Ford’s Terror Lay Day 2

Time to stretch our legs—today’s exploration was on solid ground. Instead of bouncing around in the dinghy, we set out to walk the grassy spit guarding the entrance to East Arm.

Landing on the spit guarding the East Arm in Ford’s Terror

This low-lying spit leaves only a narrow, rocky, shallow pass navigable by dinghy at slack—or by gutsy sailors with a well-timed plan. Endless Song, anchored just inside, had managed it like a pro.

S/V Endless Song tucked into the anchorge inside the entrance to the East Arm

We easily beached the dinghy and strolled the spit, watching the ebb tide tear through the pass at 4–5 knots. Submerged rocks disturbed the surface just enough to mark their presence, giving us a good look at the line we’d use—someday—if we ever decided to poke into East Arm ourselves.

Next up: the waterfall. We cruised to the base of the dramatic cascade we spotted on our way in. It’s all mist, roar, and granite—a classic Alaska scene. We even mused about whether the flow would hold a boat bow-to if you dropped anchor nearby. Tempting.

Curiosity then led us to the narrows—the infamous Ford’s Terror entry. Still ebbing hard, the rapids boiled and frothed just beyond the dogleg. We edged as close as we dared before spinning the dinghy and giving the outboard a burst to break free. It was useful recon—we’ll be heading back through there tomorrow.

Final stop: the shrimp pot. Jackpot! After a 20-hour soak, we pulled up 33 sweet, soft-bodied Coon Shrimp. Easier to peel and, in our opinion, even tastier than spot prawns. Being ultra-fresh didn’t hurt either.

All told, it was a 10.7-mile adventure by dinghy and foot, packed into three hours of classic Alaska exploration.

Back on board OceanFlyer, we noticed Endless Song flick her AIS back on and start creeping toward the narrows. Her track showed her hugging the south shore as she slipped through the tight spot, then she motored over and dropped anchor nearby. A few attempts were needed to find holding, but she finally settled in close to the west wall.

Looks like we’ll have company in the morning for the run out of Ford’s Terror. Not a bad way to wrap up a near-perfect day in one of Alaska’s most spectacular anchorages.