Kimshan Cove

A perfectly protected and wonderfully secluded anchorage on the remote NW Chicagof coast where you are unlikely to come across many other pleasure of fishing craft.

Entry from the northwest is straightforward but if approaching from the southwest there is a dangerous rock which lies about 60m to the SE of the green buoy which supposedly marks it.

On looking at the chart, where the direction of buoyage is not clear, it might be tempting to leave the green buoy to starboard when entering from the SW so as to avoid this rock. However it should be left to port by about 100m in order to avoid the rock.

Furthermore the rocky shelf running along the N shore of Fitz Island at its western end extends about 4 times further out into the main channel than shown on either the NOAA or normal Navionics charts with a depth of less than 1.0m over it at CD. This narrows the navigable channel to less than half of the apparently navigable width as shown on the chart.

However, the extended shelf is shown on the crowd sourced Navionics Sonar charts which we found to be a very helpful aid to Navigation in this area which is less well surveyed than other parts of SE Alaska.

Once inside depths are suitable for anchoring anywhere in the cove. Reasonable holding in sand over a rocky bottom. This is a wonderful spot for wildlife watching and whilst in the anchorage saw grizzly bears and deer on the shore, sea otters, sea lions and humpback whales in the water and numerous bald headed eagles flying above.

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