#61 - Ketchikan to Prince Rupert, BC

The storms continued but early Sunday morning, we found a 10-hour break and zoomed to Prince Rupert, British Columbia.This was the flattest ocean of all our Dixon Entrance crossings. Although it took 9-hours of motoring, we helped ourselves by timing the transit at Dixon Entrance's slack tidal current. We hit it spot on. Just as we arrived and tied to the dock, the wind zoomed upon us at 30+ knots. Thank you wind gods.

Once again these Canadians let us into their country without passports or inspection. We'll stay here until Tuesday and start back down British Columbia's portion of the Inside Passage.

Have a great week.

#60 - Saltery Cove to Ketchikan

It's a simple due east run across Clarence Strait to the northern end Tongrass Narrows and then south to Ketchikan. After just 3 hours, we're reentering civilization: noise, cars, tugs, yachts, ships and planes.

Pat makes fresh-baked cinnamon rolls to help us deal with civilization again.

Planes, trains, boats and automobiles: They all make noise.


Even the salmon along Ketchikan's Creek Walk are crowding into town, to the delight of local fishermen.

Once in Ketchikan, we become tourists just like everyone else and buy, buy buy! "What ship are you from?" they ask. "The good ship Wild Blue," we respond. After gifts, supplies and $2000 worth of diesel, we are one of their favorite customers!

This T-shirt says it all!

We will be playing in Ketchikan for several days. After 18 days of sunshine and mild temperatures, the wind, clouds and rain have returned. We'll let Peter and Jinx return to the civilization of Los Angeles. Pat and I will be continuing onto Prince Rupert, just as soon as the weather improves, most likely Sunday or Monday. Have a great weekend.

#59 - Lyman Cove to Kasaan, then Saltery Cove on Prince of Wales Island

After a night of peace and quiet, like most at anchor, we head around around Kasaan Peninsula into Kasaan Bay then to the town of Kasaan. At Kasaan we'll check out a forest trail with totem poles and wildlife. Then we'll move onto Saltery Cove, a covenient anchorage spot near Ketchikan, tommorrow's destination.

Our route into Kasaan and Saltery Cove

Low tide on our exit from Lyman Cove keeps un on our toes. A crew on the bow with headsets helps us avoid the bumps.

We have an easy motor around the Prince of Wales Island coast up into the Bay. We dock at Kasaan's free public facilities. Then we leave the boat for a hike through the woods, just like Little Red Riding Hood. Kasaan is a tiny town of say 50 persons, well off the tourism path. The trail takes us through the front yards of the local residences. As we walk through a boardwalk and skinny paths we come across a nice man who said he moved here 17 years ago, a fisherman from San Francisco. He loves it and we can see why!

The Kasaan boardwalk eventually becomes a trail.

The trail leads us through the thick forest.

Wildlife is near and not bothered by our trekking.

The trail leads past several Haidi totem poles.

At trail end we find a assembly hall but using the same construction techniques as a Haida longhouse.

Inside we examine the meeting facility.

After our hike we lunched and headed for Saltery Cove. In the 1920's before ice, fish was perserved by drying and salting. In those days a fish saltery plant operated in the Cove. Today besides being a good anchorage, the Cove hosts several waterfront homes and a busy fishing lodge.

On our way to Saltery Cove we came across an island of seals.

The Lodge at Saltery Cove.

Photographs are an important part of any Blog. As a bonifide rank amateur photographer, we're not so good at photoing wildlife in the wild. We need wildlife inducements, incentives and props to get the great shot. One way is to offer bait to your photo subject. Sometimes it works.

"Synchronized dancing herring on float" has been known to attract the Alaskan Eagle species. Just focus on the dancers and wait for the eagles to swoop down on the attack. We're still waiting.

#58 - Santa Anna Inlet to Lyman Cove, Prince of Wales Island.

It was tough sleeping with all that salmon racket so we sacked out until late morning. To brighten our day, Peter prepares us his English breakfast specialty: Toast Soldiers. Peter has lived in the US for decades, but hasn't forgotten British Isles culture, and Toast Soldiers are as British, as apple pie is American. Below we reveal the secret English recipe for this mainstay of England's youth.

1. Soft boil an egg for three minutes.
2. Place boiling hot egg in egg cup.
3. Cut buttered toast into 1-inch strips.

4. Using the butter knife, cut top off egg.

5. Egg should be soft on the inside.

6. Dip buttered toast strip into egg yolk.

7. Enjoy your Toast Soldier like every good Englishman.

Today visit Lyman Cove on Prince of Wales Island's eastern coastline. Per the chart, it has a shallow bar at the entrance so we'll need a “plus tide” to insure we don't scrape bottom. It is a simple run down Ernest Sound then a slight left turn down Clarence Strait, altogether just over 5 hours. We arrive with room to spare under Wild Blue's keel and anchor in solitude.

The route to Lyman Cove.

At anchor is the solitude of Lyman Cove.

The view deeper into the cove.

The view outside Lyman Cove highlights two major engines of Southeast Alaska's economy: tourism and fishing.

After a fitful game of Mexican Train, we retire to lick our wounds. Goodnight.

#57 - Wrangell to Anan Creek, then Santa Anna Inlet

Today we visit the bears at Anan Creek. It will be a long day with many segments: a 3-hour motor to Anan Creek; anchor, launch dinghy, motor to shore; a 30-minute hike to the bear observatory; 2-hours with the bears; a 30-minute hike to the anchorage; motor dinghy to boat, stow dinghy and retrieve anchor; and finally a 2-hour motor to Santa Anna Inlet. I'm exhausted already.

We rise early and leave Wrangell behind us at 6AM eager to get to bear country before the tour boat crowds. We go north around the top of Wrangell Island, then down Eastern Passage through the Narrows to Blake Channel then out the bottom crossing Bradfield Canal to Anan Creek anchorage.

Today's lengthy voyage.

It's flat water, sunny with little wind down Eastern Passage to Blake Channel. The Channel itself is calm and picturesque. There's no boat traffic and we see a couple deer walking along the shore below the low tide line.

Pretty Blake Channel looks like a great place to come for a more thorough visit.

We arrive at the Anan Creek anchorage. This is a temporary anchorage at best due to it's 100-foot high-sloping bottom contour. The Douglass Guide recommends leaving an anchor watch aboard, but everybody wants to see the bears. We'll take a hand held VHF ashore with us in hopes that if Wild Blue pulls anchor and floats away, someone will try to call us on the VHF.

Wild Blue anchored with other boats in 100+ feet of depth. This photo was taken for insurance purposes, just in case the anchor comes dislodged.

We launch the dinghy and motor ashore to the ranger hut at the entrance to a lagoon near the base of Anan Creek. It's already busy with shore parties arriving from tour boats and other yachts. We pay our $10 per person fee and receive a ranger briefing about how to avoid bears that cross the path on our 30-minute walk to the observatory. Just as the four of us begin hike, we notice a tour guide carrying a large shotgun, and preparing to escort a party up the path. Gosh, maybe that $210 tour fee would have been a worthy investment!

It's eerily quiet except for our clapping, singing and loud talking. We quickly realize that Alex forgot to bring the bear pepper spray repellent. We go on our way reviewing what to do when we see a bear. I think the ranger said place the girls in front facing the bear, and then the boys should run like heck; or was it bunch up together and be large-like? At last we come to Anan Creek and the steep incline up to the bear observatory.

Wild Blue is still anchored securely while we're half-way up the trail.

The park rules are “always stay on the trail”.

But when a bear gets this close, we're NOT staying on the trail!

Anan Creek has a choke point where the river narrows and falls twenty feet or so. The salmon have to run up this gauntlet to reach their spawning ground. The bears congregate here to fish for salmon. Some bears fish from the side, while others wade into the river. Either approach get good results. The observatory is a platform overlooking this choke point on the creek. The bears are quite close but don't seem to mind us watching them.

Anan Creek has lots of water flow, great for salmon returning to spawn and great for hungry bears.

The creek is filled with salmon and they are jumping up over rocks and falls, and sometimes into the mouths of bears.

And this bear easily mouths a salmon.

The bear takes the salmon over to his private dining spot.

The bear samples his dinner.

The satisfaction shows on the bear's face.

Now the bear seems to want to play with his salmon.

Most of the bears we saw today were black bears. The black bears are less aggressive than the brown bears. When a brown bear arrived later in the morning, he immediately chased away two black bears that were fishing his spot.

This brown bear has his own private fishing spot. If black bears give him any trouble, he chases them up a tree.

Mommy black bear and cub are up a tree giving Mister Brown Bear his space.

Bears get tired of eating salmon day after day. Every so often they want a change in their diet. Something special, something more. Maybe like what awaits behind this door's peephole? It's OK to come out now Peter!

After a fine time “dancing with bears”, we backtrack down the path to the ranger hut and our dinghy. We find Wild Blue right where we left her, solidly anchored, so we stow dinghy, crew and anchor and push onward to Santa Anna Inlet.

The Inlet is almost serene: there's flat waters, calm winds, a setting sun, and mild climate. It's perfectly still except...... those damn, noisy jumping salmon! Everywhere you look salmon are in the air flipping, twisting, rolling, then diving with a big splash. Some individual fish do multiple jumps and splashes. How are ever going to sleep with all this racket!

A wonderful day in Alaska ends with sunset over Santa Anna Inlet.

#56 - St. John Harbor to Wrangell

We pulled our crab traps this morning. The shallow water trap had two large females, a juvenile, and two large males. We freed the girl crabs and the juvenile, per the fishing regulations, but kept the boy crabs for tonights appetizer. Yum!

Today we're off to Wrangell just over two hours east of St. John Harbor in Sumner Strait. Wrangell started as a Russian fort in the 1830's. Over the years since, it has had boom and bust years due to gold mining around Stikine River. The Tlingit Indians also inhabited the area and Wrangell has a great museum of their culture. The city operates a well-equipped boat yard including a 200-ton Travel Lift, with competent riggers, fabricators, and repairman. These facilities were put to good use on last year's cruise when Dick Squire of Seagate decided to replace his props and straighten his prop shafts.

Our route to Wrangell.

Remember: Don't leave home without it (your home). This guy is towing his.

The seas are flat and the sky is still sunny as we approach Wrangell.

Hanseatic, a smaller German cruise ship, is visiting Wrangell today.

Sunday in Wrangell is quiet. Just a few stores are open for business. Even the grocery store and museum are closed. Unlike Ketchikan, Sitka and Juneau, this town is not swayed to stay open for a cruise ship visit. We did make a stop at the open hardware/general store and replenished our supply of mascerator impellers, just in case.

Last year, when fuel was $4.10 per gallon, Seagate was forced to side-tie to Wild Blue as this dock was filled with visiting boats. This year the dock is empty with fuel at half-price.

High speed tour boats will run you to the Anan Creek bear observation for $210, and those were running with lots of cruise ship customers. Instead we made reservations for $10 via the US Forest Service website for tomorrow. We'll stop at Anan Creek on our way to Santa Anna Inlet.

#55 - Keene Island to St. John Harbor

A lazy 2-hour motor further south will bring us to St. John Harbor off Zarembo Island. We retrieve our empty crab traps and move out into the remaining southern end of Wrangell Narrows. It's another bright day and after an uneventful crossing of Sumner Strait we anchor in St. John Harbor and set our crab traps. We'll let them soak overnight and see what tomorrow brings.

The route out of Wrangell Narrows to St John Harbor.

We spend most of the day luxuriating in the quiet anchorage, napping, reading and finally discussing how to prepare tonights halibut. St. John has an interesting feature: a naturally carbonated artesian spring which is only visible at low tide. At the lowest tide of the day we take a dinghy tour of the anchorage, searching the shoreline for carbonation. We imagine Lawrence Welk bubbles wafting a few feet above the exposed shore, revealing the spring. But after much searching, fortified with a couple glasses of fine pinot noir, this spring remains hidden from us.

Later in the evening two fish boats arrive and anchor near us. One is a fish transport vessel ready to load and refrigerate any fisherman's catch; the other a purse seiner resting his crew before tomorrows activity.

St. Lazaria is a fish transport, while Rogue is a seiner.

The view of Sumner Strait near sunset from St. John Harbor.