One consequence of our quick trip from the San Juans to Ketchikan is that we didn’t have as many chores to take care of in Ketchikan as we usually would. Many of the boats don’t need fuel, laundry, or significant provisions. We haven’t been out for weeks—and we’ve been confined aboard—so the boats are still clean and don’t need any washing. And thankfully, nothing has broken. So after just a couple of nights, we departed Ketchikan.
We left Ketchikan early, expecting increasing wind throughout the day and an unfavorable current in Clarence Strait. Clarence Strait delivered lumpy conditions at first, as we crossed Behm Canal, but eventually calmed down significantly. The predicted current was entirely wrong: every source said we’d have a knot or two against us, and instead we had a push. Maybe from the many days of southeast wind?
We really like Meyers Chuck, a small community at the junction of Clarence Strait and Ernest Sound, and we usually stop. But tomorrow looks like a terrible day on Clarence Strait, with 35 knot winds and 10-foot seas forecast, and we didn’t want to get stuck for two days. We decided to continue to Santa Anna Inlet, a scenic, spacious anchorage that would get us well off Clarence Strait.
Unfortunately, it was so rainy and dreary by the time we arrived, we didn’t take any photos. Several folks put out prawn traps and crab traps, so we’ll see how we do in the morning.
We finished the day with happy hour on Akeeva — delicious snacks and a fun visit with the group.
53.6nm today
652.5nm total
