A Tale of Two Gulf of Alaska Crossings: Yacht and Tugboat
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By Norris Comer, best4boats.
The Gulf of Alaska is one of those bodies of water that commands respect from anyone who’s crossed it — or plans to. In a vivid first-person account for Best4Boats, editorial director Norris Comer recounts two very different passages across the gulf: one aboard a 1965 Burger motoryacht in fair weather, the other on a commercial tugboat towing a barge of Superfund waste through 50-knot winds and 25-foot seas. The two experiences couldn’t have been more different in character, yet both succeeded for the same foundational reasons — and that’s the real lesson for any mariner eyeing open water.
As Comer writes:
Among the storied bodies of water of the world is the Gulf of Alaska. Essentially the Northeastern-most corner of the Pacific Ocean tucked under the swooping glacial-fjord laced southern coast of Alaska, it’s a deepwater expanse for hardy souls that’s rich with world famous fisheries, like the king crab featured on the ongoing TV show Deadliest Catch, but also home to infamously intense storms and biting cold. Crossing the Gulf of Alaska is somewhat like traversing an exposed face of a mountain during a technical climb.
The first crossing — 500 miles from Sitka to Seward aboard the 85-foot Sea Star — unfolded over four uneventful days of gentle swells, albatross sightings, and half-hour engine checks. The second, from Kodiak to Dixon Entrance aboard a 90-foot tugboat towing a loaded barge, threw everything the gulf had at them. Even the captain was laid low by the conditions, and the crew was confined to the steel cabin as the working deck was completely swamped.
Despite the extremes, Comer’s takeaway is reassuring: take a proven vessel, choose your weather window carefully, stay disciplined with engine checks, and keep your crew aligned on the plan. Whether you’re on a luxury yacht or a working tug, the seamanship fundamentals that get you across safely are the same.
