Juneau stands at the centre of the most accessible charter waters in Southeast Alaska, a state capital reachable only by sea or air and surrounded by fjords, glaciers and the Tongass National Forest. The Mendenhall Glacier flows to within a few miles of the city waterfront, giving even a short motor yacht charter an immediately dramatic backdrop. Eleven motor yachts operate in these waters, ranging from day-range cruisers suited to Gastineau Channel and Lynn Canal to fully crewed expedition vessels capable of reaching the more remote passages north and south.
Charter rates for motor yachts based in Juneau run from approximately 50,000 to 150,000 euros per week before the advance provisioning allowance, which covers fuel, provisions and anchorage fees at the State Marine Parks along the route. The season peaks from June through August, when daylight runs to twenty hours and whale-watching from the deck is routine as humpback whales feed in Frederick Sound and Lynn Canal.
Juneau provides an unusually complete base for an Alaska charter. Tracy Arm Fjord, one of the most spectacular anchorages in North America, lies 50 miles to the south, with the twin Sawyer Glaciers at the head of a narrow fjord flanked by waterfalls. To the north, Glacier Bay National Park is within reach of a week-long charter. Tenakee Springs, Angoon and the protected inlets of Admiralty Island add wilderness depth to longer voyages.
