Is Wrangell Narrows on your initiatory this summer?

[Cigatoo]

We make it a point to stop at Quicks for a swim at least once a year.

 

[Fish53]

We make it a point to stop at Quicks for a swim at least once a year.

It is nice although I've never been swimming there, too many white sharks.

 

[Cigatoo]

It is nice although I've never been swimming there, too many white sharks.

 

[Ventana]

After the first few times going through the narrows and following the advice of the guide books, we have changed our strategy a bit. Most books talk about how you should plan to try to be somewhere around Green Point or Falls Creek at high slack. That would give you a push the whole way through. We now try to time slack closer to when we are in Petersburg to lessen the excitement around the docks there. If you have ever tried to get on or off the fuel dock in Pburg at full current times.....
The narrows itself is well marked with enough space to get out of others way as long as you are paying attention. We have met the ferry, a tug with multiple barges, groups of seiners, probably the hardest obstacle are all the little aluminum Lund fishing boats out in front of the lodges in summer, full of guys thinking they have right of way because they are salmon fishing.
BTW we went through in November this past year when we brought the boat up, no problem with enough daylight for a 7 kn boat even that time of year.

 

[Al]

I once made a gravel pit trip on one of the oldest tugs around, the BEE. Built before the turn of the century, the 20th that is. 65' long and had one of those early Cats in it, 240HP or something I think. It was with my dad, and another tugboater name Cliff Thompson, no relation I suppose. He was a good friend of dads and of the Shrewsburys. Seattle to Steilacoom and back. This was mid to late 60's I think.

Hummm- I know the Bee from around 1960 when Lloyd Whaley owned it, It had and has an old Atlas as a power plant. She is currently sitting in Wrangell under tarp with a owner effort to reconstruct the house ongoing.

When Lloyd owed it he was employed with Standard oil, as myself, as a warehouseman. He had the Bee, the Francis W. and one other old tug. He operated a "Skinny" tow boat service on the side. One time with the Bee under a tow, she ran out of fuel. Whaley really had to scramble to find fuel and deliver it. Tight race between the log rafts and the Bee on the beach. He made it because a good samaritan held the whole show off the shore.

A short story on Lloyd, His towing business cards used the Standard Oil office phone number and Standard Oil plant VHF call sign, The VHF radio was employed to maintain contact with the oil barge that supplied the outlying towns and logging camps. Lloyd would routinely use the radio to contact his boats. Often the phone calls were for Lloyd as well, k One day, while sitting in the main office, the manager who had just finished reminding Lloyd for some incident one of many, had exited the office for his managers office space. Several of us other employees, knowing the issue and witnessing to a degree, the reprimand, He lite up a 1886 cigar, leaned back in the chair and smiled, a call came in and the clerk advised the manager it was for him. Where upon Lloyd in a loud voice, in a hallow of cigar smoke, said "Make the call short, I am expecting a long distance call".

I swear to God, you can not make this stuff up!!! ,

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Thanks for sharing AL. Sometimes we forget the past.......

 

[Russell Clifton]

Found a short video about running the narrows in the fog

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Awesome video. Thanks for sharing.

 

[jimfrens]

I think the title of the thread was meant to be 'itinerary'?

 

[twistedtree]

We enter on last half of a rising tide. Time it to arrive about at marker 44 or 46, where tides meet, at high slack. You'll have a boost on the way in, and again on the way out. If you're doing 7-8 knots relative to water, you have no steering problem.

Might be "a bit" more complicated for the tug/tow. How fast do they travel in WN?

And that’s all there is too it. It makes for good magazine drama, but really isn’t a big deal.

 

[Russell Clifton]

I think the title of the thread was meant to be 'itinerary'?

I didn't think it looked right but I couldn't come up with a easier word.

I have been thru there a few times and it was no problem. I just wanted everyone to see it from the perspective of of what the bigger boats deal with and how important it is to stay alert and stay out of the way of these big guys.

 

[Wxx3]

Like this:

 

[Delfin]

Like this:
View attachment 85450

The run about to starboard of the cruise ship has the right away, so he has no worries.

 

[Russell Clifton]

He could be dead right.