Wilderness Mariner Course
A Cruise of Opportunity Onboard the Science Research Vessel Endeavour
Two weeks on the Inside Passage
April 12 –25, 2025
In partnership with the
U.S. Maritime Academy
The Endeavour in Icy Bay on the Lost Coast, Mount St Elias in the background.
A captain needs different skills taking boats to remote waters. From British Columbia to Alaska and the Arctic, the distances are vast, the charts are thin, and help can be very far away. Alaska Endeavour’s Wilderness Seamanship Program takes place over a two-week 750-nautical-mile voyage between Seattle and Petersburg, Alaska, onboard the 72-foot,100-ton research vessel Endeavour.
In mid-April, the trips are northbound. In mid-November, they are southbound. Each course is limited to six students.
The program, taught by Captain Bill Urschel, covers all aspects of running a boat in remote waters. There is an online class with course materials before departure and plenty of time at the helm for every student, as well as hands-on deck, watch, and galley duties underway. Students come away knowing firsthand what it takes to keep boats and passengers safe in remote waters.
The Endeavour departs Seattle April 12 (and Port Townsend April 13) and arrives in Petersburg, Alaska, on or after April 26th, depending on weather and other factors.
Applicants need to be 18 years or older, in good health with reasonable agility, with some prior boating experience.
Each student receives a US Coast Guard Sea Service Form CG-719S attesting to at least 12 days sea service in near-coastal waters on a 100-ton vessel, which applies to their current or future 100-ton master’s license.
Program cost is $4,500 per student and includes coursework, shared cabin accommodations, and all meals for the 12-to-14-day voyage. Airfare is not included.
“Great learning experience. I’d do it again.”
-- Matt Martincich
“Captain Bill was a great guide and a patient teacher.”
-- Brook Frost
Bill Urschel
Corky Parker
William Urschel, Executive Director / Captain
Alaska Endeavour’s founder, Bill is a licensed US Coast Guard 100-ton Master with over 1,500 days at sea. He has run the Endeavour since 2007 on expeditions from Southern California to the Arctic. A lifelong explorer, Bill has ridden a horse 1,200 miles across the southwestern desert, paddled a dugout canoe solo down Peru’s Ucayali River, and worked as a freelance journalist in Nicaragua and El Salvador during their revolutions. Bill has started and sold a handful of software companies and has served on the boards of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. He is a National Fellow of the Explorers Club and holds a history degree from Princeton University.
Corky Parker, Expedition Manager / Crew
Corky coordinates expeditions and serves as crew underway. A life-long outdoorswoman, she was executive director for the Alaska Wilderness Guides Association and for 25 years owned La Finca Caribe, hosting environmental and educational groups on Vieques Island in Puerto Rico. She has a degree in environmental studies from Bennington College and served on the school’s board of trustees.
Curriculum
The Captain’s Mindset: The wilderness mariner always has backup plans, redundant systems, and spare parts. What do you plan for and think about to keep your boat afloat and crew safe?
Piloting: Charts of the wilderness often lack the data of charts closer to home. How do you read a chart and plot a course when the data is thin, wrong, or missing?
Resource Management: You are on your own out there. What are the basic time, speed, distance, and fuel calculations when fuel, fresh water, and food are far away?
Night Operations: Sometimes we must travel in the dark. What are the dangers of being underway at night, and how to do it safely, and with what gear?
Understanding Sea Conditions: Today’s online weather forecasts are accurate, but how do you use wind, waves, and swell data to forecast the sea state … and what sea states are acceptable?
Rough Water Operations: How do you handle a boat in rough conditions? How do you mitigate the motion? What can you do if it gets worse than predicted?
Icy Water Operations: Ice in the water is common near tidewater glaciers. What ice can you push through and how do you do it? What ice do you need to avoid? How close can you get to a glacier?
Shallow Water Operations: Shallow water in the wilderness is unavoidable. Where and when is it safest to go shallow, how do you avoid running aground … and what do you do if you do run aground?
Anchorages: Good anchorages are not always obvious. Neither are bad ones. How do you read the land, as well as the chart to tell a safe anchorage from trouble?
Anchors and Anchoring: Your boat and probably your life depend on your ground tackle. Which anchors are best, how much chain do you need, and how to you deploy it all when you don’t know what’s on the bottom?
Shore Boats on Shore: Tides in the north can be huge. When going ashore, how do you cope with low tides stranding your shore boat or high tides setting it adrift?
Running Shore Boats: Shore boats are essential in the wilderness. How do you run an outboard in unknown water, how do you run a jet boat up a river in four inches of water, and what are the human-powered alternatives?
Remote Medical: People can get hurt in the wilderness. What goes into a medical kit for the wilderness, does telemedicine work, and how can you call for an evacuation?
Line Handling: We still need knots and we need to know how to handle lines and fenders. What are the basic knots and techniques you need to know?
Gear for the Wilderness Boat: It’s often cold and wet in the maritime wilderness. What are the best hats, jackets, gloves, and boots for wet, cold weather on the wilderness boat?
Wildlife: Whales, bears, birds, sea lions, otters, and other wildlife are everywhere in the north. What is the best basic gear for finding, watching, and listening to wildlife?
Fresh Seafood: In distant waters, fresh fish, crabs, and shrimp are welcome in the galley. How do you catch them while underway, with a minimum of gear and hassle?
Bear Defense: The threat of attack from a bear or other wild animal is remote but real. How do you protect yourself and others?
Provisioning: A crew cruises on its stomach. How do you keep meal plans simple and effective, and how do you provision for the long haul?
Students get lots of time at the wheel.
The topics include ice and glaciers.
The Endeavour's salon and galley.
Travelling at night can be done safely.
Interpreting weather data takes practice.
How to safely and legally observe wildlife.
Bunks are comfortable but privacy is limited.
Daily discussions follow the curriculum.
We share the beaches and meadows with bears.
Some ice is safely broken, some not.
Fresh halibut expands the menu.
We find peace and beauty everywhere.
Sea otters abound on the Inside Passage.
We teach survival skills on board.
Shore boat handling and bear defense are key.
For more information on the Endeavour and our nonprofit science and education work in Alaska, see www.AlaskaEndeavour.org.
Questions? Please email us at Expeditions@AlaskaEndeavour.org.