On our way to Alaska

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

WOW! Be careful and keep us updated with pics as I am wanting to do this trip in a few years and will use your notes....

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Cape Spencer, where the inland waters of Southeast meet the North Pacific. When it was decided to automate all Alaskan lighthouses, this was first on the list:

Elfin Cove, last chance for fuel and shelter. Diesel about a dollar more than elsewhere in Southeast:

The Fairweather Range. Keep your Alps, Rockies, Himalayas, these pinnacles rise directly from sea level to more than 15,000' Mount St. Elias at 18,000+ wasn't visible during this passage:

We are not alone:

Cape St. Elias, on Kayak Island. This would have been my first choice of lighthouses to de-man:

Beautiful - keep them coming

FoxtrotCharlie said:

Beautiful - keep them coming

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Here's found image (i.e. not mine) which better conveys the true appearance of Cape St Elias that pinnacle is nearly 500 feet tall:

Wow, love me some mountains! In Sep my hiking partner and I head out to the Sierra Nevada's in CA to complete the John Muir Trail which we started last fall. Had to pull off last Sep after about 70 miles due to illness back home - all is well now. About 135 miles and 39,000 ft of elevation gain to go - finish on top of Mt Whitney - at 14,585, the highest in lower 48 - then we have to hike 10 more miles to get down. At 63 and 65 we figured we better do this hike sooner than later . Then it will be time to do the Great Loop!

Spent a week in Anchorage/Seward, crossed back to Prince William Sound for another week and just completed tthe passage from Cordova to Pelican with a very welcome overnight in Yakutat. (36 hours + 20 hours underway)

Off to Sitka tomorrow.

Bill

Bill, we'll be back in Sitka Sunday 7/22. I'll look for you on the docks.
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Ken.. Hatt Trick

Ken E. said:

Bill, we'll be back in Sitka Sunday 7/22. I'll look for you on the docks.
______________
Ken.. Hatt Trick

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I'll be there, dropping one crew member, picking up others on 23rd.

Ken E. said:

Bill, we'll be back in Sitka Sunday 7/22. I'll look for you on the docks.
______________
Ken.. Hatt Trick

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Hey now, don't be given Crusty's and my AA away...

Tom.....I have this secret spot on the boat where I keep a supply of AA specially designated for you and Crusty. I think it's aging nicely. Since you're coming up to AK next year and John's going south to Mexico , you can drink his!

Ken E. said:

Tom.....I have this secret spot on the boat where I keep a supply of AA specially designated for you and Crusty. I think it's aging nicely. Since you're coming up to AK next year and John's going south to Mexico , you can drink his!

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I was very happy to find that for the first meal with Un-Cruise they offered AA. I love the stuff and enjoyed a couple. I was thinking of Crusty and Tom at the time.

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

Hey now, don't be given Crusty's and my AA away...

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Got my own, you selfish...uh...selfish...Oregonian!

AlaskaProf said:

Got my own, you selfish...uh...selfish...Oregonian!

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No no no no........I am not an Oregonian.....no sir no sir....

I am a snowbird......

But I will still sit down with an AA with any of you.

It's a small trawlerforum.

I sat down for a beverage with my next crew, a former colleague from U. of Alaska, at the Longliner here in Sitka and Ken, he of Hatt Trick, was at the next table! We agreed to meet today, but missed. I'm off tomorrow, probably a short jaunt to Kruzof/Mt. Edgecumbe to shake down the new crew. Then Peril Strait to Appleton Cove, Baranof Springs, Tracy Arm and eventually Juneau on the 1st for another crew change.

share.garmin.com/williambutler3

Seeadler in Ketchikan

Hey, Al,

I'm in Bar Harbor, inboard end of Finger 6 'til the 15th.

'Prof

AlaskaProf said:

Hey, Al,

I'm in Bar Harbor, inboard end of Finger 6 'til the 15th.

'Prof

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And Contact with Bill was accomplished! Finally met the 'Man'. Lunch with he, Ken, and Chrystal, of 'Hat Trick' (DAMN, I am of poor name retention here). As always, pressing the flesh of fellow Trawler Forum members is a highlight Fair seas and safe travels to both of the boats.

Al-Ketchikan

Al said:

And Contact with Bill was accomplished! Finally met the 'Man'. Lunch with he, Ken, and Chrystal, of 'Hat Trick' (DAMN, I am of poor name retention here). As always, pressing the flesh of fellow Trawler Forum members is a highlight Fair seas and safe travels to both of the boats.

Al-Ketchikan

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Thanks for the hospitality, the luncheon, and Sea-duction's beer.

It looks like Ken and I will be heading out as a loose formation on Thursday morning for Prince Rupert.

Evening in Shearwater B.C. Canada.

AlaskaProf said:

Thanks for the hospitality, the luncheon, and Sea-duction's beer.

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What??? Pairadice did you read that. Our secret supplier has been compromised?

Helen Marie said:

Evening in Shearwater B.C. Canada.

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Nice. Pairadice and I call this: The bay of dragging anchors......

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

Nice. Pairadice and I call this: The bay of dragging anchors......

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We tied up to the breakwater floats with some other frugal/penny pinching boaters (sailboats) for a cheapo price

MurrayM said:

We tied up to the breakwater floats with some other frugal/penny pinching boaters (sailboats) for a cheapo price

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Photo evidence:

Murray, I'm heading down into your neighborhood shortly, presently at P.Rupert. We're keen on checking out Campania island, Weinberg inlet, etc. I hope the forecast for Hecate strait softens a bit in the next few days or we may just go down Princess Royal channel. How long will you be in the Bella Bella area? Had lunch with your buddy Al in Ketchikan, along with Alaska Prof on Seeadler.
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Ken HattTrick

Ken E. said:

Murray, I'm heading down into your neighborhood shortly, presently at P.Rupert. We're keen on checking out Campania island, Weinberg inlet, etc. I hope the forecast for Hecate strait softens a bit in the next few days or we may just go down Princess Royal channel. How long will you be in the Bella Bella area? Had lunch with your buddy Al in Ketchikan, along with Alaska Prof on Seeadler.
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Ken HattTrick

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Hi Ken,

Campania is nice, for sure. Hint...sandy beaches at the entrance to McMicking Inlet and there's a bonsai like forest on the lower slopes of the mountain.

Sorry, the photo from Shearwater was from last year. We spent my holidays this year in Gardner Canal and it's back to work for me on Monday, so we're back in Kitimat now.

Boo Hoo......

Prof picked up wife in Prince Rupert...my wife, that is, and left immediately to beat forecast winds. Pretty easy passage to Klewnuggit; following winds did pick up to 20-25 late in the day. Ken: sorry you didnt get to meet Gina, but there's a lot of this summer left.

We're at Hartley Bay, planning to tour the various hot springs tomorrow to find one we like.

Murray, decent anchorages look scarce on the "hot spring circuit", got some local knowledge to share? Goat Harbor?

Last night at Blunden Harbour, now Port McNeil. We're slowly making our way to Skyline.

AlaskaProf said:

Prof picked up wife in Prince Rupert...my wife, that is, and left immediately to beat forecast winds. Pretty easy passage to Klewnuggit; following winds did pick up to 20-25 late in the day. Ken: sorry you didnt get to meet Gina, but there's a lot of this summer left.

We're at Hartley Bay, planning to tour the various hot springs tomorrow to find one we like.

Murray, decent anchorages look scarce on the "hot spring circuit", got some local knowledge to share? Goat Harbor?

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Not many “good Anchorages” in the Douglas Channel area except for Kisaway, Eagle Bay, and several spots in Sue Channel between Hawkesbury and Loretta Islands. Clio Bay is a log booming area and may have discarded cables on the bottom. Europa hot springs has a couple mooring buoys.

Just about every other spot is close to an estuary outwash fan where the bottom dives from drying flats to a couple hundred feet at about a 30 degree angle. To anchor near these you have to drop the anchor deeper than normal, pull hard to set it by pulling uphill, then make sure there’s enough under you for low tide.

Pretty sure our last time at Brim River we dropped in 75 feet, pulled up hill to set, let out 150 feet of rode, had 15 feet under the stern at low tide, and there were truck sized boulders on the beach.

We’ve been having 15 knot northerly outflow winds at night lately with 20 knot southerly winds in the late afternoons, so this complicates things depending on the orientation of the valley and mountains where you anchor.

Last time we went out we didn’t stern tie to hold ourselves in line with the set anchor because the night winds were light, but I did sleep on the helm seat with the depth sounder alarms set in case our anchor got plucked out of the sloping bottom!

I’m back to work tomorrow, but I’ll keep a watch here to what you’re up to.