Managing Dixon Entrance's Sea Conditions

Contributors: Carl Bergan (OA 50), Fred Kaufhold (Mariner 35), Kim McCollister (Beneteau 39), Eric Muller (Mariner 35), Kathy Perkins (N. Tug 37), Dennis Thornton (Riviera 40), Dave Wilshin (OA 44).

If you’re planning to cruise your boat to SE Alaska for the first time, making the passage between Prince Rupert and Ketchikan can be tricky.  But it’s definitely doable. One of the main things you’ll want to prepare for are the sea conditions. We cruisers from Fidalgo Yacht Club in Anacortes, WA, are veterans of this passage, and we’d like to pass on some helpful hints.

“I learned to monitor the wind coming out of the Portland Inlet north of Prince Rupert.  Gales can frequently come from that area, and it is not broadcasted on the weather channels.  It can cause a 15-mile rough and confused area that runs wide into Chatham Sound and Dixon Entrance. Check conditions at Green Island Light Station and Grey Islet, and check weather apps for speed and direction.  I used the Windy app last year, but other apps, like Predict Wind, will probably cover the area. NOAA’s Dial-a-Buoy for Central Dixon Entrance is also helpful to monitor for a few days to see what may be coming in from the west.”  Kathy Perkins

“We used Buoy Weather and Predict Wind as our source to plan.  We also had a plan B destination.  We had sandwiches made before we headed out, and our favorite beverages ready.  Also, we had a special dinner planned to reward and celebrate the crossing.” Kim McCollister

“Same criteria for crossing as Cape Caution: one meter or less sea and 10 knots or less of wind.  Watch weather from the west, middle, and east entrance. If the seas kick up, turn into Foggy Bay, which does have a tricky entrance. Remember wind-against-current is not your friend.” Carl Bergan

“The key to the whole crossing is knowing what to expect with regards to the wind’s speed and direction as well as wave height and current direction.  Listening to the VHF forecasts from NOAA and Environment Canada provides only an overall area forecast of the worst-case conditions in the whole entrance.  One year we waited two weeks for a favorable forecast when leaving Ketchikan only to discover after talking with other cruisers who had crossed before us that the actual weather was far more benign along their transit route.  Now that we cruise aboard a small trawler, wind and sea conditions are more of an issue.  LESSON LEARNED:  Use a much more specific weather forecasting tool such as Predict Wind which shows forecast wind speed and direction as well as wave height every 8 km. at 3-hour intervals for several different forecasting models.  This way you can see what to expect along the exact route you plan to take and can alter your course and start time accordingly.  Of course, all this forecasting must be taken with a grain of salt since it is only an educated guess based on current modeling technology.  You must be prepared, as always, to deal with whatever circumstances you encounter along the way.” Fred Kaufhold

“One thing comes to mind when I think of Dixon Entrance. If Green Island Light (Main Passage) indicates high winds and 3-foot seas, while all other stations such as Lucy Island and Triple Island Light are reporting low wind and calm seas, it means that Portland Canal is puffing down slope winds. The rough water will be short-lived as one passes the mouth of the Canal.” Eric Muller

“Watch the ratio between wave height and period in seconds. If the wave height equals the period, you’ll have a rough ride. Try to have the period be at least one-and-a-half the height (two-foot wave with a three-second period). Obviously, a ratio higher than that will create a smoother ride. Also, know that in Canadian waters a “low westerly swell” measures anywhere from zero to two meters. In other words, a low swell can be almost six-and-a-half feet high.” Dave Wilshin

Then there are those with easy-passage karma.

“Our crossings both directions in 2015 were completely uneventful.  We had flat calm, no wind, sun and no swell both ways. Our stay at Dundas was remarkable only because the water was only 25 ft deep unlike most much deeper places we anchored in SE.” Dennis Thornton