We left Port Frederick this morning for Swanson Harbor, in the Couverden Islands, at the confluence of Icy Strait and Chatham Strait. The trip over was ideal: light winds, sunshine, calm seas, beautiful scenery.
The two public floats (not connected to shore, managed by the city of Haines) were empty when we arrived, so we tied up all three boats to one of the floats. There’s plenty of room to anchor in here, but the floats are convenient when they’re available, especially when travelling with other boats!
Kevin went fishing near the entrance to the bay and while fishing, spotted two humpbacks hanging out near the surface. He called via VHF to let us know they were there in case we wanted to come get a closer look, which we did.
When Kevin returned to the boats, he brought with him two perfectly-sized halibut (6-7 lbs each).
The weather is gorgeous, and this spot is beautiful with the snowy mountain tops in the distance, the humpbacks and sea lions out front, the good fishing, this nice dock… However, look on the right side of the photo above and you’ll see one of the dreadful horseflies that pretty much swarm the boat (and us!) when sun is hot and the breeze is minimal.
Here’s a closeup shot that Laura’s brother took of one that we killed. Yeah, it’s kind of gross, but also super interesting to see its eyes (and the pokey things it uses to puncture your skin so it can suck your blood!)
They are awful, and we’re thankful for screens on our doors and windows. (We’d be more thankful if we could hang out on the top deck without being eaten alive though!)
Today’s total: 24.7nm, 3 hour 5 minutes underway
Flotilla total: 212.1nm, 29 hours 4 minutes underway
