There is what appears to be a spot suitable for anchoring off-shore off Cape Hinchinbrook just outside the precautionary areas and the 12 mile limit.
It’s in 59 to 62 meters of water ( 32 - 34 fathoms), mud and sand bottom. With 10 shackles (shots) of chain the scope of about 4.5 to 1.
The current in Hinchinbrook entrance is about 1 - 1.5 kts, not felt past Seal Rocks according to the Coast Pilot.
The key to anchoring off-shore is to heave anchor and leave before the weather becomes unsuitable. This reduces the risk of having problems with recovering the anchor in unfavorable conditions.
One unknown is the current, if max acceptable wind speed is, say 25 kts and if 1 kt current is roughly equivalent to 20 kts wind speed than that makes the acceptable weather window very narrow.
The Coast Pilot gives the current at Middleton Island at up to 2 kts from the Alaska Coastal Current. Wouldn’t expect that much between Kayak Island and Montague and the Pilot Chart doesn’t show it.
That area may in fact be unsuitable for anchoring in good weather but what would a captain with no local knowledge see that would indicate that anchoring there is imprudent or negligent?
2 Likes
One of the reasons they kept cracking may have been because the mates used the stress/strain monitor display to define a goal instead of a limit. There is no way a scientist can predict the impact of a mate’s brain on structural integrity.
1 Like
NWS run AK-specific models - the medium scale NAM & NAM nest (good for 84 and 60 hours) and the hi-res HRRR (runs hourly going out 18 hours, to 48 hours four times a day). The NAM is pretty good for at least 48 hours and the HRRR is very good for the next 10 hours.
Model output is free and there are a number of viewers available. NOAA has some simple web viewers, too - for instance here is the HRRR 10m Wind Gust loop.
3 Likes
The best advice I ever got with regards to the weather is to keep the old forecasts, the 24, 48 and 96 hour and compare the forecasts to the current synoptic analysis.
I’ve noticed ashore the focus wrt to accuracy of the forecasts is based on precipitation and temps, neither of which are usually a concern wrt if the weather is suitable for anchoring or not.
3 Likes
Yes and only the max temp. of the day., not the minimum, which may be just as important.
“Feel like” temp. depends on how you are dresses and whether you are in an exposed, or sheltered location.
I see that the Wikipedia article on the Gulf of Alaska has got it wrong.
The Gulf is a great generator of storms. In addition to dumping vast quantities of snow and ice on southern Alaska, resulting in some of the largest concentrations south of the Arctic Circle, many of the storms move south along the coasts of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and as far south as Southern California (primarily during El Niño events).[6]
The first time I was in Alaskan waters was 1975 when I joined a CG cutter stationed out of Kodiak, the last time was my last trip before I retired - came GC through Unimak Pass en route Tacoma.
In my experience this is correct:
