Ketchikan to Petersburg

I'm starting this post sitting at the "Summer Dock" in Wrangell, perhaps the most authentic of the most often visited SE Alaska towns. We've travelled over 1000 nautical miles so far and the four of us are not only still speaking to one another, we're laughing constantly and continuously creating magic together. Glenda and I feel so lucky to have the kinds of friends and family who can live in close quarters for a week or four weeks and grow even closer as time goes on. We've discovered that spending extended time on a boat in the wilderness forges a special kind of bond with friends that doesn't have time to emerge out of the brief dinners and get togethers we have at home. It's living life large and concentrated, squeezing what seems like a year's worth of extraordinary experiences into a brief period. At this stage in our lives, making the most of each day matters more and more, and there is simply nothing more special than this kind of quality time with loved ones.

Michael and Jane in New York Hotel Cafe, Ketchikan

Yes - we're eating well! This one is eggs, quinoa, beans, corn, bacon, sour cream, tomatoes, cilantro, cheese, avocado

After two windy and rainy days in Ketchikan getting laundry and shopping done, we departed on  a day with 30 knot winds predicted from the south. Se we headed north out of Ketchikan to keep the wind at our backs, bearing east to begin a clockwise circumnavigation of Revilligegedo Island (it took me almost a decade to be able to pronounce it). First stop Yes Bay, and then on to Walker Bay, perhaps the most breathtaking fjord I've ever visited.

Loon in Yes Bay

Still waters and totems

Subtle colors in the sky, Yes Bay

Lingering light in Yes Bay

On the way to Walker Bay we were boarded by the Coast Guard for a routine safety inspection (which we passed with flying colors). This was especially fun for Michael whose son is in the Coast Guard. Turns out it was a fortuitous boarding. A knowledgable State Trooper told us to skip famous Punchbowl with its endless stream of sight-seeing float planes, and go to Walker Bay instead. There is a single mooring buoy at the end of the six mile fjord and, if we were lucky, it would be available. They then rushed off (a 50mpg patrol boat that burns 100 gallons per hour). Later, we saw them coming out of Walker Bay at a clip and we wondered--was there someone already there? I considered calling them to find out, but didn't want to interrupt official business. As we rounded the last curve in Walker Bay, our hearts sunk for an instant. The buoy was occupied. But then the radio crackled with our name. The boat was Alpenglow, a slightly larger and sedan version of Seaducktress, a boat we knew. Curt and Marsha came on the radio. "The Coast Guard told us you were coming. We checked and they said no problem putting two of us on a single buoy. So we've been waiting for you."We had a lovely afternoon in the kayaks and watching bear drama on the beach.

River delta in Walker Bay

While at the buoy in Walker Bay, we witnessed some exciting bear drama. First we saw a mama brown bear and her young cub. But they seemed wary, and sure enough a while later, a large male brown bear appeared stage right. Soon, he was in full chase of mamma. We were concerned because males are known to kill young cubs in order to force females into heat, so we began hooting and shouting and whistling from the boats. And it worked! Mom and cub ran on while Papa stopped in his tracks and watched us, bewildered.

But the story didn't end there. About an hour later, mom and her cub were back on the beach. This time of year they subsist on grass and things they can dig up from the beach. They needed to keep eating to build weight after hibernation. But the cub suddenly spotted something in the distance, standing up on his hind legs to get a better look. It was the male bear.

We were all very worried, especially when mom turned and began walking towards the brute (as we thought of him.) And then, without warning, she began running, leaving the cub on the beach, and chased the big male right into the woods--and disappeared in there with him.

Late that night, mom and cub were back on the beach, alone.

But I must admit, I kind of wondered what mom and the "brute" did for all that time they were in the woods.

The third day we the Behm Canal circumnavigation, returning to Ketchikan, staying this time in Thomas Basin at the south end of town--the place where the Race to Alaska (R2K) finishes. We enjoyed dinner and fantastic music at the New York Hotel Cafe, our new favorite spot in Ketchikan.

Next stop, Meyer's Chuck, a tiny bay with population in mid summer of 20-25, where Cassie delivers the best cinnamon buns ever to the boat at 8am. We hiked out to a remote beach and watched a pod of orcas pass by.

View of the "Back Chuck" at Meyers Chuck

Homes carved on the rock shore

And then on to remote Berg Bay, on the back side of Wrangell Island. A group of Dahl's porpoises played on our bow before we entered the cove and anchored near a Forest Service cabin. The moment we anchored, I spotted a large hawk-like bird with a white breast that none of us could identify at first; but then, after poring through the bird book, we realized it was a relatively rare Osprey. This must be his home, because he spent the whole afternoon, evening and the next morning with us, flying from tree to tree, every once in a while splashing down into the water to catch a meal. Jane spent quite some time watching her through binoculars, and the next morning when we left, she had tears in her eyes, having to say goodbye to her new friend. Even the lone brown bear on the beach couldn't hold a candle to the Osprey. Perhaps Jane has discovered her totem animal.

Berg Bay with bear meadow behind us

Looking south out of Berg Bay

Our resident osprey

We pulled anchor at 6:20 and headed around the north end of Wrangell Island, pulling into the town itself by about 9, the proceeded to eat a gargantuan greasy spoon breakfast at the Diamond C in town. Michael and I climbed Mt Dewey behind town to work off the meal while the gals shopped.

And now, it's May 24th and we are sitting in Petersburg. Tomorrow Ron and Pam fly in and the six of will undertake our birthday cruise to Alaska, hopefully via the glacier at Tracy Arm.

We've arrived in Alaska

Two weeks to the day and a few days quicker than planned to keep ahead of a weather front, we are sitting in Ketchikan, where our almost constant sunshine has degenerated into clouds, rain and much cooler temperatures. No complaints, though. It's looking like more sun after this front passes. And our crossing of Dixon Entrance yesterday (the second open water crossing) was flawless, the broad expanse of ocean as calm as a lake.

Fougner Bay - Seaducktress floating in the sky

Nightly Movies

Ocean Falls - An abandoned city

From Fury Cove, our itinerary through northern British Columbia took us to tiny Fougner Bay, then Ocean Falls, once a city of 5000, now home to about 30.  Jane interviewed one of the old timers, Nearly Normal Norm and we spent time in his museum where he's collected memorabilia from many of the abandoned buildings, including the hotel. But as you can see, they have a fine dock and even (very slow) internet.

The next day we proceeded north to a small shallow bay without a name. So we we nicknamed it LLC (lovely little cove.) More drone shots and one of the best sunsets I've seen in a long time.

Lovely Little Cove (LLC) from the air

LLC sunset 1

LLC sunset 2

We proceeded through Fiordland with its many waterfalls, all the way to one of my favorite spots on the planet--Khutze Inlet. Imagine a three mile fjord ending at a river delta with lush green "bear grass", snow capped mountains in the background, and a tall waterfall off to the right. Sure enough, an hour after our arrival, a mamma and two brown bear cubs spent several hours in the grass. I didn't include a picture because they were too far away, but proceeded to try and capture the feeling of the place on "film". You get the idea - but the pictures still fall far short.

Klutze Inlet

Panorama

Drone shot of waterfall

From Khutze we enjoyed bathing in Bishop Bay hot springs, sharing the bay with Wolf, a German man traveling by himself on a trimaran he plans on taking to South America. Did I mention popcorn, by the way? We continue our "tradition" of nightly movies, accompanied by huge bowls of air-popped popcorn. I've fallen in love with tamari, parmesan, brewer's yeast and butter on mine, Jane's famous recipe. We invited Wolf over for a movie and, naturally, popcorn. At first he seemed shell-shocked by this unusual opportunity miles from anywhere. He started out cautiously, picking out one kernel at a time, but before long it was handfuls, and he finished his own ridiculously large bowl at the same pace as us experts.

Michael and Jane enjoying a drink in Bishop Bay

Breakfast the next morning

We met up with old friends, Patrick and Miriam, on Spirit in Lowe Inlet. We managed to anchor in the stream of a waterfall. After playing in kayaks, we all went over to Spirit and were treated to freshly baked apple pie (Miriam was getting rid of apples for customs in Ketchikan), ice cream and martinis. Not too shabby.

Kayaking in the outflow of Verney Falls, Lowe Inlet

Green Island - the last island before leaving Canada

Tree Point Light - we are now in Alaska

Black bear greeting us into Foggy Bay

Because of weather, we decided to skip Prince Rupert, heading from Lowe Inlet all the way to Foggy Bay, an anchorage between Prince Rupert and Ketchikan. Because the distance to Ketchikan is so great, US Customs allows boaters to stop here for one night along the way. Entering our first Alaska anchorage, we were greeted by a big beautiful black bear munching on grass. She looked at us with mild curiosity, but as we passed, she went right back to her dinner.

Here in Ketchikan we'll wait out the storm, do laundry, and shop for the next week of meals. We're not yet sure where we'll be going, but will end up in Petersburg by May 25th to pick up Ron and Pam. The six of us will then set out on the grand birthday cruise - but more about that later...

Fury Cove

(Follow our track by clicking on this link: Track Seaducktress)

(I'm uploading blog from a very remote site with VERY slow internet, so have made all the pictures small. Will enlarge them later in the trip.)

If a boat’s wake were less permanent, more like tracks in sand, then I believe Seaducktress would have worn a deep groove in the Salish Sea and beyond, from our many passages up through the Canadian Gulf Islands, the upper reaches of the Straits of Georgia, into the Discovery Islands, the Broughton archipelago, the small town of Port McNeill near the top of Vancouver Island, and then the big jump across Queen Charlotte Sound into the remote North Coast of British Columbia. As I write this, I’m sitting in lovely Fury Cove with its white shell beaches and view west towards the ocean. The first phase of our journey has been completed and now we sit on the doorstep of some of the most remote territory we’ll visit.

Michael stowing fender, leaving home

Weighing anchor at Ganges

Canoe racing outside Comox

Log boom south of Campbell River

Ticking off the nights so far: anchor near Ganges on Saltspring Island, tie up to the commercial breakwater in Comox on Vancouver Island, anchor in remote Chameleon Bay in the Discovery Islands, stay at the dock in Lagoon Cove and then the dock in Kwatsi bay, sleeping to sound of a large waterfall hidden nearby in the forest, at the dock in Port McNeill to do laundry and grocery shopping, and then Fury Cove after an exciting open crossing in gale warnings.

Deciduous splender in beautiful Chameleon Bay

Fish farm amongst magnificence of Discovery Islands

Tribune Channel, heading to Kwatsi Bay in Broughtons

Kwatsi Bay

The most exciting moments so far were the on again off again decision to make the crossing of Queen Charlotte Sound, a 10 hour voyage across open seas. The next four days were promising near gales and 9 foot swells, but the closer we studied the forecasts and looked at the satellite images, the more convinced we were that there might be a short window of calmer conditions. Thus, we departed the dock at 4:40 and headed northwest from Port McNeill. The winds were calm and the current with us until we reached the beginnings of swells near the far end of Queen Charlotte Strait. And then we were in the thick of it, and…for the next five hours relatively calm winds and gentle six foot swells with long seven second periods. Piece of cake. As predicted, the winds kicked up about 1pm, but we only had another 1.5 hours to go, so the chop and occasional 9 footers seemed less ominous, coming at the end rather than the beginning of our journey.

For those who haven’t done it, it’s hard to describe the joy and peace of arriving in a well protected and beautiful bay after the anxiety of a crossing. The sun came out and the white beaches shone like a tropical atoll as we grilled salmon with asparagus and quinoa, while enjoying a lovely bottle of Layer Cake Shiraz. Piece of cake.

Lighthouse north end of Malcolm Island

Sun coming up soon on Queen Charlotte Strait

The white beaches of Fury Cove. We made it!

And so, my mind at peace, I take a moment to wax philosophical, how the planning, and uncertainties, and yes, moments of fear that are part of cruising the Inside Passage—how all these are so enlivening when compared to the normal humdrum of life. It’s palpable among us (Glenda, Michael, Jane, and me), how we’ve all made the transition during this first week, from land dwellers to ocean explorers, shaving years off our psyches, unleashing an enhanced sense of wonder and joy at simply being alive. This is all good. Very good indeed.

Michael and Jane all smiles

Lagoon Cove