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“You wake up a little earlier than usual. That’s because it’s lighter than you’re used to in the morning. You make your way to the galley and pour yourself a cup of coffee, while reading Christine’s daily journaling prompt. You like how she always puts up suggestions of things to think about for the day. You say “Good Morning” to Christine, who is diligently preparing the morning’s pastry selection on her wood stove. Then you grab your camera and your coffee and head to the back deck to see what the morning has to offer. The day breaks with amazingly cool clouds hugging the nearby mountains. As you raise your camera, you think this will look best rendered in black and white.

When you’re about to finish another sumptuous breakfast (a frittata with spinach and mushrooms, plus potatoes and sausages and there is always fruit and granola), Jeffery comes down from the wheelhouse to say he’s spotted whales up ahead. Everyone grabs their cameras with their longest lenses and heads out on deck. Since you never know where whales will surface, it’s best to be on the top deck so you can easily move to either side.

There they are. Then you realize they are actually bubble netting close to shore. A rare sight that is truly amazing.

When the last whale leaves you spend time photographing the scenery.

As you get closer to the glacier there is a giant iceberg up ahead. Jeffery does a wonderful job of circumnavigating it so everyone gets a chance to photograph this amazing floating sculpture.

After lunch (split pea soup, salad, cheese and meat tray and fresh sourdough bread) it’s time to close the curtains and review everyone’s images. This is always a highlight. It’s interesting how everyone goes to the same places and photographs the same subjects but we all see the world differently. Consequently, we all learn from each other.

When we arrive at our destination it’s low tide so Jeffery and Matt prepare the skiff so everyone can go ashore. You spend quite a bit of time making photographs on the beach.

Once back on board you download and work on the day’s images, while nibbling on the hors d’oeuvres that Matt has brought out.

You realize that this workshop is a perfect mix of beautiful scenery, photography learning, and stimulating conversation with a wonderful group of fellow photographers. As someone on a recent trip said; “you arrive as strangers but depart as friends”. Truly a life changing experience.”

P. S. If you are inspired to join us on a future photography workshop, just contact Sarah. You can see our current 2027 and 2028 schedules here: https://northwestnavigation.com/schedule-and-rates

It was perfect.

The wind was at our back for the first 24 hours. We timed the tides to get the greatest benefit. The wind calmed down to nothing for the exposed ocean crossing sections. (It was a little lumpy but doable.)  But, by far, the biggest victory of the trip north, ninety-two hours straight through to Ketchikan was that the main engine ran perfectly. 

Several months ago, you might remember seeing the pictures and the videos, the engine was still in pieces. Over the winter we rebuilt the reverse gear, adjusted the main bearings, poured new bearings for the connecting rods, tightened the wrist pin bearings, machined the crankshaft and installed a new flange on it, built a new air plumbing system, and a million other small fixes to make everything run. To see it in action, running that smoothly was amazing.

We made a lot of other small changes this winter too, like a new step in the skiff, fans to help dry wet foul weather gear, a rebuild of the inside of the oven box (rusted through from years of use in a salt water environment, not from Christine baking muffins.) We did a lot of good work.

When we began this life with the David B twenty-one years ago, transits to Ketchikan were not like this. In the early years, we made multiple stops along the way, going to towns to buy stuff to fix things when necessary, and patching things back together. Over the years it’s gotten easier, and we’ve gotten better at knowing what to do in the winter months to make the transit and the season smooth, but despite all that, I still spend a lot of spring worrying.

To see it all come together, and to have a perfect transit north, makes me excited for the season ahead. I made the transition to summer over ninety-two hours to Ketchikan.

Fair Winds,

Jeffrey
Captain of the David B

P. S. If you are inspired to join us, just contact Sarah. You can see our current 2026, 2027, and 2028 schedules here: https://northwestnavigation.com/schedule-and-rates

Glacier Bay National Park is one of those places that changes how you look at things. 

I’ve been traveling in Glacier Bay for years aboard the David B, and it still asks me to slow down. The light, the ice, the scale of it—it’s not something you take in all at once. It reveals itself over time. 

That’s part of why we created our Glacier Bay photography workshop. 

Aboard the David B, we move at a pace that allows for noticing. Not just passing by something beautiful, but returning to it. Watching how the light shifts. Waiting to see what changes. Giving yourself the time to make a photograph that feels like your own. 

This isn’t a trip where everyone lines up for the same shot. 

It’s a space to explore how you see—whether you’re just beginning with a camera, or you’ve been photographing for years. 

On this trip we’re joined by two wonderful photographers, Alan Sanders and John D’Onofrio. 

They guide, they answer questions, and they share how they approach their work—but just as importantly, they support you in finding your own way of seeing. 

We also go ashore in exquisite locations. 

These aren’t rushed stops. They’re moments to walk, to look closely, and to spend time in a place. 

You have time to wander with your camera, to pause to sketch out an idea, or simply sit with a scene. 

The pace allows for different ways of working—and for each person to follow what draws their attention. It’s often in these quieter places that your photographs begin to take shape. 

Part of what makes your experience different is how we move beyond the David B. 

Our skiff is stable and open, allowing us to travel into smaller inlets, along shorelines, and into places larger boats simply can’t reach. It opens up opportunities to work closer to the landscape, to observe wildlife, and to find quieter vantage points.  

There’s time in the field, and time to sit with your images. 

We make sure to spend part of each day in Lightroom, talking through editing choices and watching how an image begins to take shape. 

We also spend time sharing images together. 

Our show-and-tell sessions are relaxed and thoughtful, and often really inspiring. It’s a chance to see how differently each of us experienced the same place.  

One of my favorite parts of the trip comes at the end. 

You choose an image you’ve created, and we print it onboard. There’s something really meaningful about holding that photograph in your hands—something that came from your own experience in this place.  

Life aboard the David B is part of it too. 

With just eight guests, there’s space for conversation and for adjusting our days as conditions change or wildlife presents itself. And at the end of the day, we gather around the table for a meal and talk about what we saw. 

Glacier Bay rewards attention. 

Brown Bears at Pack Creek – photo by Alan Sanders

We still have plenty of spots to join our preview of the photography workshops we have scheduled on the David B for 2026. Join Jeffrey and Christine along with our instructors John and Alan, as they share the different types of Photography workshops that we offer in Alaska, Glacier Bay and the San Juan Islands.

It is a chance for you to ask your questions of our instructors and crew in a live Zoom event. But even if you can’t join us that evening, feel free to register and I’ll send you the replay.

Zoom Event Details
Date: Wednesday, December 3rd
Time: 5pm PT/6pm MT/7pm CT/8pm ET
RSVP: email me for the Zoom link invitation.

Also, we’re excited to host two additional live events in 2026: 

These are a great way to meet us, learn more about our trips, and ask questions. We love seeing familiar faces join in, too! If you’d like to sign up, contact me, and I’ll make sure you get the details. You can also check out our YouTube channel to see recordings of past events. 

Sincerely,

Sarah

P. S. Our 2026 season is already half sold out! If you want to be a part of our next season, just contact me. You can see our current 2026 and 2027 schedules here: https://northwestnavigation.com/schedule-and-rates