We pointed the bow into one of Southeast Alaska’s most talked-about stretches of water… long, shallow in places, narrow the whole way through, and constantly moving with tide and current. Rocky Pass isn’t something you rush. It’s something you read. We timed our run for slack, took it slow, and worked our way through tight channels, dredged sections, and areas where the rocks sit just under the surface. At times it feels wide open… until it doesn’t. This was the most technical passage we’ve taken the Alaskan Gypsy through so far. An 80' steel schooner doesn’t leave much room for guessing in water like this. In this video: Aerial drone footage of the full transit Real-time navigation through tight, shallow sections A custom original song written for this run What it actually feels like to move a big boat through constantly changing water There’s a moment out here where it stops feeling like a route… and starts feeling like something that knows you’re there. We’re grateful for the window, the conditions, and the chance to move through a place like this. ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 Entering Rocky Pass 1:09 Where we are + Gypsy-style navigation 2:03 Why this passage is tricky 2:46 Local intel + what to expect 5:27 First tension – submerged hazards 5:57 Committing to the run 6:25 Timing the tide 7:20 Conditions line up 8:11 A rare calm window 10:27 Approaching the tightest section 11:02 Custom song begins 13:14 Settling into the rhythm 15:08 “They don’t call it that for nothing” 16:18 Surroundings + wildlife 18:21 Tightest water we’ve run on Gypsy 20:00 Why this passage matters 21:35 Reflection + gratitude 22:57 Through the narrow

We left Port Protection before sunrise and headed toward Wrangell on a calm spring morning. This is a full working day on a sailboat. Passenger pickup in the Back Bay, watching for logs in the glare, catching what wind we could, and working with the tides to make our window. We made it to Wrangell in time, squeezed into a tight crane dock, and loaded freight for the run back out. It turned into one of those days that has a bit of everything… sailing when it shows up, problem solving at the dock, heavy loads on deck, and the kind of quiet moments that remind you why we do this at all. There are some gorgeous aerials in this one that really show the scale of where we are, and we even worked in a custom song that fits the feel of the day. We didn’t stay in town long. Just enough to get the job done and head back out, finding a calm anchorage, tacos on the stove, and a sunset to close it out. Port Protection to Wrangell and back again… just another day out here.

An actual working sailboat in the 21st century. We loaded our 80-foot steel schooner in Wrangell and hauled about 15,000 pounds of lumber, roofing, and supplies across Southeast Alaska to Port Protection. Most of this load is for a community boardwalk project, along with materials for cabins and homes. Out here, freight is part of life. Supplies don’t just show up easily, and every load takes planning, timing, and a little figuring it out as you go. This run meant using the city crane by the minute, balancing weight across the deck, working around rigging, watching the tides, and making the roughly 50-mile run with a full deck. The Gypsy was designed as a freight-capable sailboat, and this was one of the bigger loads we’ve carried so far. Even with 15,000 pounds on board, she handled it well and ran efficiently all the way over. In this video you'll see: -Loading heavy lumber with the city crane in Wrangell -Balancing thousands of pounds on deck -Running with the tide through Sumner Strait -Using a sailboat as a real working freight boat -Delivering supplies to a remote Alaska community -Unloading the load by hand in Port Protection Wrangell to Port Protection, Alaska. This is real life on the Alaskan Gypsy.⛵️

Live from a beautiful evening in port protection Alaska on prince of wales island.

This was one of those days in Port Protection where nothing goes the way you think it will, with surprises around most every corner. We started with a simple plan… Scott was going to go to work at Liz's and Audrey take a little time at the boat. But like most days living on a boat in remote Alaska, the plan had other ideas. What followed was a full day of real life unfolding in every direction. From a walk up the boardwalk to return some gear, small-town encounters, to troubleshooting diesel leaks in the bilge, debating whether to move the boat, and squeezing into tight dock space with shifting wind conditions… it turned into one of those classic “figure it out as you go” days. In between, we worked on the cabin project - replacing rotted posts, and trying to draw the line on a project that could easily go on forever. That’s part of life out here too… knowing when something is “good enough” so you can move onto the next thing. And then somehow, after all that… the day ended with an unexpected paddleboard trip across the bay at sunset to our friend Veronica's for a karaoke party we didn’t plan on. That’s Port Protection. That’s boat life in Southeast Alaska. You think you’re having one kind of day… and it turns into something else entirely. If you’ve ever wondered what daily life actually looks like living aboard a sailboat in remote Alaska, this is it. Thanks for joining. ⏱ CHAPTERS 00:00 Ending the day at a surprise karaoke party 00:11 Morning in Port Protection + boardwalk walk 01:30 Boat life reality check (diesel + bilge) 02:30 Trying to “just vlog” in real life 03:30 The plan: finish work at Liz’s place 05:30 Nature break: skunk cabbage & spring signs 06:30 The real challenge: when is a project done? 09:00 Dock talk + changing plans again 10:50 Should we move the boat? Wind vs docking 11:40 Diesel leak in the bilge (again…) 14:30 Fixing fuel leaks with epoxy 22:00 Cleaning the bilge + boat maintenance reality 25:00 Remote life problem-solving (lost ramp, diving talk) 28:00 Cabin repair work: posts, foundation, progress 32:00 Plans shift… paddleboarding at sunset 33:00 Unexpected party + karaoke night in Port Protection

We live four seasons aboard our sailboat in Alaska, and this episode follows a real cruising stretch through Southeast Alaska’s Inside Passage. We start by making our way toward Warm Springs Bay on Baranof Island, running through big Southeast Alaska water, strong currents, shifting light, and the kind of weather window you appreciate. From Portage Bay, past Admiralty Island, across Chatham Strait, and into Warm Springs, this is the rhythm of cruising Alaska by boat. After a stop at Warm Springs, we continue on toward Kake, Alaska, where boat life meets small-town Southeast Alaska culture. We walk the harbor, look at a. job and visit with the locals (not filmed), and experience what it means to move through these communities by water. Atz Kilcher is aboard with us for this stretch, and somewhere along the way he gives Scott the perfect title: a “circuit sailor” traveling town to town, helping people, making friends, taking photographs, fixing things, and living connected to the places we pass through. This is not polished marina cruising. This is real Alaska liveaboard life: reading currents, cooking dinner underway, arriving in the dark, waking up in new harbors, meeting people, and continuing toward Rocky Pass. Thanks for following along with our Alaskan Gypsy Life.

We made it back to Port Protection, and after a long stretch of winter, it finally feels like things are shifting. This is a real day aboard the Alaskan Gypsy. Not much sleep, a slow start, a little reset, and then getting back into the rhythm of work, hauling materials, and figuring things out as we go. Scott heads over to finish up a job site while I hold things down on the boat, squeeze in a workout, and get ready for a full day ahead. From paddleboarding across the bay to troubleshooting solar and installing a door that turns into more than expected… it’s just one of those days. Boat life isn’t always clean or predictable, but it's our life and we are grateful for it. Thanks for being here with us. – Audrey & Scott CHAPTERS 00:00 Arrival in Port Protection 00:25 Rough sleep & slow morning 01:10 Reset: workout + tidying 01:45 Lemon water & boat life routines 03:00 Diesel smell improving 04:15 Water + hot water realities 05:50 Paddleboard to the job site 07:00 Back to work at Liz’s 08:40 Solar troubleshooting 11:20 Hauling materials by skiff 12:10 Quick workout + reset 13:00 Popcorn + propane issues 16:40 Door install turns into a bigger job 21:00 Wrapping up at sunset 23:00 Paddle back + evening on the boat

Finally a break in the weather and we got after one of the bigger projects on our three masted steel sailboat - Alaskan Gypsy - replacing the running rigging. This boat sat for years and most of the lines are original we believe. 30+ years of Southeast Alaska weather has taken its toll. Some of it is literally falling apart in your hands. The problem is cost. Replacing all the rigging the “right” way would have been thousands more than we could afford right now. So instead, we took a chance on budget double braid polyester… about $0.40/ft instead of $1.50+. In this video: Unloading and inspecting ~2,000 ft of new line Comparing cheap vs higher-end rigging Re-running lines through blocks without climbing (when possible) Learning to splice on the fly Climbing into the rigging with a makeshift setup Finding unexpected parts and tools already on board First sail impressions with the new lines with aerial footage This is real life working on an old sailboat in Alaska. Not perfect, not finished… just figuring it out as we go! We live aboard this triple-masted schooner year-round in Southeast Alaska, learning, fixing, and slowly bringing her back to life. We’ll report back after some real use… and see how this “cheap” line holds up. ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro aboard Alaskan Gypsy 00:45 The problem: 30-year-old rigging 02:00 How much line we actually need 03:30 The cost reality (and why we went cheap) 05:00 Unboxing the new rigging 07:00 What we actually ordered 09:00 Climbing gear & working aloft 11:00 Shipping to Alaska (the real cost) 13:00 Finding the budget line online 16:00 Finally replacing lines (weather window) 18:00 How we run new line without climbing 22:00 Getting through the blocks 24:00 Thimbles, splices, and surprises 27:00 Cheap vs quality line comparison 31:00 How much extra line do you leave? 33:30 Whales show up (of course) 36:00 The boat’s hidden parts & history 40:00 Jackpot: finding stainless thimbles onboard 43:00 Climbing the rigging 48:00 What didn’t work (learning curve) 49:30 Working aloft + rigging breakdown 55:00 First impressions using the new line 56:30 Sailing footage + wrap up

Join us as we begin our Southeast Alaska Inside Passage tour with our friend Atz Kilcher. We live aboard our sailboat in Alaska year-round, four seasons. Sometimes friends come visit, and we get to show them this place the way we experience it… by water, moving from one stop to the next. We’ve already shared a few adventures along the way (Carbonated Springs, Warm Springs, and Port Protection), but this series follows the actual cruising between destinations. Atz joined us in Wrangell to kick things off. Some of you have seen him in recent videos… this is where the trip really begins. In this video, we leave Wrangell, make our way through the Wrangell Narrows toward Petersburg, Alaska, spend a little time in town (with a quick harbor tour on camera), and continue on to Portage Bay. At the end of the day, a whale shows up and closes it out. This is day one of the tour. More from this trip coming next.

We live aboard our 66' steel triple masted sailboat year round in Alaska, and after a winter that felt like it would never let up, we finally had a sunny day at anchor! We had porpoises moving through, whales out in the distance, and the water went completely calm. After months of wind, snow, and wet decks, Scott was finally able to get up in the rigging and start replacing lines… something that’s been needing to happen for a long time. With the conditions as perfect as they were, I decide it’s a good day to face my fear of getting in the water for more than just a minute and going for a worthwhile swim. This experience definitely got in my head more than I expected, but I went for it anyway. It was time. This video has a lot of real-life banter back and forth through all of it… Scott’s commentary probably says more than we do.😂 And then at the end of the day, while paddle boarding back from an epic beach combing session, we are met with the most beautiful sunset we have seen yet in Southeast, Alaska This is just a day in our life. We don't script or plan any of our videos, just real, raw, authentic living..… and today this is just a full day at anchor on the Alaskan Gypsy! We hope you enjoy. -Audrey ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 The Sun Finally Returns 00:45 Replacing Old Rigging (Life at Anchor) 02:10 “There’s a Whale…” 02:45 Preparing to Get in the Water 03:30 Fear Kicks In 04:45 First Step Into the Ocean 06:00 Commentary from the Boat 😂 08:30 Life at Anchor (Drying Out + Work Continues) 10:30 The Swim Turns Into a Moment 12:00 Finding a Rhythm in the Water 14:00 Letting Go of the Paddleboard 16:00 Fear vs Reality 18:00 “I Remember Why I Love This” 19:30 Back on Board 20:00 Climbing the Mast (Real Boat Life) 27:00 Not Everything Goes to Plan

We've been cruising Southeast, Alaska with our good friend Atz Kilcher, and of course had to stop in Port Protection, even for a quick visit. This iconic remote Alaskan community has become an important component to our Alaskan Gypsy Life, and remote living aboard our sailboat 4 seasons. The day started and ended with live music from Atz, a well known musician and member of the Discovery Reality TV Show "Alaska: The Last Frontier". We spent the day exploring - walking boardwalks, visiting the remote cabin tree removal and foundation repair site, and diving into the reality of off-grid life in Southeast Alaska. From home repairs to the deep history behind some of the structures, this visit isn’t just sight seeing… it’s understanding that it takes grit, ingenuity, and community to live here. Atz shares stories, reflections, and a powerful reminder to slow down and take time - something this lifestyle naturally teaches. This is real life in remote Alaska. If you’ve ever wanted to tour Port Protection and spend a day meandering with Atz Kilcher… here it is. 👇 Watch more of Atz here: https://www.youtube.com/@AtzKilcherOfficial ⏱️ CHAPTERS: 00:00 Living in the moment (Atz intro) 00:28 Arriving in Port Protection 01:16 Walking the boardwalk 02:36 Old store + history of the area 03:19 Storm damage & fallen trees 05:19 The house we’ve been working on 06:03 Foundation damage explained 07:10 Rebuilding the structure 08:19 Solar + off-grid systems 09:33 Homestead ingenuity (Atz perspective) 13:02 Roof repair in Alaska conditions 15:41 Gathering materials from the land 16:05 Atz’s past show & “lost dreams” 20:23 Exploring + foraging mindset 29:12 Community center + life here 34:43 Fishing economy changes 35:18 “Take time” philosophy begins 36:07 The full “Take Time” song 🎶 39:10 Final thoughts on Port Protection

We live full-time on a sailboat in Alaska, and every once in a while, we leave the boat in search of something new… This time, we had our dear friend Atz Kilcher aboard. After months of work in Port Protection, Alaska, we were excited to explore more of the Inside Passage in Southeast, Alaska, and finally go to the remote hot spring only accessible by boat or float plane. What we thought would be a simple soak turned into a full-on Alaska adventure....snow, rain, slippery trails, and more than a few moments where we questioned our decisions. And when we finally made it? Let’s just say… it wasn’t exactly what we expected. 📍 Warm Springs Bay, Alaska ⛵ Life aboard our sailboat, one wild day at a time ⏱ CHAPTERS 00:00 Leaving the boat for a “simple” plan 00:30 Heading to Warm Springs Bay 01:30 First look at the trail 02:15 Bathhouse… but we keep going 03:00 Searching for the real springs 04:30 Trail turns sketchy 08:00 Slippery boardwalk chaos 10:00 This gets dangerous 13:00 Creek crossings & confusion 15:00 “Path of hell” moment 17:30 We finally see it 18:40 Reaching the hot springs 20:40 First reactions… 25:20 Not what we expected 26:30 The trek back 30:00 Trail philosophy kicks in 33:00 Surviving the way out 35:00 Ending at the bathhouse

There are days in Alaska where you set out with a simple idea… and end up discovering something that feels almost unreal. During a Southeast tour aboard the Alaskan Gypsy with our friend Atz Kilcher, we decided to search for a natural carbonated spring hidden somewhere in the remote wilderness of Southeast Alaska. What started as a wild idea turned into an unforgettable adventure - rowing without a motor, trekking through mudflats, following the smell of sulfur… and finally finding it. A bubbling spring, straight from the earth. Naturally carbonated water in the middle of nowhere. It tasted like mineral-rich sparkling water… a little wild, a little raw, and completely unforgettable. Along the way: elk sightings, deep Alaskan history, old homesteading knowledge, and the kind of experience that reminds you why we live this life. This is Alaska. Unfiltered. 👉Watch Atz Kilcher’s channel for his storytelling, music, and the deeper rhythm of life that inspires it all: https://youtube.com/@atzkilcherofficial?si=VLY0IxsOKawHr3Jz #Alaska #AtzKilcher #Homesteading #WildWater #OffGridLiving #AlaskanGypsyLife ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 Atz kicks it off (legendary intro 😂) 00:48 Rowing in without a motor 03:15 The mission: find carbonated water 04:00 Following the sulfur smell 06:30 Crossing mudflats & first signs 10:10 Wildlife encounter (elk!) 13:00 “Perrier dance” moment 👀 14:20 We FOUND the spring 15:30 First taste of natural sparkling water 17:00 Filling bottles from the earth 19:30 What it actually tastes like 22:00 “Alaskan Gypsy Sparkling Water” idea 😂 24:00 Building up the spring flow 28:30 Walking into the Tongass 33:00 Could there be hot springs too? 37:30 Exploring beyond the spring 41:00 The long way back 48:00 That was a real adventure

We came out to Port Protection thinking we’d help with storm cleanup… and found a cabin with two full trees on top of it. The impact didn’t just damage the structure. It twisted the cabin off its foundation. What followed was weeks of problem-solving with limited materials, real conditions, and a lot of figuring it out as we went. In this video, we’re wrapping up this phase of the project, stabilizing the foundation and getting things to a point where we can leave it safely for now. Living in remote Alaska means you don’t always get perfect solutions. You get what’s there… and you make it work. ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 Cabin damage overview 00:30 What happened 01:30 How we got involved 02:30 Removing the trees 04:00 Foundation issues 06:00 Building new supports 09:00 Working with what we had 12:00 Final walkthrough 15:00 Leaving the cabin

For months, one question kept coming up: “Why don’t you use your skiff?” Well… today we finally answer that. After sitting untouched through an entire Southeast Alaska winter, our skiff hasn’t seen the water since we first brought it aboard the Alaskan Gypsy in Ketchikan. Snow, freezing temps, water in the battery, and plenty of neglect… not exactly ideal conditions for a smooth launch. But today? No wind. No snow. No excuses. So we: fire up the old two-stroke grease the jet unit (whatever that means 😅) drop the skiff for the first time in 9 months and attempt a full sea trial Will it run? Will it strand us? Or will this finally change how we move through life out here? This little boat might not look like much… but for a family living full-time on the water, it could mean everything. From paddleboards… to possibility. Welcome to life aboard our 4-season sailboat in Alaska. 🎥 New here? We live full-time aboard our steel schooner, navigating remote Coastal Alaska......one day, one project, one tide at a time. ⏱️ CHAPTERS: 00:00 Why we’ve never used the skiff 00:21 Meet the forgotten skiff (9 months later) 00:46 First start attempt + engine prep 01:30 Learning the jet outboard 02:00 Draining carbs + figuring it out 03:02 Launch system setup (ATV winch + davit) 03:57 Almost forgot the plug 😬 05:05 First float 05:23 Engine test in the water 08:25 Uh oh… moment 09:15 Winter neglect reality check 10:14 Time for a sea trial 11:05 First drive 12:23 Running the skiff (finally) 14:15 Scott in full character 😂 16:08 Thoughts on jet vs prop 17:02 It actually works… now what? 19:22 Real-life impact (this changes things) 20:35 Family perspective (huge relief) 21:19 Fuel reality 😅 22:15 Full send 23:26 Pure joy moment 24:08 The eye story 😂 25:09 Final thoughts

This is one long work day in Port Protection, Alaska. We’re back under the house continuing the foundation repair after two trees came down on it and shifted everything. This is video 4… maybe 5 at this point… we’ve honestly lost track. Today turns into one of those full days where you’re just in it. A lot of snow shoveling. A lot of moving heavy posts. A lot of standing there looking at something, talking it through, and then trying it anyway. We deal with the post under the house that is not actually holding anything up....so that's interesting. We take it out and work toward putting something in that actually does. From there it’s just steady problem solving. Lifting, trimming, adjusting, rethinking, trying again. Nothing is perfectly straight, nothing fits exactly right, and every step leads to another decision. Scott’s figuring it out in real time. Audrey’s filming, questioning, and occasionally helping (or making it more complicated, depending who you ask). Some of it feels solid. Some of it feels a little questionable. Most of it is just working through it. Somewhere in the middle of all this it starts to feel like an episode of The Office… just with heavier materials and colder weather. This isn’t a how-to. It’s just what it looks like to be in it. ⏱️ CHAPTERS: 00:00 Snow Dump + Start of the Day 01:00 How Much Weight Was on the Roof 02:00 Looking at the House Shift 03:30 Trying to Understand the Sag 05:00 No Blueprint, Just a Plan 06:30 Talking Through Options 08:00 Concrete + Rebar Decisions 09:30 Shoveling Heavy Snow 11:30 Snow Sliding Back Down 13:00 “This Is a Workout” 14:30 Clearing Access to the House 16:00 Quick Break + Regroup 18:00 Back Under the House 20:00 Looking at the Post Setup 22:00 Planning the Base + Footer 24:00 “Plumb” vs Level 26:00 Marking + Drilling 28:30 Setting Rebar + Adhesive 32:00 Prepping the Post 34:30 First Lift Attempt 37:00 Trying to Set It 40:00 Doesn’t Fit 43:00 Getting the Post Back Out 46:00 What Needs to Change 49:00 Cutting + Adjusting 52:00 Resetting for Round Two 55:00 Post Drops Into Place 58:00 Checking Plumb 1:00:00 Explaining the Gap 1:02:00 First Post Set 1:04:00 Noticing a Crack 1:06:00 Talking Materials + Choices 1:08:00 Planning Next Steps 1:10:00 Tools + Cleanup 1:12:00 Setting Temporary Support 1:15:00 Jacking the House Slightly 1:18:00 Positioning Support Post 1:21:00 Driving It In 1:24:00 Adjusting Placement 1:27:00 Locking It In 1:30:00 Adding Stability 1:33:00 Final Adjustments 1:36:00 Getting Everything Solid 1:39:00 Stepping Back + Checking Work 1:42:00 End of Day Thoughts 1:45:00 End

We don’t live in Port Protection, Alaska full time, but we’ve been here for a stretch working on a remote project, and this is what our days look like while we’re here. With foundation work paused while the concrete sets, we head out by skiff to Point Baker. Spend the day working on outboards, troubleshooting small engines, and sorting through a stack of generators to see what can be brought back to life. Back in Port Protection, the tide is coming up and the timbers we staged for the project need to be moved before they float off. We paddle out and get them higher above the waterline before the next high tide. This is day-to-day life working in remote Alaska. Boat access, changing weather, mechanical problem solving, and staying ahead of the tides. If you’re interested in off grid living, boat life in Alaska, remote coastal work, and what it actually takes to live and work in places like Port Protection and Point Baker, you’re in the right place. ⏱️ CHAPTERS: 00:00 Morning in Port Protection (sun, snow, sun) 00:19 Skiff ride plan + heading to Point Baker 00:45 Mixing fuel + trying the outboard 02:07 Starlink in the wilderness (still getting spam calls) 02:32 Dead battery + switching to the generator 02:53 Generator troubleshooting begins 04:50 Getting it running 05:56 Trying out the foil 07:48 Skiff ride + birds + tide talk 09:46 Arriving near Point Baker 10:26 Heading back through changing weather 11:10 Back in Port Protection 11:17 Stack of old generators (what works, what doesn’t) 13:02 Progress on the generators 13:57 Back to the skiff 14:42 Quiet reset at the cabin 15:08 Planning to paddle out 15:20 Heading to check the timbers 17:30 Moving timbers above the tide line 22:23 Final push before high tide 22:45 End of the day