Wrangell – Part 2

Shakes Island Long House

Shakes Island via footbridge

Longhouse Entrance

Downtown Wrangell Totem in park

Today, Sunday is a day of rest in Wrangell. Most stores are closed and the streets are deserted as Miriam and I walk up town. We explore "Shakes Island" with the longhouse, graves and totems and then continue our walk. The first stop is the hardware store for some more fishing gear, instructions and frozen herring so we can go for halibut tomorrow. We wander through several other hardware and clothing stores (all the grocery stores are closed), and end up at the "Diamond C" café for brunch. It is the only place open, and packed. The food is good, and we enjoy a Sunday Brunch in a place right out of "Northern Exposure".

The rest of the day is spent relaxing, cleaning the boat, and then joining our dock mates for cocktails on "DX", whom we had seen at Meyers Chuck. Ernie (DX) was travelling with the Sundowner 36 tug "To Polo" captained by Jean Hart. We really admire two solo travellers here in Alaska.

Later we joined the crew of a Nordic Tug 42 "Salty Dawg" for more cocktails and sea stories. Salty Dawg has been to Alaska numerous times, and the crew has been very successful at fishing. We got a lot of hopefully accurate tips on catching the elusive halibut and salmon while in Alaska. We will just have to wait and see!

The sky is clearing at 10 PM ( it is still light), the seas are calm, let's hope it holds for the morning.

Tomorrow we head for Petersburg via Wrangell Narrows, with the 65 navigational markers in 20 miles.