late 70's.
>
> Would love to see the area again someday.
>
> Jeff
>
Another view is that given in "Row to Alaska by Wind and Oar"
available from Nancy Ashenfelter, 3915 "N" Ave, Anacortes, WA 98221.
This was reviewed in MAIB March 15, 1995. Good book.
Bob Chamberland
available from Nancy Ashenfelter, 3915 "N" Ave, Anacortes, WA 98221.
This was reviewed in MAIB March 15, 1995. Good book.
Bob Chamberland
On Mon, 29 Apr 2002, brucehallman wrote:
Sea and Its Meanings by Jonathon Raban (the editor of the Oxford Book of
the Sea).
> I also remember the beautiful, [really beautiful] trees, mist, fogAn interesting and readable recent book on this is: Passage to Juneau : A
> and calm water. I long to go back, and I think Dakota could be the
> right boat.
Sea and Its Meanings by Jonathon Raban (the editor of the Oxford Book of
the Sea).
--- In bolger@y..., "Jeff Blunck" <boatbuilding@g...> wrote:
Ketchikan, the bilge filled with dozens of cases of beer. One-way
airplane tickets up, and three weeks sailing back. Our lives were at
serious risk only two or three times. The first trip our route was
inside, and the second mostly outside.
Believe it or not, while both routes have hazards, the outside seemed
more safe.
I bet a Wyoming could handle it with 99% probability, 99.5% if you
are more careful.
The hazards include, severe tidal action and extreme [I mean *really*
extreme] remoteness, days without seeing another boat. Some of the
channels are fjord-like, and the tide sloshes daily back and forth
and back and forth. The blackness of the water contrasts
photogenically with the whiteness of the whitecaps; with the wind
always whipping into your face. The millions [literally] semi-
submerged logs all have rounded ends from years of grinding against
the sheer rocky cliffs, each log waiting to mess up your
propellor/rudder or worse. That is what I remember anyway.
I also remember the beautiful, [really beautiful] trees, mist, fog
and calm water. I long to go back, and I think Dakota could be the
right boat.
> I would love to do the inside Passage.Twice, my friend barged his 26 foot fiberglass sloop from Seattle to
> If anyone if familiar with it, do
> you think a Wyoming could handle it?
Ketchikan, the bilge filled with dozens of cases of beer. One-way
airplane tickets up, and three weeks sailing back. Our lives were at
serious risk only two or three times. The first trip our route was
inside, and the second mostly outside.
Believe it or not, while both routes have hazards, the outside seemed
more safe.
I bet a Wyoming could handle it with 99% probability, 99.5% if you
are more careful.
The hazards include, severe tidal action and extreme [I mean *really*
extreme] remoteness, days without seeing another boat. Some of the
channels are fjord-like, and the tide sloshes daily back and forth
and back and forth. The blackness of the water contrasts
photogenically with the whiteness of the whitecaps; with the wind
always whipping into your face. The millions [literally] semi-
submerged logs all have rounded ends from years of grinding against
the sheer rocky cliffs, each log waiting to mess up your
propellor/rudder or worse. That is what I remember anyway.
I also remember the beautiful, [really beautiful] trees, mist, fog
and calm water. I long to go back, and I think Dakota could be the
right boat.
----- Original Message -----
From: "brucehallman" <brucehallman@...>
To: <bolger@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, April 29, 2002 8:46 AM
Subject: [bolger] Re: Illinois: This is the Bolger I want!
> --- In bolger@y..., "announcer97624" <cupp@k...> wrote:
> > Illinois...cruising the locks on the Columbia and
>
> Carefully, on calm days.
>
> > the entire West Coast(on calm days)
> > would not be out of the question.
>
> No way! I recall reading, [I forget where] that PB&F strongly oppose
> this kind of use of Illinois. [Someone wanted to take it up the
> Inside Passage to Alaska.] It is *not* a cruiser, it is really a
> floating house 'shanty' disguised to look like a ship. I am guessing
> the problem(s) are that it is vastly underpowered, and that in
> swells, the propellor would see air. There also may be structural
> issues in swells.
>
I would love to do the inside Passage. If anyone if familiar with it, do
you think a Wyoming could handle it?
The wife and I purchased a tape on this passage. It wasn't made for boaters
but for historical information. It was loaded with tragedies of ferries and
cargo boats going down in the poor weather and fog.
Just curious. The Wife is from Oregon and I lived north of Seattle in the
late 70's.
Would love to see the area again someday.
Jeff
--- In bolger@y..., "announcer97624" <cupp@k...> wrote:
this kind of use of Illinois. [Someone wanted to take it up the
Inside Passage to Alaska.] It is *not* a cruiser, it is really a
floating house 'shanty' disguised to look like a ship. I am guessing
the problem(s) are that it is vastly underpowered, and that in
swells, the propellor would see air. There also may be structural
issues in swells.
the Illinois could make an excellent retirement platform instead of a
a mountain cabin on a lake, etc..
I want one too! Wild guess, $30K in materials? Cheaper than many
motorhomes and mountain cabins.
> Illinois...cruising the locks on the Columbia andCarefully, on calm days.
> the entire West Coast(on calm days)No way! I recall reading, [I forget where] that PB&F strongly oppose
> would not be out of the question.
this kind of use of Illinois. [Someone wanted to take it up the
Inside Passage to Alaska.] It is *not* a cruiser, it is really a
floating house 'shanty' disguised to look like a ship. I am guessing
the problem(s) are that it is vastly underpowered, and that in
swells, the propellor would see air. There also may be structural
issues in swells.
> The idea of doing that is far more appealing to meYes! As a floating home, moving a few miles at a time on calm days,
> than driving a motor home on retirement trips.
the Illinois could make an excellent retirement platform instead of a
a mountain cabin on a lake, etc..
I want one too! Wild guess, $30K in materials? Cheaper than many
motorhomes and mountain cabins.
http://www.hallman.org/bolger/Illinois/
The Illinois has the room I would need to live with my wife without
having her kill me. As a house boat it would have far more class than
the pontoon wonders everybody and their brothers are taking up space
with. I would use a diesel genset/solar power system with electric
drive motors.
With a DSS self pointing antenna system they use on the fancy motor
homes and a couple of flat panel TV's I could sell my cabin on the
lake shore for one that floats(with class). I spoke with a boat
hauler and gave him the dimensions of the Illinois and I could have
it hauled to the Columbia Gorge for under a thousand dollars from
Klamath Lake where I have my cabin.
Not really a trailer boat but cruising the locks on the Columbia and
the entire West Coast(on calm days) would not be out of the question.
The idea of doing that is far more appealing to me than driving a
motor home on retirement trips.
The Illinois has the room I would need to live with my wife without
having her kill me. As a house boat it would have far more class than
the pontoon wonders everybody and their brothers are taking up space
with. I would use a diesel genset/solar power system with electric
drive motors.
With a DSS self pointing antenna system they use on the fancy motor
homes and a couple of flat panel TV's I could sell my cabin on the
lake shore for one that floats(with class). I spoke with a boat
hauler and gave him the dimensions of the Illinois and I could have
it hauled to the Columbia Gorge for under a thousand dollars from
Klamath Lake where I have my cabin.
Not really a trailer boat but cruising the locks on the Columbia and
the entire West Coast(on calm days) would not be out of the question.
The idea of doing that is far more appealing to me than driving a
motor home on retirement trips.