Petersburg, June 24

The next morning we made an early start for our 58-mile run to Petersburg. We stopped to retrieve our prawn trap, and found it tangled with one end of the pot string. We apparently set our trap too close to their string. In an effort get our rigging free, I concluded that our trap needed to be cut free. In the heat of battle, with the heavy rigging we were tangled in, I cut our trap free without securing it first. It went to the bottom.... our new hard-to-find trap. :( Fortunately we still had last year's collapsible trap in the lazarette that we would later press into service.

After stowing our remaining rigging we headed out for the long run to Petersburg.

We had a reasonably smooth passage, although we did run into foul currents for a while; and it was cloudy and cold. We saw at least 50 whale blows, mostly from a large pod of Orcas. We stopped counting as we continued our passage of the vast waterway of Frederick Sound.


Once in Petersburg we were assigned moorage at North Harbor amongst all the fishing boats.







After getting tied down at our berth,
56°48.776’ N /132° 57.616’W,
we discovered not only our 110V heater had died, but our AM/FM radio wasn't working anymore. :(




One of our fist of many excursions up and down the steep ramp to the street was to visit Ken and Val on Dream Merchant berthed in South Harbor. Ken was off the boat working on a new aluminum cockpit bimini for Dream Merchant, but we enjoyed tea and freshly baked apricot bars with Val as she gave us the scoop on local shopping. We went to lunch, then a trip to the Chileon produce market, and a trip downtown to find a new heater. We had no luck finding a repair kit for our pump-out pump. During our three day-stay in Petersburg we stayed busy with all the domestic chores that need to be done when in port.

On Thursday June 26 we made 8 trips UP and 8 trips DOWN that steep low-tide ramp. Went to the Shipwright - 1 mile out of town and discovered a bakery on our way... got some great bread, no luck for heater or pump at the shipwright; trip 2, had to walk 5 blocks (each way) to get propane - none available at the fuel dock (wonder what that deal is); brought back the propane and headed to the True Value to buy a heater; brought the heater back, plugged it in, and it didn't work; trip 4 now, took the heater back & exchanged it, came back to the boat for lunch and plugged in new heater, it worked; trip 5 Scandia hotel for haircut for George, Jo went to Radio Shack to find a radio; trip 6 - showers at the laundramat (George had the cold shower at the harbor yesterday); trip 7 - library for internet and IGA for groceries; trip 8 - George took garbage up to save the raven's exploration and scatter, which happened yesterday when he had his back turned to grab the shower stuff. Enough exercise for this day.

Next we go through Wrangell Narrows to Wrangell.

Stay tuned.

George and JoAnne