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Benicia, California 94510
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Tuesday 28 June 05
We are in lovely Grenville Island (not an island at all) in Vancouver BC. My computer appears to be terminal so we are at the local community center using public access. Luckily earthlink is easy to use this way, including keeping my address book up to date.
The Tolly rendevous was terrific but like all extended parties it was time to go. We left Sunday for Vancouver and moored at the Coal Harbor Marina. But first we had to clear Canadian Customs once more. We moored to this small day dock that appeared to correspond to the location for customs given us by the marina but there was only a tiny sign that couldn't be read until you were tied up. We called customs and this time they wanted to board us (again the smuggling thing). We had to wait for the agents for about 45 minutes, the cruise ships we all in port and I guess they had to check out bigger fish than us. We passed the inspection. They did go through things pretty carefully except when the young female agent lifted the hatch to the holding tank she just gave it a quick glance and quickly lowered the hatch. Guess I know where to hide the contraband in the future.
Coal Harbor Marina was right downtown Vancouver and we were surrounded by high rise residential buildings, so different from most of our harbors. The seaplanes were right next door and there was a lot of traffic and surge, we were happy to get in at Pelican Bay in Granville Island. This place is just a big art colony and has a public food market to rival Pikes Place in Seattle. We bought some Prime NY strip steaks for dinner on the boat and they were yummy. If anyone sees Lee or Ken Lutz please tell them we had the 96 Silver Oak Cab they gave us with the steaks and it was better than any restaurant meal we have had on the trip.
We are tired of urban life and are planning to head into the wild tomorrow. Don't know when we will be in touch next but the cell phones have been working so give us a call if anything exciting happens.
4th of July!!
We have had some lovely times since the last update. We left Granville Island and spent a nice evening in Pender Harbor. Got Don to take a nice long walk and had a good run around the lake the next am. We left at a later time because we had to time our arrival at Malibu Rapids for slack water. This entrance to Princess Louisa Inlet is tricky and narrow, most boats wait for slack tide before traversing. You call on the radio a "Securite" announcement when you are about to enter or leave as you cannot see the other side and only a single boat can move through the rapids at any time. Princess Louisa was astoundingly beautiful. We were there 2 years ago in September and the difference in the amount of water flowing down the mountainside is amazing. Don and I took a 5 hour killer hike of about 2000 ft elevation to an old fallen trappers cabin. We really were doubting ourselves when we had to scale muddy stream banks by using exposed roots as handholds. We were covered in mud when we finally finished. Cocktail time really felt good that day. Since we barely could make the stairs the next day we got our exercise by a long kayak ride in the canyon. Now every part of me hurts, not just the legs!
Saturday 9 July
A beautiful quiet evening (can't call it night as it isn't dark until 10 or later) in Blind Channel. We have been travelling through the Discovery Islands after leaving Campbell River to avoid a strong weather front in the western BC coast. These small islands are really lovely but all is not quiet in the back waters of BC. The day we left Campbell River and headed into the island areas we heard a MAYDAY call and discovered we were within a few miles of 3 boats that had gone on the rocks. The Coast Guard was on its way but we were close enough to make our way to the scene and stay available for help if needed. One boat was completely grounded on a rock and listing pretty far, another 40 footer had lost all steerage and was panicking about drifting into the shore. The third was the smallest but didn't appear to have any damage. We just stayed handy but the Coast Guard soon had a plane, a helicopter and 2 inflatables in the area. Eventually they had a small cutter as well. No one was in danger so we signed out and left the area but it gave us some thoughts about watching the water and charts carefully, it appeared that these boats cut a corner too close and followed the leader into trouble.
After that we headed into a long inlet for the evening. A nice kayak ride around the bay at the inlet and then our usual drinks and dinner on board the boat to enjoy the long evening. Next am we headed for another quiet anchorage in the Octopus Islands. Again a nice kayak and short hike on the shore with a nice evening dinner and drinks. What seemed to be another quiet evening perked up when we heard a call from a boat in the same area for medical help from the Coast Guard. Earlier we had heard some boat radio traffic talking about an oxygen tank being transferred from a small local cruise boat to another in the area. I told Don it sounded like a cardiac or similar problem and later we heard the boat call the Coast Guard for evacuation. The story was a guy with a cardiac history had been having chest pain for 3 hours. He had taken his own nitro and inhalers and had been given oxygen as we had heard. The Coast Guard asked if they needed medical assistance but they said they had a doctor and 2 nurses available. I was relieved as I was thinking I would have to motor over and offer help. I can't understand why it was 3 hours (and after using oxygen from another boat) before they called for evacuation. It took the Coast Guard an hour and 20 minutes to get to the boat. We could see the Coast Guard entering the harbor for the pickup. This morning we heard the boat call the Coast Guard for an update on his condition. Don told me if he needed help just call for a private float plane and not to worry with the Coast Guard. To give them credit they offered a helicopter but there was no place to land and it didn't seem lifethreatening enough for a hover rescue I guess.
So today we headed through a few rapids to our current sweet spot. We hiked a couple of hours this evening in a beautiful cedar forest. Took some pictures but I haven't loaded the camera on the new computer yet so your views will have to wait. On the old computer I inadvertently sent some porn out with some pictures so I am being more careful now. The place we are in has a great restaurant (and Don was tired of my home cooking) so we had German specialties schnitzel and goulash in the middle of the seafood capital of the world. You can only eat so much salmon/halibut/prawns etc. We did see a guy bring in a 50 pound halibut to the dock today in a small boat so it is out there. We bought fishing licences and Don caught a really ugly fish called a Cabezon that I felt was way too small and ugly to mess with so he threw it back. The fish guide says it is good eating. Maybe if we had more of them.
July 11
We are in Port Mcneill due to adverse weather warning after anchoring out the last few nights Last night we were in a protected inlet between 2 small islands. We had 20 ft of water under us almost to the shore and originally put out a stern tie. As the evening progressed Don got more and more nervous as the current came through and pushed us sideways. He kept worrying about the anchor dragging and felt the stern tie would simply keep us so close to shore we might just swing into the bank. We ended up letting the stern go and simply swinging on the hook which was without a problem although Don didn't sleep all that well. Then this am we brought up a huge clump of kelp and someones old polypro line which made leaving a bit tricky until Don chopped us free. This cruising stuff is a continual learning process for both of us. We have been blessedly free of most mechanical/electrical/technological problems with the exception of having to buy a new computer. We did have an autopilot problem but Don spoke to someone at the home factory and then fixed the problem himself. We have the problem part being sent to us so we will install the new one and keep the old one as backup. I really rely on the autopilot as I don't have Don's years of experience with handling the wheel. Not a problem in calm water but with wave action "Auto" is smarter and faster than I am. Even with autopilot we have to keep a constant watch as the waters here are littered with logs.
Thursday 14 July
This will likely be the last email for a week or more as we are in Port Hardy on the far north end of Vancouver Island and heading for the wild central BC coast. Early in the am we will cross the open ocean for about 40 miles headed for the islands on the mainland coast. Seems like not much given the trip up the coast but we were never more than 5-10 miles offshore during that time. The central coast is purportedly wild and largely uninhabited. If you look at the map you will see few roads and few settlements. The cruising guides and people we have met who have been there say you need to be completely self sufficient. We will have more that enough provisions, won't starve on the Karma. We have stocked the important things such as Bombay Sapphire Gin, red wine and marine toliet paper. With our watermaker and 2 generators to run things like my JenAire stove and the washer and dryer I don't think we will suffer.
A couple of days ago we took a BC ferry from Port McNeill to Alert Bay. This is a First Nations reserve and something of a tourist draw, even some cruise ships stop there. Largely it was another depressed feeling Indian reserve but the cultural center was very interesting. It tells the story of how the government in 1920 outlawed the custom of potlatch gatherings. The custom was for chiefs to give large parties on important occasions and give away many gifts (sometimes beggaring themselves in the process). Apparently the nonIndians felt this was largely a waste of time and that the Indians should be more productive in the civilized manner. The Bureau of Indian Affairs busted several big potlatches and conviscated the ceremonial gear used for these celebrations. The gear was given to museums and private collectors but the owners were given only a pittance in return. So someone had an idea that the items had some value but of course it was in the "best interests" of the Indians to stop the practicing of their cultural norms. Now the items have partly been returned to the tribes and there is some resurgence of interest in preserving the culture and language. Of course getting the young people interested in this is difficult. However while we walked the small road along the waterfront (no sidewalks) a young boy about 12 years old called out to us " Welcome to Alert Bay!". It struck me that an American kid would never spontaneously speak to a stranger in such a way. Maybe there is hope here.
I have noticed that Canadians in general are a warm and welcoming people. They seem to enjoy whatever they are doing even if trivial. If there were a bit more sunshine I could consider spending more time here.
Thursday 21 July
Well we made it to Alaska! We left Port Hardy on the 15th and didn't get on land again until Tuesday the 19th when we made it to Ketchikan. Although the anchorages are spectacular and peaceful I for one need to stretch my legs a little more often, maybe I should have gotten that treadmill. We did some kayaking and Don took the dinghy out to fish. He caught some good size perch which we had for dinner but the real prize was the 2 nice salmon he landed off Cape Farewell BC on Sunday (see photo).
We had a bit of a scare one afternoon. We were in a broad channel (about like the Carquinez off Benicia) and about to make a turn into our chosen bay for the night when we lost electrical power to the engine controls. Alarms started going off and we could not slow or stop the engines from the bridge controls, not even from the flybridge. There we were at 1300 rpm with steering but no throttle control. Don got the engines shut down and we began to drift while we tried to figure this out. Luckily we were in 500 ft and there was essentially no wind or current. I stayed on the bridge while Don went into the hot engine room and started testing and doing percussive maintenance on the electrical connections to the controls. After multiple interventions we were able to regain control but both of us were pretty wound up at that point. Don thinks it was a solenoid (whatever that is) and that it would be wise to have a backup (you bet!). We anchored within a few minutes of this and broke out the drinks!.
Ketchikan is a really interesting place. It has a split personality. The downtown area is all for the cruise ships (those things are really huge!). The town is all tourist shops and every other one sells fine jewelry, we are talking major bling bling. I guess it is all about duty free shopping but I can't believe that the summer cruising season can support over 40 jewelry stores. It is fascinating that the stores all know exactly when the cruise ships are in port and are leaving and that part of town becomes a ghost town when the ships leave, even at 3 in the afternoon. The rest of town is a working class place with lots of smoky bars and most of the people you see are wearing rubber knee high boots as they work in the fishing industry. We are going to buy these boots as they will be ideal for getting in and out of the kayaks in the anchorages.
Yesterday we took a float plane flightseeing tour of the nearby Misty Fjords National Monument. The trip would have been fun just for the experience of the flight but the scenery was indescribably beautiful. I have attached a few pictures but they of course cannot do this area justice. It is like Yosemite only bigger. Don was almost more excited about the plane than the tour, he even bought a DVD about the floatplanes. He is talking about getting his pilots license but I think reality will set in when he realizes that floatplanes are probably not allowed in the bay.
I am really interested in Alaska. I have been doing alot of reading about the local history and the fishing industry in particular. Such a dramatic place to live and the options for earning a living are so different from the urban areas we are largely used to. If it weren't for the long winter nights I could consider living in this still largely wild place. But I am spoiled by my Napa wines and elegant restaurants and I like to travel to the snow at my discretion for recreational purposes. I think it would be difficult to live aboard during the winter here (although some obviously do). So I guess I will continue to count my blessings to live in such a great area as the bay and be able to visit these special places during the best times of the year.
We had a lovely sunny day yesterday but otherwise most days are overcast. Doesn't bother me as I can always curl up with a book and a cuppa tea. I haven't started on my learn to knit project yet. I will get some running done now that we are in a port so then I can keep eating (had to drop fries and add salad to my lunchtime burgers in port pubs). This afternoon I plan to drag Don to the local museum, wish me luck.
Will update when we get email once more, keep the emails coming, we really like to hear from everyone.
Left PLI Sunday am and anchored out in a tiny cove called Harmony Islands. We used a stern tie and anchored in 60 ft but around 4 am we were awakened by the anchor chain dragging across the rocks. Lots to learn about the proper use of the anchor in these rocky bottoms. Since we were up we took off for Campbell River to resupply and wait out some Small Craft Warnings before heading further north. It is typical gray and drizziling weather here. Hope to get in a run tomorrow, continuing to eat more than I earn, seems like underway you eat to keep alert. Someone tell Sharon Berkey that I need a pedometer that measures arm motion as some days the only steps I get are in the boat! The woods are so thick and the steep canyon walls come right down to the water in most places, no such thing as a beach.
Dear friends and family,
We are in Juneau and no access on the docks (no dock power either). So I schlepped my heavy laptop downtown (about 1.25 miles) to send you these updates that I have been writing underway. Will send in increments so I can attach some pictures.
Next stop Sitka, they have access there so more later.
Love,
Deb
Wednesday 27 July
I am writing this tonight instead of waiting for an opportunity to send the email so I get it all in. Left our anchorage in Sanborn Canal this morning and headed for Tracy Arm to see the glaciers. It was a rainy and uneventful cruise. I noticed a small cruise ship heading for an unremarkable point on the shore and had just asked Don what he thought they were doing when a pod of whales breached! We haven't really seen many whales this trip, only the occasional blow or tail sighting in the distance. We made up for that today. The pod of 5 or so humpbacks were feeding and breaching frequently so we went to neutral to watch. Within a few moments they had us surrounded!! We had whales on all sides, some as close as a boat length. The guidebooks and fishing regulations all tell you to move away at a slow speed if you are within 100 yards but we had no direction to move. It was awesome and somewhat scary. I was standing on the side deck when a whale breached just about 15 yards in front of our bow. If we had been making any forward speed we would have collided. Tried to get some pictures but finally just gave up and enjoyed the moment. To add to the experience we overheard a small research vessel call the cruise ship. Being nosy we followed the radio channel and he put on the VHF his hydrophone audio of a female killer whale that he was tracking. While we watched the humpbacks we listened to the killer whale vocalizing, our own soundtrack. We didn't want to leave but eventually headed on our way. We saw several more whales but none very close and after the earlier experience we didn't feel the need to try and get closer today.
We entered Tracy Arm late in the afternoon and I got to see my first icebergs. We were so intent on watching one big guy that we hit a nearly submerged small berg. We neither one saw the ice that was barely above water and although Don reacted quickly we actually took a bump. We headed straight for the anchorage that is just inside the entrance with the decision to take on the full length of the canal and the glaciers tomorrow. As I write this I am facing the stern and the entrance to the cove. I can see icebergs floated past the cove on the flooding tide. It is all surreal. We both feel like today was just the reason we came on this trip. Wonders that I have only seen in books and film I am seeing more closely than I could have imagined.
Don asked me to give our position so those of you so inclined can track us.
Lat: 57 48.666 N
Lon: 133 37.999 W
We calculated 48 days, 1939 water miles, 232 engine hours, 12 bottles of Bombay Sapphire Gin and many, many smiles so far this trip.
Thursday 28 July
Another unbelievable day. We took off down Tracy Arm in rain and fog but within a few minutes the weather began to clear. Good thing because the ice came thickly. The inlet is about 25 miles long and you travel between high mountains in over 1000 ft of water. There were raging waterfalls every 1/4 mile and after the initial 10 miles there was ice everywhere. We started slowing down and dodging every thing big enough to see but eventually we began to bump things regularly. After we left visible bottom paint on one berg the size of an armchair we decided we could go no further, so no glaciers today. I wasn't truly disappointed because we had such lovely weather. We stopped the boat near an iceberg and Don got in the kayak to get a picture of the boat against the ice. This left you know who to maneuver the boat. You may imagine my difficulty trying to dodge ice and get the boat in just the right position for Don to shoot the picture. Every day a new adventure in boating. We made it back to our little anchorage without the bilge pumps going off so we appear to have made the passage.
After anchoring we took the kayaks out to our local icebergs to get some pictures. Don brought some glacier ice back to the boat and had it in his evening gin and tonic. Hope no bad bugs are growing in that ancient ice. We saw a couple of kayakers who came in to the boat to say hi. They are a couple of wilderness rangers in the Tongass forest and were just floating around checking on things. They confirmed that the area does have bears (Don made a lot of noise when we were on shore this evening but I teased him for it thinking there would be no bear here). This young man and woman spend the season from April until September kayak camping around this area. They apparently have a base camp near here and told us that they were going up the inlet for 8 days, camping out of their boats. I know that it isn't that unusual but the idea of kayaking in the rainy weather we have experienced lately just doesn't sound like fun to me. I guess some of my friends think I'm a bit off when I run in the rain so….
The rangers told us the neighboring inlet, Endicott has less ice this year so tomorrow we are off to try and see that glacier.
Saturday 31 July
Arrived in Juneau yesterday afternoon. Although Don was a bit taken aback at the accommodations (no power, working boats all around, over a mile to town) we eventually settled in.
On Friday we did the Endicott Arm and got to the Dawes glacier in the boat. The scenery in that arm wasn't quite as spectacular as Tracy Arm but we did get to actually see the glacier, got to about 1/2 mile of it. We did get to see some lazy harbor seals riding on the ice. We went into a nice little harbor at Taku that actually has new docks (no power or water or town for that matter but really nice docks). We realized as we docked that we had left an electric heater on the entire day and therefore the batteries for the inverter were down further than we had ever seen them. It meant we had to run the generator for about 7 hours to get them charged enough to see us through the night. Another boating learning experience. On the trip to Juneau we saw 3 killer whales very close to the boat and then saw several humpbacks in the distance as we cruised.
Juneau is larger than most of the towns we have visited, but again aside from the immediate downtown area where the cruise ships are it is very working class. We rented a car today and went to the Mendenhall glacier. I managed to drag Don on a 2 hour hike through the rainforest, it was really special. The untouched nature of this place is easy to experience. We stopped at a salmon hatchery on the recommendation of my taxi driver and we really saw a bunch of spawning chum salmon. They were all swimming upstream, as they do at this time of year. The hatchery has a fish ladder in the spawning stream and they harvest all the eggs and milt (salmon sperm) and fertilize them for release. The salmon, which would all die anyway are smoked and canned. Just downstream from the hatchery is a public dock and you can see thousands of fish in the water, all good size adults. The locals "fish" off the dock with illegal barbed treble hooks with no bait. They are really just snagging the fish, not actually catching them as we think of sport fishing. The hooks are usually in the side of the fish, not the mouth. I think this is technically illegal but all these fish will die anyway so I guess to put meat on the table it seems reasonable. Not for the sportsman though.
Thursday 4 August
We are still in rainy, rainy Juneau. We have used the time to get errands done with the rental car. This included a major restocking of the depleted pantry. When you have to cart all your supplies from various distances you tend to just get the basic requirements. It is amazing how much damage you can do in a large well stocked grocery store when transport isn't an issue. I have noted that the prices are higher here and the produce selection is rather picked over. I am doing my usual reading of foodie magazines and it is very hard to find some ingredients for the more exotic or esoteric recipes. Guess I should stick to old fashioned comfort food, Don is happy with that. My slow cooker has gotten quite a bit of use while we are underway, makes great stews and beans.
Don has been getting ready to take on the king salmon. He installed a fish finder/depth sounder and a downrigger on the dinghy. He is haunting the tackle departments of any store and we have been in every hardware/marine store in the area. He has some tips on where to go from the locals at the docks so he better get some fish. It will take a lot of fish to amortize the investment. As long as he has fun.
We took in a local museum yesterday. It takes a really rainy day to get Don to agree to museums. This one has mostly mining stuff and an interesting section on shipwrecks. Of course Don spent most of his time in the nautical section. We did watch a video detailing the gold rush effects on Juneau, I found it informative. The long term effects on Juneau have been very different from those in California.
We will be heading out in the next day or so for Sitka. We have improved the local economy enough and need to get back to the wild places. I have had some terrific runs in this cool, rainy place. I ran past the cruise ship dock this am and 5 of those huge suckers were in port. I get such a surreal feeling every time I see them. The juxtaposition of the green mountains and the rather small town with those behemoths is always startling for me.
Keep in touch, it is great to hear the local happenings.
Thursday 11 August
Left rainy Juneau on the 5th and made our way to Funter Bay where there are state maintained floats. Took us a while to dock, first try Don thought it would be too windy, next try, inside the float near the shore, we realized that at the predicted minus tide we would be sitting in the mud. Finally we headed across the bay for a dock that was "just right" as Goldilocks might say. This dock was nice in that it actually connected to shore and we were able to walk a bit on an old cannery site. The area had several summer cabins built on the old site and the owner of one came down and gave Don and I a little history of the area.
Next day we had a break in the weather and anchored in Appleton Cove. The trip was lovely and we saw a pod of about 6 humpback whales broaching. I don't ever mind slowing for the whale watching but now Don is getting the salmon fever and during that trip we fished from the big boat 3 different times. I can't get excited about standing at the helm moving 2-3 knots (as slow as we can go on one engine idle) and waiting for Don to get tired of dragging water. More on the fishing saga later.
On the 7th we headed for Sitka. Another spectacular day, sunshine finally! The trip took us through a stretch of rapids known as the Sergius Narrows. The books say take it at slack water but we arrived about an hour early. Rather than hang out, Don watched another boat of similar size (although going 20 knots) make the run and decided we should go for it. We could see the buoys at about a 45 degree lean and white water in the narrowest section but headed through with 4 knots of current against us (remember we only have 10 knots of headway most of the time). I stood next to Don at the helm and held the counter with white knuckles. Just about half way through the Captain called "more power Scotty!". I took the throttles up a notch and we slid through with little trouble. We both agreed that was more excitement than we really liked and that next time we will wait for slack as recommended.
So finally we made sunny Sitka. I have had a terrific time exploring this nice little town while Don is stalking the monster king salmon in his newly outfitted dinghy. No king yet but some nice Coho that are tucked away in the freezer.
Sitka has a bit different history than the other coastal towns. She was the Russian capital of the area and is the site of a battle between the native population and the Russians in 1804 that is documented in many of the towns local museums and a lovely historic park with wooded trails to the battle sites. I have been running every day in the woods of this park because it is already hot by 9 am when I usually decide to go running. Hot of course is relative here, maximum of 85 degrees but with little breeze in many areas. The town seems less interested in cleaning the pocketbooks of the cruise ships that come through and more interested in showing the unique qualities of this special place. The setting is physically stunning, there is a mountain that resembles Japan's Mt Fuji visible on the horizon and many other peaks, some with snow still. The waterways abound with small wooded islands that keep the Pacific somewhat tamed, we are on the Pacific coast here. The rivers are all running with salmon, you can cross any bridge in town and watch thousands of fish making there way to destiny, spawn and die.
I have visited the small town museum, the tiny aquarium that is attached to the local private college, the historic and cultural center at the National Historic Site and seen the local Russian folk dancers and the Native dancers. Don has fished and done boat chores and visited the marine stores. One of the best things I saw was the Raptor Center. A nonprofit bird hospital and rehab center specializing in raptors, especially bald eagles. They handle over 300 birds yearly with the goal of return to the wild. Unfortunately some birds are unable to be released due to permanent disabilities and some of these become public speakers and educators for the Center. Well they don't really speak of course but they do travel extensively with their handlers to educate.
The harbor is full of fishing boats and a fair number of yachts as well. We find it endlessly fascinating to watch the fishermen. The women on the boats have the most awesome biceps! Don't need to push iron at the gym if you work on a fishing boat. We watch both the commercial boats and the charter boats unload in the evenings and Don is really determined to make one of those big king salmon his. We are leaving Sitka in the am with the eventual goal of starting our trip home but I think Don has a few fishing holes in mind for the next few days. I hope he gets his trophy so he will stop being so obsessed, some of you know how I feel about that particular brand of crazy.
There is more to tell but it will have to wait for the next port with internet.
Monday 15 August
Sea lions, sea otters, whales, bald eagles, black tailed deer and tons and tons of Salmon!! We left Sitka on the 12th and headed south along the Gulf of Alaska. Yes back in the ocean once again. Don did not tolerate the 4-6 ft swells, seems he loses his sea legs in the calm waters and at port. We found a great anchorage in Whale Bay but stayed just long enough for Don to fish a while (skunked again) as we both wanted to get around the south end of Baronof Island and into inside waters once more. The next night we anchored in a great little place called Little Port Walter. There is a NOAA combined marine fisheries, Fish and Game and weather station there. We met some nice folks who are working there and walked on the shore to the fish ladder at the stream. There were literally thousands of "pink" salmon trying to make their way upstream. We spent much of the evening watching the pageant of fish. Don got some very nice Coho the next morning in a small bay a few miles away. It wouldn't be sporting to catch fish in the stream and I understand when they get to fresh water they stop eating and don't taste as good if caught. The weather managed to continue to be lovely. Last night we anchored in Red Bluff Bay, another spectacular spot. Steep walls with waterfalls cascading from high with large numbers of salmon heading for the streams. The weather report mentioned increasing winds so this am we headed for Petersburg. We seem to have missed the wind as the passage was like glass. We listened to some of the fishing boats and one seiner reported 43,000 fish in his haul. I can't even imagine that as the seiner boats are limited to under 58 ft. Where do the fish go?
Tomorrow we will head south on the Wrangell Narrows ( check out the 26 July update for details on this tricky stretch of water). A few more days of anchoring out (in new places as there seems to be no shortage of great spots) and then to Ketchikan for fuel and provisions before reentering Canada. It looks like we will have spent almost exactly a month in Alaska, next time we will plan for more time. We are heading back mostly because I pay attention to the cruising guides when they say you should be south of the Dixon entrance by September. I really don't want to spend days in a remote anchorage because of the weather, I would almost certainly get cabin fever. Will plan to catch up in Ketchikan. Thanks for all the emails, it is nice to know we haven't been forgotten.
29 August 2005 Monday
We are in a tiny marine resort called Shearwater. The internet access is in a grocery store and is a dial up connection. Any port in a storm. I forgot how slow a dialup connection can be. Otherwise it is a charming little marina and I had a great run this morning on the gravel roads that run through the woods here. Don and I had drinks and some yummy calamari in the pub yesterday to wait for the rain to break. We had a great view over the water and a big rainbow appeared just for our entertainment. We are heading for an anchorage south of here to prepare for the open water crossing to Vancouver Island and Port Hardy tommorrow, weather willing. I have been so spoiled with the calm water of the Inside Passage that I don't want to have any real seas to deal with. Yesterday we caught some swells in a short area open to the sea and it reminded me how the passage can be uncomfortable at times. Oh well, the open water isn't much in the big picture.
Will send pictures when we get to Port Hardy. Keep in touch.
Friday 2 September 2005
We are in a tiny floating marina and Don is out trying to scare fish onto his line. These places are not actually connected to any shore so other than the docks there is no where to walk. The steady rain keeps me out of my kayak so I have time to continue our saga. These marinas have sattelite communications and are broadcasting wifi for free.
Last night we were in the cutest little marina called Sullivan Bay. The public docks were completely charming. All tumbledown and with amusing signage everywhere. The generator shack says "SB Power and Light", the fish cleaning station has a water pump that is labeled "Fire Station" and the tiny grocery has a handpainted Safeway sign. There are plenty of speed limit signs too, no more than 1 mph in most areas. We ran into a guy that Don had met in a different marina 4 years ago and had drinks and snacks with them on their great deck. Puk (the wife) fed us their own cold smoked salmon, prawns and crab dip from crabs caught that day. You wouldn't starve up in this area. They told us to try the marina we are in today because tomorrow there is the final pig roast of the year here. Pierre's Bay marina is another charming place, all floating docks and no dock power but you can order homemade cookies and such from the on site baker and every evening there is a BYOB happy hour on the dock and the potluck pig roast is tomorrow. These tiny marinas are incredibly welcoming, everyone is very happy here.
For the dog lovers, on this dock there is a tiny wooden enclosure which is planted in clover for the puppies. Tomorrow if it isn't pouring I am going to get Don to take the dinghy to the local marine park and go for a hike before the party. If I can drag him away from the fish that is. If he does well this afternoon I know he will want to go out again.
It is interesting how different the atmosphere is now that the main cruising season is over here. We are often one of only a few boats on the docks. Early in the summer we got turned down in some places and ended up anchoring out. I will be happy to make my way home soon, I miss the local happenings (but not working, just the people).
Sunday 4 Sept 2005
We had the greatest day yesterday at Pierre's Bay. First of all it was sunny and beautiful, what a relief. Don took off for more fishing and brought home the 2 biggest Coho salmon he has caught yet. I told him we can't get anymore fish as I have no more room in the freezer unless he gives up his ice cream space. I took off in my kayak for the next bay over, Windsong marina. There is a BC marine park there and I was able to go for a short hike. The highlight of the hike was "Billy's Museum" and gift shop. Two small wooden buildings sitting at the edge of the woods with no one inside. The doors were unlocked so I went in to find the most amazing collection of STUFF! Hundreds of old bottles, old fishing gear, ancient Native artifacts and old newspapers and magazines. There were a couple of old chandlery catalogs from the 40's. Everything was neat as could be and not a speck of dust. The gift shop next door had hand made items from local artists. Everything was labeled with a price tag and there was an old cash register that had cash inside. I picked up a copy of the book written by Billy (Bill Proctor) about the local area and placed my money in the cash register. Such an amazing thing to come across such trust after watching the lootings in New Orleans.
Later I picked up the fresh croissants I had ordered from Diane the local baker. Yummy! Although there were only a few boats in the marina in the morning, by afternoon the boats started arriving for the famous pig roast. We had at least 4 boats over 80 ft and many smaller ones as well. The pig roast is a potluck and we had probably around 100 people at dinner. The food was eclectic. Everything from fresh salads and my excellent slow cooker baked beans to stove top stuffing. No one went home hungry. After eating we had a sing-along with a couple of guitars. It really brings back memories of simpler times to see a bunch of middle aged adults singing "I've Been Working on the Railroad" and "Michael Row Your Boat Ashore". Sounds hokey (and it was) but it really was fun.
Today we are heading for a similar marina and hopefully to a spot where we have been guaranteed a bear sighting. From a distance of course. The weather is nice and Don is out once more trying for the big one before we head out for our long 30 mile trip.
Tuesday 13 September 2005
Interesting cruising since Dent Island Lodge. We left our snug and luxurious harbor on a lovely sunny day with predicted gale force winds in the open waters to our west. We made our way through rapids and along the inside inlets as far as possible and then into Johnstone Strait. There the wind really was 25-30 knots with gusts to 50 at times. Luckily the wind was behind us and the 4-5 foot seas are not bad for Karma if from the stern quarters. We watched the folks headed in the opposite direction and they were taking a beating. Of course nothing stops the fisherman and I was amazed at the small boats all trying to fish despite the wind and waves. We headed through the notorious Seymour Narrows at the slack as recommended and it was smooth sailing until we got to Campbell River. Because of the high winds Don elected to have us dock on the leeward side. For the nonboaters this means the 30 mph winds were pushing us away from the dock. The marina didn't have any help on the dock but another boater came to help. That was a good thing because I would not have been able to get a line on expeditiously and even with the bow thruster we couldn't get very close to the dock. Alls well that ends well and after a strenuous 45 minutes or so, 6 dock lines and extra fenders we managed to secure Karma for the evenings winds.
We stayed at Campbell River for 2 days to do major grocery shopping and have some restaurant meals (nice but I was spoiled at Dent). We then headed south on the east side of Vancouver Island, anchoring in a pleasant BC Provincial Marine Park on a small island at Tribune Bay. They had real sand beaches and I took the kayak into shore for a walk. Don elected to stay aboard to nurse his back that hadn't recovered from the Campbell River docking. On shore there was great beach and hiking trails in the woods. The island is settled and there were roads to the beach. As I was walking along the gravel road a lovely Rolls Royce pulled up to the park and a wedding party got out, complete with floor (or gravel) length gown on the bride and tuxes on the groom and father. The proud Dad (who was apparently feeling no pain) told me that his daughter was getting married (oops he said, already married) and toasted me with the beer in his hand. The wedding party trooped to the beach where photos were taken in the water. This was not exactly a dream photo op from the scenery aspect but maybe the young couple met on the beach.
The following day we headed for the Port of Nanaimo. What a great little city. The town is largely laid out along the waterfront and there is a beautiful harborside walk and park. The shopping is interesting, lots of art galleries and other funky little shops. The weather has been wonderful, I am finally drying out after all the rainy days. I have had really great runs along the waterfront ( a really great run is one that ends at a coffee shop). I would definitely come back to Nanaimo.
Today we head for Sidney (one of our favorite places) and we hope to get some things fixed on the boat and have her waxed and buffed for the trip south in a few weeks. Hopefully we will get to do a few more side trips in the Gulf Islands or maybe make it back to Vancouver before heading south. Our crew is meeting us in Victoria on the 3rd I think and if the weather is good a few days later we will head south with the hopes of being home by midmonth.
Wednesday 12 October 2005
We are on the coast on the way home finally. We left Port Townsend on Monday for an uneventful trip to Neah Bay. Overnight there and then out around Cape Flattery and into Grays Harbor (Westport). After initially deciding to take a weather day in Grays Harbor this morning while we were all sitting around having coffee the Captain and his male crew members decided it would be alright to head down to the Columbia River to make a short leg trip. The trip itself was reasonable with west swell of 10-12 ft but the Karma took it well. We arrived at the Columbia River on the ebb and took her in on some really hairy swells. The famous treacherous bar was pretty scary for me but Don kept her in the channel with alot of sweat and steerage. I couldn't even look at the water it was so high. We surfed the incoming swells and made up to 17.4 knots of speed (normally our boat does about 10 knots so the water was pushing us right along). Even Don admits that he wouldn't want to do that particular passage again. I am feeling better with a couple of glasses of wine in me but I seriously thought I would be booking an airline flight from here after that. I will be using my veto power in the future if any bars are to be crossed on the ebb tides.
Will likely leave in the am for a relatively short 10 hour ride to Newport tomorrow. Keep all fingers and other appendages crossed for easy weather.
16 October 2005
Underway and heading down the Pacific Coast. Joan and Michael bailed on us in Newport. That was quite the chinese fire drill getting them home from there. First to find a flight (Eugene Oregon the closest airport), then to get a rental car to drive the 100 miles to the airport. Best of all to do this on the morning of the proposed flight and on a Saturday in a town that closes up on the weekend. But alls well, etc... as they made the flight and will rejoin the working slobs in the am.
The 2 military rejects and Don are continuing down the coast. Tonight we are in Coos Bay Oregon. Another bar crossing on the ebb tide. For the non boaters picture the river entering the sea at maximum current and the sea opposing the river with Big 10 ft waves. Not for the faint of heart. Actually we did not have any trouble tonight and have just finished another deep fried meal at the local seafood restaurant. The food was yummy and the drinks were generous, how am I ever going to return to real life and healthy food?
Tomorrow we head for Brookings Oregon then if the weather is good to Eureka California and Bodega Bay and then home!! Might even make the yacht club for the Friday dinner.
Wednesday 19 October 2005
We are finally in California! Don, Brian and I are taking a layover day in Eureka to allow the seas to calm in anticipation of our final push home. Current plan is for an overnight from here but if that isn't favorable we will go into Fort Bragg for a night.
The trip is almost over and although I am really anxious to get home and settled into place I find myself remembering and longing for the solitude and beauty that we experienced this summer. This really has been the experience of a lifetime and I am so glad we did it. I look forward to returning to the Northwest and continuing to explore the multitude of places we didn't see.
If plans don't change (subject to the whims of Mother Nature) you might just be seeing us at the yacht club Friday night.
Friday October 21, 2005
We made it! Just a quick note, it is 0700 and we are topping off our fuel tanks in San Francisco after an overnight passage from Eureka. We expect to be in Benicia this morning. Will send a wrap up message later and after I sort the 500 pictures from the trip into a reasonable travelogue we will be boring you all with them.
Love, Deb