Bound for Hoonah

Last evening we attended the Tribal House talk.  Two of the carvers from Hoonah talked about the 6 1/2 years of carving involved in creating the House.  They also discussed the four House Posts representing the four Clans that lived in the Glacier Bay area.  Beautiful work and nice personal talk.  From there a quick stop at the lodge to look at the natural history display and then back to the boat.

After a very calm night at anchor, this morning we returned to the Lodge for some quick internet connectivity and breakfast.  After docking the boat we walked to shore and found this gear piled at the head of the dock.  Then we met the people to whom this equipment belongs.  They looked pretty serious!  One was wearing a hat that said Fairweather Ski Works.  So, I googled it!  http://fairweatherskiworks.com/gulf-of-ak-traverse/

Perhaps this needs to be our next adventure (kayak and ski). 

Next Adventure????

Stand-Up Paddling????

From here we head to Hoonah and a chance to visit with "Cousin" Floyd Peterson.  I think he is my third cousin (we share a great great grandparent) but I leave the genealogy to my Aunt Sue.

Back at Go (Sunday 5/29 & Monday 5/30)

Today we rode the flood tide from Geikie Inlet to Bartlett Cove reaching speeds over 10 knots.  We will use today for administrative tasks – checking email and phone messages, taking on fuel, pumping the holding tank, etc. 

Barrie has been scheming to get to bottom of each fuel tank for cleaning, so today we only filled the port fuel tank.  Glacier Bay is as far north as we will travel on this trip.  We have traveled over 1,000 miles and used just under 400 gallons of fuel.  From here the long slow trip home begins.

By afternoon we are ready to go ashore.  We spend time in the Glacier Bay Lodge hearth room checking email and catching up on news.  We even opt to have dinner at the Lodge’s restaurant.  We each order a large salad (fresh vegetables are about the only food group in limited supply aboard Chug) and share an order of Halibut Fish & Chips.  When our split meal arrives, we are amazed by the size of the portions.  Neither of us was able to clean our plate.  Back on the boat, we grab our books and settled-in with a glass of brandy and are in bed early.

Traveling with a cat has a way of getting you up early.  McDuff has determined that breakfast should occur at 4 am.  This morning I rolled over to continue sleeping but Barrie arose and watched a spectacular sunrise over Barlett Bay.  As the morning progressed, the wind picked up and soon the bay was filled with rollers.  For a few hours it was less pleasant than that to which we are accustomed. 

By mid-morning, the chop had settled and Barrie was able to do some work in the engine room.  He changed the oil and tightened the shaft seal.  After a month aboard, I spent the morning cleaning and putting things back in their official “homes”.  With that done, we are “good to go” again.

This afternoon we will return to the Guest Dock and top-off our water tanks.  We also plan to visit the recently completed Tlingit Tribal House (2016) and the newly ins  This evening there is a 45-minute presentation by a cultural specialist.

talled Totem Poles (2017).

Repeat Performances Saturday May 27

The weather continues to be clear and sunny and we decide to return to the glacier and see if we can get better photos in the morning sun.  We pull up anchor just before six am.  Our planned route takes us north up the narrow passage on the inside of Russell Island.  Just before our departure, we see humpback whales feeding in that passage.  We spend a few moments watching the whales and then point our bow south.  We will go around the bottom of the island and not disturb the whales breakfast.  We retrace just over 10 miles back to Marjorie Glacier and repeat yesterdays dance of boat, kayak and icebergs.  One noticeable change today is that the glacier is much more active.  The sound of calving roars in my ears and large chunks create big splashes as they topple into the water.  It is quite spectacular.

As you might guess, there is more ice to navigate today.  Just before noon, we begin our trip south through Glacier Bay.  We investigate Blue Mouse Cove as a possible anchorage.  It is well-protected but it is a large open cove and not nearly as attractive as last night’s anchorage.  We continue south to Geikie Inlet and take a peek at Shaw Cove.  This is a narrow inlet with a very tall granite cliff on one side.  At the end of the cove is the outlet of a stream and some green grass that looks like potential bear habitat.  While this has the potential to be a very pleasant anchorage, we opt to continue our search.  The next cove in Geikie Inlet is Tyndell.  This cove feels more intimate and it also looks to have good bear habitat at the head.  We drop an anchor in 35 feet of water (including 15 feet of tide) and settle in for the night.

Within minutes, Barrie quietly says, “the bear has arrived.”  We grab a glass of wine and our binoculars and spend the next hour watching a very large black bear wander up and down the beach.  Lucky for us, the bear repeated his performance at 4:30 in the morning and we were awake to see it.

Sunshine and Glaciers

This morning we are headed up Tarr Inlet to Reid, Lampugh, Grand Pacific and Marjorie Glaciers.  These are the crown jewels of Glacier Bay National Park and therefore Cruise Ships and other pleasure boats frequently travel this route.  We follow their progress on our AIS since the Cruise Ships often move at 20 knots or more and we need to stay well out of their way.

Marjorie Glacier  Glacier Bay National Park

We arrive at Marjorie just after noon and by 1:00 we have the place to ourselves.  I launch the kayak from the top deck and carefully cast-off from Chug.  Barrie will try to navigate through the iceberg bits in Chug while I find it easier to slip between the pieces of ice.  For the next hour, we try to line up the boat, the kayak , the glacier and the mountains in the distance to take photographs – all while avoiding the ice!  They on the camera but I left the cord for downloading at home – so none for the blog.  Just check out the photo from 2015 on Day 1 of this blog and you will get the idea.  Beautiful.  The sun was out, the sky was blue, and a humpback whale spouted in the distance. 

We tuck behind Russell Island for tonight’s anchorage and find a spot with good holding that requires just over 200 feet of chain.  Just around the corner is a seasonal Park Service float cabin that does not seem to be occupied at the present.  In all directions, we are looking at snow-capped mountains.  This is a stunning anchorage and the experience gets even better when we hear a whale come up to breathe.  Just off the stern is the tell-tail sign of mist in the air.  A few moments later we hear another whale and this time we see the whale’s back.  Clearly, the whales have arrived for dinner and we enjoy watching them surface several times.  Later, Sea Venture joins us in the anchorage.  After dinner, Sea Venture’s tender arrives at our stern.  The owner’s have brought us fresh crab made by their “chef”.  We do not know if his profession is as a chef, but if it isn’t, it should be.  Barrie and I both agree that those were the best crab cakes we have ever eaten.  Sea Venture is a 70’ custom boat built in Port Townsend in 1979 on a workboat hull.  It has been beautifully maintained.  The boat is home-ported in San Diego and they have made the journey to Alaska several times.  They will be in Southeast for the summer before returning to San Diego.  Makes our journey seem tame.

Following John Muir

 This morning we are headed up-bay to Muir Inlet.  In late 1879 John Muir, his companion and a group of native paddlers set out by canoe from Fort Wrangell.  Muir had heard of ice mountains in the north and wanted to explore.  At the end of his trip, Muir wrote:

“The green waters of the fjord were filled with sun spangles; the fleet of icebergs set forth on their voyages with the upspringing breeze; and on the innumerable mirrors and prisms of these bergs, and on those of the shattered crystal walls of the glaciers, common white light and rainbow light began to burn, while the mountains shone in their frosty jewelry, and loomed again in the thin azure in serene terrestrial majesty.  We turned and sailed away, joining the outgoing bergs, while ‘Gloria in excelsis’ still seemed to be sounding over all the white landscape, and our burning hearts were ready for any fate, feeling that, whatever the future might have in store, the treasures we had gained this glorious morning would enrich our lives forever.”

It is hard to describe the grandeur of Glacier Bay.  In some ways, it looks a lot like home.  Water, mountains, snow .... but everything is bigger and more awe inspiring.  In this place, it becomes all about where you are and not who you are.

Muir Glacier

Wanting to start our trip to the glaciers prepared, we first stopped at the Park’s Guest Dock and fill our water tanks.  (The glacial silt in this area is not conducive to reverse osmosis water making.)  Then with the start of the flood tide we start our trip north through Sitakaday Narrows at speeds approaching 10 knots. 

We pass close by (abiding by park rules!) South Marble Island where a large colony of very noisy sea lions are hauled out on the rocks.  There are several hundred in close proximity.  Just off the island we see a dozen or more Puffins in the water.  Just beyond the island, we come upon perhaps 50 or more sea lions all in a feeding frenzy.  It is an amazing sight to watch them surface and then dive again and again – looking almost like popcorn.  

As we near the top of Muir Inlet on our way to view the glacier, we encounter scattered chunks of ice emanating from Riggs Glacier.  Some we find difficult to spot but we come through unscathed.  Beyond the inlet to Riggs, the ice clears but the fog lowers and visibility is significantly reduced.  We continue with caution and by the time we are approaching the terminus of Muir Glacier the fog lifts and we are able to view the glacier.  This area seems to be a haven for Sea Otters and we see scores of them.  They are quite funny to watch.  Swimming on their backs with their head and feet visible, it can appear that the are waving at you.

We anchored for the night in Wachusetts Inlet with a lovely view of a hanging glacier.  Since we are near a full moon, we are experiencing the full range of tidal action.  While we are at anchor, the tide will rise another 5 feet before plummeting nearly 25 feet.  High tides this week reach as much as 24 feet and low tides will drop as far -4.7 feet. 

An Engine Room Chat

Bartlett Bay Glacier Bay Continued:

The Park’s staff is scurrying to get everything in place for the summer season.  Today, only the Visitor’s Center is open but come Friday the lodge, restaurant, gift shop and fuel dock will also be open.  We walk past trucks that are bringing in food supplies and seem piles of plastic bags containing fresh linens.  Everyone we see is hard at work.

The Ranger who briefed us on park history and rules this afternoon comes down to the boat while we are still moored at the Guest Dock.  He has seen lots of boats come and go but this is his first Krogen and he is interested in touring our boat.  Soon the Ranger and Barrie are at opposite ends of the engine room discussing the mechanics of the boat.  Before long their conversation changes course (but there position in the engine room stays constant) and they begin talking about the local community and the geology of the park. 

We learn that our Ranger grew up in California but moved to Gustavus, Alaska 40 years ago.  He worked for Glacier Bay while in graduate school and has returned to work here again after his retirement from a career with British Petroleum as a mechanical engineer.  His work took him from the North Slope to Azerbaijan but ultimately he returned to the small town (500 pop.) of Gustavus to retire.  His understanding of the geography and geology was fascinating.  We learned that the glaciers being fed by the high Fairweather Mountains are growing while most of the other glaciers are retreating.  The Fairweather’s are so high (Mt Fairweather – 15,300) that they are snowier than ever due to increasing moisture from global warming.  And we learned the significant impact of seismic activity on glacier retreat.  An amazing hour that went by so quickly.  We soon said our goodbyes, departed the guest dock and set our anchor is Bartlett Bay for the evening.

A Porpoise-full Morning

Start of a Grand Adventure

We have just 35 miles to go this morning to reach Glacier Bay National Park.  Beginning June 1^st, the park strictly limits the number of boats that can be in the park to 25.  Permits are free but require a good deal of advanced planning.  Prior to June 1^st, we can enter at will.  Since today is May 24^th, we have as much as a week available to explore the park.

This morning, Icy Strait is much calmer than yesterday and our passage west is quite comfortable.  The water has turned color and is now a milky blue due to the run-off of glacial silt.  Our passage this morning is marked by several groups of porpoises that play in our bow wake.  We have never had porpoises linger so long and we sit back and enjoy the show.

When we arrive at the entrance to Glacier Bay, the current will be running at over 6 knots in our favor before it turns to ebb this afternoon.  Our plan is to enter the park and tie-up in Bartlett Cove around noon – perhaps even spend the night here.  We will wait for the next flood tide to work our way back toward the glaciers.

So, we did indeed arrive at the park at noon and we are now ashore at the visitors center where there is wifi and a chance to update the blog.  As we work our way deep into Glacier Bay, we will not have access to phone or wifi - so this could be my last posting for several days.  We must exit the park by June 1st -  and I will post an update then.  

From here we plan to head to Hoonah where Cousin Floyd and his wife Marjorie live.  Barrie is hoping to snag a Halibut in Hoonah and since we do not have fishing gear aboard, he is going to have to get friendly with a local fisherman!

The Perils of Chatham Sound

Big Seas

We listen to weather and decide to head north this morning.  The tides are in our favor and the winds are likely to be less that 15 knots before noon.  The pote 

ntial issue is that the winds are coming out of the northwest and will be against the sea.

The seas are fairly calm when we begin our journey but it doesn’t take long for them to build and soon we are bow into 3 foot waves with an occasional big wave that results in water over the bow.  The boat doesn’t seem to mind and the cat has yet to go “under cover” but after about three hours Barrie and I have had enough and look for a sheltered anchorage.  There are several to choose from and we set our sights on Tenakee Springs.  While I drive the boat, Barrie heads below for a nap. 

Just as we reach the turn for Tenakee Springs, the sun comes out and the waters are calm.  After a short discussion, we opt to continue north and for several hours we have a lovely passage.  We now have our sights on reaching Swanson Harbor at the far north end of Chatham Strait and across Icy Strait.  The wind picks up when we are eight or nine miles from our destination and while that doesn’t sound like a lot of distance, in a 7 knot boat, it translates to over an hour of white caps and lots of water over the bow.  Both Barrie and I agree that while the boat is up to the task, we would both prefer to be tucked into a safe harbor.  We also both agree that with the sun out, the scenery is simply spectacular.  We can see several 14,000 foot snow-capped peaks in the distance while we bounce across Icy Strait.

We arrive at the entrance to Swanson Harbor at 3:30 and work our way through sheltered water filled with obstacles to the Refuge Dock.  These docks are funded by State and Federal Fish and Wildlife agencies and while they are available to all boaters, primarily fishermen use them.  The dock is perhaps 120 feet long and not connected to shore.  The wind is still howling and Barrie drives the boat aggressively bow-first into the dock and the wind brings her stern dockside.  Since the wind will keep us pushed up against the dock, the challenge is to get enough fenders between the dock and us.  Getting off the dock will be a significant challenge if the wind doesn’t abate.

We spend an hour or so tidying up the boat from our crossing.  I rinse the windows with fresh water before washing them.  The salt is so thick that it takes three attempts to get them reasonably clean.  We pick up books that have fallen from the shelf and dishes that have rearranged themselves in the cupboard.  We then spend the next hour recovering ourselves – the wind continues to howl, we remain firmly tied to the dock and a glass of scotch never tasted better.  We are both exhausted from the day and drop into bed with our books.  We are now positioned to reach Glacier Bay National Park tomorrow.

Warm Springs

Amazing Water Fall at Warm Springs

An early departure from Petersburg at near slack tide made for an easy exit.  Today will be a long travel day (approximately 11 hours or 77 miles) as we are headed across Frederick Sound into Chatham Strait and finishing at Warm Springs. 

Frederick Sound is known for its wildlife and while we are a tad disappointed that we do not see whales today, we are treated to sightings of three otter groups, a single seal, and a bunch of sea lions hauled out on a buoy. 

The seas are relatively calm and we make good time.  Just before we reach the entrance to Warm Springs, a small cargo vessel that veers to starboard to moor on a private dock passes us.  We continue to the public dock that has been replaced since our visit in 2015.  Ownership of many of Alaska’s public docks has been transferred from the State to local Boroughs.  The Borough of Sitka now owns this dock and while it is very nice to have such a sturdy dock with new bull rails and a covered gangplank, it does take away a bit from the rustic charm of Warm Springs. 

Warm Springs Dock

Armed with a can of Bear Spray (the locals refer to the product as “seasoning”) and the portable VHS radio, I follow the boardwalk to the Warm Springs.  I find that I am alone and opt to slip “au natural” into the beautiful warm pool.  After a good long soak, I head back to the boat for drinks on the deck and dinner. 

Warm Springs Resort for Sale - Takers?

Barrie is fighting a cold and heads to bed even earlier than usual.  I finish tidying up and decide to walk up the dock to the bathhouse.  The water is piped here from the hot springs into 3 private soaking rooms.  The water flows continuously into the deep tubs that view out to the inlet.  I savor the alone time as I soak and listen to the rain fall. 

Warm Springs Public Bathhouse

The weather forecast for tomorrow calls for high winds.  We will listen again in the morning and decide whether to stay put for a day or work our way north towards Glacier Bay. 

Black Cod Sunday

Rain, rain, rain but it appears that Petersburg is used to inclement weather.  It seems that everyone (including us) owns a pair of “Xtra Tuff” boots and an anorak.  Those of us from the city add an umbrella to our arsenal of rain gear.  Barrie and I walk the ¼ mile of south harbor dock past dozens of fish boats and head into town.  We are in search of wi-fi and information on the afternoon’s Rotary Seafood BBQ.  We discover that the while the Rotary refuses to be rained-out, they have moved the picnic to a large tent on Nordic Avenue (the main street in town).

We settle in at Java Hus with a latte and spend an hour catching up on email and blogs before heading back to the boat.  Just after noon, we make our way to the Rotary BBQ– and we are not disappointed.   We grab a seat at a table next to our dock neighbors who hail from Homer, Alaska and begin our feeding frenzy.  There is lots to choose from; locally caught spot prawns, black cod, king salmon, ling cod, and rock fish are complemented with homemade salads and desserts.  We eat until we can eat no more.  After lunch Barrie checks with a local Rotarian and asks if there might be leftover fish.  He suggests we come back at 3 and that any left over fish will be available for purchase.  I make a quick inventory of our freezer to decide how much I can fit – thinking about the non-essentials that can be removed.  We return at the appointed hour and for $84 buy 4 pounds of black cod, 4 pounds of king salmon, 5 pounds of ling cod and 5 pounds of rock fish.  Amazing!  We will eat well for the rest of the trip.

The harbor is socked in with fog and the rain is forecast to continue through the night.  Our original plan had been to depart this afternoon and go to Thomas Bay where we can view a glacier and anchor for the evening.  It is quite clear that we will not be able to see anything in this weather and we opt to spend a final night at the dock in Petersburg.  We have thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Petersburg and hope to return again.

Little Norway

Petersburg is known as Little Norway and for good cause.  Peter Buschmann, a Norwegian fisherman, founded the town around the turn of the 20^th century.  He determined the north end of Mitkof Island, with glacier ice nearby, would make a good site for a cannery.  There is still a cannery in town, albeit much smaller than it was more than a century ago, a sizable fishing fleet is home-ported in Petersburg, and the US Forest Service is now the largest employer in the area.

Proud Vikings

A Young Viking

It is easy to see why Norwegians followed Peter Buschmann to this remote Alaskan island.  The snow-capped mountains, fjords and glaciers would certainly have reminded them of home.  This is our second year to join the local population in celebration of Norwegian Constitution Day – May 17^th.  It is a four day celebration with music, dance and an opportunity for everyone to wear their their Norwegian sweaters and bunads (the National costume of Norway).  I stopped a woman wearing a beautiful hand-knit sweater and asked from where is Norway did her family come.  She smiled and said that she was Jewish but had lived in Petersburg for more than 20 years and loved participating in the celebration.  She had even hand embroidered a bunad and would be participating in the style show.  We are told that the 4^th of July celebration in Petersburg is even bigger!  That really doesn’t surprise me.  Growing up in the Seattle Norwegian immigrant community of Ballard, I remember my grandparents being proud of their Norwegian heritage but even more proud of being Americans. 

Valkyrie tossing the herring!

Our 4-day adventure began on Thursday with a ranger-led walk through the Muskeg.  Joanie is a wonderful Interpreter and pointed out native plants both large and small.  Barrie and I then walked a one-half mile boardwalk trail over the muskeg to the Sandy Beach and then followed the Hungry Point Trail back into town.  We headed back to the boat for a glass of wine and a light dinner before walking back into town for the annual melodrama presented by the Mitkof Mummers.  The local actors did a great job and the performance included a bit of local humor and a dig or two at neighboring town Wrangell. 

Friday included street vendors and a parade down Nordic Avenue with every fire truck and police vehicle, two Viking ships and dozens of children in Norwegian costume dancing in the street.  Post parade was the annual herring toss (slimy).  Friday night was perhaps Barrie’s favorite event of the weekend.  We joined a couple of hundred folks at the local high school for a Roller Derby game.  The Petersburg Ragnaroks Rollers trounced the Far North Derby from Kenai.  Barrie says it was the Ragnaroks superior blocking but I think the Jammers, Gill WreckHer and Dark Flow RidHer might have had something to do with it!

Gold Medal Winner

Saturday started out early with the Lop the Loop 7K run.  The run heads east from town past the airport, along a lovely bike path to Sandy Beach and then back into town.  With the first few blocks, I found myself pacing with Mary Clemmens, who recently retired from the Forest Service and grew up on Bainbridge Island.  Small world.  We ran the remainder of the race together as her long legs set the pace and I worked to keep up.  She let me cross the finish line a step ahead but as it turned out we were in different classes.  She in the 50-59 year old division and me in the over 60 division (yikes).  The benefit of being “old” is that I took first in my class while Mary took second in hers.  After a shower we headed back into town for a lunch of Beer Battered Halibut Bits at the local Elks Club and a heavenly smorgasbord of open-faced sandwiches and pastries at the Sons of Norway Hall.  With full stomachs and a rainstorm on the way, Barrie and I headed back to the boat.  An hour of so later, we were joined by Dick and Bridget Walsh who live in Petersburg and last year purchased a sister boat.  We had met them last year at the Krog-In in Anacortes and thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon together. 

Petersburg is a beautiful village by the sea surrounded by high snow-capped mountains.  The day we arrived the sun was out and the vistas were simply spectacular.  Petersburg is also a town that on average receives 140 inches of rain each year.  By Saturday afternoon the harbor was socked in with clouds and overnight several inches of rain fell.  It appears the rain is here to stay for at least 24 hours.  Sunday afternoon the Rotary Club is putting on a fish barbeque at Sandy Beach.  When we were there two years ago, we all agreed that it was an epic feast.  I expect that rain doesn’t deter the locals from having fun but I am wondering about walking three miles in the rain for a BBQ. 

Wake-Up Call

Wrangell Narrows

The alarm went off this morning at 3:30 AM.  We are headed to Petersburg and to get there we must navigate the Wrangell Narrows, a narrow 21-mile passage with the tide entering from both ends and meeting in the middle.  This passage is sometimes referred to as Christmas Tree Lane because of the 66 red and green aids to navigation that keep boats in the channel and off the shoals.  Our plan is to arrive at the entrance to the Narrows an hour and a half before high slack tide (also referred to as TTE – Turn to Ebb).  We will ride the last of the flood for the first twelve miles and with a bit of luck arrive at Green Point just as the tide changes so we can ride the ebb tide the remaining nine miles to Petersburg.   

Petersburg Harbor

The last challenge of the day will be to successfully dock in Petersburg Harbor at the north end of the Narrows.  The current in the harbor can be very strong making docking dangerous.  The charts indicate that at the time of our arrival (7:30 am), the currents will be 2 nm/hr and will require careful attention.  We once tried to depart the Harbor in currents that were almost 4 nm/hr and vowed not to do that again.  Have I said – Live and learn?  We are assigned a slip that will allow us to enter bow-in with a starboard tie which is our preferred configuration in these conditions.  Since we will be here for several days, when the water is slack, we will turn the boat around and re-tie on the port side stern-in for easier on/off access.

We walk to the Harbor Master’s office to register and along the way take care of garbage duty and stop for a fabulous breakfast at the Salty Pantry.  Barrie says the food was to “die for” (crab and bacon quiche, homemade cookies, etc).  Back at the boat, Barrie calls the Post Office and learns that his package with the water-maker membrane is here.  Amazingly it was shipped Express Mail from San Diego last Friday and arrived in Petersburg on Monday,  Knut Frostad offers to drive Barrie to the Post Office.  I remain on the boat and try to catch-up on the blog.

Viking Influence

We walk back into town to go to the Visitor’s Center and pick up a few items at the store.  I make an attempt to register for the 5K race on Saturday.  Then back to the boat for lunch and to continue working on the blog.  Unfortunately, we are having difficulty getting wi-fi access on the dock, so I will not get this posted until later.  At least it is written.  We will remain in Petersburg until Sunday afternoon.

Smooth Sailing andThe Bump on a Log in Clarence Strait Day 16

One of our objectives of this trip is to arrive in Petersburg, Alaska in time to join in the Little Norway Celebration with begins with Norwegian Independence Day on May 17^th.  So we plan a long travel day to make up for the time we lost in Prince Rupert.  We untie the boat and slip out of the harbor past two large cruise ships into Tongass Narrows just before 5:30 am.  The sun is already out and there is almost no boat traffic.  The forecast calls for perfect weather and as we enter Clarence Strait, we find the water placid.  

Our course takes us up Clarence Strait for almost 70 miles before we enter Sumner Strait and work our way around Zarembo Island to St. John’s Harbor.  This anchorage is just 4 nautical miles from the entrance to the Wrangell Narrows which we will transit in the morning.   

Dahl's Porpoise

Along the way we are reminded how critical it is to keep a constant eye out for logs and debris.  We hit a partially submerged log on our starboard bow with enough force to cause a real scare.  Luckily it was a glancing blow entirely missing the propeller.   The noise from the impact echoed through the boat and we were pushed to port while the log went to starboard.  Barrie quickly inspected the hull from every available vantage and determined there was no damage.  We consider ourselves very lucky and hope to never repeat the experience.

We continued on our days journey but it took several minutes for our heart rates to return to normal.  A few miles later a pod of dolphins spent 10 minutes or so playing in our bow wake.  They were great fun to watch.  

St. John's Bay

We arrived at St. John’s Bay about 5:30 and found a beautiful anchorage in 72 feet of water.  It takes a lot of ground tackle to anchor in Alaska where the tides can rise and fall over 20 feet twice a day!  We shared the anchorage with two boats.  We sat in the sun on the aft deck drinking scotch while celebrating a successful (albeit a bit scary) day, reviewing tide and current tables and planning our course for the morning.

Sun Glorious Sun in Ketchikan Day 15

The early forecast tells us there is a break in the weather late this morning with high winds returning in the afternoon. 

 Our plan is to use instructions we received several years ago from Vic Kucera (a friend of Larry’s who used to keep his Krogen in Ketchikan) to better position ourselves for crossing the Dixon Entrance on Tuesday morning.  We depart after breakfast hoping that the seas have had time to calm.  We navigate through Venn Passage on the morning ebb with 11 feet of tide still remaining.  The higher water level makes the passage almost too easy.   

We work our way north to Port Simpsom with the intention of crossing Portland Inlet to Winter Inlet on Pearce Island.  This would be our final anchorage in Canada on our northbound voyage.  

Dock Street

Europa hailed us on VHS - Passing port side at 17 knots

Casey Moren Habor - sometimes you feel very small

But – the Dixon Entrance is CALM with seas less than 2 feet and we decide to change course and head for Foggy Bay.  The tides are with us and we are making such good time that we adjust our course one final time and set the autopilot to take us to Ketchikan.  Shortly after crossing into US waters the sun comes out and the skies are blue.  After three days in Prince “Rain-port” we celebrate the change!  We try to follow the Nexus rules of checking-in by phone as soon as you enter US waters but there is simply not enough cell service.  Homeland security knows we are here; we will finish the process of checking-in when we get better reception.  The trip is stunning and we see whales in the distance – as many as 4 or 5.   When we are within sight of Ketchikan we again call Customs and are cleared by phone.  We tie up at the City Dock (Casy Moran Harbor) where we find plenty of room.  The Harbor Master brings the paperwork to us and hangs around to provide suggestions about what to do in Ketchikan on a sunny evening.  We walk through town, turn down Creek Street and arrive at a lovely shop of work from local artists.  Both Barrie and I are intrigued by the work being done with artifacts.  We have a late dinner on the boat and head to bed at 10:30 with plenty of daylight left.