Ford’s Terror to Foot Island

It was tough to say goodbye to Ford’s Terror, but it was time to start heading south. We woke to overcast skies—Alaska’s way of giving us a gentle nudge to move on.

High tide in Juneau was around 6:15 a.m. at +13.4 feet. When we entered Ford’s Terror, the tidal exchange was bigger, and slack hit about 45 minutes after high. With today’s smaller exchange, we figured slack might come a bit earlier—but it’s never an exact science in this twisting slot.

We lifted anchor around 6:00 a.m. and cruised past the waterfall to stage just inside the narrows. Unlike our entry, this time a handful of icebergs had drifted into the inner basin, so we had to thread between them as we held position, watching the current.

From inside the dogleg, you can’t see the rapids—you have to trust your gut. At 6:50 a.m., we both agreed: now or never. We slipped through with about a knot of current on the nose and glassy water—no turbulence, no drama. Depth under the keel bottomed out at 13.1 feet. A Nordhavn was anchored in the outer bay, and a sailboat waited behind us. Once clear, we radioed back that conditions were favorable, and they followed us through.

Next stop: Foot Island, about six hours away. We passed Sumdum Glacier again, still stunning, and enjoyed a peaceful ride with mild seas and a few humpbacks feeding along the way. We even spotted a group of eight Sea Doos racing through the chop—soaked and bouncing. Definitely not our preferred way to cruise Alaska.

Foot Island is well protected in calm conditions, despite its exposure to the northwest. We dropped anchor in a basin nearly enclosed by a wide rocky shoal, with only a narrow channel for access. At low tide, the spit between Foot Island and Steamboat Bay looks like a manmade breakwater—steep and rugged. The bottom here is just as rocky, so it took a couple of tries to get a good set.

Food island anchorage

low tide at foot island

a completely different look at high tide

Once secure, we scouted the sprawling low-tide beaches and enjoyed the peaceful solitude. A quiet end to a big day—leaving the wild beauty of Ford’s Terror behind and settling into a new, rugged corner of Southeast Alaska.

sunset over foot island anchorage