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Glacier Bay National Park, Elfin Cove, Pelican, Juneau
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SPECIAL: $150.00 OFF PER PERSON ON PRICE LISTED ABOVE FOR REMAINING 2008 TRIPS; SEE DETAILS IN "PRICES" SECTION BELOW!!!
WHO ARE WE?: Craig and Sheri Loomis have been chartering for over 20 years in Southeast Alaska. Operating as "First Out, Last In Yacht Adventures", they have cruised the waters of Skagway, Haines, Juneau, Gustavus, Hoonah, Elfin Cove, Pelican and Glacier Bay National Park in various vessels they have owned. The current vessel you will cruise/charter on is the "Legend," a 45-foot Bayliner yacht with 3 staterooms sleeping 2 persons each. Craig is a USCG licensed 6-pack charter captain with a lifetime of experience in Southeast Alaska, having been born in Wrangell (1951) and raised in Haines since 1960. Haines is still home base for the Loomis' who also like to visit Sitka during the winter to spend time with their grown children and grandchildren. Check out their website at www.firstoutlastin.com . Email can be sent to loomis@aptalaska.net .
WHAT DOES THE CHARTER CONSIST OF AND WHERE DO WE GO?: We will leave from Juneau, Alaska's Auke Bay Harbor onboard the 45' Bayliner yacht, the Legend. We will customize the charter to your specifications, but all charters involve cruising in Chatham Straits, Icy Straits, Excursion Inlet, Glacier Bay National Park, Elfin Cove, Pelican, Cross Sound and Lizianski Inlet. We will travel up to 450 miles on a 7-day trip, viewing and photographing wildlife, fishing for salmon, halibut, Ling Cod and yelloweye, stopping at little villages on the way, places only accessible by float plane or private boat. Keep in mind that the cruise ships don't go there, the ferries don't go there and there are no roads or vehicles, so you can't drive there either! See Southeast Alaska at her best, up close and personal!
First stop about 3 hours out of port will be to Swanson Harbor to put out a few crab pots. We will get some Dungeness crab, and cook them right on the dock before we head out to do a little salmon trolling. Fest on minutes-fresh crab while you are fishing!! Someone's got to do it!!
We'll troll down Icy Straits to Excursion Inlet, the site of an old WWII POW camp which is now a fish processing plant complete with a dirt runway to bring in supplies via small bush plane. There are small buildings for housing the 100+ seasonal workers. There is one caretaker at Excursion Inlet during the winter. This place is only accessible by boat or small plane. Walk around the area while we cook your dinner and chances are you will see a black bear on the runway, see remnants of an old bunker from WWII. After dinner onboard the Legend, we will cruise to a secluded cove and anchor for the night. We'll throw out some crab pots and catch succulent little halibut while viewing bears and moose.
The next day we will cruise into Glacier Bay National Park. When crossing the imaginary line entering the Park, one must have a permit. We are one of only 15 charter companies in the State of Alaska awarded a 10-year-permit into Glacier Bay National Park. We will visit the Park Headquarters, a lovely log cabin structure with a bar, gift shop and well-done interpretive center. You can opt to hike the one-mile trail through the Rain Forest, a lush mossy, forested area on a well-maintained Park trail to stretch those legs. When we are done with lunch, we will cross the Bay to the other side where we can start halibut fishing. We will stay in another secluded cove for the night, watching the abundance of bears on the beaches and the Captain can run you around the cove in the zodiac for even more adventures. If you choose, you can also freshwater fish for trout or Silver Salmon (Cohos), depending on which month it is. No worries, we supply all the gear, bait, etc.
The next day, we will cruise on up to view the various glaciers. We will get you right up on the beach (via the zodiac) so you can walk among the glacial ice. When next to these natural wonders, you feel about an inch tall. Experience the majestic, beautiful natural formations as we cruise from glacier to glacier. Anchor in front of the Marjorie Glacier where we can hear it thunder and crack, followed by calving ice that booms into the waters below creating a swell that is felt even a mile away. We can dip for 100,000-year-old glacier ice for your favorite beverage! There are lots of whales, bears, sea otters, eagles and much more to be seen. We will again spend another night in the Bay and leave the next morning after breakfast, fishing our way out if you would like.
From there, we head to Pelican, a boardwalk community consisting of about 100 people year-round. No roads lead to this must-see little village, known for its artists and fishermen. Visit world-famous Rosie's Bar and walk the boardwalk taking in the sights.
The next day we head for Elfin Cove, another charming boardwalk community consisting of mostly fishermen. There are only 12 year-round residents at Elfin Cove, but plenty of folks visit this little Alaskan paradise during the summer. Of course, these places exist because of the fishing activities surrounding the areas, so we will salmon, halibut and bottom fish as you wish. You will have free time to visit these communities at your leisure while we clean and process fish and cook dinners.
The last night will be spent in Swanson Harbor, a beautiful little cove with floats to tie up to for the night. The floats were put in years ago as a "safe haven" for fishermen to get out of the weather if needed. The floats don't lead anywhere, such as the shore, but you can certainly go to the shorelines in the zodiac and explore for shells and crab.
We will get you back to Juneau on your last day in time to catch the afternoon flight back to Seattle or points beyond. We will deliver you to the airport complete with your cleaned, filleted, vacuum-packed, boxed fish and crab to check as luggage on your trip home. We have a commercial vacuum packer and full size chest freezer onboard for processing your catch.
WHERE DO WE LEAVE FROM?: All guests fly into Juneau, Alaska via Alaska Airlines at least one day prior to the starting date of your yacht charter adventure. We will meet you at the airport and make sure you get to your hotel. At that time, we will arrange the transport to the yacht for the next morning. Spend the day in Juneau sightseeing such places as Mendenhall Glacier, Red Dog Saloon, Glacier Gardens and DIPAC Fish Hatchery. Don't forget to pick up any alcohol that you may want to bring onboard for your trip. We'll provide everything else!!
WHAT'S INCLUDED ON THE TRIP?: All packages include courtesy transportation to and from the airport, clean and comfortable accommodations in 3 staterooms onboard the 45' Legend; hot breakfasts, lunches, snacks, beverages and hearty evening meals featuring meats and fresh seafoods; fishing licenses and King Salmon stamps; fish cleaning, vacuum packing, freezing and boxing of your catch; airline-approved wax-lined 50# fish boxes; all quality fishing equipment, tackle and bait; seafood recipes; zodiac for shore excursions; crab pots & Dungeness Crab; USCG licensed Captain and 1 crew; 4-star USCG safety vessel, the Legend; Qualified 1st Aid & CPR certified captain/crew; genuine Alaskan hospitality from a born-and-raised Alaskan Captain; an enjoyable and memorable Alaskan experience. (Package price does not include RT airfare to or from Juneau, gratuities, 1st night in hotel in Juneau, and alcoholic beverages, although you may bring them onboard.)
WHAT DO YOU SERVE FOR MEALS?: Our menus include fresh seafood dishes such as Parmesan Salmon and Sour Cream Halibut, Cornish Game Hens with wild rice, vegetables, crab salad, BBQ steaks, BBQ Pork Loin, Chicken, smoked salmon dip, crab dip, homemade seafood chowder, Quesidillas, fresh homemade guacamole with salsa, salads, potatoes, breads, desserts of all kinds, muffins, fruits, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, eggs, french toast, pancakes...you name it, we probably will serve it. We also make sure you have all the soft drinks, fruits drinks, coffees, teas etc. that you can't live without for a week, right down to your favorite flavored creamer if you so wish!
WHAT KIND OF WILDLIFE WILL WE SEE?: We usually see lots of wildlife throughout the week including black bears, brown bears, humpback whales, orca whales, sea otters, land otters, sea lions, seals, bald eagles, tufted puffins, deer and moose.
TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE YACHT: The Legend is a 45' Bayliner with 3 staterooms sleeping two persons each (or one depending on how many are on the trip.) We participate in the voluntary USCG inspection program and are deemed a 4-star safety vessel. There are 2 bathrooms with vacuflush toilets, showers, hair dryers, soaps, shampoos (bring your toothbrush and paste and other toiletries), galley with stove/oven, microwave, full double sink, fridge/freezer, coffee pot, coffee bean grinder, mixer and all small appliances, leather salon that seats 6 comfortably with table for playing games and cards, Sirius satellite radio with speakers throughout the vessel, enclosed pilothouse with leather settee and full state-of-the-art electronics including GPS and NOAA navigational system, VHF radios, radar, depth sounder, genset for electricity when we are away from a powered dock, 200-gallon hot water tanks, EPIRB, 12-foot zodiac for shore excursions, dual stations on the flying bridge complete with full-size chest freezer for our food and fish. Back covered deck and custom 3-foot swim step complete with fish cleaning table, downriggers, all bait and gear for salt and fresh water fishing, commercial vacuum packer. There is storage and/or closets in each room. Each room has 2 beds with the exception of the master which is an oversized King. All rooms have portholes that open for fresh air. While the Legend can cruise at faster speeds, we cruise at about 11 knots to conserve fuel and enjoy the scenery and wildlife.
OKAY, LET'S TALK PRICE: All inclusive prices are as follows: 5 Nights/6 Days = $2945 per person; 6 Nights/7 Days = $3360 per person. We will untie from the dock with a minimum of 4 people. Therefore, if you get 4 people together, you can have an exclusive on the yacht with your party of four. Of course, the captain and his wife (chief cook and bottle washer) are onboard as well. But if you have 5 or 6 in your party, we are licensed to take up to 6 people. SPECIAL FOR 2008 ONLY: TAKE $150 OFF PER PERSON ON THE PRICES LISTED ABOVE FOR THE FOLLOWING WEEKS IN 2008 -- JULY 11-JULY 16 or 17; JULY 28-AUGUST 2; AUGUST 14-AUGUST 19 or 20; AUGUST 22-AUGUST 27 or 28, 2008. Please Note: August is an excellent time for Coho/Silver Salmon fishing. Alaska's limit is 6 per person per day. Come join us on a fishing frenzy when you can get hits on all poles at the same time, one after the other until you limit out!! A 25% deposit is due within 10 days of booking to secure your dates. An additional 25% is due 60 days later and the full final balance is due 60 days prior to trip departure date.
WHAT ABOUT THE CAPTAIN AND CREW?: Your Captain, Craig Loomis, was born (1951) and raised in Alaska. At 57 years old, he knows Southeast Alaska like the back of his hand. He has commercial, sport and subsistence fished and hunted these areas all his life. He and wife Sheri, maintain a year-round residence in Haines, Alaska, although they like to spend winters in Sitka with their two grown children, their spouses and 2 grandchildren, ages 4 and 6. The Legend is mooraged in Sitka for the winter due to the less severe weather (rather than Haines). Craig will show you everything you need to know for fishing, whether you want to learn it yourself or you want him to do it all. He will tell you many stories of the areas you are shown on your trip. Sheri consists of the "crew". She will drive the boat while you are trolling, she cooks all the snacks and meals, and keeps up with the abundance of daily reporting paperwork that is required for this type of business. She has lived in Alaska since 1975 and is proud to call it her home. You will be cruising with Alaskans who know much about the area as well as those out-of-the-way places that the normal tourist to Alaska will never see. Experience it with the best, you won't regret it!
FINAL NOTES: Please remember that each trip is customized to your group. Some want to do less fishing and more exploring. Some want to fish, fish, fish. We will work with you months in advance to plan out the best trip for your group. Once we know what your wishes are, we will take you to the places we know best to give you an Alaskan trip of a lifetime!! |