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

Pybus Bay, June 22

After two days at Warm Spring Bay we headed out shortly after Ken and Val in Dream Merchant. We chose to follow the coast south to a waterfall we wanted to check out, then cross Chatham Strait bearing due east. When we turned into Chatham Strait the wind and wave was south east.

By going south along the coast in the lumpy seas we were able to quarter the swell, smoothing out the ride. Once at the waterfall we raised a reefed main sail and headed east to pass infamous Point Gardner on the south end of Admiralty Island, and into Frederick Sound under sunny skies.
It all worked really slick.

We were now quartering the weather on our starboard bow on a close reach, and making great speed. By the time we changed course to head north east along the east side of Admiralty Island, the seas had laid down, and with a breeze still in our sail, we were enjoying a great beam reach.

Once we reached Pybus Bay we turned in and fished our way, without success to Cannery Cove.










We went to the head of the cove and found suitable anchorage along the south shore. 57° 18.265’ N / 134° 09.409’ W
I rowed the crab trap out to a likely spot, and we settled in for the rest of the day and night.



The scenery was spectacular, and Pybus Bay also had resident whales.







The next morning we found nine crabs resting in our trap, three females, and one undersized male were immediately released, leaving five keepers. We kept three of the largest and released the other two.





We found a likely spot on the chart for the prawn trap, and when we motored out to the spot we found several strings of prawn pots already set there. We set our trap as close to our predetermined spot as we could, and went off fishing for halibut. We fished several spots during the rest of the day, catching only smaller bottom fish.

When we reached the entrance to Henry's Arm I put up the rod, and we went in to check out the anchorage at the head end.







After checking out Henry's Arm, we fished our way over to Donkey Bay, catching more small bottom fish. We also investigated Sheldon Cove.





Not finding suitable anchorage in Sheldon Cove, we went back to Henry's Arm and anchored near the head of the inlet.
57° 20.759’N/ 134°06.336’ W.






We settled in for the night and enjoyed a splendid crab dinner in spite of having our hearts set for halibut. Tomorrow we will head for Petersburg.

More to come, stay tuned.

George and JoAnne

Baranof Warm Spring Bay, June 20

It was just a 12.5 mail run to Baranof Warm Spring Bay, so we didn't leave Ell Cove until late morning, and fished, without success, our way to the bay.






When we got to the public dock fishing boats were rafted
all along both sides of the dock, and there was no room for us.







We went into the lovely little inlet across the bay and anchored at the head end, 57° 04.440’ N / 134°49.657’ W, for the night. We weren't there very long before the resident Hump Back Whale came in to check us out.





The next morning we hauled the crab trap we had set the day before and found nothing but star-fish.







We were all set to head out for Pybus Bay, but decided to go over to the public dock and take on water. There were fishing boats still rafted two deep, but we were able to find a spot in front of Dream Merchant a 45 foot ketch that was commercial fishing. Ken and Val had just come back in after an attempt to cross Chatham Strait to Frederick Sound. They could not make satisfactory way against the big head seas and turned back. There wasn't much sense in Teal going through that, so we decided to hold over until the next day.

We hiked up to the warm spring pools and lake above, along part-trail part-boardwalk. Something we could not do when we were here at the end of May on our way to Sitka, because of snow banks blocking the trail.

There are two pools next to the roaring rapids just above the falls- the upper warmer than the lower pool. Its very picturesque.







We opted to go back to the village and take a soak in the bath house in the same wooden tub, with the view of the mountains, we used the last time.










While at the village we hiked up the new stairs to the cabins in the sky. Ted, husband to Bridgette who works for Skookum Canvas, and did a lot of stitching on our new upholstery, was just getting started on the stairs at the bottom of the hill where we had an interesting conversation with him when we were here last month.




Where in the world can you see a Hump Back Whale swim right up to a dock and do a classic hump back tail up dive. It happens here often.



Tomorrow we head for Pybus Bay on Admiralty Island.

Stay tuned.

George and JoAnne

Ell Cove, June 19

After retrieving our prawn trap off Pt. Benham, and collecting our meager 13, yet good-sized prawn haul, we headed out Hoonah Sound and into Chatham Strait for a very pleasant sunny 38 mile passage down the coast of Baranof Island.







Tide lands are far more scenic in this part of the world than the mud flats of the lower-48.







By the time we made Chatham Strait we had seen numerous Hump Back and Orca Whales. There is certainly no shortage of whales here in South East Alaska.

We saw a couple of commercial fisherman working the area near Kasnyku Bay, so we opted to do some fishing and trolled the afternoon away without any luck.







With scenery like Kasnyku Falls it is easy to while the time away.








We went into the very scenic and tranquil Ell Cove, 57° 11.986’ N / 134° 51.002’ W, named for its shape, and anchored for the night.







We went to pump out our holding tank when we got into Hoonah Sound after leaving Rodman bay. We discovered the diaphragm in the pump had cracked and was leaking during the pumping. I took the opportunity of this anchorage to re-plumb the head so it flushed directly overboard until we could get replacement parts to repair the pump-out pump.

It seems we have head issues every year, regardless how well prepared for repairs we think we are. And it's usually while out in remote areas.

The next morning we headed for Baranof Warm Spring Bay.

More to come. Stay tuned.

George and JoAnne

Rodman Bay, June 18

We left our anchorage in Magoun Cove at 07:30, after stopping to collect our empty prawn trap, we headed out on our 48 mile trip to Rodman Bay with a 11:45 appointment with slack tide at Sergius Narrows. There was some commercial salmon trolling activity in Salisbury sound when we passed. maybe fishing is improving.







As we passed Point Kakul we reached the westernmost point of Baranof Island and this years cruise. 57° 21.765’ N / 135° 42’ W





We arrived at Sergius Narrows, 57° 24.400’ N / 135° 36.651’ W, about 45 minuets early with about 2 knots of current pushing us through.







Good thing, as we were approaching the channel we heard an announcement on the VHF radio that a tug with barge in tow was approaching from the other direction, and the resulting conversation with the high-speed ferry coming up behind the tug.





We were able to get through the narrows just in time to pass the tug towing barge, and ferry in the wide spot just east of the narrow channel.






A short time latter we passed a big hump back whale that had gone through the narrows before we did. They probably are not effected to much by the 6-8 knot current, but I bet they don't like going through there with tugs, barges and big ferry boats.





As we rounded Nismeni Point at the top of Baranof Island and entered Hoonah sound we reached the northernmost point of this years cruise 57° 34’ N / 135° 25’ W





We set the prawn trap before going to the head of Rodman Bay. I had reckoned from the chart that the crabbing would be good there.







We were surprised to see the entire end of the bay loaded with hundreds of commercial crab pots set to follow the contour of the shoal. Set by the same fisherman preparing their gear for the opening of their season at the same docks we moored at while in Sitka.





We, after a frustrating time sounding for a suitable anchorage,
57° 26.814’ N / 135°23.689’ W, on the tricky bottom, set the anchor in about 80 feet on a reasonably flat bottom . I rowed the skiff out to set our crab trap, before settling in for the night in the beautiful scenery at the end of the bay.




Early the next morning the first of four crab boats we saw heading for their pots, came into the cove and started to tend their pots. They were collecting fair numbers of crab.




Before we left for Baranof Warm Spring Bay on Chatham Strait, we hauled our trap and found three crabs and one flounder, that we kept for bait. We kept two good sized male crabs and returned one that was just legal size, 6-1/2 inches.

More to come, stay tuned.

George and JoAnne

The Magoun Islands, June 17,

We spent over three weeks in Sitka getting our Upholstery for the cabin and the canvas work for the cockpit made and installed. We will now have some protection during rainy periods.




Making a short run, just 13 miles to visit the Magoun Islands for the afternoon and night, cut some time off of the long trip to the Rodman Bay anchorage near the top end of Peril Strait.




The fishing around Sitka had been slow during our stay but some fish were finding there way to the cleaning tables at the harbors.
We invested an hour or so trolling from Middle Island through Hayward Strait and East Channel, without any luck.

We set the prawn trap before going through the narrow passage into the interesting cove cut into the islands.










The little red floating ball with Mt Edgecumbe in the background is what marks the location of our prawn trap.







The view from our anchorage, 57° 09.722’ N / 134° 34.566’ W,
through one of the gaps in the islands surrounding the cove.







Tomorrow we will keep our appointment with Sergius Narrows in Peril Strait.

Stay tuned,
George and JoAnne

We are in Petersburg

We are now in Petersburg and will be going through Wrangell Narrows tomorrow, en route to Wrangell. I have not been able to post our normal post of our trip from Sitka to Petersburg. I will do so as soon as I can.
In the mean time check out JoAnne's blog at jobeeart.blogspot.com.

George and JoAnne.

Baranof Warm Spring to Sitka

The next morning we took our AM bash until we made it nearly to Peril Strait before things smoothed out. I had gotten really cold being under dressed in the cold air. Even when the sunshines warm in this part of the world the wind blows cold.






It was good to get to Appleton Cove and get anchored after our cold 39-mile passage. Once we drank hot chocolate and fired up the oven, we started to thaw out.







We had a good night, anchored at 57° 28.319’ N / 135° 17.363’ W, with a large power yacht in the tranquil anchorage.


The next morning we headed for our appointment with high slack tide at Sergius Narrows and onto Sitka.










We stopped at Bear Bay 57° 25.279’ N / 135° 34.258’ W for lunch and to wait for high slack tide to go through Sergius Narrows.





After we got through Sergius Narrows we went through Kakul Narrows and into Salisbury Sound to Veva Strait, through Whitestone Narrows to Olga Strait to Sitka.








When we went into Salisbury Sound we picked up a NW breeze and set a reefed main sail and had a brisk dead downwind sail all the way through Olga Strait before the wind dropped to the point where we had to restart the motor and motor sail the rest of the way to Sitka.

May 23, 7 PM we hailed the harbor master and were directed to the transient dock near the loading dock 57° 03.436’ N / 135° 21.188’ W. We tied her down for our stay in Sitka, and were greeted by Earl the resident Sea Lion.

The view from our berth looking west, the snow capped Mt. Edgecumbe, a dormant volcano.

The next morning Donna from Skookum Canvas came by and started taking patterns for our new bimini top.

Our plan is to stay in Sitka until Donna finishes all the canvas and upholstery work. As of this post she has the Bimini top, V berth and dinete cushions done.

More to come in a few days.

George nad JoAnne.