Pairadice and ASD Alaska Adventure 2017

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

I wish we had a speedy boat like you. We'd be crossing tomorrow too. For us at 7 knots it's a bit far from Ketchikan, especially because winds are predicted to pick up in the afternoon. We were going to get going today and stage up at Duke but it's kind of snotty out there.

9.5" of rain since Sunday and counting, Jeez!

Be careful!

Based on Environmental Canada:

Today Tonight and Thursday.
Gale warning in effect.
Wind southeast 25 to 35 knots diminishing to southeast 15 to 25 early this evening then becoming southeast 15 near midnight. Wind diminishing to light early Thursday morning then increasing to southeast 15 to 25 Thursday afternoon.

 

[goboatnow]

Be careful!

Based on Environmental Canada:

Today Tonight and Thursday.
Gale warning in effect.
Wind southeast 25 to 35 knots diminishing to southeast 15 to 25 early this evening then becoming southeast 15 near midnight. Wind diminishing to light early Thursday morning then increasing to southeast 15 to 25 Thursday afternoon.

We're going to wait it out until Saturday/Sunday. Currently Holed up at Thomas Basin.

 

[Al]

I wish we had a speedy boat like you. We'd be crossing tomorrow too. For us at 7 knots it's a bit far from Ketchikan, especially because winds are predicted to pick up in the afternoon. We were going to get going today and stage up at Duke but it's kind of snotty out there.

9.5" of rain since Sunday and counting, Jeez!

Hi GBN- Here is what the Canadian is saying at the moment:

Dixon Entrance East - North Coast - Environment Canada

It is assumed you are on to this information. Windy is showing gust to 15 at Foggy Bay at 9AM . As a fellow 7 knot boat knowing the route, and were going tomorrow it would be a 4 AM departure from here with a time of 9AM at Foggy Bay. If Windy and the Canadian are accurate, then after clearing Cape Fox, were there any anticipation, I'd head Eastward with the inside of the Portland Canal as a goal, traversing behind Tongass Island, taking the slot down into canal up to Whales Passage. Then across to below Port Simpson and into Venn Passage. All of this is a bit out of the way for sure.
We are a 30 foot 7 knotter and have had to take this route twice.

Regards,
Al-Ketchikan

 

[goboatnow]

I hadn't looked at that route. Definitely something to keep in mind.

Thanks

 

[Al]

Actually, as a small boat at 7 knots being wise and having no need to plod out of Dodge, Sunday the 27th by "Windy" is a most weather favorable window. Tough to lay that long.
Tom on "ASD" will scoot over tomorrow no doubt, as will a larger 7 knot boat. I was looking at this through the prism of my smaller craft.

 

[BandB]

One of the things Kay and I love is meeting other boater. Their is a group of folks that were leading a flotilla of boats through SE. I watched and read their blog with a lot of interest. I read about Red Bluff Bay and Warmsprings and after talking to Pairadice we made these our stops too.

Sam, of Safe Harbour and Laura and Kevin of Airship has formed a blog called "Slow Boat." Kay and I enjoyed thier company for cocktails last night. What else is there to do during a storm while waiting on a weather window?

Their blog is worth reading and Laura has some great recipes.

Wifey B: True boaters. When not boating, talking about boating, planning boating.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

We are headed out this morning for Prince Rupert. Tropical Storm Byron has regenerated into a tropical depression due to hit later this afternoon, so we aew outta here. Gollow us on SPOT.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Goodbye Ketch! Its been nice but time to leave

 

[Al]

Goodbye Ketch! Its been nice but time to leave

Mill Pond!

Been Real Guys

 

[Crusty Chief]

Another TFer. We met up with Ken and Christine aboard Hatt Trick here in Ketchican. Had a nice dinner at the top of the ramp. They took off fishing for the next few days and we should be departing for Pruth Bay in the Am. We have a weather window to get around Cape Caution on Sunday. Forecast calls for light winds, 3 ft swells at 8 seconds.
ASD is just North of Buttdale as of 14:30 local. They hope to make Shearwater by tomorrow afternoon.
We will most likely be off the grid for the next few days.
Cheers all!

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Tha past few days have sucked. We left Ketchikan bright and early last Thursday as there was a big storm brewing. Some of my friends got stuck in Myers Chuck and couldn't get to Ketch.

But I made a tactical error. Before we cruised Misty Fjords I fueled up. Did the circle and did not bother to fuel up. Because of this I have to fuel up in Shearwater instead of Port McNeill. This is going to cost me.

So bad to thr trip. We did 130 miles on Thursday. Ketchikan to Prince Rupert then to Klumealon Inlet. As we were getting near I saw an AIS already in the bay. I clicked on it and OMG!!!! Yep ASD's sworn enemy MORNING STAR!!!! We anchored on the other side away from him as we didn't want to poison him with our smoke! This was the last day of good weather.

From here we went to Kutze Bay for the night. Saw a hugh brown bear and had the place to our selves. Low fog, pouring rain and lots of wind. We left early and started for Shearwater. It amazing how many boats of all kinds exiting Alaska. A parade of boats!

Lots of wind and rain with fog. Visibility for most of the trip was less than 3/4 of a mile. As we approached Klemtu, I started to look for alternative to avoid Milbanke Sound. Oscar Passage then down Mathieson Channel was the ticket. We timed Perceval Narrows perfectly. A couple more miles and we popped out at the Light House on Ivory Island. Awesome 5 minutes of beam seas.

So the fuel dock in Shearwater doesn't open until 0830. Not enough time to run from Shearwater to Sullivan Bay tomorrow a mere 133 miles. I had planned to catch up and pass John.

So the next window for us is Tuesday. We will fuel up tomorrow, then Monday stahe at Fury Cove. Tuesday run the Cape to Sullivan.

See you Tuesday evening John!!

 

[Al]

Tom. Airship coming down on the outside heading into protected avenue to your location.Likely some time after you depart. You all look well on the screen!!

 

[Crusty Chief]

Finally Sunshine! 2 days in a row, Woot Woot! Sullivan Bay is great to be in. No Halibut at the docks this year.
See ya tomorrow Tom and Kay, be safe!

 

[Al]

Finally Sunshine! 2 days in a row, /QUOTE]

Same here in Ketchikan,

 

[Ken E.]

Tom, you mentioned going to Pt McNeill for fuel. Have you been there yet? I know you and John were going to meet up at Sullivan Bay. We'll be at PMN tomorrow for a couple days. I was thinking ASD might be thete. Just rounded Cape Caution this morning in good conditions. Always a relief to get by the big dog.

 

[Crusty Chief]

We just tied up at Lagoon Cove. Caught a couple of Coho Just off of James Point. Spent last night in Qwatzi Bay. We saw a Sow and her cub right off our stern. Ill download a couple pics in awhile and tell ya all a little story on how not to land a Coho!

Cheers, Crusty

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Tom, you mentioned going to Pt McNeill for fuel. Have you been there yet? I know you and John were going to meet up at Sullivan Bay. We'll be at PMN tomorrow for a couple days. I was thinking ASD might be thete. Just rounded Cape Caution this morning in good conditions. Always a relief to get by the big dog.

We fueled up in Shearwater and joined John in Sullivan. We are now at Lagoon Cove still chasing fish.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Another TFer. We met up with Ken and Christine aboard Hatt Trick here in Ketchican. Had a nice dinner at the top of the ramp. They took off fishing for the next few days and we should be departing for Pruth Bay in the Am. We have a weather window to get around Cape Caution on Sunday. Forecast calls for light winds, 3 ft swells at 8 seconds.
ASD is just North of Buttdale as of 14:30 local. They hope to make Shearwater by tomorrow afternoon.
We will most likely be off the grid for the next few days.
Cheers all!

Now Ken, I just found out you had a "can" of AA for me. A can??? No one drinks AA from a can!!!! Geez that is like drinking Guinness from a bottle....

 

[Ken E.]

Now Ken, I just found out you had a "can" of AA for me. A can??? No one drinks AA from a can!!!! Geez that is like drinking Guinness from a bottle....

I'm with you and John....I like the long necks best. But when you're buying beer in Craig Alaska, sometimes you take what you can get. In this case cans. You guys frequent the highly cosmopolitan Ketchikan, which caters to refined tastes, beer included. Tell you what......I'm still saving this A A for you if we meet up. If we do, I'll pour it in a cold glass for you.....nearly as good as a long neck but not bad either. Deal?

 

[Ken E.]

In the mean time, you guys are still fishing so I'll give you some spots to try in that area, places that we've caught fish in past years. About a mile or two from Lagoon Cove, troll the west side of Minstral Island. Try squid hoochies or spoons 40 - 60 ft on the downrigger. Then, when you move down to Johnstone Strait, try just west of Port Neville. There's a slight bay that indents the shoreline. Troll deep, right off the bottom. Ling cod are in there as well as salmon. Our freezer is full of fish and prawns from Alaska, so we're done fishing for this trip. If you connect at these places, then YOU owe ME a beer! Cans are ok.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

I'm with you and John....I like the long necks best. But when you're buying beer in Craig Alaska, sometimes you take what you can get. In this case cans. You guys frequent the highly cosmopolitan Ketchikan, which caters to refined tastes, beer included. Tell you what......I'm still saving this A A for you if we meet up. If we do, I'll pour it in a cold glass for you.....nearly as good as a long neck but not bad either. Deal?

LOL Deal!!!!! Cold glass would be good!!

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

In the mean time, you guys are still fishing so I'll give you some spots to try in that area, places that we've caught fish in past years. About a mile or two from Lagoon Cove, troll the west side of Minstral Island. Try squid hoochies or spoons 40 - 60 ft on the downrigger. Then, when you move down to Johnstone Strait, try just west of Port Neville. There's a slight bay that indents the shoreline. Troll deep, right off the bottom. Ling cod are in there as well as salmon. Our freezer is full of fish and prawns from Alaska, so we're done fishing for this trip. If you connect at these places, then YOU owe ME a beer! Cans are ok.

I will be glad to owe you. John and I are headed out to Minstral in the morning...

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

So here we are in the perfect fishing machine. I do believe John has sold his soul to the devil!!! I can not get a bite, strick or even a bump on my side of the boat. But John gets strick after strick after fish!! He lost more fish than I have. So do you think he would appreciate the excellent guide service I am providing? Oh no he is complaining about how many fish he has lost to barbless hooks!! I believe the next fish he hooks will force me to cut his line....

Lagoon Cove

 

[Ken E.]

Was this fish caught at Minstral Island? Pretty nice one, John. You could have at least felt sorry for Tom and let him reel it in!

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Was this fish caught at Minstral Island? Pretty nice one, John. You could have at least felt sorry for Tom and let him reel it in!

 

[Crusty Chief]

How to land a Salmon........

So Ive been fishing with this so called "Expert", "Wanna Be Guide", "Seasoned Fisherman" and so on now for almost 5 months. This guy cant catch a Salmon, even on a a good day.
He has more advise and technique to give me, and yet the only way he could land a fish in his boat is to bribe a fellow fisherman with beer.
So anyway, the Admiral and I were traveling from Sullivan Bay to Kwatzi and the fish were jumping all around us. I decided to try my luck without the "Expert", so down to Idle we go and line in the water.
Not 5 mins goes by and I get a strike, I'm feeling pretty good the fish is getting closer to the "Mother Ship" so I ask the Admiral to get the net. She extends the handle and hangs it over the stern ready to snag the monster I had on line. I'm playing this fish for all its worth, ready to show the "Expert" how its done.
As the fish gets almost to the swim step, the net is in the water ready for me to bring it in.
We get the monster in the net and as I lift the net, with the fish in it, the handle separates from the net.
Now the monster is in the net, only no way to retrieve the net. The damn thing jumps out of the net and the fight is on once again. Now I watching the only net I have float away from the boat, one hell of a salmon on the line and no way to retrieve him.
So I do the only thing I can do and try to wear him out, then try and bring him onto the swim platform.
All is going to plan and as I lift the monster onto the swim platform, I ask the admiral for a bit of help. She is on the Starboard side taking pictures of the "cute" Killer whale that has surfaced a few hundred feet away. So, I open the stern gate to grab my monster, and just as I step on the platform, the monster gets his second wind and starts flopping around jumps right off the swim platform and before I can recover, the basturd spits out the hook and I swear he even looks back at me and winks.
So now my goal is to outfish that so called "expert" Tom, and so far its working.
Wish me luck Fellow Tfer's.

Cheers, Crusty

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Now I must say I have NEVER seen someone lose as many fish as John has and I have never had a fish kick my butt the way the one did above, let alone lose a net! I need to post standard operation procedures (SOP) on the handle.
Beer is loaded, sun is out so lets see if the "salmon extraordinaire" will let me catch a fish.

 

[BandB]

I've never figured out why two people fishing the same spot, using the same technique and one of them consistently get more strikes, catch more fish. My cousin generally caught more than I did but he fished more and enjoyed it more so never really bothered me. In the current group we spend time with are two long time fisherpersons who are incredibly knowledgeable and skilled. Then there's a girl who did her first fishing of her life at 19 off Cabo San Lucas. She catches a 300+ lb. Marlin. Since that day she fishes on fishing charters with the rest of us, she fishes with the two long time experts who made their living running fishing charters at one time, and somehow she consistently will catch more than anyone else on the boat. I've decided it's a reward because she absolutely loves it more than any of the rest of us. Amazing though and I'll never fully understand the way of the fish.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

So the bad JuJu ended today. I caught a 10.5 lb winter king (Canadians call them "white kings as the meat is white) and a 13lb coho. Awesome day. Heading south to Shoal Bay tomorrow.

 

[dhays]

Now Ken, I just found out you had a "can" of AA for me. A can??? No one drinks AA from a can!!!! Geez that is like drinking Guinness from a bottle....

I made the move to all can beer on the boat. More compact that glass, less space to store the empties, and no risk of breakage in rough weather. I also go with nothing but plastic liquor bottles.

You can find some very good local beer in cans these days.