Inside Passage - Poor Man’s Cruise

One of many Glaciers

We boarded the Alaska Marine ferry, the “Poor Man’s Cruise,” at Skagway sailing south. We stopped at Juneau, Ketchikan and finally Prince Rupert, BC; this blog is about our journey down the Inside Passage during those three legs.

Up at 5am to grab the shuttle for a 7am departure. Our driver was a young Bulgarian student. Most of the workers in town are Bulgarian, he told us; we come here for the summer and then go home for school. But, I don’t think anyone has noticed us yet…

Leaving Skagway

The weather was warm and sunny as we left Skagway harbour and we sat outside on the upper back deck, passing glacier after glacier as they flowed down into the sea, gleaming white; the occasional draught of fresh, chilled air caught our nostrils. On occasion, looking over the side, you could see a clear line where the water changed from crystal blue to muddy brown – an indication that a river was emptying into the channel up ahead. It was relaxing and energizing but despite scanning the water for hours no sign of whales – only seals.

Our second leg ran overnight and much of the following day. Many of our companions just slept on the deck in their sleeping bags but we’d booked a berth. Our cabin had two bunks, one above the other, and looked a little too much like a prison cell but it was comfortable, once you got used to the side to side rocking; even the throbbing and buzzing became soothing as we gradually tuned it out.

Sharing Halibut Snacks

The ferry is an interesting place. It was raining when we got up so, after breakfast, we went to the reading room intending to read and write. But, there was a large jigsaw puzzle laid out on a table. Carol loves puzzles and started to put pieces in – others joined in… …until, eventually, the owners showed up. They didn’t seem to mind.

We sat with half a dozen Haida First Nations people; they live in communities around the Inside Passage and are frequent users of the ferry. Each of them explained what they were making as they introduced themselves. Many were constructing jewellery - one was a master beader whose husband was a totem (totem pole) carver - some were sewing garments. Then there was Holly, a renowned red cedar bark weaver. She was weaving a hat as we watched – she’ll sell it for US$800 (£500). It takes about 50% of the time to prepare the bark and 50% to do the weaving, she told us, and she had just finished a hat for a customer at a stop along the way who had ordered it for a wedding.

Happy Customer

They shared their dried halibut snacks with us, as we talked, spread with butter – very tasty.  We discussed the market for their products; they expressed frustration that the cruise companies had bought up the waterfront in their communities, like Ketchikan, yet would rather sell ‘Eskimo’ carvings than the local Haida or Tlingit art. I was surprised - Haida artists produce the iconic West Coast images of salmon, bear, eagle and orca (killer whale) originally on totems but now everywhere, even the wall of our bathroom at home!

Then the rain cleared and it was back on deck to enjoy the sunshine and views of fishing boats as they sailed past, trailing gulls behind them – this far south, all trace of snow on the mountains had disappeared.

Next week we visit Juneau, the Capital.

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