06 June 2012; Juneau, Alaska.

 Our approach into Gastineau Channel for Juneau was under cloudy skies but without rain. It seems that the weather is holding. At the moment we are counting our small blessings when we get them, as the weather is not very good in general. The locals are complaining about it and that must mean something. Today turned out to be a good day and the 10,000+ guests ashore took advantage of it. We had no less than 5 ships in port today. Ocean Princess, Sea Princess, Star Princess, Oosterdam and Statendam. With only 1,300 guests our contribution to the local economy was the smallest but as we were docked the “deepest” into downtown, no doubt we made the most intense impact. I think there is a retail law out there that says: the closer the dollar is to a shop, the faster it gets spent. If so, then the Harley Davidson store must have done good business as we have that shop right under our bridge wing. Sailing in was an interesting affair but it was made easy by the Sea Princess. She was at anchor but pulled back so far into the corner of the bay by stretching her anchor chain completely, that it was as if she was not there at all. I just had to be a little gentle with my bow thruster so that I did not rock the tenders which were docking right under the bow of the Statendam. We were docking today on a minus tide. 4 feet under chart datum as we call it. Chart datum is the depth indicated in the harbor charts. That depth is the lowest water depth that you can have in a port normally, except when there is a minus tide. Today we went four feet under normal and that meant very low water. Instead of having the gangway on Main Deck which is normal for Juneau, we now had to hook in a deck higher, on Lower Prom deck to make it all possible. Not a good day for the security guards who had to brace the Juneau chilliness as the temperature did not go higher than 54oF (12oC) today.

Although the ships were different, this is what Juneau Harbour looked like. With adding one more ship at anchor. (Stock Photo)

The gangway was hardly in before everybody streamed ashore. I am used to quite a bit, and have experienced 30 years of eager shoppers but today was the first time that I literary saw everybody going ashore at the same time. With 1,330 guests on board it was amazing to see that in 45 minutes the ship just emptied out. By the time it was lunch there were only 50 guests left on board according to the check in count. Those 50 were of course clever and  going for an early Lido lunch, so they had the place to themselves.

By 21.00 hrs we were the only ship left in port and we followed the Star Princess out. She will arrive ahead of us in Skagway and then you might as well follow from the beginning. That brilliant plan went haywire when the Star Princess announced it had a medi vac to deal with when she was just near the end of Gastineau Channel. They had a stroke of luck as they had been the ship selected by the USCG for a sail out escort. Two small zodiacs were circling around the ship as part of the Homeland Protection program that the USCG carries out. So instead of having to return to port, they could land the stretcher on one of those boats and they took the patient back into town. No doubt that made the captain very happy, as sailing back into port and docking would have cost him at least two hours.

The Star Princess drifted near the beach while doing the transfer as we came slowly by with a wake free speed, so we did not cause any waves around her. Later on, she overtook again to get back in the proper line up for tomorrow. Then the two of us had to overtake the Disney Wonder as she is going to be the last to dock tomorrow in Skagway.

Also we will have a full house again, the same as last week. Two Princess ships at the Rail road dock, Statendam at Broadway and Mickey Mouse at the ore dock. Weather forecast for tomorrow, wet and miserable. Will it ever get summer here???