Dixon Entrance

Tuesday June 5th 2012

The dreaded Dixon Entrance is the most feared of the open ocean sections of the Inside Passage to Alaska even more so then the aptly named Cape Caution.
You are required to proceed to Ketchikan for US Customs and Immigration clearance before stopping anywhere else in the USA so it is a long 85 mile slog from Prince Rupert.
The most open section is about 30 miles or 3 hours long and today, with 1 to 2 meter swells, we were seriously rocking and rolling for about 2 hours. It can be uncomfortable and you need to make sure that everything in the boat is secured so it doesn't fly around but we never felt the least bit nervous. The boat handles it well and feels solid and safe.
The saying around the docks is that the boat can usually take more punishment than the boater.

Alaska lighthouses are not as pretty as Canadian ones

It was a long 8 1/2 hour run again today so we are really tired tonight. When we arrived in Ketchikan US Customs were as polite and friendly as usual and cleared us on the telephone without visiting the boat.
The harbormaster initially sent us to the downtown dock(Thomas Basin)  but the dock wasn't long enough for us  so we had to leave there and travel a couple of miles to Bar Harbor where we used one of the government docks while their boat is out of town. The only downside is that we may have to move if they return early.

Evening in Ketchikan