ALASKA BOATING

INFORMAL INSTRUCTION AND HAND-ON BOATING
Published articles and hearsay about the Inside Passage made cruising there a daunting prospect for me when I had no Northwest boating experience. Months of searching for a seasoned skipper to accompany on a voyage north were in vain. When Capt. Jim Kyle offered me passage aboard Home Shore, I not only saw the Inside Passage with my own eyes, but also received the benefit of Kyle's tutelage and 40 years of expertise. I am now far better prepared and more capable of enjoyably cruising the Inside Passage and southeast Alaska than I would have been with a lifetime of armchair preparation."

ALASKA FISHERMAN

You can bet Cape Caution got its name for a good reason. But without local knowledge or previous experience, it's just another place-name on a chart. Until, that is, it's on your starboard beam as you cross Queen Charlotte Sound off the coast of British Columbia.After sheltered days in the Inside Passage, northbound from Puget Sound, the cape's stiff northwesterly breeze and dish-rattling head seas are unwelcome changes.Will the going get tougher? Is there a more sheltered route? Maybe you should anchor, but where? Capt. Jim Kyle, skipper of the 62-foot salmon seiner Home Shore, has traveled these waters for over four decades. Annually, Kyle has journeyed from Puget Sound to Sitka, Alaska, with his family as crew, to fish commercially for salmon. Eventually, Kyle started voyaging north weeks before the salmon season to cruise the Inside Passage for his own pleasure. "It's a chance for me to be there without the pressure to fish, so I can enjoy the country and share its wonders with others," he says.

INSIDE PASSAGE TRAINING CRUISE

DuraingHome Shore's passages between Sitka, Alaska, and Bellingham, Washington, Kyle offers to share his local knowledge and years of experience with recreational skippers. Each year since 2001 Kyle has offered this unique Training Cruise for boaters planning to cruise their own boat or charter in the Inside Passage. Besides the approximately 100 hours underway to Sitka, each passage will allow for side trips and nightly anchoring or harbor visit. There will also be opportunities for photographing humpback whales, bald eagles, sea otters and bears; exploring ghost towns and experiencing native culture and Alaskan lore. During north and south passages, Home Shore will transit the American San Juan and Canadian Gulf Islands, Strait of Georgia, Queen Charlotte Sound, and inland channels of northern British Columbia and Southeast Alaska, connecting Prince Rupert, Ketchikan, Petersburg, and Sitka. Captain Kyle instructs two Florida guests about

TRATINING TOPICS

En route, Capt. Kyle will provide informal instruction and hands-on experience. Instruction in basic seamanship and navigation, as provided by the U.S. Power Squadron and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, is not covered. Instead, the practical everyday methods used by commercial and recreational boaters are emphasized. Participants will receive a letter attesting to their experience. Instruction will include:

TRAINING FACILITIES

The pilothouse is where guests have access to the boat's controls and where Capt. Kyle provides over-the-shoulder instruction. The main deck lounge provides a classroom setting guests have dubbed the "Navitorium." While the mate stands watch, Capt. Kyle conducts instruction sessions where guests can work with a navigation computer and printed material. Gear and EquipmentOutfitted for safe, self-sufficient commercial fishing under all conditions, Home Shore has the following equipment available for use and training:
Charts and numerous navigation reference publications Navigation Software - Nobeltec 8.1 Your ShipHome Shore is a classic 62-ft. commercial fishing vessel. Traditionally constructed of wood in 1944, she has worked as a trawler, long-liner, and purse seiner. Reminiscent of yesteryear's adventure travel aboard James Michener copra schooners, Home Shore offers guests the authentic experience of a working commercial vessel. Purchased by Capt. Kyle in 1984, Home Shore has been lovingly restored for chartering. She has a 360-degree-view wheelhouse, lounge, galley with dinette, and accommodations for six guests plus crew.

GUEST ACCOMMODATIONS

Six guests are accommodated in three double-occupancy private staterooms, all on the main deck with daylight, views, and fresh air. Four guests are berthed in two luxurious staterooms on the aft deck, each with double and single bunks, individually controlled heat, and a sitting area with view windows. The two aft staterooms share a head with water closet and shower. The third stateroom with two single berths and a second head, with water closet and shower, is in the main cabin.
Accessible guest areas include the pilothouse and adjoining deck, large main deck lounge, covered fantail deck, foredeck and galley. Choose your mix of camaraderie and privacy with ever-present spectacular views.

YOUR SHIPMATES

Home Shore charters with a crew of two men and a woman. Capt. Kyle, who has been a commercial salmon fisher since 1962, who has an MA and once taught public school, holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100 Ton Passenger License, is fully insured and has an unblemished safety record. An Inside Passage veteran will fill the mate position with the skills needed to stand watch and help instruct guests in navigational arts.