It rained for a while this morning in Helm Bay, but when it stopped it was so still and quiet. After a little while, the sky cleared a little bit, the sun popped through, and it was just spectacular. Kevin fished off the dock a little bit with the new collapsible fishing rod with spinning reel that his mom bought him at Tongass Trading in Ketchikan while I made breakfast … Read more
Kevin arrived back in Ketchikan after spending the week in Austin for work. He brought his mom back with him, and we’ll be showing her SE Alaska from Ketchikan to Petersburg this week. (I was really ready to get off the dock back out in nature again!) Our first stop after some sightseeing in Ketchikan (Creek Street, Saxman Totem Village, and dinner at the Bar Harbor Restaurant) was Walker Cove … Read more
The weather in Ketchikan yesterday was pretty dramatic…but not for Ketchikan. It was raining sideways, and the wind was gusting to just over 40kts. Even “protected” between the mountains behind us and the cruise ship in front of us, we were getting gusts t0 40kts right here at city floats. We’d been working all morning here on Airship and decided we should go get some late lunch, so I thought I’d … Read more
“Taliesin, Taliesin, Taliesin, this is Just Get’n By.” “Just Get’n By, this is Taliesin.” “One of our crew just passed out for 15 seconds. They’re awake again, but out of it, pale, and they have a weak pulse.” Thus started our ninth day underway. Read more on samlandsman.com
Rounding Cape Caution can be a challenge. Queen Charlotte Sound is one of the few places where the Inside Passage goes outside. Normally we go to Port McNeill before rounding Cape Caution. This gives everyone a chance to resupply (there’s a supermarket!), fill boats with fuel, and catch up on chores. Last year we got stuck in Port McNeill for several days waiting for strong winds to die down. Read … Read more
One week in, and we’re still having fun! Today we meandered through the Broughton Archipelago. From Port Harvey we headed up Chatham Channel, across Knight Inlet, and through Tribune Channel. The weather was PERFECT…hot even. Six of us jumped in the water at Echo Bay (okay, there is a hot tub nearby). Read more on samlandsman.com
Today was a perfect day on the water. Five hours of bliss—sunshine, drone flying (twice), a nap, totally calm water, favorable current, no major boat problems… We left Blind Channel at 8:30. First we had to transit Greene Point Rapids. Even though we were about an hour before slack, it was no big deal. The current gave us a nice boost and we made it through without drama. Read more … Read more
This morning we woke up early, made some coffee, and sat out on the bow watching bears. We decided we’d take a dinghy ride further around to the end of Walker Cove before pulling the crab traps this morning. It was early and quiet and the water was glassy still. (So nice to have the electric Torqeedo for these kinds of quiet expeditions, instead of the loud gasoline outboard!) Read … Read more