Baby Bear Cove Reprise

The reflections in the rocks remind us of totem poles

Enjoying cocktails before dinner

Moser Island Anchorage

With all the shopping completed and the weather clearing, we decided not to waste the day, so about 1100 we cast off the lines and headed south down the channel, under the bridge and out Eastern Channel. We nosed out into some modest swells as we toured Sitka from seaward around Japonski Island, and then back up Olga Strait and Neva Strait.

We were still having issues with the macerator pump for the holding tank and moving Spirit around in seas seemed to help the pump work better, so we headed out Salisbury Sound, but no joy. Heading back into Sukoi Inlet, Patrick undid the 12 bolts securing the access plate on the holding tank to see if the pump inlet had become clogged with some sort of debris. Unfortunately, Murphy was alive and well and Patrick opened the wrong inspection plate, so we could not inspect the right fitting. Closing things back up, and gagging in the process, we opened lots of hatches to ventilate the boat and headed for slack water at Sergius Narrows. By 1730 we were anchored back at the head of Baby Bear Cove in absolutely still waters.

After cocktails and brie cheese, Bill and Patrick prepared a delicious Asian stir fry with Alaskan Black Cod tips, served over brown rice. We tried for the second time to watch "Sherlock Holmes", this time getting one hour into the movie before falling asleep.

On Father's Day morning we awakened to very light rain as we prepared fresh baking powder biscuits and sausage gravy for a hearty holiday breakfast. After breakfast, since time was not a factor, Patrick opened the correct inspection plate in the holding tank and confirmed our worst fear; there is a clog in the pump inlet "duckbill". We will have to get the system cleaner and open up the pump. That work will be deferred until Wrangell, since we want to have spares on hand before beginning the project. We departed around 1100 and then headed east and up Hoonah Sound to check out a US Forest Service buoy at the far end of Moser Island. The weather continued to clear and the sun came out as temperatures soared. Passing hundreds of commercial crab pots, we arrived at the buoy location about 1400 to find Bill and Sherry on "Augenblick", the 42 Nordic Tug we have been seeing since Lagoon Cove. Bill and Sherri had been there three days already and were planning to stay one more day. They told us the crabbing was bad, but the prawning was good, so we set the prawn pot (they also believe their crab pots were raided by the commercial boats while here). The weather report is favorable with light winds forecast, so we anchored on a lee shore in 50 feet of water at the end of the bay as the skies continued to clear. Staying outside was not pleasant since the fine weather also brought hundreds of the infamous, huge and aggressive Alaskan flies to torment us. The screens are working well, and the cross ventilation is keeping the boat a pleasant mid 70's temperature!

Bill and Ruth are preparing a Father's Day chili relleno meal this evening, but we started with chips and salsa washed down with some fine scotch brought as a gift to "Spirit" by Bill and Ruth.

By 1900, the gravel bar separating North and South Channels around Moser Island is just submerging, the wind is out of the South West at 5-10 knots and the scenery is stunning. The prawn pot had 13 nice sized specimens when we pulled it at 2000, so hopefully morning will be better.

The log now stands at 1862 nautical miles on day 51 of our voyage.