#2013-48 Inside Passage Fork in the Road

When southbound from Prince Rupert just before existing Arthur Passage, one has a choice:  Inside Route or the Outside Inside Route.  Bear left for Inside Route, the most direct and boring Grenville Channel. Bear right for Outside Inside Route via Odgen Channel which is longer, wilder, and can be rough in places.  Alex, being a right wing kind-of-guy, set the course for Newcombe Harbour on Pitt Island. The sun is out and it's another perfect day.  We huddle in the bow while the autopilot steers for us.

Front: Chuck & Carolyn French, Vince and Marianne Fonte.
Back: Alex and Pat Benson

We've cruised this route before.  It's pretty with endless, uninhabited bays in which to anchor. Newcombe is new to us, we find it by 4 PM, and anchor in the northeast corner.  The crab traps are set and Chuck is already licking his lips!

Sunset over Newcombe Harbour.

#2013-47 Underway to Pond Bay, across Dixon Entrance, then Prince Rupert

On Thursday the girls arrived from SLO Town at noon.  Pat, Marianne Fonte, and Carolyn French, joined by Chuck arrived at noon.  The three couples (Fonte's, French's and Benson's) will be together to Shearwater-Bella Bella in British Columbia.

The weather is good for crossing the Dixon Entrance tomorrow morning.  We need to get closer to it so we decide to cruise to Foggy Bay tonight, leaving Ketchikan in a few hours.  Most of the crew heads to Safeway as we need groceries for a few days, with as little fruit and vegetables as possible as Canadian Border Services won't let most of those cross the border.  We expect to do heavy provisioning in Prince Rupert.

Alex met up with the owners of Selene 40 "Ginny" Dave and Ginny Morthland, who were moored nearby.  Dave has been following the Blog as this is his first cruise to the Alaska area in several years. They are arriving into Southeast as we're leaving.  Alex gives the Ginny crew the latest on cruising clockwise around Prince of Wales Island and into Craig.  Crab, salmon and pawn fishing locations are highlighted on his chart.  Later Dave calls in his thanks as loads of large prawns filled hid prawn traps.

By 4 PM we're on our way towards Dixon Entrance, dodging the cruise ships which left just behind us.  Foggy Bay is small.  It is the desired anchorage being close to the Entrance, but as we approach it we notice there are a couple boats already at anchor showing on AIS.  Upon looking for options we find Pond Bay on the north side of Duke Island, just across from Foggy Bay. This is a large bay and we arrive just before 10 PM to enjoy a spectacular sunset in a quiet anchorage all by ourselves.

Pond Bay is just across from Foggy Bay

Early Friday morning we fire up the engine for our 6 AM departure.  The plan for crossing Dixon Entrance is always the same:  time your arrival in the middle of the Entrance at slack current.  We were just 8 minutes early for the 9:01 AM zero current today and our ride was super smooth.  We made good progree entering Venn Passage at 1PM and making the Prince Rupert Rowing and Yacht Club before 2.  We docked and called Canadian Customs and they immediately cleared us once again without boarding.

New bulk loading terminal for booming Prince Rupert

The crew of Y M Virtue gather at the bow ready to set the anchor if needed.

Bulk carrier is on the way to get loaded.

#2013-46 Touring Ketchikan

We were in town a couple days before scheduled so on Monday the crew got up to date on Ketchikan by visiting shops, watching the cruise ship tourists, and dining out.  It doesn't take long.  Vince and Alex took a long walk 5 miles to the south and back. Then we tested a few salmon recipes for dinner.  

Tuesday was boat prep day as a new crew with women arrives Thursday. Bob and Marvin head back to SLO Town tomorrow.   We figure out the frozen fish packing limits based on cooler size and it all just fits.  We've had a great week with the SLO Town Homies

Ketchikan Creek Mall.
The brothel is no longer operating.

#2013-45 Cape Chacon, McLean Arm then Ketchikan Hospital!

After yesterday's sojourn, we slept late then headed out to fish the Cape.  Once outside, the seas were just too sloppy for comfortable trolling so we proceeded to round the Cape in the mist of a seiner opening. About 30 seiners and their tenders were working the water from the Cape along the eastern coast of POW Island.  We watched the fishing excitement then entered McLean Arm expecting to anchor for the night. We had lunch then fished at anchor for halibut and rockfish in about 50 feet without much success.

For the last couple days we've been noticing the back side Bob's hand swell larger and larger.  He was bitten by a deer fly some days ago.  The deer flies have been out in force this summer up in Alaska.  Alex was bitten twice without much swelling but plenty of itch. With Bob's hand growing larger by the day we decided it was best to get him to a doctor.  So our cruise into Ketchikan began at 4:30 PM and we hoped to arrive just before dark.  After 5 hours we made Ketchikan City Float and pulled into a loading zone where a cab took Bob to the E/R.

The doctor confirmed the deer fly bite saying some people have different reactions.  He gave Bob a prescription for what turned out to be over-the-counter Sudafed.  A couple tablets at bedtime had the swelling under control by the next day.

Seiner fishing off  eastern edge of Cape Chacon

An anchorage in McLean Arm.

Bob's hands still worked fine for chefing.
Here's his smoked duck breast or salmon salad on cracker.

Sauteed Polenta in Marinara with Parmesan

#2013-44 Hydaburg to Nichols Bay

On Saturday Alex had to do 30 minutes of payables verification but needed cell or wifi service.  So we pulled into Hydaburg mid-morning.  The dock floats we in a state of construction so we tied up where we could and headed into the small native village.  After asking around at the market, school and library we found out that AT+T cell service is needed.  We all have Verizon, but a nice local Hydaburh resident gave Alex his phone to call the office and complete his work. What nice folks!

Hydaburg harbor was under construction with new pilings
and floats being installed. 

The Haida Girl was here in 2010 our last visit.  

Think globally, but act locally!  We were hot from all the walking
and needed a Popsicle but couldn't locate Hessa's Nana's house.

We exited Hydaburg for Cape Chacon area.  It was an 8-hour motor but included some sunny weather, spectacular views and the sweet perfume of boiling crab.  We finally pulled into Nichols bay at 8 PM and were treated to fresh crab salad dinner.

The town of Hydaburg as we pass southward.

Approaching the Cape Chacon area.

Vince is goo-goo eyed over this crab.

Bob shows off the crabs of Natzuhini Bay.

Crab salad with accouterments.

Marvin, Vince and Bob toast to the rough life in Alaska with
wine from San LUIS Obispo!

#2013-43 Craig to Crabbing near Hydaburg

On Friday after a nice breakfast we shoved off for cabbing near Hydaburg with fishing along the way.  As we approached Cape Flores headed southwest, we noticed about 6 boats in close to the shoreline reeling them in.  So we set the troll lines and started really getting lots of Cohos.  We became a bit selective attempting to release the smaller fish in hopes a bigger to follow.

Marvin is always the best dressed fisherman.
Here his nicely pressed crew pants are are
in need of a blood splatter specialist.
Where's Dexter when you need him?

Is this a keeper?

Bob gets a big Coho.

A barge load of fish guts builds the crab population.

 We landed about 7 fish in 90 minutes then needed to leave to make Tlevak narrows at slack current.  This Narrows is the choke point for lots of water moving around the south side of Prince of Wales Island.  Once through we found a cove on Dall Island and dropped the hook for lunch.  Afterwards we headed towards Hydaburg via South Pass but then north into Natzuhini Bay.  The Douglass Guide discourages anchoring here because of uncharted rocks and shoals.  But we felt our way inside without problems and found a secure anchorage in the western most corner of the Bay.  This bay looks crabby so we set two traps baited with salmon heads.  After just a few hours we had a couple keepers and reset the traps for the morning haul.

Bob's New Orleans Jambalya with prawns, halibut, and vegetables.

#2013-42 Cape Addington and the Jumping Orcas

On Thursday we're up early but take the time to demolish a leisurely breakfast of salmon and eggs. By 11 AM we are fishing off Cape Addington in hopes of a King, but the Cohos are all around and we land a few.

Cape Addington is quite calm on he eastern side.

Seal "king" of the Cape.

Marvin lands a Coho.

After a few hours of trolling around we moved a few miles northeast of the Cape and set the anchor for lunch.  We also baited up for halibut and dropped our lines while dining.  Vince has caught his share of fish but we all "felt the pain" when his halibut hook connected with an odd looking sea creature.

Hard to believe this came out of the
ocean.  We all "felt the pain" from
the halibut hook in this sea creature.
Maybe a little blue pill would help?

There are times when the Captain is allowed to fish.

After a busy day fishing for Kings but hooking up only with Cohos, we stowed the rods and decided to head back to town for a last minute grocery run.  The route takes us back through tiny Pigeon Pass just west of Pigeon Island.  The Pass shoals up to about 20 feet and narrows to 100 feet.  As we approached the Pass, an Orca pod of 11 whales suddenly appeared just in front of our bow.  We immediately idled the engine and prop. The tidal current was pushing us at two knots and it looked as though we would squish through the Pass at the same time as the Orcas.  Crew was scrambling for their cameras as the Orcas breathing was close aboard.  Vince started shooting photos and luckily Bob just had enough battery to video the jumping Orcas.  As Orcas and Wild Blue squeezed through the Pass, the pod was split into two groups.  The whale family did not like being separated, and the females and juveniles sped towards the big male Orca soon after we cleared.  They "flipped us off" as can be seen in the second video below.

Orca pod nears Pigeon Pass

Orca jumps as Vince misses the shot!