Port Harvey to Ganges

July 24, 2012

Spirit departed Port Harvey at 0800 under overcast skies which soon cleared as we headed east in Johnstone Strait.  The tide was ebbing strongly against us, so we hugged the back eddy on the Vancouver Island shore until the eddy failed us at Kelsey Bay.  The current was now 5 knots against us, so we decided to head across Johnstone Strait just east of Helmken Island, avoiding Ripple Shoal and up Chancellor Channel , though Greene Point Rapids, which were near slack and then tied up at Cordero Lodge at 1345 under warm sunny skies.

The spotless docks at Cordero Lodge

Enjoying the end of our German dinner at Cordero Lodge

The docks at Cordero Lodge are good.

We were lucky in that Doris Kuppers was there for the day cooking in place of the new chef.  We had a good German dinner, Patrick having sauerbraten and Miriam having a chicken schnitzel with a crab and hollandaise sauce.

July 25, 2012

The skies remained sunny as we left Cordero Lodge for the 14 mile run to Dent Island Lodge.  We departed at 0800 to hit slack water at Dent Rapids, and docked at Dent Island at 1010.  By evening the docks were full, but we were able to get a spot at the Rapids Grill for dinner, where the chef prepares a Tapas style six course menu which turned out to be delicious.  The meal included grilled avocado with a shrimp salsa and a gazpacho soup, duck confit ravioli with brown butter sauce, grilled spot prawns, grilled tenderloin, and a dessert takeoff on a gelato with berries.

July 26, 2012

We spent another day at Dent Island, including fishing from the tender, but with no luck.  We had a conventional dinner on the main dining room patio that evening, under sunny skies, preceeded by appetizers in the lounge which included seared scallops.  Miriam had rack of lamb and Patrick had the grilled tenderloin.  We both had the chocolate volcano cake for dessert.

July 27, 2012

Slack water at Yuculta Rapids was after noon, but we left Dent Island under sunny skies at 1120 to get a boost from the last of the flood tide.  By 1440 we were anchored in Gorge Harbor enjoying the sunny weather, cooled off by occasional clouds.

July 28, 2012

Spirit departed Gorge Harbor at 0655 in an attempt to get a boost from the last of the ebb tide.  The attempt did not work and we bucked adverse currents and wind all the way down the Straits of Georgia to Nanaimo, covering Spirit with salt spray.  We were fortunate to find dock space at Cameron Island for the evening since the harbor at Newcastle Island was jammed on a Saturday evening.  We finally docked at 1705 after more than 10 hours underway.  Nanaimo was sunny and warm and we were impressed with all the improvements to the harbor and the town and the number of dining choices.  Nanaimo has also put in a cruise ship dock!

July 29, 2012

Spirit departed Nanaimo at 1000 after a leisurely morning.  The skies were sunny and it was already warm in town.  We headed out into the Straits of Georgia and re-entered Trincomali Channel via Porlier Pass rather than wait until 1400 for slack water at Dodd Narrows.  The sea conditions were a light 1 foot chop and 10 knots of wind from the SE.  Porlier Pass was interesting since there was still a 4 knot current against us, but no big eddies and whirlpools like the tidal rapids north of Desolation Sound.

After an easy motor down Trincomali Channel we anchored in Montague Harbor at 1410 under sunny but breezy skies.  We have now covered slightly more than 700 nautical miles since leaving Ketchikan.

July 30, 2012

The evening was interesting in Montague Harbor.  The wind was only 15 knots, but the rudeness and lack of consideration with wakes in the anchorage made Spirit roll almost continuously until dark and then again from 0600 in the morning.  The seaplanes were especially bad, both from noise and wakes.  There is also poor cell phone reception and no data connections.

Under high overcast skies and 10-15 knots of wind from the SE we departed Montague Harbor for the short run to Ganges, arriving at 1120.  The wind was brisk from the SE gusting to 25 knots and the temperature was in the low 60’s.  By 1600 the wind had begun to drop and temperatures increased.  We will see Miriam’s cousin Dean Sevold this evening in what has become a tradition in visiting Ganges.

Port McNeill to Port Harvey

July 21, 2012

A deserted Greenway Sound Resort

Departing Port McNeill at 0955 we headed around the east end of Malcom Island and north across Queen Charlotte Strait to Fife Sound. As we headed out past then end of Malcom Island we ran across another fellow rowing a native canoe, the second rower we have seen out in the open water.   We had intended to anchor in Laura Bay, but there were too many boats already there to suit us, so we headed into Greenway Sound, intended to anchor somewhere.  After exploring all of Greenway Sound and finding nothing that we liked for anchoring we headed back to Greenway Sound Marina, now closed and deteriorating badly.  However, at 1615 we tied up behind “Kraken”, a Canoe Cove 41 and discovered that we could send the marina owners, Tom and Ann Taylor, a check for moorage to their La Conner address.

Rower in Queen Charlotte Strait

Patrick put out prawn pots as a deluge of biblical proportions engulfed the sound.  We had a dinner of Dungeness crab and avocado salads and then we shared cocktails with Fred and Carol Demchuk from “Kraken” as the heavy rain continued.

Greenway Sound Prawns

July 22, 2012

The rain was slightly lighter in the morning as Patrick pulled the pots.  There were not many prawns, but the several dozen were all large. At 1135 we cast off lines from the deteriorating docks and headed to Shawl Bay, where we tied up at 1250.  The sun came out and after meeting the other boats, Patrick set out the prawn pots once again.  Shawl Bay has a deep fried turkey dinner on Sundays and we were able to participate.  The resort supplies the turkey, dressing and gravy while the visiting boats potluck the side dishes and bring their own beverages.  It was a great experience meeting the other boat owners, several of whom were from Maple Bay Yacht Club.  Patrick repaired part of the yacht club burgee display and put in a Roche Harbor Yacht Club Burgee to complete the repair.

July 23, 2012

Shawl Bay has a pancake breakfast every morning, so we made sure we were up by 0800 to participate.  After breakfast Patrick pulled the prawn pots, again only several dozen, but all good sized prawns.  At 1020 we departed Shawl Bay and headed east in Tribune Channel, finally exiting into Knight Inlet for 2 miles, then down Chatham Passage into Havannah Channel, arriving at Port Harvey under overcast skies at 1555.  Dinner was fish and chips at the Port Harvey Marine Resort restaurant.

Shearwater to Port McNeill

July 17, 2012

Departing Shearwater under overcast skies at 0915 we headed down Lama Passage and across Fisher Channel to Codville Lagoon where we anchored behind Codville Island in 90 feet of water.  By the time we anchored at 1145 the skies had cleared and the temperature began to rise.  Patrick set 3 prawn pots and 2 crab pots in our favorite locations by 1300 and then hiked to Sager Lake, a 15 minute walk.  The beach of reddish sand was stunning and the water was pleasantly warm.  Patrick was tempted to go for a swim, but did not bring a suit and there were 6 other people already up on the beach.  The beach had a lot of game tracks, deer, raccoon and what we believe may have been wolf tracks.

Pink Sand Beach at Sager Lake, Codville Lagoon

Another view of beach at Sager Lake

Returning to Spirit we lounged in the sun until Patrick checked the pots.  We had 9 large Dungeness crab and 7 dozen coonstripe shrimp; no spot prawns.  Patrick set the prawn pots in new locations.  Returning to Spirit we invited Steve and Alice from “Second Wind” over for wine and cheese.  They live on their Cal 2-27 sailboat on the same dock at Anacortes and we pass by their boat every time we go up and down the dock, so finally getting to know them was fun.  They are cruising with 2 Catalina 34 sailboats so we gave Steve and Alice 4 of our crab to share among the three boats.

Dinner was Coho salmon, sautéed zucchini and salad.  Following dinner we cleaned and cooked 5 crab.

July 18, 2012

Overnight our crab pots trapped 9 additional large Dungeness crab so Patrick gave 4 away to other vessels in the lagoon since we were the only ones with crab pots out.  The prawn pots yielded mixed results, with 4 dozen large spot prawns and only 8 coonstripe shrimp.  After stowing all the gear and the tender we pulled the anchor up at 1000 under clearing skies and headed south down Fisher channel into Fitzhugh Sound towards several potential anchorages for the evening before attempting to cross Cape Caution in the morning.

Our anchorage of choice turned out to be Green Island Anchorage where we had stopped on the way north.  The anchorage was empty so we had our choice of locations, dropping the anchor  in 30 feet of water at 1405.  By evening we were joined by two sailboats and a motor vessel which stayed just two hours and left.  We spent the afternoon relaxing, although the sun finally disappeared hidden by a high overcast and the temperature only got to 65 degrees, which combined with a 10 knot breeze made sitting outside a little cool.  For the first time the horseflies are a real nuisance, along with bees and a few mosquitoes which have found fresh blood!

Midden at Green Island Anchorage

Green Island Anchorage is characterized by an old midden of clam shells, now overgrown with bushes.  The bushes look impenetrable.

Departure for the 80 nautical mile crossing to Port McNeill is planned for 0500.

July 19, 2012

We forgot to reset our alarm clocks to Pacific Daylight Time, they were still on Alaska Daylight Time, so we slept in longer than we intended.  Rushing to get the anchor up, we left only 41 minutes later than planned under sunny skies and minimal winds.  The report from the West Sea Otter buoy says the seas are only 2.6 feet, so we should have an easy crossing if the wind does not pick up.

The buoy reports proved accurate as headed past Cape Calvert and towards Cape Caution.  What we did not expect was fog, which reduced our visibility to ¼ mile at times as we approached Pine Island.  The winds were always less than 10 knots and the swells were never more than 6 feet.  The fog persisted off and on most of the way down Gordon Channel and then cleared.  We were treated to a last few humpback whales and then docked at Port McNeill Fuel Dock and Marina at 1325.  We were not the only “Spirit” at the dock that night.  About 1900 another “Spirit” docked, only this one was 177 feet in length and is apparently a luxury charter vessel built in 2011 by Amel in the Netherlands, which charters for more than $400,000 per week plus expenses according to the internet websites.

Another "Spirit", just slightly larger!

We have now travelled 413 nautical miles since leaving Ketchikan, and a total of more than 2600 nautical miles since leaving Anacortes.

Prince Rupert to Shearwater

July 13, 2012

Our departure from Prince Rupert was 0550, timed to maximize the push from the currents in Grenville Channel.  The weather started out sunny, then cloudy at the top of Grenville Channel.  There were a lot of gillnetters to dodge until we passed Client Reef.  There was a gale warning in effect in Hecate Strait, just a few miles to the west, but Grenville Channel only had winds of 10 knots.

Patrick continued his temperature survey of the exhaust system and the temperatures just kept rising, but no more pinholes have developed.

Spirit arrived at Lowe Inlet, Nettle Basin under sunny skies and warm temperatures at 1320.  There were a few salmon jumping but attempts to get them to bite were fruitless.  By evening there were four other vessels anchored in Nettle Basin and although the wind did increase to 15 knots late in the afternoon the gale force winds never materialized.

July 14, 2012

Departing at 0645 under sunny skies and pleasant temperatures we continued down Grenville Channel and then down Princess Royal Channel, Hiekish Narrows and into Finlayson Channel were we encountered the first significant wind, 20-25 knots from the SW and 2 foot chop.  Our destination for the evening was Bottleneck Inlet and as soon as we entered the wind dropped due to the protected entrance.  Spirit anchored in 30 feet of water, joining 3 other vessels already there.

July 15, 2012

The skies were sunny and the winds were calm as we departed Bottleneck Inlet at 0735.  We took the scenic route through Jackson Narrows, Mathieson Channel, Percival Narrows, Reid Passage and Seaforth Channel into Shearwater where we anchored outside the log boom breakwater at 1410.  There were a number of cruising friends already either docked or at anchor so we had drinks on Spirit with Harry and Teri Johnson from “Steel Tiger”, then dinner at the Shearwater Restaurant with Riley’s from “Sea Pal”, Hannum’s from “Northern, Len and Vera from “Chatham II”, Ky and Terry from “Banyan” and Steve and Rolynn Anderson from “Intrepid”.  We finished the evening on our bow seat watching the sun set under clear, warm skies.

July 16, 2012

The weather continued clear and warm so we decided to go fishing off Idol Point.  Leaving at 0720 we had our first Coho salmon on board by 0900 and continued to fish until 1100, keeping one more Coho and releasing 2 small but legal fish and losing another.  The fishing ended when a large pod of Orca’s came through the area.  On the way back we saw this fellow rowing down Seaforth Channel.  We had seen him two days ago in Princess Royal Channel headed towards Butedale.  We returned and anchored off of the breakwater at Shearwater.  After smoking some of the salmon we shared our salmon with Harry & Teri Johnson and with their appetizers and guests on Steel Tiger.

We will head to Codville Lagoon in the morning, then some place closer to Cape Caution on Wednesday, hoping to cross to Port McNeill on Thursday where we once again should have cell phone connectivity.

Orca in Seaforth Channel

Rower in Seaforth Channel

Ketchikan to Prince Rupert Southbound

July 8, 2012

Another rainy day in Ketchikan as Jon & Susanne take a final sightseeing walk and pack for their return flight on Alaska Airlines.  We were disappointed that the water taxi is no longer in business, but we were able to arrange a conventional taxi even with 5 cruise ships in town.

The balance of the day was spent on boat maintenance in preparation for the return south across Dixon Entrance.

July 9, 2012

After a long training walk Patrick changed the oil in the generator and in the process discovered a leaking shaft seal on the raw water pump, another item for the fall maintenance schedule.  Patrick also discovered what appears to be pinhole leaks in the main engine fiberglass exhaust pipe, a problem that has been reported by other Selene owners.  Again, something for fall, the list is getting long.

The rain stopped for a while and we went for a lunch of Halibut and Chips downtown, eating them in “Fat Sam’s” pub.  The halibut was delicious.  Then the rains began in earnest and finally quit sometime before dawn.

July 10, 2012

After a training walk of three miles we got underway for the fuel dock shortly after 0800.  After putting 540 gallons of fuel on board we headed out under clearing skies for Foggy Bay, arriving at 1350 under sunny skies.  Along the way we were treated to some last views of humpback whales and a few Dall Porpoises.  The skies were clear but the wind was too cold to sit outside.  Dave and Rose Banks from the Jeanneau 42DS “Wind Rose” came over for drinks.  We met them in Meyers Chuck a few days ago.  He is also recently retired from Boeing.

July 11, 2012

Foggy Bay emptied out early, with the last boats leaving behind us shortly after 0500.  The seas were relatively calm, with 10 knots of wind and a low westerly swell.  Staying a little over one mile offshore to avoid the gill netters we crossed into Canada at 0730 Alaska time, 0830 PDT and by 1300 PDT we were tied up at the Prince Rupert Rowing and Yacht Club waiting for our customs clearance appointment time to expire, which happened at 1315, so we were cleared!  Patrick began the search for possible repair parts for the main engine exhaust system, but with no success.

We had made a dinner reservation for the Cow Bay Café and the food was excellent, as usual.  Miriam had halibut and Patrick had a tenderloin steak, accompanied by a Malbec wine from Argentina and followed by desserts.

July 12, 2012

The day began with dense fog which cleared by 0915 and the rest of the day was sunny, but windy.  Patrick continued the search for parts, but again, no success.  Meanwhile Miriam shopped for fresh fruits and vegetables which we could not bring across the border.

We plan on leaving early in the morning and continuing south.  The winds are predicted to get to gale force from the NW by Saturday, but we should be OK on the inside passages and hopefully the ridge of high pressure will move east and let us get across Queen Charlotte Sound (Cape Caution).  There will only be limited cell phone coverage until we get to Port McNeill in about one week.

Petersburg to Ketchikan Southbound

July 3, 2012

Petersburg Fish Processing at dusk

The 4^th of July celebrations started early with a “trash” fish derby for the kids.  Many of them were fishing alongside our boat.  Only hand lines were allowed and the size of some of the fish was amazing.  After final photo ops we departed Petersburg just before noon to take advantage of the currents in Wrangell Narrows as we headed southbound under partly sunny skies with no rain for a change. 

Proud Petersburg Fisher Girl 

The tide really goes out!

 The only traffic in Wrangell Narrows was one tug/barge at the south entrance. Exiting into Sumner Strait we bucked a strong ebb tide all the way into Wrangell where we docked at a nearly deserted Heritage Harbor at 1720. Walking into town we discovered that Reliance Floats also were nearly empty. The main street was still partially torn up and all the stores were already closed in preparation for the July 4^thholiday.  Continuing to the end of town we stopped at the Stikine Inn for martinis and appetizers (bacon wrapped scallops in a bed of white wine hollandaise sauce – yummy) before returning to Heritage Harbor in the courtesy van.  Dinner was grilled steak and salads served on the flybridge in the sun.

July 4, 2012

Independence Day started out sunny so we launched the tender for the one mile run into Reliance Floats in time for the parade.  We think everyone on Wrangell Island was either in the parade or watching, a sizeable crowd.  Almost every vehicle and float was throwing out candy to the children watching, many of who brought shopping bags to collect the largess.  The fire engines were full of kids sitting on top of the hoses.  The parade started with the American Legion carrying the flags and ended with one of the police cars.

Waiting for candy

Kids riding the Wrangell Fire Trucks

One of the more unusual participants

We all headed down to the logging competition and sat on logs in the sun watching the competitors saw, chop, bucksaw and throw axes. 

Logging Chain Saw Competition

Chopping competition

Lunch was salads and Waygu beef sliders at the Stikine Inn before heading back to Heritage Harbor for a rest, a late dinner, some photography and then fireworks.  Heading back into the summer floats in front of the Stikine Inn we had excellent New York steaks and salads before heading out onto the patio to watch the fireworks which were launched from the dock just above where the tender was tied.  The fireworks started at dusk, which meant 11 PM and lasted about 30 minutes.  There was still enough light that taking the tender back to Spirit was easy.

Interesting crab pot floats

Purse Seine Floats

July 5, 2012

Intending to fish, we left Wrangell and headed south down Zimovia Strait at 0845.  The fish were not interested in tasting any of our bait and we finally anchored in Santa Anna Inlet at 1530 under sunny skies.  Patrick & Jon set three prawn pots and two crab pots.  A check at 2130 brought up 4 dozen nice sized spot prawns.  Dinner was a black rice salad and curried halibut and sea bass.

Spot Prawns

July 6, 2012

The prawn pots yielded another 6 dozen nice prawns, but only starfish in the crab pots.  Jon and Patrick worked on the clogged drain in the anchor locker since most of the chain was already on the bottom and discovered a mass of debris which was cleaned out.  At 1030 we raised the anchor and headed down Seward Passage to Ernest Sound where Dall Porpoises played around the bow for 20 minutes.  Turning the corner into Clarence Strait we encountered 25 knot winds and confused seas for the two mile run into Meyers Chuck.  There was plenty of space at the public float and we were moored by 1530.  Although rain was predicted, by 1700 the wind had calmed down and the skies were still dry.

Meyers Chuck Yard Art

With only 35 miles to run tomorrow to Ketchikan, we have now travelled 2205 nautical miles since leaving Anacortes.

July 7, 2012

Shortly before 0700 Cassie from Meyers Chuck delivered freshly baked cinnamon rolls to the boats on the dock and then opened up the gallery where we purchased another wood bowl.  The bowl was New Zealand Kauri wood, made by Cliff Hall who splits his time between Meyers Chuck, New Zealand and Seabeck, WA.

After a hearty breakfast of biscuits and sausage gravy we headed out in Clarence Strait at 0820 into 3-5 foot seas with SE winds that gradually built to 30 knots right  on the bow.  The rain was heavy so the salt spray was washed away.  The seas continued to build to occasional 8 foot steep waves due to the current opposing the wind.  As we approached Tongass Narrows the winds decreased to 15-20 knots and the seas subsided as we reached the lee of Gravina Island.

We managed to find an empty spot at City Floats right downtown near where we moored on the way north.  The rain increased to a drenching downpour as we tied up at our home for the next few days until we have the right weather window to cross Dixon Entrance and re-enter British Columbia at Prince Rupert.

After a happy hour menu on board Spirit of smoked king salmon, spot prawns and vodka martinis we walked to the Cape Fox Lodge funicular tram for a ride to the lodge and dinner.  The scallops wrapped with bacon and hollandaise sauce was not the same standard as in Wrangell, but still good.  The prime rib, pepper steak and baby back ribs were all excellent. 

Finishing Dinner at Cape Fox Lodge

The stop on the way back at the Sourdough Bar was interesting since a group of visitors from Missouri rang the bell and bought a round for everyone in the house.  We finally called it a night shortly before 2300, since Jon and Susanne have a return flight tomorrow and have not started packing.

A deserted Creek Street at 9:30 PM

Heading South - Sort Of!

We have to go north to head south on our way from Sitka to Ketchikan,

June 25-27

The rains returned, along with much cooler temperatures, as we cleaned and reorganized the boat in anticipation of Jon and Susanne Liljegren’s arrival on Thursday.  On Tuesday we were invited to dinner on Wild Blue prepared by one of Alex Benson’s three college classmates who are in town fishing with Alex.  We started with a salmon gumbo, then shrimp salad and finished off with barbequed duck breasts, all delicious!

June 28, 2012

Jon and Susanne arrived on schedule in the rain, but we headed into town for sightseeing and then final provisioning before going to a farewell to Sitka dinner at the Channel Club.  We planned on fishing in the morning, so everyone went to bed early.

June 29, 2012

Getting underway at 0720 we headed out into Sitka Sound and by 0930 Jon had caught his first Alaskan king salmon, but then the bite disappeared and we reluctantly pulled in the lines and headed north to Sergius Narrows, timing our arrival for low slack water to take advantage of the push from the flood current.  Aside from persistent rain showers, the seas and wind were calm.  Continuing through Peril Strait we finally stopped for the night at Saook Bay where we anchored Spirit in 100 feet of water.

Jon's First King Salmon

While anchoring we discovered the chain lockers drains had become plugged, probably from the mud washing off the chain in Kalinin Bay.  We had assumed the drains on the bowsprit drained directly overboard, but discovered they just went to the bottom of the chain lockers so even when washing off the mud before reaching the windlass, washed the mud into the chain locker anyway.  Access to the drains proved impractical without different tools, so Patrick and Jon bailed out the lockers with a plastic bowl taped to the end of a boathook.  A permanent solution will have to wait until fall.

We almost had the bay to ourselves; only one other sailing vessel and 40 commercial crab pots across the end of the bay joined us.  Jon and Patrick set two crab pots and two prawn traps in the rainy and cool evening.

Dinner was fresh king salmon from the morning’s catch accompanied by brown rice and a Greek style salad.

June 30, 2012

Sunlight streaming in the stateroom windows woke us up, but by the time coffee was made the sun had disappeared, replaced by the liquid variety we have had all week.  The crab pots yielded only two large Dungeness crab and the prawn pots were empty.  Getting underway at 0915 we continued east in Peril Strait and turned south into Chatham Strait where we visited Kasnyku Falss for photos and then trolled unsuccessfully for salmon before heading into Warm Springs Bay.  The docks were full, so we anchored in one of the south coves in 90 feet of water.  The bottom was hard a getting the anchor to set was hard.  Jon and Susanne headed into the dock in the tender and walked up to Baranof Hot Springs and Baranof Lake.  The hot springs were full of people in all stages of dress and un-dress.  Electing to not join in, they headed back down the muddy trail and returned to Spirit in what was now drenching rain.

While they were gone Patrick and Miriam remained on Spirit and smoked some salmon for dinner appetizers.  Dinner was excellent American “Kobe” style beef ribeye steaks brought to Sitka by Jon and Susanne that came from the “Head to Tail” butcher shop in the Pike Place Market.  The grilled steak was followed by fresh Dungeness crab and wedge salads.  We dined alfresco on the flybridge with the rear flaps open even though there was light rain but with the sun trying to break through.  After dinner we tendered over to “Blue Heron” from Gig Harbor who had arrived and anchored close by.  We had crossed paths with Blue Heron several times so far this trip, and also in 2007.

Dining on fresh crab on the fly bridge

July 1, 2012

The sun tried to break thru, but was beaten by light rain in the morning as we headed out for Tracy Arm at 0620.  There were lots of humpback whales and some sea otters as we turned into Frederick Sound.  Turning north into Stephens passage the marine life disappeared and we were not even greeted by the usual pods of Dall Porpoises.  Our only company was Blue Heron, headed to Endicott Arm.

Entering Tracy Arm at 1530 we headed up in nearly ice free conditions for the first ten miles, and reached Sawyer Island at 1800, where we headed towards South Sawyer Glacier, getting to within 2 miles before we ran out of time to get back to No Name Cove before dark.  The views were spectacular and there was the least floating ice we have ever seen.  North Sawyer glacier had retreated out of sight compared to our trip in 2010 and is no longer a tidewater glacier.  We stopped and picked up some fresh glacial ice for drinks when we returned to the anchorage.

Humpback Whales in Chatham Strait

South Sawyer Glacier

We anchored in the cove at 2120 in calm conditions, joining 5 other vessels, including three sailboats flying French flags.  Later, just before dark Blue Heron also arrived, having been in Endicott Arm.

July 2, 2012

We raised the anchor at 0645 to take advantage of low slack water (a -1.7 foot tide) at the entrance to Tracy Arm.

Final farewell to Tracy Arm 2012

Heading south under partly sunny skies and light northerly winds we saw one whale where we usually see dozens.  Then we got closer to Five Fingers Islands and stopped the boat to watch several whales feeding.  The rest of the journey was uneventful under partly sunny skies, no wind and calm seas.

We docked at Petersburg at 1710 under partly cloudy skies and had pizza at Papa Bear’s on the main street.