Photo: view out of Sanford Cove

We were looking for an anchorage convenient to Dawes Glacier and Fords Terror. Our plans were to go up Endicott Arm the thirty miles to Dawes Glacier, then backtrack fifteen miles, arriving at Fords Terror in time for high-water slack at the entrance.

Possibilities for overnight anchorages the night before included no name cove in Tracy Arm and the bight at Wood Spit outside of Endicott Arm. No name cove would add an additional hour to our trip while Wood Spit looked potentially rolly and open.

“Why not go to Sanford Cove?” asked John of the sailboat Seychelles of Juneau when we rendezvoused with them at Brothers Islands the day before. We had dismissed the idea of Sanford Cove, five miles into Endicott Arm after reading in the Coast Pilot and Douglass’ guide that it was too deep to anchor.

John waved off the idea of Sanford being too deep. “Sanford is a good anchorage,” he said. “It’s protected from the south.”

So that’s how we ended up anchored in 112 feet of water with all 275 ft (not enough!) of chain down, 240 ft from a rock wall with a view of open water all the way across Endicott Arm. We were in a good Alaskan anchorage -- but I was glad it was a calm night.