I recently took a class to learn how to navigate the Inside Passage to Alaska. The class was held on the rebuilt David B, a 65-ft wooden boat originally built in 1929 and still using its original diesel engine. This adventure came about because a colleague wanted me to help sail a 32-ft sailboat from Washington to Alaska to use for our corporate retreats.

I realized the trip might require some unique skills, so I sought out a class to get a handle on what would be involved in this pursuit.

The goal of my class was to get the David B 740 miles from Bellingham, Washington, to Ketchikan, Alaska, in 12 days. The speed the boat traveled depended on the capabilities of all the boat’s systems on any given day—the energy of the crew, the wind, the tides, the currents of the various channels and passages, and any obstacles or distractions encountered en route.

The David B classroom for learning how to navigate the Inside Passage

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