Airship | Ell Cove to Red Bluff Bay

We exited Ell Cove Wednesday morning onto a flat calm Chatham Strait, but we could see fog in our future. We watched two different humpbacks breaching and fin-slapping in the distance as we cruised south down Chatham Strait, but they were too far for decent photos. Eventually, we were in thick fog with very little visibility, and for a while I regretted leaving our perfectly clear spot at Ell Cove. … Read more

Airship | Red Bluff Bay and Pybus Bay

Saturday: We left Takatz Bay with the idea we might stop in at Warm Springs, but it was just completely socked in with fog and we opted to keep going to Red Bluff and spend two nights there instead. We texted with friends Tom and Tish on Alaska Quest who were headed to Warm Springs (and hoping for more of my homemade hot sauce), and after comparing schedules (they had … Read more

Day 28 | 2024 Flotilla to Alaska | Red Bluff Bay to Warm Springs Bay

Suuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnn!!!!!! What a gorgeous location to wake up to, and as a bonus, the skies are clearing and the sun is shining. First thing this morning (before coffee, even!) Kevin took the drone up to photograph the exposed shoal. The bright light and shadow areas made things tough in places, but some cool shots came out of it! No one was in a hurry to leave this morning…I think all … Read more

Day 27 | 2024 Flotilla to Alaska | Pybus Bay to Red Bluff Bay

Departing Cannery Cove and Pybus Bay we weren’t sure what conditions we’d see out in Frederick Sound…likely some wind waves on the beam, but more importantly, how long would it take for the sporty conditions in Southern Chatham Strait take to flatten out? We had a little bit of roll as we headed west in Frederick Sound, but pretty lazy and not too dramatic, and best of all it wasn’t … Read more

Airship | Takatz Bay and Red Bluff Bay

Tuesday: We left Basket Bay and cruised about 35nm south to Takatz Bay. We’ve been seeing very little other traffic which seems a bit odd, considering it’s late July and typically one of the best times to be boating in SE Alaska. The salmon are here, the bears are out, the weather is usually mild…oh well. We’ll take it! The further we went, the fewer clouds and more blue sky … Read more

Day 29 | 2023 Flotilla to Alaska | Red Bluff Bay to Takatz Bay

Another beautiful morning (before the “mostly cloudy” sets in)! We stopped to pick up our prawn traps on the way out of Red Bluff Bay and had 55 more spot prawns. Yum! Nice and calm in Chatham Strait today for our run up to Takatz Bay. There were no other boats anchored in Takatz Bay when we arrived, which is quite rare! We got out to do some dinghy exploring … Read more

Airship | Baranof Island: Sitka to Red Bluff Bay

After spending a handful of days in Juneau, we left and headed for Sitka, where we docked Airship for two whole weeks! Kevin had a work thing going on that we needed reliable internet for (and an airport for a trip to San Jose) and we’d already been in Juneau for a handful of days, so a change of scenery would be nice. We spent some more time wandering around … Read more

Day 23 | Flotilla to Alaska | Red Bluff Bay to Warm Springs Bay

After yesterday’s wildlife extravaganza, today’s trip up Chatham Strait was a little boring. We did see a few humpbacks as we left Red Bluff Bay, but after that we struck out. The water was reasonably calm, though, and the Baranof Island shoreline is so mountainous, rugged, and snow-capped that the lack of wildlife didn’t matter. We just focused our attention on the scenery. Usually we can squeeze in somewhere on … Read more