On June 12, we got off the dock at 0915....lazy people!  got some fuel and headed out with the intention of going to Anita Bay but we wanted to put out prawn pots and the commercial guys were dragging for prawns so we changed our destination to Roosevelt Harbor on Zarambo Island where there is a nice little USFS dock but first you go by and interesting chain sculpture of a raven on a rock! (how's that for a run on sentence????)

Then you mosey into the bay to the dock

.When the forest service boat got there they weren't too happy about someone's storing their crab pots on the FS dock.  The next morning we did pull some very nice crab from that harbor and this was our view as we left.  We left early because at 0630 we only had 3.3 ft of water under our boat at the dock.  Can you say OUTTA HERE????

                                                                   Quite a pretty place.
The next morning we set our course for Port Protection on the NW corner of Prince of Wales Island.  Jubal, a former medic I worked with, used to live there but has since left.  I did get a few shots....interesting place.

 I met a lady fisher-person named Ellen that I spent some time with and got to know a bit about commercial fishing in a small boat......not for me!

                                                        Ellen aboard Raggedy Ann
From Port Protection, on the 14th, we headed across flat Sumner Strait to Port Beauclerc where Vancouver rode out a horrible storm in 1793!  Our water was calm but we did feel akin to George!
We pulled in no prawns in spite of being told where we could find them

                                                          Port Beauclerc on Kuiu Island
Awfully pretty place.  We will go back there again.

June 11...Wrangell
I have been totally remiss about posting on this blog.  Not entirely my fault as the internet connections are few and far between.  When we are lucky enough to get on line, we usually have to haul all of our stuff to an internet cafe, post office or hotel.  Getting online on the boat is a rarity.  My last post was at Sitka and we have put some miles behind us since then.
We left Sitka on 5/23 and headed north back up to Sergius Narrows where we spent the night in Schulze Bay and got completely skunked on crab in the bay and prawns in the outer bay.  What a waste!   But Schulze Bay is behind Piper Island and is protected. There is a FS cabin there.  Quite nice and peaceful.

                                                                        Schulze Bay

                                                       A little fresh bread with a nice view

 The next morning, 5/24 we timed our arrival at the narrows just right be here came the HS ferry Chenago through the narrows so we went through canoe pass to miss them and their huge wake.  Good choice because the wake that hit us after beeing buffered by Rapids Island was not pretty.
We cruised on north into Hoonah Sound and were surrounded by whales.  Bust have been a lot of good bait there.  Into Appleton Cove @ 1400 for the night.
On 5/25 we pulled anchor at 0620 to continue north towards Icy Strait.  The water was flat and the skies blue so away we went.  There was only a 2 foot chop so I made some bread.  Not a bad life.  The water was so good that we went into Tenneke Inlet, past Tenneke Springs to Saltery Bay.

                                                                   
                                                                  Saltery Bay
  It is not well charted at all so Gary called the Tenneke harbor master and asked.  The man said...use your plotter and sounder and keep a mid channel course.   Lovely spot.  One charted rock center channel..easy peasey.  Lovely sot with some very nice crab hauled in in the morning along wiht about 1 dozen prawns.
Again an early start on 5/26 and out to a flat Chatham Strait and breaching whales.  Nice start to a day.  We made Hoonah (town) at 1400 where we ran into boaters from Anacortes and Burlington!  We then walked up to the carving shed where 3 carvers are working on the carvings to go in the new Glacier Bay National Park Huna Tribal house under construction.  If you'd like to see photos or check the amazing progress of these guys  search for "Glacier Bay National Park Huna Tribal House".  The carvings are lovely.  Hoonah also has a new harbor master since Paul D retireed and the Frick of Frack from a couple of yeas back did not work out....oh surprise!  Sherry is a delight and a hard working gal who will do well in the position.  No internet at the dock....and the bar and library are a bit far for old gimpy here.

                                                            Downtown Hoonah

                                                    A snow pole on hydrant at Hoonah

n 5/27 we slept in and woke to ugly skies and water.  Icy Strait was 20 knts and 4 ft seas so we ducked back to Neka Bay....behind Hoonah and one of our favorite places.  We were full of crab so put out no pots.  Just spent a leisurely day at anchor.  I made Crabby Mac 'n Cheese for dinner.  Not bad at all.
5/28    Pulled anchor at 0600 to calm winds and seas and off we headed to Glacier.  15 Kts were predicted but Icy Strait was flat!  Even ran the vacuum during the crossing...that is flat.  Made Glacier at 1100.   Skies are clearing and the peaks are peeking through.  If you come into the park on a private boat of any size or power you must declare your arrival with the park via radio and then proceed to Bartlett Cove for about a 30" orientation to the park, madatory each season.  The park has a limit of 25 boats per day allowed in so in busy season advance reservtions are important.  We were early and got in without issue.  More about safety than anything and pretty intereting.  There is fuel and water at Bartlett Cove along with a large lodge and restaurant, if you are so inclined.  We proceded onto to the South Arm of Fingers Bay.  Gorgerous!  In the wilds of Alaska wilderness when suddenly there are 10 hikers with a guide on the beach....there was a small cruise boat around the next corner.  Who knew? The next morning there were two porpoise  playing with our anchor as it came up at 0730

and we continued our trip into the Bay.  Gary found some goats on a mountain top and we found another peak where the snow melt pattern looked like a Bev Doolittle painting.
--

It was a perfect day for viewing this pristine wilderness.  We even rode up on the open bridge and loved it.
-

                                 Nothing like a ride in Glacier Park on the fly bridge.

We made it as far as Reid Glacier

                                                         Magic in front of Reid Glacier
which is the only one you can safely get close enough to for a photo  op...which we took full advantage of......I see some new boat cards in our future.
It is 40 miles back to Reid and then, since the anchorages are limited, we had to go back quite a way to get to Berg Bay for the night where we found a raft of sea otters.

                                                                         A raft of sea otters.
5/30 ..anchor up @ 0530.  The entry into Berg Bay is quite shallow and we need to heed the tide to get out.  We were anticipating about 7 feet but ended up with 12.1 so all was good....and then we exited to breaching whales again.  We left Glacier Bay we found 4 foot seas BUT we had a following sea with outgoing tide and current which, believe it or not, gave us quite a comfortable ride all the way to Couverden/Swanson Harbor.  There were very few boats on the water that morning but lots of sea lions and whales...which we never tire of.
A large yacht ~ 80 feet named Midsummer Dream came in via her crew who quickly jumped into dinghys and took table and chairs to a beach, gatherer firewood for the campfire and then waited until the owners came in via fishing boat.  After drinks they were taken ashore for their dinner on the beach! I need "crew".

--
The next morning we pulled anchor to reports of 22kts W in Icy Strait but we were protected in Chatham Strait and the water was pretty calm.

                                                Point Retreat Lighthouse, west of Juneau
  We got into Auke Bay for what will probably be the last time.  ....and let me tell you about it.
1st.  There is no asssignment of slips.  First come, first served and you batlle it out with large and small vessels.   We finally settled for the breakwater which is about 1/2 mile from the ramp and has no power.  2nd You need a car!  Everything is far away.  Rent a Wreck is no longer in business so our car cost us $140 for one day to do gorceries and laundry, get propane and do some internet business, and go the the vet for more "doggie downers"...he hates any kind of wave/wake on the boat.  Long story.  3rd.  The gals working in the office were most unhelpful.  uninformed and frankly, just didn't care....and so early in the season.   They will be downright crisp by August!
6/2 We were off the dock at 0830 (remember that time!)  bound for Taku Harbor which we made by 1400.  Put out some crab pots and called it a day.
6/3 0730 pulled anchor and retrieved our crab pots with a nice haul and headed out southbound.........to be turned back by 5 ft, head on seas and 20 kts.  Tried again at 1130 to more of the same.  Back to Taku for the next two days.  Tied to a public dock which is not a bad place to be.
6/4  Snug at the dock with gale warnings out.  Seas outside predicted to be 7 feet w/wind at 40 mph.  The public FLOAT to which we are tied is protected from the outside waves and wind.  The public DOCK takes the wind a bit more.  For socializtion in good weather, the dock is fine.  When it comes to protection, the float is the place to be.
06/05  Off the dock at 1130....looks like a break in the weather.  Going back to Juneau.  This time Harris Harbor downtown.  Need to do some business that we forgot.  We had 20 kts and 4 ft seas but they were following so it was not a bad ride at all.  We had big winds at the dock that night....we think > 50+.  Edred Rock on Lynn Canal reported 59 kts for days!
6/6  Decided to stay on due to winds.  They won't quit!  It rained all day again. We walked to a coffe shop to get internet.  There is a new IGA down near the harbor....very nice.  And with an Ace Hardware inside at one end!  Cool.  Only in AK!
6/7  Finally off the dock!!  0510.  Calm seas reported all around with sea < 3ft in Stephens Passage.  Life is good and away we go.
1300 +  FLAT water in Frederick Sound so we decided to press on....since we lost a few days.  The worst water we had were a couple of riptides in the outflow of Taku Inlet and Tracy Arm...with some BIg ice bergs on the far east side of the passage.
1600  Pybus Bay.

                                                                        Pybus Bay
Lovely place to spend a nice night.  Bears on the beach.
0230  DAYLIGHT!
6/8  0530  Beautiful morning.
0645  Anchor up.  And away we go.  Frederick Sound is flat again!  Heading to Port Camden.

                                                                     Port Camden
Gorgeous, quiet, 30' deep, big crab.
6/9 0830..  Anchor up.  Onwards to Rocky Pass.

Anchored at marker # 22.  Rocky Pass is a narrow channel separating Kuiu Island and Kuprenof Island.  It is narrow and rocky!!  but very well marked with over 40 markers.  We saw two were missing....one was taken out several years ago, I have it from a very reliable source, by a USCG cutter...which will remain nameless!!  The most important thing to remember about this channel is to remain alert and stay inside the markers using binoculars to line up markers which may be distant in the fog or rain!!  We are not woossey, but this is a big deal.

It is a beautiful stretch of water, there are ample instructions in Douglas about tides and currents at The Summit and Devil's Elbow but bottom line is you want to be at Devil's Elbow...appropriately named....at high water slack.
The other big issue in this channel is at The Summit....a narrow dredged channel about a mile in length.  The dredge piles are lined up where they were dumped at last dredging...along the edges of the Summit.  Problem is....those piles of rocks and gravel are NOT charted!.  So when Douglas says you "can anchor almost anywhere in Rocky Pass....the operative word is ALMOST.  Those piles are visible at about 1/2 tide but not above that!

                              There are piles of dredgesd rocks under this calm water.  Very deceiving.

So if you think....oh, that looks like a good place, both visually and on the chart, to take a lunch stop or wait for the tide change...think again!!  We almost made a huge error!  Fortunately, the piles were above the water and Gary said....wait, those rocks aren't on the chart!!!!  Be aware. It took us 2 hours to go from marker 22 to Conclusion Island at the south end.  We continued on to Wrangell for a holding tank issue...made for a very long day but the weather and water held and it was worth the time.
We spent two nights at Wrangell...the holding tank issue is a post all of its own....but I managed a hair cut and....now this is really important....City Market delivers to you BOAT, FREE!!!  Yikes!  I filled my cart and about an hour later here came my "people" with three boxes of groceries.  Gotta love Wrangell!!!  About 3 pm Gary needed some more clamps we we mosied down to The Stikine Inn again for a late lunch...he had been working since about 10 AM.  They may have the best food in SE Alaska.
I am now caught up.  The plumbing issues are taken care of, the oil is changed, we are rested and about to depart.

   May 22   Sitka

We had a nice overnight in Wrangell ...it is not Seattle and is nothing like what we are used to but it has a certain charm and the people were extremely friendly and helpful.

                                                              Wrangell waterfront.


We got an early start in order to take advantage of the current in Wrangell Narrows.  That is a 22 mile long, narrow stretch of water, well marked with 54 buoys and channel markers but with enough current to produce high anxiety.  You do need to be observant but honestly, it was nothing compared with Rocky Pass.
                                                

We cruised on past Petersburg and into Thomas Bay for a bit of glacier viewing and for Gary to catch a 60 lb halibut.  What to do with all that fish???  I found room in the fridge and freezer and we've been eating halibut ever since.

                                                                   Baird Glacier

The next day we went into Portage Bay on Frederick Sound.  It is a big anchorage...big enough for several yacht clubs.  The USFS also has a well stocked cabin and mooring buoy there. When Gary pulled anchor in the morning he pulled up enough kelp to all of the sushi bars at all of the Benihanas in the world.
From Portage we cruised Frederick Sound again on absolutely flat water....my favorite kind.

                             Not terribly scenic but it gives an idea of how flat the water was.

At the end of the day we pulled into Chapin Cove on Admiralty Island, our first time there.  What a beautiful place and we were lucky enough to get to see a great big brown bear combing the beach grass for dinner.

On the 19th we left Chapin and ran into some very bumpy water on the SW corner of Admiralty.  We went from flat to 6 feet in nothing flat.  When we rounded the corner and headed into Chatham Strait all was flat again.  From there it is only an hour to Warm Springs Cove.  There is a public bath there with private tubs of hot spring water.  As you bathe you look out your window to this lovely waterfall. It is one of our favorite places and we ALL left clean and refreshed.

Chatham Strait continued flat so we continued north into Peril Strait and spent a bumpy night off Dead Tree Island in Hanus Bay.  We thought we would be protected but the current changed and we bounced all night.
The next morning we started out but it got bumpy pretty fast so we ducked into Appleton Cove for a few hours.  Put the crab pots out and got skunked.....a first for us there.  About 2pm the water looked better so we headed west in Peril Strait for Hoonah Sound where we know we can get prawns.
We spent the first part of that night in bumpy water again but it calmed and we got a good night's sleep.
Yesterday morning we left there and headed for Sergius Narrows....another testy little spot but much much shorter in duration.  We ducked into Deep Bay to wait for tides and currents and then scooted out and through without any trouble.  (Waiting for current and tide is a new adventure for us....we had a twin diesel fast boat in the past and we didn't wait for much of anything because we could run at 30 kts and could pretty much out run any current around here...with a couple of exceptions)
After getting through the Narrows we pulled into Shulze Bay and dropped the hook behind Piper Island where we spent a calm night on the hook.
We got into Sitka this morning in time to reprovision, pay bills, cattch up on e mail, have dinner and post this.  We are going to head back north in the morning and get some more prawns.

                                                           Mt Edgecomb at Sitka

                                                                       Sitka Harbor

5/15 2015  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!
Going to play a little catch up on the blog.  Seems I got ahead of myself with the last post.  When we are in Ketchikan we like to moor at Bar Harbor for a couple of reasons.  Ktn does not stand on formality..in fact no where in AK can you be snobbish.  The pleasure craft are moored right alongside and with the fishing vessels.  It does tend to give you a sense of the flavor of the state.  Thomas Basin downtown is a bit more of a "yachty" environment BUT at Bar Harbor you are right there at Safeway and the laundry for easy shopping and wash.  And after you have been aboard for 2 full weeks you need a lot of groceries and trying to get all of that back to the boat when you have to take a bus or cab is just too hard for me.  I'll take Bar Harbor anyday and if the office is closed (and it is on Sat andSun) the harbormaster will give you a form to fill out.  You can then call the office and pay over the phone.  We actually went in there three years ago with a credit....to our surprise.
We also take the local bus system around AK and BC when it is available.  The schedules are posted at all the stops and there is a free shuttle to downtown Ktn from Bar Harbor.
So on 5/11 we got away from the dock at 0730 and headed up Behm Canal for Misty Fjords.  It was a beautiful day and w e were cruising along and saw three boats coming toward us.  We monitor 16 and 68 on a regular basis.  One of these boat drivers said to one of the others....Greg, do you see that boat coming at us?  The white one?  I've never seen one of those.  Do you know what it is?".  Greg replied, "The ugly one?  I know those boats.  Tom, don't even look at them they are so ugly"

                                                     This is the ugly boat they referred to.


.  Gary just said...."Hello there" at which point Tom said"  I think the owner is on the radio".  That was the last we heard from them but needless to say, they put a bitt of a pall on our morning.  I wanted to offer them radio etiquette lessons but Gary said no.  I do hope to run into them again along our path.
We pulled  into Marguerite Bay at 1300 and put out a couple of crab and prawn pots and tied to the lovely and secure USFS dock, nestled right next to a huge rock.
We got some nice crab the next morning and moved on to Vixen Harbor, a favorite anchorage of ours.  Gary is having some dinghy motor issues and having a small bay to test it out in was good.  Pulled a few more crab out and made a quite nice Pesto Prawn Gnocchi for dinner.  Going to try it with crab next.
The next morning we tried to go to Frosty Bay but the float there stated it was for USFS cabin permittees only.  The bay is not well charted and what is charted is deep to we moved on to Berg Bay.  Still waiting to see a bear on this trip.  Saw a whale yesterday.

                                                                      Berg Bay

Anchor up at 0640 today and on to Wrangell to finish the bills and try for the dinghy repair one more time.  Gary is taking me to dinner tonight to the Stikine Inn.  We asked about dress and they laughed...it is Alaska!!  We are tied up to behind a large seiner who doesn't look like it is going anywhere anytime soon.  There is a very nice grocery store here.  Sage, the checker, asked where we were from.....she is from Anacortes.  Here with her parents for one year and heading back to Atown at the end of the summer.
Forgot to mention that when we were in Ktn, we ran into a couple cleaning a fish on the dock.  She also asked where we were from (we must have tourist stamped on our foreheads) Her mom is Betty Wilson in Shelter Bay.  We know Betty...talk about small world.

May 10, Ketchikan
It has been awhile since I posted....this is our first internet connection in over a week...and our first real dock in a week.
We got out of Pt McNeill at 0545 for a Cape Caution crossing.  The winds were light and thewater flat.  Conditions at Sea Otter were 6mph and 1 meter seas!!!  Away we go.
Rounded Cape Caution at 1130 witth no wind and only moderate swells.  Since the water was so fine we continued on past Milbrook Cove and into Fury at 1430.

                                                                        Fury Inlet


 As we made our approach I was sure that since we had seen no other boats on the water and the season is still so early that we would have the place to ourselves....not so...found one US boat already there and another followed us in later.

On 5/4 we puĺled anchor at 0530  to find Fitzhugh Sound flat.  Flat water trumps EVERYTHING!  Cruised on north to Llama Passage and took that into Shearwater where we docked at 1400.  Picked up some Cheezies....a staple for boating snacks and refueled and then headed out to one of our favoarite places...Discovery Cove, east of Shearwater.

                             

                                                                Discovery Cove
 We dropped the prawn pots before we headed in and found our cove empty.  Finally a place to ourselves.  The wind howled and it poured rain but we remained secure.  Gary is a real stickler about setting an anchor well every time and it pays off;  He pulled in a couple of crabs in the morning and we got enough prawns when we left to have 5 meals.  Love livin' off the sea.
On the 5th we pulled anchor at 0630....do you see a pattern?....and headed back to Shearwater to mail a card and then headed to Higgins Passage to anchor.



We have been through this tricky little pass before but always on a twin engine boat.  This was a new adventure but we timed the tides perfectly and cruised through the shallowest pàrt with a full 6 feet under our keel!!
5/6  0550 anchor up and chain clean.  Off we go through Laredo Sound and up the outside of Campania Island through Estavan Sound.  We like the outside if the weather is calm.  It is more open and wilder without cruise ships.  We have taken the inside passage a couple of times but to be really honest it is boring!  And Laredo Sound is actually inside of Aristazabal Island and Estavan Sound is inside Trutch Island so there are just a couple areas where you get the swells of the Pacific.  Keep in mind....we do this when the weather is predicted to be
Calm.  We dropped the hook in Gung Ho Bay at 1500 and tossed out a crab pot.  Once again, we awakened to another fishing vessel whick came in after we were asleep.

                                                 
                                                   Sunrise while leaving Gung Ho Bay

On 5//7 we pulled anchor at 0545 and pulled up 4 crab.  We spent a lovely day on flat water of Principe Channel and pulled into Hunt Inlet on Porcher Island at 1600.  Denny and Eunice  were there on the dock when we arrived....see Channel Dancer Adventures for more about Eunice' quilting expertise.  I took a gold cart ride...no roads  on Porcher...to a greenhouse that Eunice is attending for a friend.  Their tulips and daffs are just now in bloom...about 6 weeks behind us.
May 8  Away from dock at 0530 bound for Dundas Island.  Seas flat and winds calm at all reporting stations.  AT 0900....oh My how things change in a hurry.  Winds reported a Green Island at 12 knots and seas rippled.  Suddenly we were in 6-7 foot seas and 20-25 kt winds out of the NW. ! Where the hell did that come from??  The only thing we figured was that it was an outdraft from the Portland Canal.  We hid behind Dundas Island, pulled into Hudson Bay Pass Cove

                                            Looking south from Hudson Bay Passage Cove
                                                             

 and dropped the hook to regroup.  Winds there were maybe 10 from the SE so we had lunch and decided to try for the west side of Dundas with the idea that if it was ugly we would head to Edith Harbor and give it a rest.  Surprise, surprise.  The water on the west side of Dundas AND the north side was FLAT!  Just a quirky little patch of nasty water that we were so fortunate to find!!!
We did find a big rock covered with bellowing sea lions.  A huge herd.

                                                                       Sea Lion Herd


By the time we made it to AK waters it was 1700  and we had been hard at it for almost 12 hours.  We called US Customs and told them our plight and they agreed to let us just drop a hook wherever we chose and call them when we hit Ketchikan....and we were grateful.
We did get welcomed to Alaska by the sound of a humpback plopping its tail on the water and then kindly breaching for us!!  Welcome to Alaska!!
We spent the night at Morse Cove on Duke Island.  It is almost like a lagoon with a narrow entrance with a mid channel rock.  By favoring the north shore, mindful of some shoreside shallowrocks as well, you can get through the entrance.  The least amount of water we had under us was 9 feet on a 12.4 tide.
5/9  Anchor up at 0500. Winds calm and away we go into Ketchikan.  A lovely humpback surfaced alongside our boat as I was making breakfast....about 100 feet off the galley.

                                                                 A Ketchikan fixer upper

Managed a trip to Safeway and then to Bar Harbor Restaurant for a lovely prime rib dinner.
Home to bed early for a sound night sleep.  Hangin in Ktch today for a bit of housekeeping and internet catch up.
Have been having a few issues with loading photos onto this site.  Maybe I can get that fixed today too.

May 2, 2015  We have finally made it almost to the north end of Vancouver Island....it only took us a full week.  We have had wind, wind and more wind.  We left Nanaimo at 06000 on the 28th on flat water and made it ot about half way across the Strait of Georgia when the winds picked up and so did the waves.  We got very salty but we rode it out and so did Magic.  It was her first řeal test of big water and she did very well.  I would have liked a smoother ride, and so would Diesel, but you get what the water holds for you.  By the time we got to the north end of Texada the water was flat, the sun out and cruising was glorious.

                                                                 Strait of Georgia

There was even a small pod of Orcas off Texada to welcome us to the Desolation Sound area.
We anchored in the Copeland Islands in time for Gary to harvest a bucket of oysters from the beach....always a treat for the early part of the trip.

                                                                   Desolation Oysters

Alaska Bound

April 26....Nanaimo BC
After a one day delay, we left the dock at 0705 Saturday, April 25 under cloudy skies but on flat waters.  It made for a very long day, but the skies cleared and the water remained flat so we spent 11 1/2 hours and got to the Nanaimo customs dock at 1830....only to find out that our phone service to CA had not been established......need a phone to call customs.  Gary borrowed a phone from a Vietnamese fisherman behind us to call in.  We cleared customs, put up our Candian courtesy burgee and headed to the Nanaimo Yacht Club for reciprocal moorage for the night.
The forecast was calling for winds SE 25-30 by morning and they were spot on.  At 0530 winds at Sisters Island (in the middle of the Strait of Georgia) were blowing steady at 25.  We decided to stay put at the dock for a couple of days until this subsides and the water flattens out.
Spent the morning straightening out the phone and internet mess.  We are now all connected and tied securely to weather out the blow.  Will attend to some housekeeping chores today, read  a bit and rest up after a long first day.

April 27, Sunday.....It continues to blow.  Got a bit of housekeeping taken care of.  Finished one book and started "Alaska".  A bit of a tome but bears a reread since we are heading that direction.  I need a history refresher to get in the right frame of mind.