Taku Harbor to Auk Bay (Juneau) - May 28

Departed from Taku at 7:55 this morning.  Leaving the dock was made easy by the light wind that was gently blowing us off the dock.  We let loose of the lines, drifted away from the dock and made our turn into Stephen's Passage.  We headed north along the shoreline and were treated to three seals playing just off the bow.  When we reached the bottom of Taku Inlet we turn to port and cross over the main shipping lanes leading to Juneau.  

The direct route to Juneau is through Gastineau Channel and a quick look at the AIS confirms that the route is heavily used by by Cargo and Cruise Ships.  We continue to the west and turn north on the far side of Douglas Island.  The only other vessel in sight is a fishing boat and perhaps the reason is that we find ourselves in choppy seas.  Our best guess is that the seas are 3-4 feet and while the ride is a bit bumpy it is not particularly uncomfortable.  In less than an hour, the seas are considerably calmer and we continue up the outside of Douglas Island in comfort.  At the top of Douglas we head east for Auke Bay.  

Our first stop in Auke Bay is the fuel dock.  This is our first fuel stop since leaving home - 235 engine hours and 1,000 miles ago.  We estimate that we have used 340 gallons of diesel fuel to arrive at this point.  We still have over 250 gallons in the two takes but that won't get us home!  We take on an additional 250 gallons of fuel which will more than get us home!  Next we look for a place to moor in the marina.  Auke Bay has transient moorage - which means you look an empty space on one of the docks and claim it.  The only problem is the docks are full with a number of boats rafted up.  John spots a space at the end of "C" dock that we almost fit in (about 4 feet hangs over the end of the dock), there is water but the power is over 100' away.  No wonder the spot is empty.  We take it!  Who needs power when you have a generator!  Really, we easily last a couple of days on batteries alone.

We take the bus from Auke Bay to downtown Juneau and find ourselves wandering among a couple thousand cruise ship passengers.  There are food cart vendors on every corner - so that is dinner.  We visit the historic Russian Orthodox church and wander into a few of the shops before heading back to Chug.  We sit on the foredeck, take in the scenery, check in with friends at home and pinch ourselves.  We are in Juneau.

Tracy Arm Entrance Cove to Taku Harbor - May 27

This morning starts leisurely with coffee and blueberry scones.  While we are eating when the rain moves in and for an hour or so we experience our first real rainstorm of the entire trip.  We pull up the anchor just as the rain abates and are away at 7:55.  Today is our shortest travel day since leaving home -- 22 miles to Taku.  We arrive at the community dock at 11:40.  Just as we arrive I spot a very large brown bear that is ambling down the beach not far from the dock.

Taku Cannery Remains

We have lunch on board and just as we are bravely putting on our boots for a walk ashore (through bear country), a 61' yacht pulls up to the dock. As we stand by to assist with the lines, we are amazed at the number of folks on board - 16 women and 2 men.  We introduce ourselves and learn that the 16 women are off for a "girls weekend" with the two men serving as crew.  I asked how they all knew one another and learned that they are part of a Bunko group!  Interestingly the group included the wife of the current Alaska governor.

The group spent the prior evening at the governor's mansion in Juneau and were now out for an afternoon of boating and a crab feast on the dock.  (The men had set out crab pots a day or two ago and retrieve 8 large crabs.)

We completed our walk along shore through the ruins of an old cannery and were astonished by the remnants that were left behind.  One interesting find was a brick made in St. Louis.  We also walked by the old cannery buildings that have some fairly recent improvements.  It looks like they may be privately owned.  Then back to the boat and drinks on the stern using our glacial ice.  One of the men from the "party boat" came by and asked to borrow enough propane to finish cooking the crabs.  They departed the dock to return to Juneau and we were left to enjoy the solitude of Taku.

Tracy Arm Entrance Cove - May 26

Today we cruised from the anchorage into Tracy Arm and returned to the same anchorage for a second night.  Tracy Arm is 22 miles of narrow canyon walls that leads to North and South Sawyer glaciers.  The further we traveled the more ice we saw - some pieces were big and some pieces were very small.  For much of the time I stood on the bow with m

y polarized sun glasses trying to spot the "smaller" pieces.  What looks to be small on the surface is generally only 10% of the total piece.  The other 90% is under the water.  We were all on high alert because hitting an iceberg could damage the prop and we would be out of business!

About half way into the arm, we passed a cruise ship that was exiting the Arm.  Certainly makes you feel small when you are in the shadow of the big cruise ships.  We dodged ice for over 10 miles before we had a clear view of the south glacier and decided to turn around.  On the way down Tracy Arm we spent an hour trying to retrieve one of the smaller pieces of ice.  We were thinking ahead and wanted ancient ice for our evening scotch!

This afternoon we dropped the anchor in just under 20 feet of water.  There are several other boats at anchor in the cove including two sailboats, two large powerboats and an old wooden boat named Discovery.  Discovery was built in 1931 and is approximately 75'.  She is a real beauty.  I put the kayak in the water while Barrie changed the oil and filter (so far we have traveled just under 200 hours).  My objective was to get more ice!  I spotted a small berglet close to shore and paddled in that direction.  From the kayak, I lassoed the piece and started to break it into smaller pieces that I loaded into the kayak.  Soon I had a lap full of ice and paddled back to the boat.  John helped me unload the ice chunks and break them into even smaller pieces that I could fit in the freezer.  Now we will need to find more scotch to go with the ice!

Windfall Harbor, Seymour Canal to Tracy Arm Entrance Cove - May 25

Barrie's Bear

I awoke this morning at 4 am (thanks to Duffy) and it was simply too beautiful to go back to sleep.  Made a pot of coffee and dropped the kayak into the water.  Paddled for an hour around the cove (including a stop on shore to check out the only cabin in sight) then back to the boat for a breakfast of blueberry pancakes.  

Then, finally, we saw our bear on the shoreline!  A very large brown bear with a white face.   Pulled the anchor just before 9:30 from a very muddy bottom which John scrubbed as it came it.
 
We had a smooth transit down Seymour Canal but this morning we had fewer whale sightings.  Once we reached Stephen's Passage we headed north along the eastern shoreline.  When we turned into Tracy Arm, 13 bald eagles flew over the boat.  Shortly after, we saw several boats anchored in Tracy Arm Entrance Cove but decided to continue on Williams Cove where the guidebooks identified a more secluded anchorage.  As it turned out, the anchorage was not usable due to the location of a very large iceberg!  We backtracked 5 miles to Tracy Arm Entrance Cove and dropped an anchor in just over 30 feet of water.  After a couple of hours we reset the anchor to try to eliminate the noisy drag of the chain across the rocky bottom.  And then it happened again, we saw another bear.  This one was on the near shore less than 250' from the boat.  We had a quiet evening at anchor.

Warm Springs to Windfall Harbor, Seymour Canal - May 24

 

We slept in a bit this morning waiting for the ebb tide.  Current was pushing us against the dock but we easily cleared the end of the dock and were soon headed back into Chatam Strait.  The sea is much calmer than the weather forecast predicts and we have a smooth ride all the way to Frederick Sound where we start to see whale activity.  We continued north to Stephen's Passage and stopped the boat several times to watch the whales.  We continue to see whales as we motor north in Stephen's Passage.  Our original plan was to anchor in Tracy Arm Entrance Cove tonight but when we reach Seymour Canal in sunshine and perfectly calm seas, we alter our plans to go up Seymour Canal in search of bears!  There is a bear station at the head of the canal and we are told that bear sightings on shore are very common.  The canal is almost 30 miles long and ends in a beautiful anchorage.  WIndfall Harbor is beautiful, serene and very peaceful - and we have the entire harbor to ourselves.  We drop our anchor in 67 feet of water and take in the stunning scenery with a glass of wine in hand.  Our view is of snow covered mountains that seem to come straight down to the harbor and in the distance we see whales spouting.  The only thing missing is a bear sighting.  This is a place that speaks to my heart and I could happily spend days just taking in the grandeur.

Sitka - Warm Springs - May 23

We pass Ursa Major in Peril Strait

We depart  Sitka at 4:54 with an overcast sky and calm seas.  Today we backtrack through Peril and Chatam Straits to reach Warm Springs.  On our way to Sitka, we covered this route in two days.  Today the tides and currents are in our favor and we will complete the run in just one day.  Our first goal is to transit Olga and Neva Straits.  This morning the maximum current in the channel is just one knot and we will "fight" the current for part of the morning rather than wait for slack.  Next we must tackle Sergious Narrows and while we have timed our trip to arrive here at slack, we arrive just over 1/2 hour early.  The water is calm enough that we continue on our journey without waiting for slack.  Then we continue to work our way through Peril Strait.  Almost no boat traffic and at times the sun peeks through the clouds.  It is a beautiful morning and I can't help but reflect on our time in Sitka.  Memories from our experiences are likely to follow us home.

Entering Chatam Strait

Humpback Whales!

Once we reach Chatam Strait we still have 20 miles to travel to reach Warm Springs.  By the time we arrive, we will have covered 85 miles at approximately 7 knots.  Slow speeds provide time to really soak up the environment.  We discuss alternate anchorages but all agree that spending another night in Warm Springs is the best choice.  As we turn into Warm Springs from Chatam Strait we are greeted by whales along the shoreline.  Pulling into the community dock, we are again met by Ilsa, the fisherwoman who lives at Warm Springs, and another fish boat.  As we tie up, they describe the amazing activity of whales in the cove that is being driven by the release of fish from the nearby hatchery.  As we are all standing on the dock, whales are passing within a few yards of us and one surfaces less than 30 feet from our boat.  This may be the closest I will ever be to a whale in the wild.  We relax on the boat and have a bite of dinner before I head for a soak in the community bath house.  What a treat!  I hope to return here again and again.

Sitka - May 21 & 22

After our wonderful dinner at Ludvig's we head back to Chug and shortly thereafter to bed.  The weather was calm, the dock quiet and we all slept well!  Today was reserved for exploring Sika.  John started by finding the local laundromat.  Once he had his laundry started, we set off to walk into town for a day filled with arts and culture. 

We were pleased to see that the shops in Sitka are still owned by locals and not by the Cruise Ship companies.  At the local co-op art gallery we find some treasures to bring home.

Next we walk to the Sheldon Jackson campus.  The previous night at Ludvig's we sat next Carol Odess, a woman from Alabama, who now spends the majority of her time in Sitka.  Throughout the evening, Carol was describing the work being done to renovate the old Presbyterian school into a campus for the Sitka Youth Art Camp.  The original construction dates back to the early 1900s and looks to be of the tudor style.  The school was originally a boarding school for the Native children run by Reverend Dr. Sheldon Jackson.  Later the campus was a two-year college and then a four-year college and finally abandoned and left to ruin.  In 2011, Carol was visiting Sitka and met the wife of the program director.  Carol and her late husband have philanthropic projects in Alabama and at Vanderbuilt University in Tennessee but this project caught her attention, stole her heart and has benefited from her generosity.  As we were walking we recognized the buildings from her description and decided to stop and see if we could find Carol.  Within minutes, we were climbing the back staircase to the second floor where Carol was meeting with another of the volunteers.  She greeted us warmly and gave us the insider's tour of the work that is being done.  The campus is the home of arts camps for children from grade school through college.  The program includes, drawing, painting, pottery, fiber arts, drama, circus performance and more and more and more. This summer hundreds of students will attend.  Many of these

Mary & Lisa - this photo is for you!

students are from Sitka but they are also from the lower 48 and from countries around the world.  Barrie, John and I all thoroughly enjoyed our time with Carol.  Her enthusiasm was absolutely contagious!
 

We next visit the Sheldon Jackson museum which houses incredible treasures from the many different native cultures.  The artifacts were beautifully displayed in an octagonal building.  Barrie says he is amazed at the comprehensive nature of the collection and how it represents the works of the common people including arctic clothing, children's play toys, basketry, fishing supplies and much more.  John is struck by how creative the people were in being able to make their harsh environment comfortable through the use of local natural materials.

A short walk across that street brings us to the Sitka Aquarium and Fish Hatchery.  This facility was part of the college biology department until the university shut down.  It is now a not-for-profit organization.  The aquarium display includes many of the local species and viewers are invited to get their hands wet and to carefully touch many of the specimens.  We are greeted by a college intern from Virginia who offers to answer questions and also to give us a tour of the fish hatchery.  This is considered a small but important hatchery that works with three types of salmon -- coho, chum and sockeye -- and released 3 millions hatchery fish each year.  Perhaps the most interesting thing we learn is that every hatchery in Alaska "bar-codes" their fish.  The ear-bone of the fish has growth-rings like trees and the size of the ring changes based on the temperature of the water.  By changing the temperature of the water by 1 degree up or down on a set schedule each hatchery is able to create a unique "barr-code" on their fry.  This provides important information on the migration of the fish and their return rates.  From there we continue our walkabout stopping at the Totem Pole park, collecting our laundry, doing a bit of shopping and finally returning to the boat to freshen up for dinner at the wine bar that is an extension of Ludvig's restaurant.  We had a wonderful dinner of chowder and wine and thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

Our second day in Sitka is devoted to wildlife (of the natural variety).  Our adventure starts with a bus trip from the marina to downtown Sitka where we chang buses.  We ride the second bus to Whale Park (the end of the line) and from their we walk the final two miles to the Fortress of the Bear Project.  While at Whale Park we see several Humpback Whales and as we walk along the highway we are treated to a whale show.  We take turns exclaiming as we sight a bunch of whales.  Fortress of the Bear is a safe haven for orphaned bears that has been created out of an abandoned pulp mill water treatment facility.  Currently they are home to 6 brown bears and 3 black bears.  Historically, orphaned bear cubs have been shot by Alaska Fish and Game since without their mother they cannot be left to fend for themselves.  The mission of the bear sanctuary is to provide a place for these bears to live out their natural lives in comfort.  It is quite a feat since each bear eats up to 40 pounds of food a day for several months of the year.  Also, since Alaska law does not allow for a rehabilitated bear to be released into the wild, these bears must be taken care of for decades.  Visiting the facility provides the opportunity to view these bears from as little as 25 feet away.  Really quite amazing.

Our next stop is the Rapture Sanctuary.  In many ways, the missions of these two organizations are the same.  The Rapture Sanctuary takes in injured raptors of all varieties and rehabilitate them.  The difference is that fully rehabilitated birds can be released into the wild and about 80% of the birds are released.  Those with injuries that are too severe become permanent residents.  Another very interesting tour and an incredible close up look at raptors that are seldom seen this close.  Returning to downtown Sitka, we checked of the remaining tourist activities that were on our to do list.  We toured the Russian Bishop's House which is now part of the National Park Service and a walk to the top of Castle Hill.  Finally, we tired feet, we returned to the boat where we relaxed with a glass of wine and dinner on board.  We were all tired and opted for an early to bed time knowing we had yet another early departure tomorrow.

Deep Bay, Peril Strait - Sitka - May 20

Sitka Harbor

Woke up this morning to low clouds and overcast skies.  We have become so accustomed to bright blue Alaska skies that this weather seems ominous.  We time our departure to arrive at Sergious Narrows at 7:11 (low water slack),  We begin to pull up the anchor around 6:30 and are making forward progress by 6:35.  We see a sailboat that has just come through Sergious and consider that a good sign.  We arrive at the head of the Narrows at exactly 7:11 and make the short transit without event.  This route is used by commercial ships and state ferries.  We read that the ferries announce their entrance time 10 minutes before they will arrive.  The waters are so narrow here and the current so swift (up to nine knots) that it is imperative to stay out of the way of large ships.
From Sergious Narrows we continue in Peril Strait for 12 miles to reach St. John Baptiste Cove where we drop an anchor and wait for the end of the flood tide before high water slack.  We drop an anchor at low tide (-2.1) and find a lovely spot behind a small islet that is partially out of the wind.  We will have about a six hour wait.  Plenty of time for a "Larry Breakfast" with hash browns, sausage and eggs, some boat projects and a nap.  In my case, time to catch up on the blog.  Barrie and John take advantage of the time to nap and read.  All in all, a wonderful rest stop.  After a light bite of lunch, we pull up the anchor and enter Neva Strait at the end of the flood tide.  Our objective is to arrive at Olga at high slack water and make the final run through Olga Strait to Sitka on the beginning of the ebb tide.  The sun is out this afternoon and the scenery is spectacular.  We see seals, otters, eagles and an old shipwreck.
Once we have Sitka in our sights we give the Harbor Master a call and ask for a berth for the next couple of nights.  There is plenty to explore in Sitka and we are looking forward to spending a couple of days exploring the area.  We are assigned a berth in Eliason Harbor which is just north of the old Thomsen Harbor.  Strong northwest winds make docking a bit of challenge but soon we are tied-up.  We fill up our water tanks and spend a few minutes getting organized.  Then we are off to Ludvig's Bistro for dinner.  We have an amazing dinner in one of the best restaurants I can remember.  On a Wednesday night, the restaurant is filled to capacity -- 27 diners!  We enjoy dining on local seafood and splurge on dessert.  We have such a great meal that we make arrangements to eat there tomorrow night.

Warm Springs - Deep Bay, Peril Strait - May 19

This morning we have a nice leisurely start and enjoy coffee and breakfast while we wait for the ebb tide to abate.  The water at the Warm Springs dock flows from Baronof Lake and runs 24/7.  We are told that the water is not certified but it is used by locals and fishermen.  We do not add any to our water tanks.  I use the hose to wash the salt water off Chug and the lightly scrub the foredeck.  At 8:00 we push off from the dock and head 4:30.  We drop the anchor in 60 feet of water and let out 200 feet of chain.  The anchor is firm and we are the only boat in an area the guidebooks claim is heavily used.  Perhaps we are still early in the season.  As evening arrives so do two additional boats - including the fishing boat that arrived in Warm Springs after us.  Lots of room to swing.  Plenty of rest for all.
back into Chatam Strait.  We run north for 20 miles and then turn west into Peril Strait.  Again, we see almost no boat traffic.  For part of the day we are able to follow the tug, that tied up next to us last night, on AIS.  Also on AIS we see the Columbia (Alaska State Ferry) enter Peril Strait ahead of us.  We progress through Peril Strait all afternoon and slip into Deep Bay around

Petersburg to Warm Springs - May 18

After a wonderful long weekend in Petersburg we are headed to Sitka.  This is a three day run with our first destination being Warm Springs which is75 miles away.  Our departure time coincides with an extremely low tide and it turns out that the current is running much faster than we expect.  Our first attempt to leave the dock is not successful and we are fortunate that there is not another boat in our berth.  We pull back in and get set to try again.  The second attempt is successful but we have managed to put a small scratch in our new paint.  The cost of a lesson learned -- luckily that was the extent of the damage and can be repaired when we return home.
We have absolutely perfect weather on Frederick Sound.  Shortly after starting out we spy a pod of Orcas and slow down to watch at least 5 whales play in front of us.  As the day goes on we see 5 more whales but these are all Humpbacks and each whale appears to be swimming alone.  We see the tales as the whales dive but there is not much activity above the water line.  Another day with almost no boat traffic until afternoon arrives and we see two fishing boats on the AIS
From Frederick Sound we turn north into Chatam Strait and then into Warm Springs Bay.  There is a great community dock and also places nearby to anchor.  A beautiful community of what appears to be mostly summer cabins located at the end of the bay next to a roaring waterfall.  As we enter the bay we experience lots of current - some from the ebb tide and some from the out-rushing waterfall.  The guide books tell us of a rock off the east end of the dock and suggest that you point your bow east.  Attempting to follow the suggestions means we must do a port side tie with the current pulling us away from the dock.  Not easy but we accomplish it in three tries with the help of Ilsa, a local resident and fisherwoman who is the owner of a wonderful home built troller that is on the dock.  In hindsight, there is no real need to point the bow east and the whole docking process would have been greatly simplified if we had approached it the other way.  Now we know!
We sat on the stern and enjoyed a beer while we got the lay of the land.  There is a well kept board walk that extends for over 1/2 mile that takes you to the hot spring pools.  We all put on bathing suits, grab our towels and ask Ilsa if we should be concerned about bears.  Ilsa says that as long as we make noise along the trail we should be fine - but she also offers to lend us two cans of bear spray.  Just as we are leaving, the folks from Juneau (on the Nordic Tug that is the only other boat on the dock) return from the hot springs.  They say there is bear skat on the boardwalk but they did not see the bear.  Ilsa says not to worry, it is only the town bear!  We are advised by the man from Juneau to carry a gun since he considers bear spray to be seasoning -- it is essentially pepper spray and the bears love the taste of people covered in pepper!  We, of course, do not have a gun since you cannot travel through Canada with such a thing.  Barrie, John and I all march up the trail making noise and singing songs.  We do not see a  bear and we do arrive at the hot spring pools and enjoy a good soak.
Back to the boat for dinner and also to watch two additional boats arrive.  A fishing boat and a tug boat.  All seem to think that Chug is a fine salty vessel. After dinner I walk to the top of the dock to continue my soak in the town tubs.  They have built a public bath house on stilts overlooking the harbor and run pipes to carry the hot water from the source.  The water is so hot - even after traveling some distance - that there are cold water hoses supplied to allow you to regulate the temperature.  The tub is 7 feet long and 3 feet deep and maybe the best soaking spot on the planet!  Back to the boat for a wonderful nights rest.

Petersburg - May 14, 15, 16, 17

This is the first time since leaving home that we will be in one place for several days, and since we are on the dock, access to town is a snap!  The weather forecast for the next few days is extraordinary.  Lots of sun and temperatures well above normal.  Most days it will be over 70 degrees!   
On Thursday we choose to relax on the dock and run a variety of errands in town -- several trips to the hardware store(s) and more than one trip to the grocery.  Petersburg is an absolutely lovely town of 3500 people with a significant percentage of the population being of Nordic descent.  Everywhere we look people are wearing Norwegian sweaters, bunads and Viking horns.  We catch up with our friends Josh and Emily for a beer at Kito's Kave and discover that Emily has a set of Viking horns for each of us to wear!!  Now we have no excuses.  This evening we will attend the annual melodrama put on by the Mitkof Mummers.  "Shipwreck on Cannery Island" has quite a plot -- dastardly pillager Gunnar Settefyre and his longboat of plunder, including three captive nuns, crashes on the shores of Cannery Island after some particularly unusual weather.  With no way home, the new arrivals must adapt to  life on old-time Cannery Island, or else everything will go up in smoke.  Barrie wears his "Chug" vest (from Mary and Lisa) to walk to the show and as we stand in the lobby, the Chug "fan club" is definitely in attendance.  We meet and greet folks we have seen along our way to Alaska and meet plenty of local folks as well.  This locally authored work of hard work, romance, revenge and redemption turns out to be terrific.
Friday morning both Barrie and I worked on boat projects.  Late morning we decided to walk the 2 1/2 miles to the Merrcury dealer (and back) to buy extra keys for the Boston Whaler.  A nice walk along the highway with almost no traffic!  It is good to have more than one key to the dinghy!  Friday afternoon we put on our horns and go to the parade!  What a hoot.  The parade runs the entire length of Main Street -- at least 6 blocks!  We think everyone in town has a place in the parade - either riding in the VIking Boat or dancing in costume or .....  After the parade we watch the herring toss.  If you remember the egg toss contests of your youth, well, imagine doing the contest with a dead herring!!  Tomorrow John Hudson arrives and joins our crew.
Saturday morning was the Little Norway Lop the Loop 7K run.  Barrie and I met Josh and Emily at 7:30 -- Emily and I ran the Loop while Josh and Barrie found coffee and breakfast.  Emily and I were both glad to finish the run since neither of us had run since we left home!  Josh and Barrie were waiting for us when we crossed the finish line.  Together we walked to the Cold Storage Company and had the BEST breakfast sandwich ever!  The world's best smoked salmon on an english muffin with the addition of an egg.  Absolutely yummy!  Next Barrie and I headed over the to the Sons of Norway Hall where we kept up the tradition of eating.  We stood in line for at least half and hour for smor brod - open face sandwiches - one with shrimp and one with halibut.  And then there were the traditional Norwegian pastries.  Okay, we overate but how often can you have all the delicacies of your childhood at one time in one place.  And then there were the young ladies in beautiful bunads who strolled the room poised to clear any plate that was empty. Next was a stop at the Petersburg Moose Lodge for Halibut Beer Bites (deep fried halibut nuggets that Barrie says were delicious!).  With a very stomach, Barrie and I walked the mile from downtown Petersburg to the airport to meet John's flight from Seattle.  His flight actually went from Seattle to Juneau to Petersburg and was EARLY!  Together we walked back to town in time to see the end of the annual pageant.  I even rubbed elbows with the Alaska governor who was in town to dedicate tne new "drive-down" dock.  Our next mission was to go the to IGA Union Trader so that John could buy xtra tough Petersburg boots which are the must have boots in Alaska (Barrie and I already own some and at least half the cast of Cannery Island wore them).  We all agreed that the only sensible thing to do next was to attend the all you can eat shrimp feed in support of the local basketball teams.  This event is an annual fundraiser that allows four teams to go to basketball camp.  Given the high cost of airfare in Alaska, it takes a lot of effort to raise enough money to send all those kids to camp.  The meal of fresh caught shrimp was fabulous and we all ate too much.  We rolled back to the boat to sleep it off.
Sunday was the final day of the festival.  We awoke and debated the merits of attending the fundraiser pancake breakfast at the Catholic Church  We finally all agreed that there was no way we could eat pancakes and go to the all you can eat Rotary Seafood BBQ at noon.  So, hating to miss the pancakes we opted for yet another seafood pig-out.  The good news was that the Rotary BBQ was held at Sandy Beach which required a 2 mile walk from the boat to get to the BBQ and another 2 mile walk to return.  The food was beyond belief.  We gorged on smoked black cod, rock fish and grilled salmon and at least a dozen salads not to mention Norwegian desserts including a Rotarian Sheet Cake and Lefsa.  After the meal, we quickly walked back to town so that we could all attend yet another showing of the melodrama "Shipwreck on Cannery Island".  This was John's first viewing of the play and John said the play was unique -- he laughed almost as hard as Barrie did.  John has a bit of difficulty with some of the local Nordic humor but fell in love with Sally Sealegs. (Barrie's favorite actress was Nikoleta Lotafishgobyya.  And how couldn't you love Margo Fisher (a single fisher women) with her boat "The Salmon Queen" that was trolling for Kings?  Our last effort of the day was to find Mandy who had promised us a Carrick Bend knotted door mat for the boat.  Somehow we misconnected.  In an effort to find her, we met half of Petersburg.  Melinda from the ACE provided Mandy's telephone number but even that did not close the gap.  Maybe next week when we pass through Petersburg we will find the elusive Mandy.  Hope so.  Meanwhile with very full stomaches we collapsed into our own bunks with our alarms set for 4 am.

Wrangell to Petersburg - May 13

Well, once again we have an early start to the day.  This morning we will be transiting the Wrangell Narrows for the first time on our own boat.  Several years ago, on the Classic Car Club CARavan, we took the Alaska State Ferry and followed this route.  Both Barrie and have memories of channel markers and more channel markers!  The guide books all talk about the care required to navigate the channel and we spend an hour before going to bed fine-tuning our route. 

The Wrangell Narrows is a 20-mile long passageway where the tides meet at Green Point (12 miles north of the southern entrance).  Our goal is to be at Green Point at 9:47 when slack high tide occurs.  Working backward we leave the dock at 5:00 am.  We have 21 miles to cover before we arrive at Point Alexander (which marks the beginning of the Narrows) and we need to arrive there at 8:00.  We follow the route defined by the guide books and make our passage between Vank and Sokolof Islands.  We can’t imagine what the authors were thinking.  It is a narrow passageway and we are fighting an ebb current (if we are to be at Point Alexander at 8 – the ebb current is a given) and making slow headway.  Later that day we talk to experienced Alaska boaters and learn the most people take that route only once.  The better way is to cut below the islands. 

As it turns out, our timing is perfect.  We arrive at Point Alexander at exactly 8:00 and from our AIS see that there are two boats just ahead of us in the passage.  To our port we see one more boat that will enter the channel ahead of us but he is not transmitting an AIS signal (neither are we).  Then we see another AIS signal on the chart and it is moving rapidly!  We zoom out and see Columbia (an Alaska Ferry) headed south and moving at 20 knots.  It exits the channel just as we are entering.

Navigating the channel is amazingly easy.  The channel markers are numerous but well marked.  We follow our progress both on Coastal Explorer and on Chart #17375.  Both Barrie and comment that while this is easy with computer-aided navigation and clear weather, neither of us would like to try to do this in bad weather using dead-reckoning techniques.

We arrive in Petersburg at 10:30 and the Harbor Master assigns us a “hot berth” that is very close to town.  We are soon greeted on the dock by neighboring vessels and by Knut and Gerri (a local Petersburg couple) who saw us enter the harbor.  They live aboard their Krogen 48 and came to greet fellow Kroganites!  They are a wonderful resource for information about town and the Little Norway Festival.

I learn that the Little Norway Festival includes a 7K run on Saturday morning and log onto the internet to sign up.  I have not run since leaving home but I can’t pass up on this opportunity.  We do a walk through town and pick up local spot prawns for dinner.  Before dinner we take the dinghy out and tour the harbor.  We will be in Petersburg for four days, I plan to catch up on lots of things including this blog!

Berg Bay to Wrangell - May 12

Hard to imagine that we have come over 750 miles and run the engine for 120 hours since leaving home two weeks ago!  In all that time, we have had just two days of rain.  The skies are blue, the sun is out, the temperature is in the 60s -- who could ask for anything more.  The rest of the story is that (knock on wood) all boat systems are doing well.  There is a small oil leak in the engine and Barrie does not have the correct wrench to tighten the nut but beyond that, the engine is working well.  We have made over 200 gallons of water with the water maker that Barrie installed and the water is fabulous.  The best tasting water on the planet!  And I have to say, the best water for washing hair!!  Still plenty of small things to do, but the boat is serving us well.
This morning we had a leisurely start since we wanted to transit The Narrows on the end of the Flood Tide (slack was at 9 am).  We pulled the anchor at about 7:30 and slowly made our way north in Eastern Passage and arrived at The Narrows at 8:30.  There was very little about this body of water in the guide books and now I know why -- really a non event and could be transited in most any tide.  However since the tides meet in the middle of The Narrows we did benefit from the change of tide and the Ebb that has carried us to the top of Wrangell Island.  We will tie-up at the dock in Wrangell late morning and head up to Harbor Master to pay for moorage.  We are on the transient dock and the price for one night is just $19.

Now we have the day to explore the town on Wrangell.  A walk through town says that spring has arrived in Alaska.  The cherry trees rival Washington D.C. and are simply stunning.  At the afternoon low tide we walk to the north end of town to the Petroglyph Beach.  Wrangell's waters are too shallow for the big cruise ships to dock but the smaller ones stop here.  One has arrived since we docked the boat and we find we have lots of company on the beach.  Throughout the afternoon we watch the sea planes come and go at the head of the dock.  With weather this spectacular we spend a bit of time just soaking in the scenery and pinching ourselves that we have come this far.

Meyer's Chuck (Clarence Strait) to Berg Bay (Eastern Passage) - May 11

A leisurely start to the morning since we will only be traveling a short distance today.  Took a walk-about before departing Meyer's Chuck for our first destination of the day - Vixen Inlet.  According to the guide books, a river terminates in Vixen and creates a habitat for bear feeding.  It is likely still to early to see bears (we can always hope) but this makes for an interesting side
trip.  From Vixen we had planned to continue up Ernest Sound and into Zimovia Strait to reach Thom's Place for our evening anchorage.

The weather was so amazing and the waters so calm that we decided to change our route and take the Eastern Passage that leads to Wrangell.  We slowed as we passed Anan and saw the USFS Float and the boardwalk that has been constructed for viewing bears in season.  This is a very popular place with both bears and people in July and August.  We then continued past Blakely Island into Blakely Channel.  In a few miles, Blakely flowed into Eastern Passage.  We stopped for the night at Berg Bay and anchored just in front on the USFS Cabin and floating dock.  The winds were howling down Berg Bay and there were two boats already anchored in the bay - making anchoring a bit more of a challenge.  Dropped the anchor in 53 feet of water and had an incoming tide that would add 8 feet of depth before nightfall.  Let out approximately 170 feet fo chain.  Anchor took hold, the wind stopped and we had a very pleasant night on the hook.

Ketchikan to Meyer's Chuck - May 10

Easy Day!  Went for an early morning walk and ran into Emily on the almost deserted streets of Ketchikan.  Walked onto the City Float to greet Josh and to see Ursa Major.  We rode with Josh & Emily on Ursa Major in 2011 and had a wonderful trip.  Ursa is a 65' Malahide Trawler that was built in Norway in the early 70s although the superstructure was completed in Ireland a year later.  Beautiful boat and extraordinarily maintained.  A pleasure to see her up close.
Headed back to Thomas Basin to our boat but stopped at a local cafe for breakfast.  It really was a local hangout and it appeared we were the only non-locals there this morning.  The fact that this is Mother's Day
Departed for Meyer's Chuck at 7:50 fighting the end of the ebb tide.  The tide would not turn to flood (headed north) until after noon but we were reluctant to wait since the afternoon forecast was for winds on Clarence Strait.  We arrived at Meyer's Chuck at 1:30 and the winds were still calm.  Our entire trip up Clarence Strait was calm which is often not the case.  Much like Johnstone Strait opposing winds and tides can create a real maelstrom in this location so were were grateful for smooth sailing.  Plenty of room on the dock.  After we tied up Barrie settled in for a nap and I made banana bread.  We had our hearts set on the famous cinnamon rolls that are delivered directly to your boat but we were too early in the season.  Went for a walk ashore and chatted with some of the locals.  The big news is that the State of Alaska sold the dock to a private group and as of July 1, there will be fees for moorage.  Also, the community removed the old telephone booth and a new mailbox has been installed at the head of the dock.  For old time's sake, we posted a letter to Larry and Wilma Determan.  It will be picked up out of the mailbox on Tuesday and a float plane will pick up the mail on Wednesday.  Mail once a week, maybe that would solve the deficits of the postal service.
and the lack of cruise ships in port and the early hour might have had something to do with that!

Pillsbury Cove to Ketchikan - May 9

Yet another early morning  While this might sound like a burden, it really isn't.  Generally the seas are at their calmest in the early hours and the beauty of the dawn (and a hot cup of coffee) makes up for the inconvenient alarm clock.  We had the anchor up just as light was breaking.  By the time we had everything stowed we were able to move at a slow idle as our surroundings came into view.  Pillsbury Cove seems to be a hotbed of aquaculture, so it was important to be able to see all the floats and markers.
Our first course was a turn to Starboard which brought us to the entrance of the Venn Passage.  Venn Passage is a shallow body of water that serves as a shortcut between Prince Rupert and Chatham Sound.  To our surprise, there were two crab pots in the opening to the Passage although there was plenty of room to avoid them.  We followed last years course on Coastal Explorer and since the route is so well marked with buoys and lights and we were close to slack water and had 10+ feet of tide - we completed the run easily.
We next set our course on Dundas Island where we agreed to re-check the weather.  If need be, there is good anchorage at Dundas.  At 9:30 the winds were up to 15 and the seas were 6+ feet.  The forecast was for 20+ mph winds in the evening and the following day was also looking in question.  We decided to "go for it" knowing it would be safe but thinking it might be less than comfortable.  For the first hour we were correct.  The seas were confused and at least 6 but maybe closer to 8 feet.  As we neared Cape Fox, the water settled down noticeably and we had a pleasant trip past the Cape with a targeted arrival in Foggy Bay around 12:30.  One final change of course and we were on our way to Ketchikan.  The weather and seas were cooperating and it seemed worth a few more hours to complete the run to Ketchikan.
We called in to Customs and let them know we would be arriving around 3:30.  We also connected with our friends Josh and Emily on Ursa Major.  They completed the crossing before noon and were already docked at the City Float in Ketchikan.
Two hours later, we were preparing to enter the Tongass Narrows.  This can be a very busy waterway with cruise ships, Alaska ferries, cargo ships and fishing vessels but today is was very quiet -- not a single cruise ship in sight.  When we reached the Coast Guard Station, we radioed the Harbor Master asking for a slip for the night.  There is very little guest moorage in Ketchikan but lots of "hot bunking".  When a fishing boat is away from the dock, the Harbor Master assigns his/her slip to a transient boat.  We were assigned slip 19 on finger 5 in Thomas Basin.  We drove down the fairway passing large commercial boats on both sides before finding our slot about half-way down.  Imagine our surprise when we looked up to see that we were tied next to another Krogen 42.  Mr. Peters and his wife Ernesta Ballard are the owners of Frances Stoughton (named after her grandmother) and reside in Ketchikan.
We called Customs to let them know we had arrived and they cleared us by phone (thanks to our NEXUS cards).  We met Josh and Emily for drinks at Annabelle's (across from the Cruise Ship berths) and were joined later by their clients for a delightful dinner in the dining room.  There was only one cruise ship in port when we arrived (we had to navigate around its stern and can tell you from our perspective -- those things are HUGE!) so the restaurant was less than half full.

Lowe Inlet (Grenville Channel) to Pillsbury Cove (Prince Rupert) - May 8

Planned a late start for this morning to miss the ebb tide that promised to slow down progress by as much as 3.5 knots.  After arising at 6:30 and enjoying a leisurely cup of coffee (good but not like our lattes at home) I decided that we deserved blueberry pancakes for breakfast.  After breakfast, Barrie worked on improving the flushing mechanism in the guest head including replacing the joker valve.  While he toiled away, I put my kayak in the water and went for a long paddle around Lowe Inlet.  This morning the tide was low and I kayaked over some very shallow shore waters and had a wonderful marine biology lesson.  Lots of shell fish, grasses, kelp and more.  As I was paddling I could feel a shift and it seemed that I was finally fully in the moment and so glad to be in such a beautiful place.  When I returned to the boat, Barrie was just finishing up his project and was very happy that it went so well.  He even had time to concours the head and said it could now win a prize for cleanliness!  I am not sure who had the most fun this morning.
We weighed anchor at 11:05 and had a very calm and peaceful run.  We passed a BC Ferry that was headed south and saw a sea plane fly close off the port bow.  Opted to anchor in Pillsbury Cove across from Prince Rupert.  Since it was nearly 8 pm and we would be leaving at first light, it didn't make sense to go into dock in the Harbor.  I thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Prince Rupert last year and would love to have time to walk the city and go back to the fabulous museum but not this time.  Dropped the anchor and for the first time on this trip it did not set on the first try.  Second try it caught and we both slept well