Sullivan Bay to Shawl Bay Marina 2 hours 19.6 miles

It is a short trip from Sullivan Bay to Shawl Bay Marina.  We saw no one else at all during the trip.  We figured things quieted down after Labor Day but this is ridiculous.  The fog burned off to a beautiful sunny day.  We were not surprised to see the docks empty at Shawl Bay.  Loren and Shawn are still here but Rob (their son) has moved to Vancouver Island and is about to be married.  We miss him but wish him well.

Allison Harbour to Sullivan Bay 2 ¾ hours 43 miles

Today we enter the Broughtons again.  The fog gradually lifted as we entered Wells Passage.  We were surprised when we arrived at Sullivan Bay that we were the only cruising boat there.  The managers, Debbie & Chris, were still there and the store was open.  http://www.sullivanbay.com/index.htm

Fury Cove to Allison Harbour 4 hours 44 miles

We made the big jump today around Cape Caution.  We had heavy fog the entire trip.  We had about 4-6 foot swells but relatively calm water.  Not comfortable but both Emerald Star & Fred handled the situation beautifully.  This is a big physical as well as psychological step.  We are now in southern British Columbia and nearing the site of home.  The fog was still heavy as we entered Allison Harbour.  We suddenly saw sunlight at the head of the inlet.  There was one other boat here and it is a big anchorage.  Unfortunately as soon as we got settled we were enveloped in fog again.

Shearwater to Fury Cove 5 ¾ hours 59.8 miles FUEL: 366.4 GALLONS @ $5.20/GALLON !!

We filled the fuel tanks, even with these outrageous prices.  It will give us more freedom to pick different anchorages and marinas.  We have really heavy fog today.  At times we couldn’t see the water in front of the boat.  The water was flat calm, the radar worked well and Fred reduced our speed to 7-8 kts.  Fury Cove was empty when we entered and had our choice of places to anchor.  We anchored with a lovely view of the sandy beach and Fitz Hugh Channel beyond.  We are very protected in here and as we completed anchoring the sun came out. While we were enjoying the afternoon sun from the cockpit, we could just see a couple of humpback whales over the protecting rocks. They were heading up north and look very happy. It was actually in the 70’s.  We sat on deck and caught some Vitamin D.  Fred put the crab pots out but no crabs for us.

Shearwater Marina

We hung out today and got chores done on the boat in the sunshine.  We saw Mola Mola come in in the afternoon.  We had a nice visit and planned to have dinner with them and another couple at the restaurant near by.  We had a lovely dinner.  Both other couples are from Newport Beach.  Mick is taking Mola Mola back so California soon.  That’s a trip I wouldn’t take.

Khutze Inlet to Shearwater Marina 7¾ hours 90 miles

We have rain and fog again today but we are heading over to Shearwater.  It is a 5 mile trip back out of Khutze Inlet.  We had heavy rain and wind most of the way today.  We crossed from Finlayson Channel into Mathias Channel via Jackson Passage.  Jackson Passage was just beautiful (would have been better in the sun).  We did not meet anyone in the narrows.  As we entered Seaforth Channel we encountered calm seas with 4 ft. swells.  We were prepared to find a safe anchorage anywhere along the way but continued on because the sea conditions were acceptable.  When we arrived at Shearwater we tried hailing the harbormaster on channel 06, 66 and 16 and never heard back.  So, we saw a place on the dock and took it.  Fred went to check in and found that there was no harbormaster as present due to family illness.  By 6:00 PM the dock was full and folks were moored over on the breakwater.  Sure glad we got here when we did.

Khutze Inlet

We stayed here another day because we love this place.  Unfortunately the weather never cleared.  I was taking a nap when Fred frantically called me to come into the salon.  He saw 2 wolves over by the waterfall.  Of course I didn’t have my glasses on so I missed out. However, we did get 3 large Dungeness crabs in out pots.

Lowe Inlet to Khutze Inlet 5 ½ hours 64.2 miles

It is an ugly, rainy day.  Such a change from yesterday.  As we exit Grenville Channel and enter Wright Sound the sea chop was about 2 feet.  We were heading into the wind (10-25 kts) the whole trip.  As we finally entered Khutz Inlet the wind and chop calmed right down.  We cannot see the mountains around us because of the clouds.  This inlet, like many up here, has a wonderful Yosemite feel.  We anchored in our favorite spot in front of the beautiful ~1000 ft. waterfall. We put the dinghy down and Fred put out our crab pots.  We almost always have good luck here.  A couple who were out in the pouring rain in their dinghy came over to us to say they thought they say a wolf by the waterfall.  They are Pam & Mick off of a 65 foot Fleming, Mola Mola.  Gorgeous boat.

Lowe Inlet, Grenville Channel

I convinced Fred to stay one more day.  The sun came out and we put the kayaks in the water for the first time this year.  Getting in and out of them has been a real concern to me.  Our previous boat, Aquila, had a slatted teak swim platform.  There was plenty to hold on to.  Emerald Star had a solid fiberglass swim platform that is about 6 inches higher than the one on Aquila.  We had an idea that we could launch from the dinghy.  It actually worked pretty well.  We do not get in and out of kayaks with any grace whatsoever.  We had a lovely trip around the anchorage and by the waterfall.

Prince Rupert to Lowe Inlet, Grenville Channel 6 ¾ hours 67.9 miles

It was overcast today but the wind and seas were completely calm.  We left Prince Rupert and headed into Grenville Chanel.  We saw some dolphins who played around the boat for 5 minutes and then disappeared by the time I grabbed my camera and headed out on deck.  We had a very comfortable cruise down to Lowe Inlet.  We have never stopped in this inlet before.  What a pleasant surprise!  It has a large anchorage and a beautiful waterfall at the head of the inlet.  There was Salty Dawg (42’Nordic Tug) was planted in the best spot in front of the waterfall.  This waterfall was putting out large amounts of foam which was not very pretty.  We put the dinghy down and went for a closer inspection of the inlet and the falls.  Verney Falls doubles in height at low tide.  I would guess it goes from 10 feet to 15-20 feet in height.  We saw a beautiful black bear on the rocks by the falls.  He was a rich dark black in color and looked well fed.  We could see salmon jumping up and trying to climb the falls.  I’m sure they are what the bear is after.

Thursday, September 1 Stuck in Prince Rupert

We were planning on heading out this morning. We got up early and took up the trash and headed over to Cowpuccinos for a latte.  Of course Merlin came on our morning walk.  Things looked bad for our leaving dock.  In a matter of minutes the wind was up to 30 kts. and we had 2 foot chop and white caps here in the harbor.  Emerald Star was pushed up against the dock and really doing a job on the fenders. The harbormaster came out with a handful of fenders for the other boats also pushing pushed onto the dock.  Merlin is not sure what is going on.  We are rocking and rolling pretty good here and the occasional boom of a wave hitting the hull.  I may need some Dramamine...

 At 4 PM the Norwegian Star cruise ship showed up.  We got a great look at each other.

Santa Anna Inlet to Meyers Chuck 2 hours 26.5 miles

Fred went out in the pouring rain to get our crab pots.  We only had one “keeper” but he was a good size Dungeness.  We will have fresh crab for dinner tonight.  What a difference a day makes.  The water is calm in the inlet but the wind rapidly increased to 20-34 kts.  We were heading to Ketchikan but as the seas reached 4-5 feet we sneaked into Myers Chuck.  This is a small community in a protected bay.  We anchored because the small dock was full.  Even in here were getting about 1 ft. swells that rocked the boat.  We put the dinghy down so we could go for a walk on shore.  We were able to order sweet rolls the last time were here and Fred wants some for breakfast tomorrow.  Oh no.  The sweet roll lady has packed up and moved.!! Merlin was adorable playing with a little female Rat Terrier (terrible name, cute dog).  We now have a new noise and problem on the boat. The shower sump pump is cycling every couple of minutes.  Fred will deal with it later.

Petersburg to Santa Anna Inlet 6 ¾ hours 81 miles

We went for a latte and then departed Petersburg.  Petersburg is in the northern end of Wrangell Narrows.  We caught the tide right for the first half of our trip in the Narrows.  We were riding the flood with a 3 kt push.  We went as fast as 13.6 kts.  It took us 2 hours to pass through the Narrows.  We never saw a large vessel in there, fortunately.  We usually would stop in Wrangell but the weather is so good we pass it up and head on.  Fred ran the engines up to wide open throttle (WOT) in Sumner Straight.  We reached 2750 RPM and 18.7 speed over ground (SOG).  Zimovia Straight continued to be flat-calm.  We were going to stop in Frosty Bay but since the cruising was so easy we continued to Santa Anna Inlet.  We have never been here before.  The inlet does not offer much protection from westerly winds but we tucked into the head of the inlet and were quite comfortable.  Douglass (cruising manual) says that crabbing is good here so we put the dinghy down and placed the crab pots.  We are near a waterfall but we can’t see it.  We took the dinghy near shore and could see the waterfall hidden in a wooded area.  It is such a nice sound. 

Tracy Arm Cove to Petersburg 6 ¾ hours, 81 miles

It is rainy & foggy but the water is calm as we exit Tracy Arm over the bar.  The cruise ship Volendam is preparing to enter Tracy Arm as we are preparing to exit. Fred talked to the cruise ship and made them aware we were exiting and would be out of their way promptly.  We are just a speck in the water to them and want to be sure they see us.  Stephens Passage was relatively calm but as we entered Frederick Sound the wind picked up to 25-35 kts and the seas built to 3-5 feet. As we cut through the waves, the wind would pick up the water and throw it over the fly bridge. It was a scary site. We were grateful to get a slip in Petersburg South Harbor. The Harbormaster said that the fishing fleet was in and space was tight.  We docked in a line of Seiners.  These are very large and sturdy fishing boats that use a net for catching fish.  We have come to really see the beauty of these vessels.  The owners take great pride in them and they are washed every time they come into port.  Of course we head over to our favorite café and got our afternoon lattes. 
http://alansorum.suite101.com/alaskan-purse-seine-boats-a101462.html

Juneau to Tracy Arm Cove 4 ¼ hours 46 miles

Well, we are finally going to turn around and head south. We were beginning to think we should look at apartments here because we were going to be spending the winter in Juneau.  The wind and water are perfectly flat.  We headed over to Petro Marine to fill up the fuel tanks.  We took 354.8 gallons @ $3.95/gallon.  Our trip back down Gastineau Channel and out to Stephens Passage was so flat we could have used our kayaks out here.  Our destination is Tracy Arm Cove.  The day is mostly sunny and we can see all the mountain tops around us. 

Juneau

Joan is coming home and Fred has done all the laundry and cleaned the boat.   Joan was expected at 9:30 PM but a delay got her in at 10:30 pm.  The flight into Juneau was frightening because it was foggy/rainy/windy and the plane was bouncing about and I knew that we were flying between two mountains to get to the airport.  I was very happy to see my boys (Fred & Merlin) but I was sorrier to say goodbye to my friends and sunny California.

Juneau

Fred has been stuck in the rain and wind in Juneau while Joan has been enjoying the sun in Southern California. The repaired prop showed up Thursday and the diver was available the same day. On it went with no trouble. What a relief to have the boat back together again.

Juneau

Joan has a 6 am flight out of the Juneau Airport.  That means that we have to get to airport before 5 am.  These early flights always seem like a good idea…  The airport is very small and Alaska is the main carrier here.  I am on a flight to Seattle and then Seattle to Long Beach, CA.  Poor Fred is staying on the boat with Merlin while I am meeting girlfriends from high school (8 of us who graduated in 1969) to take a short cruise from Long Beach to Catalina & Ensenada, Mexico. 

Juneau

We went out to Mendenhall Glacier today.  It is overcast but not raining at the moment.  There were a few salmon still heading upstream.  The salmon are bright red in color.  As we walked along the boardwalk along the river one could see half eaten salmon everywhere and the grass was beaten down into bear size paths.  The smell was pretty unpleasant but it was very interesting looking down at the end lifecycle of the salmon.  Apparently the glacier calved last week and caused flooding down the river due to river water released from under the glacier.  No buildings were lost.  I want to compare my photos of the glacier from 2007 and see if there is any change. 

Juneau

The harbor office has a great contact sheet for services in Juneau.  There are several car rental agencies but we called Rent-a Wreck.  It is run by women who couldn’t have been more helpful.  The only car they had was a 4-5 year old Lincoln Continental with 83,000 miles on it.  It was extremely comfortable and they gave it to us at the small car rate! 

Juneau

The diver came this morning and checked the hull (no damage) and removed the starboard prop.  Fred had to borrow a prop-puller from Sumdum because the one the diver had was too big.  The diver took the prop to the local prop shop for repair.  Fred got a call from them later and found out that our prop is too big for them to work on.  Fred authorized them to send the prop to Kruger in Seattle. For what this cost, we think it traveled in a first class seat.  The diver will re-install the repaired prop when it returns.

Taku Harbor to Juneau 23 miles 2 ¼ hours

We are heading to Juneau today.  It’s another sunny day and everything looks so beautiful.  There are snow-capped mountains everywhere.  We had to dodge the gill-netters again this morning.  Fishing is a really tough occupation.  We followed the cruise ship Westerdam into Gastineau Channel.  I tried calling the harbor office for a slip assignment but we must hail the harbormaster on VHS 73.  Fortunately we were able to get a side tie on dock 5 in Harris Harbor.  This marina is the closest to downtown and great for walking.  The charter boat Sumdum is behind us on the dock.  Fred got the number for a diver and made arrangements for him to come tomorrow.

Tracy Arm Cove to Taku Harbor 43.7 miles 4 ½ hours

We chose a beautiful sunny day to head north again.  We saw a group of humpback whales in Stephens Passage.  We stopped the boat to watch them.  One startled us by coming out of the water on the starboard side.  Of course I didn’t have the camera ready. I got some great shots of the whales spouting but they didn’t put on much of a show.  It is very cool, however, to just stop and listen to the sounds they make.  Makes one feel very small.  As we passed Limestone Inlet we encountered about a dozen gillnetter boats with their huge nets stretched out behind them.  We carefully stayed outside of their zone and moved on to Taku Harbor.  The Forest Service has a beautiful T shaped dock here.  There is only one other boat there so we have our choice of locations to dock.  We chose the outside of the T at the end.  There is no water or power here but at least we can take Merlin for a walk on terra firma.  We met some nice folks who are traveling on a 25’ C-Dory.  They live in Juneau and gave us some great suggestions for places to see and to eat.  The fellow also gave us information for a diver to go down and remove the damaged prop.

Tracy Arm Cove

We hung out here passing the time.  We raced up the coast to get to Alaska, now we have to slow down.  Joan leaves Juneau on 8/14/11 to fly to sunny California.  We got a lot of chores and cleaning done.  This is a spectacular spot to stay for awhile. 

Tracy Arm Cove to Tracy Arm Cove 44 miles 4 hours

There are heavy clouds but we decided to head into Tracy Arm and look for the glacier.  The icebergs aren’t as big as we have seen in the past, but there are sure a lot of them.  We have had to dodge of lot of “bergie bits”.  About half way in during a moment of inattention…we hit an iceberg.  Not the Titanic size but enough to cause an abnormal vibration.  !@#$ we are pretty sure we bent a prop. Fred checked below and we aren’t taking on any water.  Well, the fun just went out of this trip today.  We could actually see Sawyer Glacier in the distance.  We found a good place to turn around and headed back to Tracy Arm Cove.  The cove was empty when we arrived and we could pick anywhere to anchor.  We chose the far western corner near the outlet of a stream.  This is a beautiful spot but when we hit low ride we were touching the eel grass below.  Way too shallow.  We could pull anchor and move or pull in some anchor chain to pull us further out.  We chose the latter.  All in all, not a fun day.

Tracy Arm Cove

Fred woke me up to see a brown bear (grizzly bear) walking on the beach near where we are anchored.  If it weren’t raining we might have taken the dinghy over for a closer look.  He was huge and didn’t look like he missed any meals.  This is why we are here. Our very own National Geographic Tour.

Fanshaw Bay to Tracy Arm Cove 4 hours, 41 miles

We had a noisy, rocky rolly night last night.  The tide just rushes through this bay.  Merlin kept wanting to get in bed with us (this is a no no).  I was up several times with Merlin and Fred was up to do anchor checks.  With all the wind (up to 28 mph) and current, we didn’t move an inch.  We are more and more pleased with our Rocna anchor.  http://cruises.about.com/od/alaskacruises/ig/Tracy-Arm-Alaska/

Petersburg to Fanshaw Bay

3¼  hours    38 miles

Wrangell to Petersburg 4¼ hours, 43 miles

We started out in some fog which was a concern but it lifted by the time we neared Wrangell Narrows.  We saw many fishing boats but our course was clear. Wrangell Narrows is a narrow passage through which most of the north-south traffic flows.  One can encounter the Alaska Ferry or a log boom.  We were lucky to see little traffic.  One must maneuver and stay between the red and green buoys.   This would be rather dangerous in the fog.  In clear weather it is rather fun.  Petersburg is called Alaska’s Little Norway.  http://www.ci.petersburg.ak.us/
The Norwegian flag is flown next to the US flag all over town.  Petersburg has also one of Alaska’s most prosperous fishing fleets. This is evident in the majority of boats in harbor are fishing vessels. 

Wrangell

It has rained hard all day.   Instead of taking the dinghy over to town or going for a cruise we just did projects around the boat.  When we decided to put the dinghy back up, we noticed a rusty colored dust on the swim platform.  Fred thinks it is metal shavings from when he cut the old lock off of the chain to lock up the boat.  We scrubbed with soap but the discoloration is still there.  Something else to worry about.

Wrangell

It sky is a bright blue and the water is aquamarine, just like the gem stone.  It is amazing. After taking Merlin for a long walk, we left him on the boat so we could go into shops. We decided to put the dinghy down and motor over to the float at the foot of the main street.  We have our starboard to the dock.  We were starting to lower the dinghy from the starboard side of the boat when we realized that the davit doesn’t extend far enough.  I had a bright idea. Fred went on the dock and loosened the mooring lines so we could move the stern of the boat away from the dock so we could lower the dinghy between the boat and the dock.  After it was in water I was able to swing the dinghy to the stern. Fred tightened up the lines again.   We went into town and sat out on the deck looking out at Frederick Sound at the Stikine Inn Hotel.  The food was great even if the service wasn’t.

Meyers Chuck to Wrangell 5 hours, 53.7 miles

We had a lovely trip up Clarence Straight is bright sun.  Wrangell is one of our favorite destinations in Alaska.  http://wrangell.com/
They have resisted being a cruise ship destination.  There isn’t a single high end jewelry store here.  When I called the harbormaster for a slip assignment I was told to check out the new marina just south of town (Heritage Harbor).  We entered and indeed there are two 350’ docks with power and water.  There is plenty of room on the dock and several folks came out of nearby boats to catch the lines.  When we got settled we wanted to go into town.  This is when we realized that this is a great marina but it is over a mile to town.  We headed out anyway and were pleased to see things haven’t changed.  After wandering around we found our usual latte place and called for a taxi.  When Fred told the cab people that we had a dog with us they weren’t going of take us.  However, Fred assured them that we had a small dog which would sit on a lap.  It cost $9 for that mile trip back to the marina.

Ketchikan to Meyers Chuck 3 hours, 37 miles

Everything looks so beautiful in the sun.  Meyers Chuck is a cove off of Clarence Straight.  We’re not sure of it’s origin but there is a community here of about 20-30 homes. They range from clapboard shacks to very nice homes with walls of windows facing the water.  They have a small dock which is open to anyone with no charge.  There was room on the dock but we decided to anchor out.  Fred installed the new battery in the dinghy before we put it down to go to shore for a walk. Fred tried to start the outboard but it wouldn't start.  We were afraid that something serious was wrong when Fred checked and saw he had hooked the battery up back wards.  After he figured this out and corrected it we were on our way. There is a well worn path that follows the shore and reached most of the homes.  Some of them can only be reached by boat.  At the head of the dock there is a bulletin board, phone booth, and a mailbox. Fred was reading the bulletin board and of course picked on the notice of a women there that bakes sticky buns and will deliver to your boat. She is also the local post master. Yes, they have there own zip code. Mail twice a week via float plane. She was telling us several families order groceries to be delivered on the float plane. Pretty cool.  Apparently local calls from the phone in the booth to local homes are free. Fred called and will have sticky buns in the morning. There are colorful wildflowers everywhere and Merlin is having a great time.

Ketchikan

We decided since we were hanging out here that we would do a tourist activity, Bering Sea Crab Fisherman’s Tour.  http://56degreesnorth.com/
The Aleutian Ballad is docked near us in the city Floats. This fishing vessel is a little over 100 feet long and was used during the second season of Deadliest Catch. We have never watched it but it follows crab fishermen in the Bering Straight of Alaska.  These fishing boats go out for weeks at a time and can be caught in winds of 50-70 mph and 20-30 foot seas.  This is said to be most dangerous occupation in the world.  The Aleutian Ballad has been re-fit to function as a research and education vessel.  There is stadium seating and glass tanks in front of us for them to place the creatures brought up in their pots.  It is literally raining side-ways but that is no deterrent.  We were the first to board because everyone else was coming off a cruise ship.  Initially a huge cage was pulled up containing several Alaskan King Crab and an octopus. A fellow picked up the octopus for us to see and then it was placed in the salt water tank in front of us.  As the octopus hit the water it let go with a huge stream of ink.  Poor thing.   Each member of the crew held a crab for all of us to see closely (well, not too closely). These Kinjg Crabs get as big as 4-5 feet from tip to tip. The crabs were then placed back in the cage and sent back down into the sea.  The crew members were all professional fishermen.  There talk was not scripted and all of our questions were answered as well as some wonderful anecdotes.  Next a pot containing Dungeness crab was pulled onto the deck.  We weren’t allowed close to these fellows because this type of crab in so combative.  Apparently a Dungeness can kill a King crab.  These crabs in the pot were again placed back into the sea.  The last pots pulled looked like a barrel with holes in it. This is an octopus trap.  There is a very small hole that the octopus from fit through.  We were told that an octopus can fit through any space that its beak (mouth) can fit through.

Ketchikan

I called Alaska Car Rental and was surprised that they had a car available for $69/day and they would come to pick us up.  We rented a Chevy Impala (OK but I wouldn’t buy one).  It was pretty clean and had 44,000 miles on it.  I think it was 2006.  There are 40 miles of road here in Ketchikan but you can’t get off the island.  We drove from one end of Ketchikan to the other.  There are campgrounds, hiking trails and totem poles to look at.  The real reason we had a car was to do grocery shopping and to buy a new battery for the dinghy.  Fred had charged the heck out of the battery but it wouldn’t hold a charge.

Ketchikan

Aside from enjoying the town, we are waiting for two packages to arrive. One is from Heather and containing some mail order medications and the other is parts for the boat.  Fred ordered new thruster propellers to replace the one that were broken off in Shearwater. He also ordered a new shower sump pump to replace the one that appears clogged and the shower water is therefore leaking into the bilge.  Fred is really tired off bailing soapy water out of the bilge every day.  The boat parts will not arrive until the 20th.

Foggy Bay to Ketchikan 3 hours, 35 miles

FUEL:  184 gallons @ $3.99/gallon
We left Foggy Bay at low tide.  Boy is this place rocky.  As we left the bay and entered Revillagigedo Channel we were met with four foot swells and fog.  We estimate about three mile visibility.  The swells fell to two to three feet and a following sea as we made our turn into Tongass Narrows. We saw the cruise ship, Golden Princess, appear out of the fog heading south.  Fred called US Customs and confirmed our arrival in Ketchikan.  He informed them that we were going to stop at Petro Marine to top off our fuel tanks before we docked.  They said to call from the fuel dock and someone would come to us there.  There were two boats on the fuel dock when we arrived.  We waited off the dock for one of the boats to leave.  We thought everything was cool when we got a hail on the radio from Ketchikan Coast Guard.  The fuel dock is next to the Coast Guard docks.  Fred answered and thought for sure we were in trouble.  However, they just wanted to let us know that the boat we were in front of would be leaving soon.  Fred laughed and told them he thought we were going to get in trouble and they answered back that the folks on their boat were looking at us with envy.  The Customs officer met us and came aboard.  She checked our passports, Nexus, boat documentation and Merlin’s vaccination record.  She was very nice and welcomed us to Alaska.  We are hoping to get a slip at the City Floats (Casey Moran).  We called the Harbor Master and he said that he thought is was full down there but that it is open moorage so go ahead and check it out.  If not that there was plenty of room at Bar Harbor.  We eased into this small marina that is located down at the city front of Ketchikan.  The entrance is between the cruise ship docks and it is a little intimidating passing under the bow of one of those ships.  We saw that friends of ours on Teddi Bear (Teddi & John Hozemer) were there.  We were very lucky to find the last slip available and it was big enough for us. With these wonderful communicators that came with the boat I was able to guide Fred back into the slip.  Here we are with downtown Ketchikan off our stern and a cruise ship off our bow.  I couldn’t wait to get off the boat and get some “retail therapy”.  http://www.city.ketchikan.ak.us/

Wednesday, July 13 Prince Rupert to Foggy Bay, Alaska 5 hours 58 miles

FUEL:  1400 liters = 370 gallons            ouch!

We were a little worried about getting onto the fuel dock since Prince Rupert is mainly a fishing town.  Those fishing boats are cut throat about getting fueled and getting out.  We got up at 6 am hoping to be on fuel dock before it opened at 7 am.  Well, there were three fishing boats on the dock by 6:30 am.  We had a slip at the marina that looks right out at the fuel dock.  We were off the dock and in line for fuel at 7:30am.  Fred did a great job of getting out of our slip, around the breakwater and onto the dock perfectly!  This place is very industrial.  Pleasure boats are by far the minority here.  The hoses are down on the dock but the controls for the pump are up on the dock on shore.  There is no one to assist with hoses or lines.  Fred filled the two tanks (each holds 300 gallons) and then had to go up to the main dock to pay.  It is a very low tide and the ramp he has to use is practically vertical.   We finally are on our way at 8:20 am.  There is a narrow winding channel heading north from the bay (Venn Passage).  We have taken it many times but Fred does not want to take our larger boat through at low tide.  We added about an hour to our trip out to Chatham Sound.  Fred called US Customs in Ketchikan at 9:20 am.  They wished us a good trip and said we didn’t have to check in again until we were one hour out of Ketchikan.  We had about one foot chop until we passed Dundas Island and headed out into Dixon Entrance.  This piece of water is open all the way to Japan.  We encountered three to five foot swells.  They can be very uncomfortable.  When Fred increased our RPM to 2200 we were almost up on a plane and had a much smoother ride.  Poor Merlin was a basket case.  He needed to be cuddled and when the boat jerked he shook all over.   We followed two sailboats into Foggy Bay.  It has a narrow entrance off of Revillagigedo Channel.  The anchorage is lovely and protected.  We anchored behind an island that gave us a view of the channel outside. 

Tuesday, July 12 Prince Rupert

Fog started the morning but it burned off to a sparkling clear day.  Fred was frustrated because the chandlery here did not have any of the things he needed.  We took Merlin for a walk and then Fred sat and read while Joan enjoyed a little retail therapy.  There are eagle nests in the trees here and we saw a few eagles but many fewer than in past years.  We enjoyed excellent halibut & chips at the pub next to the marina.  

COWpuccinos

cruise ship terminal without a cruise ship

art project

Monday, July 11 Klewnuggit Inlet to Prince Rupert 5 hours 58 miles

We saw a BC ferry, one tub & tow (barge) and a couple of fishing boats (not fishing) as we traveled the rest of the way in Grenville Channel up to Chatham Channel.  We called Prince Rupert Rowing & Yacht Club (PRR&YC).  I think they have members but will rent slips to non-members when available.  The told us they weren’t sure yet if there would be any room so we planned on anchoring in Pilllsbury Cove to wait. We cruised by the city front and checked out the fuel dock. There is only one in town and pleasure boats are way outnumbered by pleasure craft.  We were not comfortable fighting our way in with the fishing boats so went off to anchor.  There is pretty good wind and chop in the cove.  After dinner I noticed that our anchor had slipped.  I always place on mark (ý) on the chart plotter where the boat is when first anchored.  The good new is that we were not near any rocks, however, the anchor needs to be re-set if we are to stay here.  Fred called the PRR&YC to see how it looked for a slip tonight.  Jeff at the marina called at 7 pm to say our slip was ready.  We had a side-tie on the inside of the floating dock.  A really good spot.  After securing the boat we went off for a walk.   Most everything was closed but the weather was sunny and the walk felt very good.  On our way back to the boat we stopped and got a scoop of ice cream at Cowpuccinos.  This area of Prince Rupert is called Cow Bay and the cow motif is everywhere.  It is really cute. 

Sunday, July 10 Khutze Inlet to Klewnuggut Inlet 6 ½ hours 71 miles

We had enough crab to have a crab omelet this morning and I froze two more cups for later.  We have a long trip today in hazy sunshine.  The water was flat the whole way.  We traveled to Fraser Reach ® MaKay Reach ® Wright Sound ® Grenville Channel.  Grenville channel is a long, straight channel that leads to Prince Rupert.  This channel is used by the ferries, cruise ships, tugs & barges and the rest of us.  We have continued to be surprised by the lack of marine traffic.  We stopped for the night in a large inlet named Klewnuggit.  We traveled about five miles back into a lovely cove.  This inlet is about the halfway mark in Grenville channel. 

Saturday, July 9 Khutze Inlet

Early this morning this valley was shrouded in fog.  It was spectacular as it lifted and the bright sun came out.  Fred went and pulled one of the crab pots. We had luck.  There were five keepers but we are only allowed four a day so one got a reprieve.  Fred killed & cleaned them and we cooked the crab in a pot on a propane burner in the cockpit (no smell inside the boat!).  We had a nice tour of the inlet on the dinghy and had a crab salad for dinner.  

 

Emerald Star at the base of the falls

Friday, July 8 Tom Bay to Khutze Inlet 5 ½ hours 55 miles

We are heading into one of our favorite places, Fiordland.   We are surrounded by snow capped mountains and there are many spectacular waterfalls.  We were looking for a “spirit bear” along Princess Royal Channel.   These are regular black bears that are not albinos but carry a recessive gene and are pure white.  Unfortunately we did see any kind of bear.  Khutze Inlet looks and feel like Yosemite Valley. The mountain peaks feel very close and it is so peaceful here.  As one enters the first thing you see are the snow capped mountains all around.  The inlet is 5 miles long.  Then as one nears the head of the inlet the Khutze River has created a wonderful green carpet in the shallows.  We anchored in our usual spot in front of a 1000’ waterfall.  The water is about 90’ deep here which discourages many boaters from coming in here.  The weather is rainy but we put the dinghy in the water and Fred goes and place two crab pots.  We have usually had good luck here. 

Thursday, July 7 Shearwater to Tom Bay 3 hours 26 ½ miles

The first thing we did this morning as we left the dock was to putt over to the boatyard and get Emerald Star hauled out of the water to check the thrusters.  This place is a rip-off.  It cost $650 just to haul the boat and put it back into the water.  Back in Washington it costs half that much.  I guess they can get away with the charge because they are the only game in town.  We were shocked to see that all of the bow thruster blades were broken off.  We put new ones on last month. Fred tried to reach someone at Cap Sante Marine to see if new blades could be shipped to us.  We weren’t able to make those arrangements.  Fred had them move the stern thruster props to the bow thruster.  The bow thruster is more important.  We were back in the water and on our way by 10:30 AM. This all happened after Fred had pulled the motor. Really not sure if he can get the damn thing back on. Fred made some guide pins out some bolts and literally slid the motor down his leg into the mounting. I must say this surprised me it worked so well.  We passed through a couple of beautiful, small, rocky channels (Reid Passage & Perceval Narrows) and Seaforth Channel which was open to the sea.  We encountered about 2 foot ocean swells through there. When we were in Mathieson Channel we noticed some surging of the engines. Fred checked them and found the fuel filters were almost completely blocked. We anchored early in nearby Tom Bay. Fred says we dodged a large bullet by finding this out. After things cooled down in the engine room Fred changed the Racor fuel filters on both engines.  They thanked him profusely …. 

Shearwater

Shearwater Marina

broken bow thruster blades

Emerald Star being hauled

stern thruster, moved the blades to the bow

Wednesday, July 6 Shearwater

Fred has worked very hard all day on the bow thruster.  He has done extensive internet searches and even called Cap Sante Marine in Anacortes to get advice.  The advice was not helpful. Was the problem with the thruster propellers or the connection between the thruster motor and the drive gear to the props???? Does one pull the motor (mucho heavy and awkward) or pull the boat to see what’s with the props ($$$$)???

Wednesday, June 29 Port McNeill to Allison Harbour 4 hours 36 miles Joan’s birthday…

We are unhappy because we missed a wonderful weather window to travel around Cape Caution.  The last three days here have been rainy but there was no wind.  Today as we travel across Queen Charlotte Straight the swells gradually increased to 4-5 feet.  We listened to the weather at West Sea Otter buoy and the report said the sea was 1.3 meters in height. We have learned the hard way if West Sea Otter is over one meter for get it. Emerald Star handled the rough water very well, however, Fred was at the helm and less than thrilled. Of course before we set out I secured anything loose, just in case.  Allison Harbour is very large with many good anchorage spots.  There was only one other boat in there when we arrived.  When we got settled Fred gave me my give of jewelry.  I love jewelry!  Ask my sisters or my daughter. They think I have a sickness.  We put the dinghy down with hopes of placing a crab pot and going sightseeing. Unfortunately the battery was dead so Fred hooked up the charger for while. The rain got more steady and heavy so plans of sightseeing today were put off.  After several hours of charging, the dink started and Fred took the crab trap out in the rain. 

Tuesday, July 5 Kwakume Inlet to Shearwater 3 ½ hours 35 miles

It is another rainy, foggy day, but no storm.  Shearwater is the only marina in miles & miles so we usually stop here on our way north & south. They also have a latte place, good grocery store and a nice restaurant. They also have a nice laundry facility but I use the machines on the boat (yippee!). As it turns out, they have a big boatyard. On our trip from Fittz Hugh Sound to Lama Passage we saw two humpback whales.  Just cruising, no fantastic breaching or anything.  As we approached the marina we saw that the north side of the dock was free.  The dock is a T shape and the north side is open to the wake, wind and chop.  As we were docking and Fred was in position to use the thrusters to push us in, unbeknownst to him, the bow line fell into the water and promptly  fouled the bow thruster.  !@#$  Fred got us on the dock beautifully, anyway. However, now the motor for the bow thruster works but there is no thrust.  This will be a problem for tomorrow.  There is a new Wharfinger here.  He is a pleasant fellow named Bernie.  The last two years we encountered a real sourpuss here.  The dock was about half full when we arrived.  We didn’t have a reservation so we were pleased to get on the dock.  As the afternoon progressed the dock filled up completely.  We noticed a flyer that said the “Fish on five” were performing at the pub.  When we asked what kind of music they played we were told classical so we reserved a great table near the front.  The dinner was so-so but the band was great.  They are a group of five members of the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra. The group consisted of 2 trumpets, one trombone one French horn and a small tuba thing (we really don’t know what it was).  They are on a fishing trip and are stopping at a few places along the way to perform.  Their repertoire consisted of John Philip Souza, Henry Mancini, the Beatles and various classical pieces including the William Tell Overture.   

Fish-on-Five

Monday, July 4 Allison Harbour to Kwakume Inlet 4 ½ hours 54 miles

We have been stuck in Allison Harbour since last Wednesday.  It has rained every day.  We checked the weather at least three times a day to see if we could get out and pass Cape Caution.  The wave report at West Sea Otter (the one we need to be safe for travel) has been 2-3 meters every time.  This morning the wave report was down to 1.4 meters so we headed out.  Not far out of the cove into Queen Charlotte Straight we encountered the ocean swells.  Sure enough they are over 3 feet, but not too bad.  They were not coming frequently and Emerald Star handled it very well.  The wind was not over 15 knots the whole way.  Traveling at 11-12 knots we were past Cape Caution in 3 hours.  As we turned into Fitzhugh Sound the water became almost calm.  The only traffic we saw all morning was two fishing boats and two barges.  We were going to stop at Fury Cove (lovely anchorage with a white sandy beach) but the weather was so good we headed up to Kwakume Inlet.  We entered at low tide, which means all the ugly little rocks were visible.  We anchored just inside in 58 feet of water.  We put a new Rocna anchor on the boat last winter.  We are very pleased how quickly and easily it sets up.  As soon as we anchored the heavens opened up again. Per our rain gauge we are getting approximately 1 inch of rain a day.  

Friday, July 1 Allison Harbour

The rain and waves at West Sea Otter are keeping us here another day. Fred suited up in his raingear and went out to pick up the crab pot.  We had one large male crab (females must be thrown back).  We decided to keep him and have some crab for dinner.  There is this marvelous set-up that was left on the boat when we bought it.  There is a large crab pot and a propane stove that can be used to cook crab outside instead of smelling up the inside of the boat. 

Thursday, June 30 Allison Harbour

The rain & gloom continue and West Sea Otter continues to show 2-3 meters of waves.  We are stuck for awhile. We have everything we need so it is really no hardship.

passing time playing dominoes

trying to get our Globalstar phone to work

Tuesday, June 28 Port McNeill Our 25th Anniversary

We are just doing laundry and getting ready to leave dock tomorrow morning.  The drizzle isn’t letting up so we are heading out anyway to do a little shopping and walk Merlin.  On our way back from the grocery store Fred pulled me into the florist and presented me with a beautiful bouquet from Heather for my birthday which is tomorrow.  We are heading out to Gus’s Pub for our anniversary dinner.  All in all a peaceful day.

June 27 Port McNeill

Fred has some errands to do and I am going up to the medical clinic to get some prescriptions refilled.  It’s raining lightly but we carry on.  They have a pretty neat system at the clinic.  Walk in patients pay a $75 and one sees an MD.  The MD I saw today walked in, did not introduce himself and muttered something about a medical student there.  The MD pulled a prescription pad and asked “what do you want?”  He didn’t even take a history. Well, I got what I needed and headed down the hill to the pharmacy.  We have to stay another day to wait for the meds to come in.  It is illegal to mail prescriptions from one country to another so my regular mail order medicines will just stack up at home.  Because we are gone more than 3 months we need this refill mid trip.  We had a treat this afternoon; Lady M came in to dock. She is a 164 foot mega yacht that we had seen in the Broughton’s.  While we had dial tone, Fred took advantage of it and got the %$#@ Oceans e mail to work, so now, when we have “space phone” service, ie Globalstar phone service we can send and receive e mails. He also got the weather station to work. It had gone south several days ago after working flawlessly all winter. The thing is a Davis unit made in San Leandro, just a phone call away.

Davit is built into the upper deck railing

Lady M at Port McNeill

 http://www.charterworld.com/index.html?sub=yacht-charter&charter=luxury-motor-yacht-lady-m-1168

Sunday, June 26 Lagoon Cove to Port McNeill 3 hours

Another beautiful sunny day. We could become used to this. We got an early start out of Lagoon Cove to head over to Port McNeill.  Our journey today takes us through Knight Inlet and then out in Queen Charlotte Straight.  We saw dolphins playing by the shore in Knight Inlet.  We were hoping that they would come over and play in our wake, but no joy.  

http://www.town.portmcneill.bc.ca/

Friday, June 24 Blind Channel Resort to Lagoon Cove 5 hours 43 miles

We got an early start because the winds pick up Johnstone Straight in the afternoon.  We are always on the look out for wildlife.  It is so exciting to see wild animals in their own setting.  We were lucky to see two black bears today.  They were on the beach turning over rocks.  One was in Johnstone Straight and one was in the Blow Hole.  We find them by seeing big black "rocks" that move.  Wildlife blends in so well.  Our timing was excellent.  We made it thought Chatham Channel and Blow Hole without hitting and rocks. As usual, Fred was “a little up tight” because the “hole” is a small hole and this is a big boat.  We pulled into Lagoon Cove and met our old acquaintances here.  http://bluebookofboats.com/Marin/LagoonCoveMarina.htm
Bill Barber owns the place and is a charming fellow who is the best storyteller I have ever heard.  We had a nice time at Happy Hour up on the dock.  All of the family run marinas in the Broughton’s have a 5 PM Happy Hour on the dock.  The purpose is to meet other boaters and share stories and useful information. We met a number of interesting people. The family on the boat in front of us had a beautiful Sheltie. I don’t think we have ever seen one of these on a boat before. Diane (sheltie lady) suggested we take the dogs up the large lawn area and let them play. The Sheltie, MacKenzie, was a hoot. He was full of playfulness. Poor Merlin was overwhelmed.  They ran around a little together but then Merlin came up to me to be held. One of the reasons we got a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was because they do not require a lot of exercise.

Lagoon Cove Marina

historic workshop

very cute place

Thursday, June 23 Blind Channel Resort

We listened to the weather and it sounds like high winds and chop in Johnstone Straight so we stayed another day.  It is rainy and dreary. I finally got tired of staying inside and we all went for a walk in the rain.  It wasn’t cold, just wet.  Merlin thinks nothing of rain.  The tide was out so I took Merlin down to the beach.  I figured I would give him a warm bath when we got back to the boat.  He had a great time.  He would go into the water up to his knees and pick up rocks from the water and stack then on the beach.  I wonder what he is thinking…  We met a lovely young couple on a beautiful 52’ Ocean Alexander (Ink On Paper”).  They are traveling with their two sons until August

Wednesday, June 22 Squirrel Cove to Blind Channel Resort 4 hours 38 miles

Merlin on the beach at Blind Channel Resort

Emerald Star is in the middle

Again we have beautiful weather.  We passed through Hole-in-the-Wall rapids and Okisollo rapids near slack water and then headed out into Discovery Channel and out into Johnstone Straight. Johnstone Straght separates the norther half of Vancouver Island from the mainland. The water can also be terrible but it was smooth and sunny and we had a lovely cruise up to Blind Channel Resort in Mayne channel. This place has about twelve 80’ docks and some nasty currents. It’s just around the bend from green point rapids and they can ruin your day. We were sliding side ways out in the channel, but it calmed down closer to the docks. Fred get very worried when we start to go sideways. We didn’t have a reservation but were only the third boat on the dock. This place is first class.  They come down and grabbed lines while we were docking and informed us that the restaurant was open. They have a well stocked grocery store with liquor (very expensive in Canada) and a giftshop attached.  The resort was started and is still run by a German family.  We had a nice German meal for dinner.  Fred had a goulash and I had weiner schnitzel.  http://blindchannel.com/

Tuesday, June 21 Pender Harbour to Squirrel Cove 5 hours 53 miles

We have been blessed with beautiful weather so far.  Our journey today takes up the mainland coast to Desolation Sound.  We have seen snow capped mountains in the distance on both Vancouver Island and the mainland, but here one is much closer to beautiful snow capped peaks.  We are heading north rather rapidly so we will have plenty of time to enjoy in Alaska.  Squirrel Cove has a lovely large anchorage.  We put the dinghy down and went over to the general store and craft shop.  We brought the laptop because we can usually get online there. No such luck. It didn’t work. Oh well. We were surprised to see a sign saying that all of Squirrel Cove, the restaurant, store and small dock is for sale. Not sure what things will be like next year. We each got an ice cream cone and let Merlin run and play on the beach. Back to the boat for the evening.  http://www.cortesisland.com/squirrelcove/

View of Desolation Sound

Canada geese in Canada!

Squirrel Cove

Monday, June 20 Bedwell Harbour to Pender Harbour 7 hours 90 miles

Our intended destination today was Nanaimo.  We had to plan our trip to pass through Dodd Narrows at slack water.  It is really nice that emerald Star is capable of speeds up to 18 mph.  We usually cruise at about 10 mph.  Our previous boat, Aquila, could only go 6-7 mph.  Therefore, we have much greater range. It’s a lovely sunny day and the water is nearly flat.  We passed through Dodd Narrows at 1:21 PM, at slack, with no problem.  Nanaimo is about 8 miles passed the narrows.  As we approached Nanaimo we saw that is was only about 2:30 PM and the weather and water is so good that we headed right across the Straight of Georgia.  This can be a nasty piece of work.  It is a very large channel that runs between Vancouver Island and the mainland.  Whiskey Gulf ( military torpedo practice range that is located just outside of the waters in front of Nanaimo )  was not active so were able to cross in a straight line to our destination, Pender Harbour.  We anchored in a new place, just out side of Madiera Park & Garden Bay. While Fred was deploying the anchor, the top of the winch un-screwed with the winch handle still in it. This was a grand surprise to Fred and he made a heroic grab for the thing and caught it. While this was happening, the anchor chain was merrily run out. So, after screwing the ^%$# thing back together, he got the chain stopped. We had no idea of how much chain was out there, but we were sure it was enough !!  The water was calm and we slept well.