The Ursa Major in Hubbards Cove, Nova Scotia, 1973

The above photo and corresponding article are courtesy of Martha Sudarsky Kristy, whose father Daniel Sudarsky owned the Ursa Major in 1973, and took his family to Nova Scotia aboard the Ursa Major on a family trip.
Thanks so much Martha!

 

 

The Charter Boat Ursa Major at Green Island, British Columbia - a Drone's Eye View

Captain Josh took this drone video while the Ursa Major was anchored at Green Island, British Columbia, on our southbound Inside Passage Trawler Training Trip from Petersburg, Alaska to Seattle, WA last month. The visbility during the afternoon was incredible, and we had quite the sunset from anchor that evening. Green Island is located inside Fitzhugh Sound, and is a great spot to stage for the crossing of Queen Charlotte Sound, and points south inside the protection of Vancouver Island.

For more information on our Inside Passage Trawler Training Trips, please click HERE.

Many thanks to Kern Hendricks, one of our guests of aboard the Ursa Major on this trip, who edited and added the beautiful music to Captain Josh's drone video taken at Green Island.

The Infamous Norweigian-built Ursa Major: A Three-Part Series

Three articles written by "Juneau Empire" reporter Klas Stolpe about the Ursa Major have recently become available online following their original publication in 2013.  Klaus was aboard Ursa Major in summer 2006 for a circumnavigation of Chichagof Island in southeast Alaska with (then) first mate, and (now) captain Josh Haury, who took over as captain of the Ursa Major in October 2006.

The three part series of his adventures aboard the Ursa Major in 2006 provide a well-written and humorous account of his trip, as well as a history of the Ursa Major, from her construction in Norway, to her times with the Mafia on the East Coast of the United States, and to her present day adventures in Alaska under the ownership of Dr. V. Joyce Gauthier.

Please click on the article titles below to read further aboard Klaus's adventures aboard the Ursa Major:

#1: The ABC's of Rudderless Travel, Part 1
#2: The ABC's of Rudderless Travel, Part 2: Heading to Baranof and Its Treasure of Bays
#3. Chichagof Island's Hidden Gems and Treasures

The Ursa Major reimagined by local artist (and salmon fisherman) Tom Crestodina!

We are getting ready to push away from the dock and head to Alaska!

 

Seattle has given us a great bon voyage party in the form of several sunny days, but now its time for a boat ride.

 

Local artist (and salmon fisherman) Tom Crestodina has finished his drawing of the Ursa Major.

 

Have a close look!  The detail he captured is fun and amazing. It was especially nice that he brought his family with him to deliver the artwork to us.

 

Thanks Tom!

 

P.S. Tom’s Links:

1.  https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Scow/728777337135077

2.  thescow.bigcartel.com (Tom’s online store)

The Charter Boat Ursa Major in Ford's Terror Wilderness Area, Alaska - a...

We visited the Tracey Arm/Ford's Terror Wilderness Area again in July 2015 on a charter trip, and captured this amazing video of the tidal rapids at Ford's Terror at (nearly) maximum flood.  At maximum flood (or ebb) in Ford's Terror, 6-8 ft standing (tidal) waves will form at the entrance to this narrow fjord approximately every 6 hours with the diurnal tides present at this latitude.

The Geological Puzzle of Southeast Alaska

Sawyer Glacier in the Tracy Arm/Ford’s Terror Wilderness Area, southeast Alaska

The geology of southeast Alaska is a complex puzzle that sets the background for everything we see and do in southeast Alaska aboard the Ursa Major.  From the Waterfall Coast of eastern Baranof Island, to the glacially carved mainland fjords of the Tracy Arm/Ford’s Terror Wilderness Area, our trips are framed by the interaction of land and sea.

The Mainland Coast Mountains of Southeast Alaska

Geologists are still pondering why southeast Alaska is shaped the way it is today.  The variety of rock found here is somewhat of a mystery, ranging from igneous (Mount Edgecombe near Sitka), to metamorphic (the mainland Coast Mountains of southeast Alaska), and to sedimentary (the limestone bluffs of Kuiu Island and Prince of Whales Island).

The Unique Ultramafic Igneous Rock of Red Bluff Bay, Baranof Island, southeast Alaska

On Baranof Island, Red Bluff Bay presents an interesting picture.  This type of red rock (ultramafic igneous rock) is found no where else in southeast Alaska, and is quite a site on approach to the bay.  The bright red color of the rock comes from the oxidation of the iron-rich rock surface.  Very little grows on the red rock, as the chemical weathering of the red rock produces poor soil and stunts plant growth.

For an interesting article from the Sitka, Alaska, NPR station regarding the unique geology of southeast Alaska, please click HERE.

A great book for additional information on the geology of Southeast Alaska is: “Geology of Southeast Alaska: Rock and Ice in Motion” by Harold H. Stowell.

The Beauty of Locally-Caught Alaskan Seafood

Nothing compares to being able to harvest our own seafood, especially right in our "backyard", otherwise known as the Inside Passage of southeast Alaska.  Aboard Ursa Major, we catch and/or procure all the seafood we serve aboard locally in southeast Alaska.
 

Whether is it shellfish such as Dungeness crab or (giant) Alaska Spot Prawns caught in traps set and harvested at anchor during our charter trips, or freshly-caught king salmon, halibut, or black cod, purchased in Petersburg, Alaska, from a locally-owned fish processor, it is hard to imagine nourishment more delicious and fresh.

And when it comes to our shellfish caught at anchor, our guests may assist the crew in setting and harvesting pots, and processing Dungeness crab or delicious (giant) Alaska Spot Prawns for their dinner that very night aboard the Ursa Major!