Wooden Boat Festival, Port Townsend, WA – September 8-10, 2017

Mark your calendars!  Following our upcoming season in Alaska, the Ursa Major will once again be part of the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend, Washington on September 8-10, 2017, and we will be giving tours of the Ursa Major to festival attendees.  

The annual Wooden Boat Festival, hosted by the Northwest Maritime Center, will feature over 300 wooden vessels, and include something for everyone, including a variety of presentations, exhibitors, interactive children’s activities, live music, and will feature delicious local food and beverages.  

Tickets are available beginning July 1, and more information can be found by clicking the link HERE for the Wooden Boat Festival site.

The Ursa Major transiting the Panama Canal, early 1990's

This photo of the Ursa Major was taken at Gatun Lake, Panama during the passage through the Panama Canal.

Recently, Captain Josh has been in contact with Steve Van Cleve, (Marrowstone Isle, Washington), who worked as crew aboard the Ursa Major when she transited the Panama Canal in the early 1990s with the fourth owner of the Ursa Major, Peter Strong.  After her construction was completed in Norway and Ireland in the early 1970s, the Ursa Major was delivered to her first owners in Connecticut, (the Sudarsky family), by an Irish crew.  Following her adventures on the east coast of the United States and Canada with the Sudarsky family, the Ursa Major next spent time with her second and third owners in the Caribbean.

According to Mr. Van Cleve, fourth owner Peter Strong bought the boat in Florida.  Peter, his wife Leslie, their four kids and a deckhand, had quite a rough trip westward across the Caribbean at the beginning of the long journey back to the Ursa Major’s new home port, Seattle, Washington.  Mr. Van Cleve, (who served as mate/engineer), and a second new crew member, (a cook), met the Strong family in Calon, Panama for the transit through the Panama Canal from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

Following the transit through the Panama Canal aboard the Ursa Major, the Strong family flew back to Seattle, and the three remaining crew members brought the Ursa Major north to Seattle along the Pacific Coast of North America.  Mr. Van Cleve recalls the trip to Seattle being beautiful, except for stormy weather off the Oregon coast. And from trips we have done aboard the Ursa Major between Alaska and Mexico, the Oregon coast still continues to be some of the most challenging weather we have encountered anywhere!

Thank you for the stories and the photos Steve – it’s always fun to learn more of history of the Ursa Major!

Part Two: The Ursa Major reimagined by local artist and salmon fisherman Tom Crestodina!

Local artist and salmon fisherman Tom Crestodina has just completed his second collection of  drawings of the Ursa Major.  This time, Tom focused on the interior and exterior layout, and brought attention to the tiniest details in our staterooms, including our unique main deck level “skylights”.

 

We have added “Deck Plan“, and “Guest Staterooms” sections to our website, which contain Tom’s new set of Ursa Major drawings in full detail.

 

Click HERE to visit the new “Deck Plan”, and HERE to visit the new “Guest Staterooms” section.

 

Enjoy the beautiful art in the following drawings of the Ursa Major, and thanks again Tom!

 

P.S. Here is a list of Tom’s websites for more of his amazing art:

1.  “The Scow“: Tom’s online store, where you will find Tom’s first unique drawing of the Ursa Major from spring 2016 – thescow.bigcartel.com

 

2. Tom Crestodina on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Scow/728777337135077

 

 

 

 

 

Trawler Training Adventures Aboard the Ursa Major

Happy New Year everyone!  For the past 17 charter seasons aboard the Ursa Major, we had have a wide variety of trawler and boating enthusiasts join us for our annual “Trawler Training Trips” through the Inside Passage between Seattle, Washington, and Alaska.  Over a period of 14 days, we transit through beautiful British Columbia at a speed of approximately 7.5 knots, and teach interested participants how to safety navigate the famous Inside Passage with its astounding tides and breathtaking scenery. 

For more information on our “Trawler Training Trips“, please visit our webpage dedicated to these wonderful trips.  And click HERE for our 2017 schedule.  Our new 2018 schedule is now available online by clicking HERE.

And since we began our “Trawler Training Trips“, a number of our guests have gone on to pursue their own cruising dreams by purchasing their own boat.  Recently, Josh and I sat down to compile a complete list of these adventurers from the past seventeen years.  Here are three of our current favorite adventures in progress:

1. Karen & Barry Hutchinson, M/V Chug: 42′ Kady Krogen trawler; Coupeville, Washington; currently planning their 3rd trip to Alaska aboard M/V Chug in 2017

Karen and Barry’s M/V Chug

2. Alex Brody, M/V Sea Robin: 42′ Grand Banks; Modesto, California; currently cruising in southern California

Alex and M/V Sea Robin

3. Paul McCarthy & Helen Fitzpatrick, M/V Spirit of Ulysses: 76′ Nordhaven; Cardiff, Wales, currently cruising in the Mediterranean Sea

Helen and Paul aboard the M/V Spirit of Ulysses

Helen aboard the M/V Spirit of Ulysses

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!

(Swimming) Grizzly Bears of the Inside Passage

 After going through all the wonderful photos from our past seasons in Alaska, I was pleasantly surprised to find more than just a few photos of grizzly (brown) bears swimming and/or playing in the water.  Most of these photos are from the beautiful bays on the eastern side of Baranof Island.  Grizzly bears are fantastic swimmers, and we have watched them many times pursuing salmon, or crossing a bay or stream with enthusiasm.

 

 

 

Another Great Alaskan Summer Aboard Ursa Major!

We just wrapped up yet another great summer in Alaska, the 15th season for Ursa Major!  Our last three Alaska Adventure trips of the season were a wonderful mix of paddling, hiking, and wildlife viewing.  The humpback whales were out in abundance, and were quite active in both their feeding and cavorting.

Denning, Sherry, David, and Kathy relaxing in the salon aboard Ursa Major after an afternoon of paddling and whale watching.

Humpback whale fluking (diving) near Five Finger Lighthouse, Frederick Sound, Alaska.

Rob and Tori on the bow of Ursa Major in Red Bluff Bay, Baranof Island, Alaska.

A lone sea otter relaxing in a bull kelp raft on the shores of Kupreanof Island, near Kake, Alaska.

Tori and Rob at Warm Springs Bay, Baranof Island, Alaska.

 Tori and Rob viewing humpback whales near Pybus Bay, Admirality Island, Alaska.

 

Humpback whale breaching in Chatham Straight, Alaska.

 

Pulling up our Dungeness crab pots at Deep Bay, Chichagof Island, Alaska.

 

Jane and Ben, from the U.K., paddling in the Magoun Islands State Marine Park near Sitka, Alaska.

 

Ben with his first Alaskan salmon ever! Way to go Ben!!!

 

Captain Josh out for a paddle on our last Alaska Adventure trip of the season!!!

Sumdum Glacier in Tracy Arm/Ford's Terror Wilderness Area, Alaska

 

Sumdum Glacier. 1958. Millett, Marion T.. From the Glacier Photograph Collection. Boulder, Colorado USA: National Snow and Ice Data Center. Digital media.

Sumdum Glacier. 2015. Ursa Major Charters. Digital media.

Our 5th trip to Tracy Arm/Ford's Terror Wilderness Area of 2015 brought with it clear views of Sumdum Glacier.  This was the 3rd trip aboard Ursa Major for our fearless travelers from Ohio and Indiana, and their first to Dawe's Glacier in Endicott Arm.  On their 2nd trip with us in 2013, we visited Sawyer and South Sawyer Glaciers in Tracy Arm.  On this trip into Endicott Arm, we also had the pleasure of anchoring in one of our favorite places, Ford's Terror.  The tidal drop in Ford's Terror was 22 feet during our stay there, and we were treated to visits by numerous harbor seals, pigeon gillemots, and harbor porpoise while at anchor.

Our fearless group of 3rd time visitors to Ursa Major! Welcome back to Alaska!

Stellar Sea Lion Research Trip

Following our Summer Solstice trip, Ursa Major was the mothership for an Alaska Department of Fish and Game Stellar Sea Lion research trip in southeast Alaska.  Over the course of the 16-day trip, we traveled to a wide variety of Stellar Sea Lion haulout and rookery sites, some of which were new to us, and very much off the beaten path of our usual cruising grounds amongst the beautiful islands of southeast Alaska.  It was an amazing trip for everyone!

 The Alaska Department of Fish and Game crew!

Summer Solstice in Tracy Arm/Ford's Terror Wilderness Area, Alaska

Our annual Summer Solstice trip brought us to Tracy Arm/Ford's Terror Wilderness Area for paddling amongst the floating ice.  We visited North and South Sawyer Glaciers in Tracy Arm with our guests for the week, George and Polly, celebrating their honeymoon aboard Ursa Major.

George and Polly are seen here relaxing in the Alaskan sunshine in Frederick Sound, where an enthusiastic group of 25-30 humpback whales joined us for lunch.  While George and Polly enjoyed Alaskan B.L.A.T. sandwiches on the sundeck of Ursa Major, the humpback whales were observed feeding via single bubble net.   

George and Polly spent hours on the bow of Ursa Major photographing wildlife such as humpback whales, Dall’s porpoise, Stellar sea lions, harbor porpoise, harbor seals, and a wide variety of birds.