07 May 2013; At Sea/Juneau, Alaska.

The wind kept blowing and blowing while we sailed back into the Inside Passage. Coming up via Cape Decision the Alaskan Inside passage runs north to south providing an excellent funnel for an already strong wind. The only positive part about it was that it provided clear and sunny skies, so we had a great view of the snow capped mountains all around us.  We caught up with the Oosterdam who was on its way to Tracy Arm and thus ended up at the pilot station at the same time. It saved the pilot boat an extra run in and out of Kake, which is a little hamlet that is just conveniently located at the lower end of Stephens Passage. There is a little hotel there, where the pilot stays overnight after they have flown in by water plane.  That makes it difficult sometimes to get the pilots there, if it is foggy or very windy.  But not today, the wind made for clear skies and very long views with snow capped mountains all around. The moment we lined up for the pilot station, we left the “funnel” and it became wind still. I thought well we are in business, I will not be delayed that much. But later on the wind came back and with it the adverse current and that meant that we did not arrive in Juneau on our advertised time. Luckily for the rest of the cruise, the average speed to maintain is low enough, that we can deal with any adverse weather that might be thrown at us. Luckily none is expected for the next few days.

So we docked in Juneau and at our regular spot, the Alaska Steamship dock, nicely with the nose into down town. Behind us was the Zaandam who was docked the “wrong way around” until we found out that at the cruise terminal they had taken away the floating ramp. Not very nice. The cruise terminal used to be the old Alaska State Ferry dock and when the Ferries relocated to Auke Bay, it became the cruise ship dock and we all fell in love with it. Why, because we could put our gangway on that old car ramp, which automatically went up and down with the tide. The guests did not have to go down steps or steep ramps, it was ideal. Now it is gone. So the Zaandam docked Starboard alongside as they have one break door in a between deck on starboard –only- that makes it easier for the guests as it reduces the steepness of the shore gangway.

So for me no more reason to try to dock at the Cruise terminal; I am much better off now at the Alaska Steam, giving my guests the shortest distance into town. Alaska Steam is named after the Alaskan Steamship Company which for a long time maintained a regular ferry service from Seattle up the Alaskan coast. Their dock was as deep into downtown as was possible and it still exists and we are docking at it.  Another shock was that the Harley Davidson store was gone. At least I assume so, as the shop was closed and the name sign gone. I always wondered if it was worthwhile to have a store in a town where the longest road is about 30 miles going from nowhere to nowhere. I am not much of a motor cycle fan, a motorcycle does not have have a roof but I always liked to admire the beautiful machines. There is something to those machines that makes them standout in the same way as a Rolls Royce stands out against any other expensive car. Although a Rolls Royce does have a roof, I do not have one either. Just the idea that a scratch on a RR bumper can set you back $ 10,000 makes me run away fast.

I wonder if there is a Rolls Royce in Juneau??  As the main road comes by the Alaska Steam dock, you see all the cars coming by that are owned in the town, including a few unusual ones.  I remember a Range Rover 1976 version, a Cadillac (or is it a Chevrolet) El Dorado, with those big wings at the back and even a beetle – custom converted- pickup truck.  So I wonder if there would be some Nut-head who owns a Roller?

When we docked, the wind was blowing but as soon as the sun set, it became wind still. That made it a beautiful departure with the lights of Juneau reflecting in the mirror like Gastineau Channel. We followed the Zaandam out and it was so clear that the stern lights of the Zaandam almost required sun-glasses to be able to look at it. The Zaandam left first, as she will be docking first tomorrow in Skagway. The powers in charge have decreed that we both will dock at the Alaskan Railroad dock.   I do not mind as it is the only dock in Skagway that is sheltered from the afternoon funnel wind coming up from the south through the Lynn Canal.