Mastering the Wrangell Narrows

Wrangell Narrows

We started our morning in Petersburg with a crab cake breakfast sandwich at Cold Storage. Afterward I went in search of wifi and Barrie went in search of carbon brushes for the wayward alternators.

After a bit of head scratching and conferring with Larry D., the diagnosis is that after 30 years the carbon brushes on the alternators may have worn out.  Barrie took one of the alternators apart and there is no doubt that the brushes are worn.  Hopefully this is the only problem.  It seems odd to us but there are no carbon brushes to be found in Petersburg.  Not at Napa and not at Piston & Rudder (Petersburg's version of Fisheries).  The locals suggest Juneau (a two day trip to the north) or Seattle.  We opt to continue on our journey using the generator to charge batteries.

We time our departure for late in the afternoon to coincide with slack tide at Greene Point (the middle of the Wrangell Narrows.  We have now done this route so many times that while we are attentive, we have ceased to fret about the 60+ aids to navigation that are in the channel.  We anchor in Deception Point Cove at the bottom of the Narrows just after 8:30.