Looking for a fantastic trip, look no further…
http://community.shutterfly.com/gallery/post/start.sfly?postId=/gallery/1/post/GMGDJg0ZN2rJmyZgfu-dxg
Looks like an ad to me.
Looks the same to me also, so
I hit the “alert” button !
cheers,
JackL
Very much an ad
But, I took a 13 day trip with them in Sept. They do run a pretty nice outfit.
Matt
AK on Homeshore
THIS IS NOT AN AD…
We went on a trip w/them this past summer and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!!! If you’ll look back, I used to post here fairly regularly, not so much any more. The owner’s of this website have taken these trips at least twice, if I’m correct (look in the trip photos section).
I saw one of these photo books on a travel website a few weeks ago and it finally got me to figure out what to do w/some of the several thousand pics the four of us took. I’m just sharing our wonderful times w/the rest of you, take it for that and nothing more.
These were wonderful people that we traveled with, we couldn’t have asked for a more tremendous time, I hate it that some of you have to degrade what I have put together for my family and friends. It hurts that you can’t take it for what I intended, and share the enjoyment we got from this trip.
And yes, we all had pretty good cameras on the boat, including the people we’d never met before, we all wanted to get some great pics to remember our trip, and as you can see, we did.
Yes you are absolutely correct
– Last Updated: Dec-08-08 2:50 PM EST –
Please accept my apology
I just got an e-mail from Brent explaing that they do in fact advertise with P-net and it was not posted by them.
I would have removed my post, but felt I should leave it to clarify the issue for any one else.
If you want me to remove it, just let me know.
Regards,
JackL
Must really be a good trip if
the customers take the time to produce better copy than most ad agencies.
I have thought about Homeshore type trips many times. I am looking forward to going through your pictures in even more detail than my initial quick glance.
Mark
They are a great way to get started
I paddled sections of the Inside Passage witht he Homeshore that I would not have attempted by myself at this point. Then got to go back on the boat for dinner and drinks. Very civilized.
Some of the people on the same trip as me spent quite a while making a nice little 20 min video. So, it’s not uncommon.
Matt
Home Shore Photo Book
Actually, it didn’t take long to produce the book. I worked on it for a couple of evenings last week and parts of two weekends, that was it.
We had quite a few of our photos sorted by days, so that made it easier, I had to keep scanning through our friends photos (things to remember for future books). The format is all set up, you choose the layouts, backgrounds,etc. and put it all together, it’s not hard. I just wish you could view it large enough to see what I’ve written to go w/the photos.
Jack…apology accepted, thanks.
Here in south east MI…
We just had a two hour slide presentation and discussion at local paddle shop with a couple who went on the Home Shore this past August…
Many fantastic photos from the couple and their friends who went along…
Mothership kayaking looks like the best way to see more Alaska in one journey than an expedition…
They covered 300 miles of coast in 10 days. The Captain is willing to tailor the route to the guests interests.
Apparently the Home Shore is booked solid for '09 and the ‘rush’ is on for 2010 as well…
Thanx, kiawahbeth for sharing your photos as well. I will take some time to look them over as I have bookmarked the link.
See You On The Water,
Rob
Also check out www.kayaktransport.com
My husband and I went on a one-week trip with them in 2006. They put more emphasis on the paddling and less on the “bloat and float” part and design their trips for people who have paddling experience.
Great way to bring someone to Alaska for their first time, with dry warm bug-free quarters, hot showers, good food, and the experience of the mothership crew on tap.
But…I still prefer self-supported paddle-camping trips. It sounds cliche, but a trip in which you take the bad with the good, challenge your existing skills, adapt to things you can’t control, and–last but not least–rely upon your KAYAK and your own gumption–is far more rewarding than any “normal vacation.”
Float & Bloat???
Not on Homeshore by any stretch!!! Food was great (and healthy for the most part), but we didn’t sit around bingeing all day!!!
We are all experienced paddlers, in fact, this was the first time they took all single boats out for their guests (though they told us most of their guests are paddlers, not newbies). This option was chosen over camping, because that’s what we wanted to do, nothing wrong with that. Most of us do enough in our daily lives (including teaching kayak classes through a non-profit) that we enjoyed the down time that we had between locations.
As it was, we paddled 3-6 hours a day. So, different strokes for different folks (literally), you can enjoy camping, we can enjoy staying on our mothership and we’re all happy.
not that I have ever been to Alaska
but I’m with you pikabike.
While the mother ship deal might appeal to some there is nothing more rewarding to me than a trip where you call the shots.
Sea kayaking to me is about independence, exploration and the good and bad weather that comes with it. Somehow it enriches the experience.
I live in a very structured world and work in a confined environment.
Boy, do I cherish the times that I can be outside, sunny or raining, hot or cold.
Luxuries do not “float my boat” 
“Don’t go to AK when you’re young”
– Last Updated: Dec-09-08 9:47 PM EST –
That's a quote from a video showing some beautiful places in AK. The point being that it may spoil you for most other places that you see later.
I don't completely agree about the beauty aspect (LOTS of gorgeous places elsewhere, too), but I agree with its sentiment as it pertains to kayak camping. Nothing else has really measured up after doing a self-supported trip there 4 yrs ago. There are equally scenic places, places with warmer water, places with fewer bugs, places with less rain, places that are just plain easier to camp in. But at least in the lower 48, I have yet to experience any place as undeveloped over such a huge area. And here's the problem I have with mothership trips: the very presence of the mothership kind of ruins that feeling of primitiveness. I remember feeling bad that the generator on our mothership was probably wrecking the peace for two people who were paddle-camping in one bay we went to.
I'm glad I did the camping trip first, before I did the mothership trip. It made me really appreciate the creature comforts of the latter, which helped balance out that feeling of "something is missing."
Generic term
Float and bloat refers pretty much to ALL mothership or cruise trips, not just your Alaska on the Homeshore.
No need to get so defensive about it! If you read some of the blogs (and I did read AOTH’s website a couple of times in the last 4 yrs), it is easy to see how the term came to be. I also remember they stated that no paddling experience was required, and there were lots of photos of people in doubles. Which, by the way, obviously shows demand for such doubles tours…just as there is demand for full-service mothership tours.
Mother Ships
Not meaning to sound defensive, but again, different strokes for different folks…
As was stated above by both me and other posters, we enjoyed going back to the boat for hot showers, meals and a comfortable bed. We saw many amazing sights and just loved our adventure.
Most times when we were visiting coves, etc. the boat was silent, even turned off the generator at night.
Generator at night?
I would hope that all the motherships turn them off at night. I know that Kayak Transport did, as well as trying to minimize their use generally.
My point was that any generator sound (day or night) would be an intrusion to people who do not benefit from it, and even to some people who do benefit from it.
Please accept my apology also
It was done so nicely I assumed it was one of their ad pieces that they had tried to slip it in without paying for ad space.
I have heard nothing by good things about this company and do not want to falsely accuse them of any wrong doing.
Nice job on the presentation
Dave
It fits as a “Suggestion” though it
could easily have gone on the Discussion Forum.
Kind of amuses me that people are ready to jump on an “ad” but don’t understand why a discussion of a paddling death doesn’t fit on this particular forum.