Another 6am departure time…but really only because today was a 52nm day…and conditions out on Frederick Sound were glassy and gorgeous so why NOT be out there as soon as we wake? This view as we head north from Petersburg never gets old. Devil’s Thumb (the tallest point in this mountain range) was obscured by the clouds, but it’s fine…we may see it again next time. We even had some … Read more
We left Ketchikan this morning after a quick refresh, reprovision, and celebration dinner for arriving in Alaska – and headed north up Clarence Strait headed for the quaint village of Meyers Chuck. On the way, we had to dodge cruise ships, floatplanes, ferries, tugboats, sailboats, and other traffic coming and going from Ketchikan’s bustling port. But current was with us and we were soon back in relative solitude for the … Read more
After a very hard rain early this morning, we woke to this: Just as we were pulling our anchor we noticed a black bear at the head of the bay, beyond Ithaka… …and then realized there were two! And on our way out through the narrow exit, one more on shore there munching on some grass, watching us as we puttered past. Those three, plus the two seen yesterday on … Read more
Up again at 4am (okay 4:30am) to check the 4am forecast and conditions for a Dixon Entrance crossing today. The Dixon Entrance East forecast for today looked about the same as last night: Last night at 7pm Green Island was reporting 5ft moderate, and the wind at Grey Islet was SSE 25kts. We were hopeful that things would mellow overnight. This morning, conditions seemed to have improved, except we were … Read more
We left Ketchikan on Thursday morning after topping off all of the fuels (diesel, propane, dinghy gas) and headed for…well, we weren’t quite sure where yet! We’ve got a good window for crossing Dixon Entrance on Friday or Saturday, so we considered Foggy Bay, Judd Bay (on Duke Island), or somewhere we had not been before, and the new place won: Kah Shakes Cove, just north of Foggy Bay. The … Read more
Guest swap time in Juneau! Kevin’s brother Craig flew home after two weeks with us on Airship, and a few days later we flew Kevin’s mom Shirley in for 10 days or so as we cruised from Juneau to Ketchikan. First stop on our way south was Tracy Arm Cove, where we promptly spotted a bear on shore with a salmon in its mouth. Not long after this first shot, … Read more
Monday – We left Tracy Arm Cove this morning on the late side (for us – 10am-ish) to get to the entrance to Ford’s Terror by 1:30pm (high slack in Juneau). It’s been a few years since we took Kevin’s brother to Ford’s Terror, and he’s psyched to see it again. The flood current was rippin’ as we crossed the Tracy Arm Bar…maybe 4-5 knots against us. It was very … Read more
Saturday: We left our anchorage at Honey Dew and headed across Keku Strait for a stop at Kake. We were in the market for some more fresh vegetables, more wine and beer, and some dinghy fuel. The grocery store hours said it opened at 9am, and the liquor store at 10am, and no doubt the gas station would be open sometime in there as well. We arrived just after 9am … Read more