I worked out of Ketchikan. I liked the town much better before the cruise ship dock was built. I have flown into K town many times and taken the ferry twice and a crusie ship once.
There is great paddling around, but realize you have a few hazards. First the salt water is really cold. Puget Sound is 55 degrees in summer. Ketchikan areas is more like 40 something. There is 100 inches of rain in town and it goes up from there as you go East. I worked at a site that got 150 inches of rain. The tidal range is around 20 feet. That means that twice a day all of those islands, narrows, rock piles, and bays move a tremendous amount of water. The salt water can have a lot of current and large standing waves. Sometimes they build up right in front of you. There is no help around. Alaska is remote to the extreme even near towns.
The last thing is the density of bears Because of the rainfall there is a great amount of food around, not to mention salmon runs. I saw bears every day in the bush. They like the tidal zone because there is plenty of food there in the estuaries. If this description does not discourage you, then you will have a great time. Be cautious. Best not to go alone Use dry bags. Good luck.
