Funter bay is very well located anchorage for boaters about half a day’s journey from Juneau via Gastineau Channel and Stephens Passage. This excellent anchorage is conveniently located for trips into Icy Strait, Peril Strait, or simply journeys up and down Chatham and Lynn Canal. It is easier to enter than Swanson Harbor during the long Alaskan twilight hours.
Our favorite anchorage is Coot Cove, the northern bight of the bay. A gently sloping mud and sand bottom covers much of the cove. Good anchorage can be found at nearly any preferred depth. There is plenty of swing room for half a dozen small craft, so that anchorage can usually be found even during the height of the summer boating season. The bottom is increasingly rocky along the western shore, probably best to try the eastern side of the cove first.
View Larger Map- Funter Bay and Coot Cove on Google Maps
The entry to Funter Bay has a few moderate navigational hazards, including Curlew Ledge. We have used the channel along the north shore several times. Nothing that should prevent an alert operator from entering the anchorage safely under a wide range of sea or weather conditions.
The easternmost anchorage, Crab Cove, also provides good anchorage. This seems to be more popular judging by the number of boats we often see here. True to the name, be sure to avoid the crab pots found further into this cove. We have found this cove to be more exposed to northeast winds that come through the pass in Admiralty Island. Spending the night swinging on your anchor and watching the wind gauge hits gusts of fifty plus miles per hour here can be… umm… interesting. There is also a state dock in Funter Bay on the south side which tends to fill up early.
Once anchored in Coot Cove you might check out some of the history associated with the cove. If the tide is low you may spot the wreckage of the cannery tender Anna Barron on the northwest shore. Visit the memorial to the World War II internment for Aleuts or boat across to the cemetery and other ruins that dot this interesting bay.
The Nordic Quest anchored for the night in Coot Cove, photo by Andrew Cooper
