Happy Memorial Day!



Prince of Wales ferry



Juanita drying seaweed in Kasaan Village

Haida Longhouse Interior

On day #25 of our Alaskan adventure, we saw some very special sights. The first was a killer whale—only the fin, but it hung around us for quite a while. We cruised on to Prince of Whales Island and stopped for the night at Kasaan, ten nautical miles up into Kasaan Bay. This is a Haida native village that used to be the home of a large fish cannery, now in ruins. After docking at their public dock, we took a mile walk through the little village and along a nice trail in the forest to Haida sacred grounds which had several totem poles (still standing) and a large longhouse with more totems inside. All were quite well preserved. We also saw and heard our first Alaskan raven. We had the privilege of chatting with Juanita, a resident of the village, who was laying out seaweed to dry in her front yard. We also talked later on the dock with a couple returning from fishing. Marge and Russ gave us a little insight into life in this remote village and growing up in the Haida and Tlingit cultures.

When we left Kasaan the next morning (at 5:55 am!), it was raining, only the 3^rd day of rain in almost the month we have been cruising—not bad! It was a drippy day, but no hard rain and no wind! We overnighted at Meyers Chuck, a protected bay with mostly summer homes, a post office, and an art gallery. A couple in our yacht club in Bellingham has a place there, but hasn't arrived yet for the “season.”

The next morning we had a lovely, calm trip north to Wrangell. We saw some huge humpback whales on the way. Wrangell is a working town (not cutesy), with the emphasis on fishing and tour boats going to the Stickeen River and the Anan Bear Observatory. We stayed an extra night here to get laundry and shopping done and relax a little. A highlight was walking to the Petroglyph Beach, a park set aside to preserve the petroglyphs carved in stones on the beach by very early people. Visitors here walk around and find the petroglyphs on their own.

On Sunday, May 29 we left Wrangell for our trip across Sumner Strait and north through the Wrangell Narrows, a very narrow dredged 21-mile canal that one traverses through a path marked by 63 navigational markers. It keeps you on your toes, and we felt very lucky not to encounter a tug and barge or the Alaska ferry coming the other way! At the top of the Narrows is Petersburg, a town of about some 3,400 people. Petersburg has a strong Norwegian influence, having been formed by a Norwegian (from Tacoma, WA!) over 100 years ago. It’s a huge fishing and fish processing center, and many of the boats in the harbor are fishing boats.

Petersburg Boat Harbor

Markers through Wrangell Narrows

A Fishing Camp on Wrangell Narrows

Hope you all had a good Memorial Day holiday and that the Bellingham Ski to Sea Relay Race went well for all of the teams! We are heading into the wilderness again on our way to Juneau.

Signing off,

Susan, Rod, and Katie

Pictures--First Installment

Butedale Falls, B.C.

Waterfall along Princess Royal Reach, B.C.

B.C. Ferry in Grenville Channel

Grenville Channel tug

Ketchikan tour boat

Cruise ships in Ketchikan

Merlin in Shoalwater Passage

New Eddystone Rock, Behm Canal

On beach in Wrangell, Alaska

Our entrance to Bottleneck Channel

Canal Time

On the sunny morning of May 20^th, we left Ketchikan. We were caught up on laundry and grocery shopping, and Rod had found what he needed at the local True Value hardware store to fix our shower. We had also filled our water and fuel tanks. We backtracked down the route we had approached Ketchikan and entered the Behm Canal and into the Misty Fjords National Monument, a huge natural area approachable only by boat or seaplane. We saw only two other boats today—tour boats carrying cruise ship passengers. Misty Fjords is noted for its majestic fjords, of course, but also for its towering granite walls, many waterfalls (especially this time of year), and abundant wildlife (both in the sea and on the land). Our anchorage today is in Shoalwater Passage between Winstanley Island and the Alaskan mainland. We were able to tie to a National Forest Service buoy and dinghy to a darling cabin on shore that you can rent from the USFS. The cabin had wooden beds, a table, cupboard, and wood stove. It smelled like fresh cedar as it was newly built. There was also a lean-to with lots of firewood already cut and a fire pit. There are 14 such cabins in the Park. Fishermen love the Behm Canal, and we hope to do shrimping and crabbing while we are here.

On May 21^st, we had two very exciting views. The first was New Eddystone Rock, a 230’ shaft of rock rising from a sandy shoal out in the deep water of Behm Canal. It was one of the weirdest rocks we had ever seen in the middle of a passageway and we took lots of pictures, one of which I hope I can include in a blog post.

The second view of the day was our anchorage for the night, described in our cruising guide as the quintessential place to visit in Misty Fjords. Called Punchbowl Cove, steep granite walls surrounded us as we entered with beautiful waterfalls cascading down the striated cliffs. We almost felt that we should proceed at a slower rate and be very quiet in this awesome place. The Forest Service had conveniently put one buoy in a protected cove near a beach. Xanadu tied to it and we side-tied to them. We decided to do a lunch hike on a maintained trail up to Punchbowl Lake. The trail was good at first, but soon deteriorated as fallen trees and other debris nearly blocked our path. Finally, we had to turn around, return to the beach and have our lunch there. We did see recent signs of bear—fresh poop and many rocks overturned on the beach as they had looked for food. We kept an eye out while eating, although the sight of four humans and a dog would probably keep a bear away, I am told.

It rained that night, appropriate for a place called Misty Fjords, and after a quick kayak trip to shore for Katie’s benefit, we were on our way again, heading further up the Behm Canal. Today’s trip was only three hours to the next indentation in the eastern shoreline named Walker Cove, another beautiful fjord with almost perpendicular, mile-high granite walls and many ribbon-like waterfalls. Once again, we had one forest service buoy to tie to which we shared with Xanadu, and once again, there were no other boaters. We are thinking that we might be the only pleasure boat in Misty Fjords this week! Rod and John put out our shrimp pot in water over 300 feet deep. The next morning as we left the bay, we picked up the pot. Alas, we only had 7 prawns in it, but they were huge and we enjoyed them that night at Happy Hour.

On May 23^rd, we rounded the top of Behm Canal at mid-day and stopped for the night in a beautiful, quiet anchorage called Bailey Bay in Bell Arm of the Canal. Once again, there was one buoy which the two boats made use of. A lovely surprise was a Forest Service hike on shore. We kayaked in and started hiking. We had our swim suits with us as the hike was supposed to end at a hot springs. (Not exactly a spa, but knew we would have the place to ourselves.) Unfortunately, we had to turn around at a cascade of water that blocked the trail.

The next day’s journey of about four hours brought us to our last anchorage in the Canal—Naha Bay, not far as the bird flies from Ketchikan. This time we were able to tie up to a public dock (i.e., no charge!). Up until now, recall, dear readers, that we have not seen a single boat or person for four days! Just as we were putting on our hiking boots to do a 5-mile trail, a big boat pulls in with about 60 fifth-graders and their leaders who were starting a 4-day outdoor education outing to the same destination as our hike! Needless to say, we shared the trail and were happy to see these excited kids.

From Naha Bay, it was not far the next morning  to the northern end of the Behm Canal and into Clarence Strait, one of the bigger bodies of water in S.E. Alaska and therefore sometimes an area of big seas. No wind or waves today though as we crossed to Prince of Wales Island to explore new places.

Sorry there are no pictures. Maybe when we get to Wrangell, we will have a strong enough signal to send. They are certainly piling up.

Signing off,

Susan, Rod, and Katie

Correction

I signed off incorrectly in my last post. The ones on our boat are Susan, Rod, and KATIE! (although Patrick would love to be here too!)

Finishing up previous post

I got cut off on writing my post. Just wanted to say that I am having some trouble uploading pictures so only two will appear in my last post and we will try again in the future to send more.

Signing off,
Susan, Rod, and Patrick

When in Doubt, Turn About!

Boardwalk at Hartley Bay

Old cannery ruins--Butedale, B.C.

We had a good time in Prince Rupert, our last town to visit in B.C. Left very early on May17 to try to make our second open ocean crossing into Alaskan waters. The water was calm up until we left the shelter of the western islands. Then it got very roly-poly. For the ladies in my BookGroup, this was the "motion of the ocean." Both boats decided that we really didn't want to keep going, so turned back and anchored in a very quiet cove for the night called Brundige Inlet on Dundas Island. Good choice. In the morning Dixon Entrance (our ocean crossing area) was like Bellingham Bay on a good day and we made an easy crossing on the 18th.

Now we are in Ketchikan, Alaska. We made it back to the U.S.A.! We are docked about 50' from the cruise ship dock and have watched 3 cruise ships come and go and a 4th arrived at 7 this morning. Ketchikan is a wonderful little town and we are staying an extra day here.

Takes a Lickin', Keeps on Tickin': Near Disaster at the Laundromat

              On May 9^th, we had a lovely trip on the sometimes difficult Johnstone Strait as the winds were lower than predicted. Our next stop was Port McNeill, a good stocking- up and departure point for our crossing of the open ocean north of Vancouver Island. Many services were a short walk from the boat docks, including a laundromat which Roxie and I decided to use. As I watched the water filling one of my machines, I was horrified to see my almost new Kindle IN THE MACHINE! Roxie was able to pry open the door enough so the machine stopped while I ran across the street to get someone from the auto parts store  to help me. (They own the laundromat.) After getting my wet Kindle out of the machine, I didn’t have much hope for it. However, we let it dry out overnight and it worked just dandy in the morning.

             We stayed an extra day in Port McNeill as the winds were too high to do our ocean crossing on May 10^th. On the 11^th, we left the docks at 5:55 a.m. with the forecast for light winds all day. For the next four hours, we were still in the lee of western islands protecting us from ocean swells, and by the time we were in open waters, the sun came out and the winds were indeed quite light. From all reports it was a great day for our first time around Cape Caution, and eventually into the lee of Calvert Island. There were ocean swells, sometimes as high as 6’, but they were far enough apart that we seemed to float over them. This crossing was a personal challenge for me (Susan) as I have never wanted to take our own boat out into the ocean, and it was a long day for both of us, but we made it! Also, the reward at the end was anchoring in a beautiful cove called Fury Bay that was calm and peaceful. We kayaked to a white crushed shell beach with the ocean waves crashing on the other side of a narrow spit.

                Our next day’s journey up Fitzhugh Sound and beyond showed us what the words "Inside Passage" really mean. We experienced calm waters and pleasant cruising while a near-gale was blowing on the other side of the adjacent island (nearest the ocean). Also, there was also always a cove or inlet to duck into if the weather did get nasty. Very reassuring!

               

                As we made our way up the Discovery Coast (as some cruisers call it), we found many interesting names for the various coves, inlets, passages, and nooks. Besides the ones named after explorers and those with words from Native languages, others are whimsical or downright amusing. Try Fish Egg Inlet, Mantrap Inlet, Gee Whiz Nook, Remotesville Cove, Bitter End Cove, Fancy Cove, Alarm Cove, Poison Cove, and Split Head. We were pleased  one day to pass by Dean Channel and go down a passage between Roderick Island and Susan Island. That evening we stayed in Bottleneck Inlet (shaped as such) and walked on Roderick Island! To complete it all, we traveled the next day in McKay Reach. (Rod’s full name is Roderick McKay Dean.)

                Our next few days were spent moving up the inner coastal waters. We got up early each day to enjoy the calmest water and anchored in lovely coves each evening. There was always a little beach to take Katie for a time, although there were no trails to really do a good walk. For our boating friends, we did stop at Butedale, a former cannery that is in shambles, for about 30 minutes and took a quick tour of the property with Lou, the caretaker, and his assistant, Corey. The word is that all of the buildings will be bulldozed down this June. We’ll take a peek on our way back south. We saw many waterfalls along the way, as the snow is finally starting to melt.

                A fun stop for the night of May 14^th was a Native village called Hartley Bay. It’s on the B.C. road map, although there are no roads leading to it and the roads in the village are all boardwalks. The friendly residents all seem to have 3- or 4-wheelers with which they tear around on the boardwalks. One was even fitted with a snowplow! We were all thrilled, probably especially our dog, that we got to take a short hike to a lake, where the town’s road (boardwalk) ended. The weather just keeps getting nicer and some of our group wore shorts that afternoon. It was also great to see some other cruisers and chat with them.

                The last night before we got to Prince Rupert was Klewnuggit, an inlet off the Grenville Channel and a marine park. Just like always, there were no other boats anchored. For the first time, we got somewhere by noon and enjoyed an afternoon of kayaking, reading, and napping.

                I hope to send this post at Prince Rupert. We have only had phone contact briefly since leaving Port McNeill, so we have been electronically deprived. I apologize for this post being so long and will try to shorten up the next ones.

Signing out,

Susan, Rod, and Katie

               

               

                 

How to Comment

It has come to my attention that it is difficult to comment to our posts. Here is what you do. You post a comment by going to the bottom of a post that we have made and click on the word "comments." It will have a number preceding it (like 0 if no one has made a comment). Our boating partner, John, has determined that you cannot comment on our most recent post, but only older ones. We can't seem to work it out how to fix this. In any case, I would love to hear from you!
I have also attached the bear picture in case you couldn't pick out the bear in the first one I sent you.

You might also be interested in following our boat buddies' blog. Their address is http://www.xanadulove.blogspot.com/. We are sharing photos back and forth so you might see identical ones on their blog.

Signing out,
Susan, Rod and Katie

Happy Mother's Day!

Walking in Comox





Across from our dock at Port Neville, B.C.

Chrome Island Lightstation, near Comox, B.C.

Dear Family and Friends,

Happy Mother’s Day! Our last blog post had us in Comox on Vancouver Island. Leaving there early on May 6^th, we continued to travel north in relatively good conditions to the very top of the Strait of Georgia which, for those of you who live in Bellingham and environs, has its southern end at the top of Lummi Island. We hugged the west side of the infamous Cape Mudge which is known for its tidal rips and “confused” seas. Fortunately, we found it to be quite calm. Just as we got inside the Campbell River marina, the wind started to howl, and Merlin and Xanadu both had docking challenges that tested our captains. Then the rain came! We did a quick walk shoreside—mainly for the sake of the dog—but quickly returned to the warmth of our boats.

On May 7^th we left Campbell River at dawn, knowing the wind was supposed to come up around noon. Our route was up Discovery Passage—a main shipping channel also used by cruise ships on their way to Alaska. It was our first time on this route and, even though the weather was gloomy, it was beautiful and natural scenery. We were interested to see the site of the former Ripple Rock, a shipping hazard that was blown up in 1958. We stopped for the night in Port Neville, a protected bay along Johnstone Strait on the B.C. mainland. We stayed at a government wharf (dock) and were greeted and helped in by Alex, the caretaker of the property. It was our first night in a somewhat remote place (no roads here). The store and post office closed last year. Our only other land resident was a black BEAR who greeted us at the top of the dock! Fortunately, Rod had given me a “bear bell” that day which scared Mr. Bear away. (Or maybe the fact that there were four of us and a dog.) We had happy hour with a fellow from Port Orchard, WA, who is single handling his small (24”) sailboat to Alaska. We had seen him earlier near Comox.

On Mother’s Day we left Port Neville but found Johnstone Strait to be a little rough. The seas were building because of opposing tide and wind, so only went 12 nautical miles today and pulled into Port Harvey (probably not on your maps). We anchored at the protected head of the bay and did a little exploring with our dinghy.  We will get an early start in the morning as that is the calmest time to travel in these waters.

Signing off,

Susan, Rod, and Katie

Mr. Bear saying hello!

Dear Family and Friends,

Crossing into Canada! In our last post we were on Orcas Island. Just before we left there on the morning of May 2^nd, Katie misjudged a leap from the swim step to the dock and fell in. Roxie was on the dock and pulled her out by her collar. Katie was as mad as could be, but dried off quickly with her new short haircut. We then headed for Canada and checked into Canadian customs at Bedwell Harbor (Poet’s Cove Resort). We had called in with our Nexus card before we got there, but this time we were boarded by a Customs official. He told us that he was checking to be certain that we had the stuff that we had claimed to have on board. All went well as we had been truthful!

Friday Harbor dock

Friday Harbor

Crofton--B .C. mill town

This day’s journey took us to Ladysmith, B.C., on Vancouver Island, a cute town full of history. The next day, May 4^th, we departed for Nanaimo, B.C. Our weather was calm and sunny—a perfect combination. On our way, we arrived at Dodd Narrows in perfect timing to do a slack tide crossing. Any other type of crossing would involve whirlpools and opposing currents that can do great harm to your boat at the worst or very anxious moments at the best. We arrived in Nanaimo at noon in time to do some of the ordinary maintenance jobs of life—grocery shopping, showers, vacuuming, e-mail, etc. Keep in mind that we are now always on foot to do our errands. Later, we also walked about 20 minutes to one of our favorite restaurants for dinner.

On May 5^th, we left Nanaimo early (7 am) to enjoy mostly calm water to our next destination—Comox, B.C., a trip of some 7 ½ hours. We are at one of the four marinas in town presently along with mostly fishing boats also headed for Alaska or to do local crabbing and shrimping.

We are surprised and pleased at how few pleasure boaters there are on the water this time of year. It makes for fewer wakes and less trouble finding moorage. Once the kids get out of school and the weather warms up, there will be a lot more boaters out here!

Signing out,

Susan, Rod,

Underway

Dear Family and Friends,

Yesterday was our first rainy day. That makes it rain on 50 % of our trip so far. But today has dawned with calm seas and an only partly cloudy sky, so things are looking up.

We left Friday Harbor as soon as it got light and the dog got walked and arrived at our next destination—West Sound on Orcas Island—45 minutes later. We wanted to miss an incoming frontal system (and we did!)

We had a great day on Orcas. John and Roxie arrived mid-morning and tied up right across the dock from us at the Orcas Island Yacht Club (free reciprocal moorage with the yacht clubs we both belong to). We hope to be doing more of the reciprocal moorage as we head north. Even Alaska has some.

A couple we both know—Rich and Alayne Goodhart—moved into a house on Orcas just three days ago! They picked us up in their roomy van and we did a driving tour of the island. It was our first time on Orcas in a car, so this was a real treat! We walked through the historic Rosario Resort Lodge which was set up like a museum. We had lunch in a pub in the darling town of Eastsound. Also, we drove through Moran State Park. We will save Mt. Constitution and its views for a sunny day. Then we gathered on Xanadu (the Caples boat) later for a shared potluck dinner. All in all, a great day!

We will be entering Canada today (May 3), so my posts will be less often as we will have more difficulty connecting to the Internet to send them.

Signing off,

Susan, Rod, and Katie

Left the Dock!

Dear Family and Friends,

Happy May Day! We left on our big adventure this morning from our slip in Squalicum Harbor. We had a surprise send-off from Larry and Barbee Folenius and Steve and Joyce Glenn from our yacht club and Carola Anderson who brought mimosa makings, coffee, and breakfast pastries. Carola had just arrived home from a trip to Nepal. In fact, her husband Barrie was home suffering from jet lag. Our weather couldn’t have been better—sun and calm seas! We had a lovely four-hour trip to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. We got here just in time to watch a decorated boat parade, a small cruise ship arriving, and of course the Washington State Ferries coming and going. It’s one of our favorite places! Tomorrow we plan to meet up with John and Roxie Caples from Olympia, our cruising partners for our long trip north.

We will keep this first posting short as our trip is very young, and there will be hopefully more to tell in future blogs.

Signing off,

Susan, Rod, and Katie