Looking up Kamishak Bay past Augustine Volcano and Mount Iliamna.
Chart 16640 and 16648
Kamishak Bay is a broad expanse of open water, north of Cape Douglas, an 1,100 square mile bulge of lower Cook Inlet into the mainland of the Alaska Peninsula. A defining feature is the 4,300 foot cone of Augustine Volcano situated on 10-square-mile Augustine Island. The entire western half of Kamishak Bay is shallow and studded with reefs, rocks, and mudflats exposed at low water. Some of the potentially most interesting parts of that coastline, such as the mouth of the McNeil River, famous for brown bear viewing, is virtually inaccessible by anything but a shallow draft skiff or aircraft. Reefs that go dry at low water lie as much as 10 miles off the western coastline.
The view from inside Sukoi Bay.
Nevertheless, many scenic locations are accessible along the coast of the bay. Most of the coastline consists of beaches backed by rugged uplands backed by mountains of the Aleutian Range. Some of the coast, particularly the first few miles north of Sukoi Bay in the south, and north of Bruin Bay in the north, features rocky cliffs plunging almost directly into the sea.
Mount Douglas from the anchorage on the mainland west of Shaw Island.
North from Sukoi Bay, paralleling the coastline in a northwesterly direction, the mariner encounters low, flat Shaw Island after about 10 nm, almost directly in line with the distant Augustine Volcano. Along the way the shoreline has several rocky indentations that, in a pinch, could offer shelter from south and west winds, although the holding bottom is likely to be rocky, judging by the adjacent volcanic rock cliffs. Passing to the west of Shaw Island a vessel can turn to the west and enter a large, open unnamed bay, bordered by cliffs on the east side and a miles-long gravel beach the rest of the way. Holding ground is adequate to within a quarter mile of the beach, and the view is spectacular: 7,000 foot Mount Douglas dominates, its slopes swathed in the Spotted Glacier. At the western end of the gravel beach a swift and muddy branch of the Douglas River streams into the bay.
The entrance to Bruin Bay.
Continuing in the northwesterly direction, it is prudent to avoid the reefs and flats off McNeil Cove and Nordyke Island. With careful navigation it is possible to get close to the shore in 3 to 5 fathoms at Chenik Head but getting ashore still would require threading a skiff or kayak over and between reefs. It is safe to pass diagonally across Kamishak to a point about 2 nm east of the entrance to Bruin Bay. Plotting this course avoids one reef and some zero fathom depths (at low water) about 4 nm southeast of Bruin Bay’s south entrance (study the chart for location). The upper and most sheltered part of Bruin Bay is virtually impassible by other than skiff or kayak at high water, but the approach channel has a series of holes of sufficient depth, sheltered by rocks and a reef, where a vessel can lay to avoid winds from almost any direction. Enter the channel on the north side, between the large tidally exposed barrier reef to port and a wash rock off the point to starboard. The current flows in and out of Bruin Bay at about 2 knots so allow for it when transiting, and when anchoring remember that the current will completely reverse every six hours. Tides run about an hour behind book time with corrections. Bruin Bay itself is scenic and a magnet for birds and wildlife, and a visit to the upper part of the bay is recommended if time and tide allow.
Fortification Bluff, between Bruin Bay and Ursus Cove.
From Bruin Bay it is possible to transit east-northeast past the dramatic cliffs known as Fortification Bluff to the wide indentation in the shoreline called Ursus Cove. Along the way is a dramatic waterfall on a creek issuing from Kirschner Lake, and a view of the 3,800 foot monolith known as Big Rock. Numerous exposed and wash rocks lie off both the southern and northern shorelines of Ursus Cove, but at the head of the cove is a small bight free of obstacles and suitable for anchoring in moderate southwest, west, and northwest weather.
To the northeast of Ursus Cove lies Oil Bay, which is too shallow to be of much use for anchorage, and Iniskin Bay, which is reported to provide good anchorage in its lower half. To the west of Iniskin is Iliamna Bay (see Section 4), which at Diamond Point branches left (west) to Cottonwood Bay (shallow and rocky) and north to the approach to Williamsport. Small craft can anchor in Iliamna Bay in the area above White Gull Island, east of the entrance to Cottonwood Bay.
The anchorage on the northwest side of Augustine Island.
The north side of Augustine Island lies about 13 nm south of Iniskin Bay, or 5 nm southeast of Ursus Cove. Occasionally vessels transiting the northern part of Kamishak Bay anchor there, as well as a few boats carrying people who want to hike the island, climb the volcano, and even ski down it in winter. The Coast Pilot reports that a seismic research station is tucked into a tiny cove on the north end of the island just east of Burr Point, but it is not visible from the sea. A necklace of offshore rocks is draped over the entire northern coast of the island but there is a relatively rock-free area near the northwest corner, a quarter mile northeast of the gap separating Augustine and West Islands. Adequate holding ground can be found in 3–5 fathoms, with some shelter from west, south, and east weather provided by the surrounding rocks. There is reported also to be suitable holding ground in a bight near the southwest corner of the island providing protection from northeast, east, and southeast weather. Be aware that Augustine Volcano is classified active and has erupted as recently as 2006.