The Continuing Voyages of Spirit: Alaska 2015

May 4, 2015

After pulling the pots (8 crab, 57 prawns) we headed into Lama Passage and stopped for one hour at Shearwater to fix a problem with one of the fishing licenses, take on water and some provisions.

Heading out Seaforth Channel we nosed out past Ivory Island and ran into a big westerly swell made worse by an ebb tide. Both boats called it quits and turned back to go up Reid Passage, Perceival Narrows and then Oscar Passage to Finlayson Channel. Our destination for the evening is Bottleneck Inlet, a bombproof anchorage with good mud for holding.

While underway the crew of Spirit cooked and cleaned the crab and prepared crab mac & cheese for a late dinner after a long day, with pouring rain most of the day. At 1930 we rafted alongside Steel Tiger and hoisted the cocktail flag and then dinner.

The rain continued all night long.

May 5, 2015

Since we have only 30 miles to go today, we broke up the raft at 0945 and headed out the inlet. At a +5 ft. low tide we only had 15 feet in the shallowest part of the entrance, so the charts are correct.

The trip through Heikish Narrows and Princess Royal Channel was uneventful from a weather standpoint, since the sun came out, but still occasional rain showers. We saw our first humpback whale of the season, and the first black bear on the beach as we entered Khutze Inlet. The anchorage in front of the falls was empty. The greenery was the most we have ever seen, so spring arrived early.

First Black Bear sighting of the season

We made a short trip up the Khutze River until the water was too shallow to go further, but only saw seals and lots of moss on the trees.

Spirit and Steel Tiger in Khutze Inlet

Trees with more moss than needles

Some of the bountiful crab in Khutze Inlet

After setting the crab pots we relaxed and prepared for our Cinco de Mayo celebration with Steel Tiger. About 1830 we pulled the pots and were pleasantly surprised at the number of legal crab. We kept the 12 largest and released 18 others. Steel Tiger did the same.

May 6, 2015

Departing Khutze Inlet at 0800 we immediately ran into dense fog in Princess Royal Channel which persisted to about 5 miles beyond Butedale. The sun came out with a light breeze as we exited Princess Royal Channel, crossed Wright Sound past Gribbel Island and entered Grenville Channel. With the current assisting us, we changed the destination from Lowe Inlet to Baker Inlet.

The favorable current ended as we approached Klewnuggit Inlet and the tide was more than 2 hours past high slack water as Spirit entered Watts Narrows, the entrance to Baker Inlet. The current was about 3 knots against us, and all the GPS receivers on board lost lock in the middle of the 1000 yard long by 200 foot wide channel. Pushing on through, followed by Steel Tiger, we both went to the head of the inlet and rafted together for the evening. Steel Tiger reported the bottom was sticky black mud as they anchored.

Fog begins to lift in Princess Royal Channel

Cruising to the head of Baker Inlet

May 7, 2015

Both boats departed Baker Inlet shortly before 0600. The high slack water occurred at 0400, so Watts Narrows was running at full ebb by the time we arrived at 0625. It was a wild ride out, sharing the narrow fairway with logs also heading out. Sometimes full rudder was required to keep Spirit in the middle of the channel as the strong eddies tried to move us all over. After a successful exit, both crews decided that doing that again at other than slack water would not be a good idea.

Proceeding up Grenville Channel, we contacted US Customs and got permission to anchor in Foggy Bay for the evening. Entering Chatham Sound, the wind remained light with nothing more than a 1-2 foot swell as we headed for the Green Island Lighthouse and then across Dixon Entrance to Foggy Bay. The wind and seas were as calm as we have ever seen, so by 1445 we had crossed back into US waters and at 1620 were anchored in Foggy Bay. Shortly after Steel Tiger rafted alongside and after an early dinner we all retired for the final push to Ketchikan.

We have now covered 655 nautical miles since leaving Anacortes on April 22.

May 8, 2015 – Final Leg to Ketchikan

Pulling the anchor from Foggy Bay at 0700 we headed out in glassy calm seas north up Revillagigido Channel and after an uneventful trip docked at City Floats at Ketchikan at 1210. Bob and Dianne Tucker met us shortly after docking. They will be with us until Juneau. The skies were sunny, the temperature warm enough for shorts and after rinsing the salt off the boat we headed out sightseeing in a rental car, stopping at Totem Bight and Settler’s Cove before returning for cocktails on the dock in the sun.