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Old 08-23-2012, 11:05 PM   #1
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A Long Way Home II

I'm going to post numerous pics I took on the way down to Washington from Thorne Bay Alaska. We bought a house in Wa and decided to take the boat south first and avoid doing it in the fall. The fall in SE is usually nasty. For this year we left a bit early I think.

First picture is of the Thorne Bay harbor, however it looks like a pic of Tom White's DeFever. It IS Tom White's boat. He dropped in before we left and we had a little visit. It's always a pleasure to see Tom. This has been home for 7 years and Willy's leaving for the last time.

Second pic is of the McFarland's Flotel south of town in the center of The Bay. Jim McFarland rents those cabins on the shore. You can find an ad for the Flotel in Alaska Magazine. We'll miss Jim, Jeanie and all the fun at the Flotel.

The third pic is of our very good friends Jim and Judy Moffit watching us leave. Jim and Judy are selling this beautiful mini-home and 8 acres. They have another house in town.

Fourth pic: We're on the inside passage southbound in Clarence Strait on our way to Ketchikan. We've made this run quite a few times in the 7 years we were in Thorne Bay. Not often in weather like this.
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Old 08-24-2012, 06:05 AM   #2
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Gotcha Eric - keep em coming...
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Old 08-24-2012, 09:37 AM   #3
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Super cool thread. Keep posting and enjoy your journey!
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Old 08-24-2012, 10:51 AM   #4
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You are right, Eric looks just like the Sound.

Outstanding Keep'em coming.

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Old 08-24-2012, 03:14 PM   #5
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great pictures, does the wind ever blow up there?
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Old 08-25-2012, 09:46 AM   #6
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Yo There's an island just north of Shearwater in northern BC called Yeo Island. A very excellent anchorage called Wigham Cove is at it's south end. I discovered it after becoming lost quite by accident. Two of the next few pics are of Clarence Strait. You can go to some website and get the weather anytime including the wind. The weather station is on Lincoln Rock in the north end of Clarence Strait. One of our TF members looked at it when it was showing wind of 100 knots. He PMed me to see if I was alright. It was only blow'in about 50 here in Thorne Bay. I have lots of pics but I don't have any of it blow'in 100 knots.

I was thinking of Mark last night as my computer just would not connect w the internet. I wanted to make this post but was dead in the water. This morning I searched and pecked around a bit and presto I'm connected ?????

1st pic is of Clarence Strait looking north. Prince of Wales Is on the left and Etolin Is in the distance. Bye Bye to my stomp'in grounds.

2nd pic is looking SW at the shore of Prince of Wales Island.

3rd pic is in Ketchikan at Thomas Basin. Willy in the foreground and the New York Hotel (muddy yellow) in the background on shore where hotels are supposed to be. We came here often even in winter during fairly mild weather. In bad weather we stayed at the New York Hotel and came across on the ferry. Regardless we liked to eat at the New York Cafe at the bottom of the hotel. Great food and interesting people to watch.

4th pic is of a man and his dog on the end of the yacht club float. He and many others live on Pennock Is in the SW part of the harbor in Ketchikan. It's a life of skiffs, weather and solitude on the island.
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Old 08-25-2012, 09:32 PM   #7
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Beautiful Eric! I would love love love to cruise those waters if even just for a few days.
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Old 08-25-2012, 09:35 PM   #8
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1st pic: At anchor in Very Inlet just north of Tree Point at the east end of Dixon Entrance behind Foggy Bay. I got trapped here in 1975 for three days. The anchorage is small and for it's good short scope performance I used my Claw.

2nd pic: At anchor looking west over the saddle. In 75 I came over this saddle in heavy seas surfing on top of a wave. Ran out of water and got stuck in my dink by the tide. Wife was very worried as I was away for 5 hours. It was quite lumpy at high tide this time when the waves from the westerly came right in. Not a great anchorage but we stayed relatively secure.

3rd pic: Leaving in the morning going back through the entrance.
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Old 08-25-2012, 09:53 PM   #9
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Thank's Woodsong.
Just getting started though.
There are ways to get on cruising boats or a brand name cruise w a dozen boats or so. Could fly up and meet in Shearwater, Ketchikan Juneau or wherever. Check yacht clubs, Brand forums or the docks in Seattle. Rent a Nordic Tug out of Juneau. Marin may have ideas or anybody else in the Puget Sound area or the Lower Mainland BC not to mention Vancouver Is. Lots of possibilities. Meet someone on the Forum somewhere. There are 10 or 12 TF members that go north every year. I'll try and put a few pics up every day until I need to pack up my computer.
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Old 08-25-2012, 10:55 PM   #10
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1st pic: Everybody that has gone to Alaska on a small boat knows Three Tree Point. Usually called just Tree Point. It's at the east end of Dixon Entrance not far south of Foggy Bay/Very Inlet. If you make it past Tree Point you've got it made as there is no further exposed crossings. At least that's what people think but of course there are lots of other "protected" waters to get bogged down in heavy seas. Clarence Strait and Chatham Strait come to mind. Tree point is also a gateway to SE Alaska. I've never seen a beautiful picture of Tree Point but I'll bet it's very often photographed. The point is actually where the lighthouse is.

2nd pic: Just east of Dundas Is is another lesser "mile post" called Green Island Light. Basically all marine traffic bound for Alaska goes right by Green Is light.

3rd pic; Metlakatla (Venn) Pass. A good shortcut going north from Prince Rupert w another shortcut going across the flats to Chatham Sound south of Dundas Is and Green Is Light. Very pretty in places the original village of Metlakatla is about mid way along the pass. I like going along the channel and across the flats past all the cans and buoys.
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Old 08-26-2012, 02:10 AM   #11
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Eric-- Great shots. I'm hoping you have some on Grenville and Tolmie channels. Those are my favorite parts of the Passage from a flying aspect. When you're up 1000 feet or so you see all the lakes up above the salt water that the waterfalls come from.
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Old 08-26-2012, 03:33 PM   #12
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Good morning Marin,
We went down Principe Channel on the west side of Pitt Is. Didn't do Grenville at all. I think Tolmie Channel is on the NE side of Princess Royal Is where Butedale is. Yes did go there. Later.

Pic #1: PRRYC ... Prince Rupert Rowing and Yacht Club. Always packed in the summer like most places up the coast. I love Prince Rupert and Cow Bay. It seems that everybody running up or down the coast winds up here. I've seen boats from practically anywhere in the Pacific and that's half the world. Canada is a very international place and PRRYC is even more so. There are always many people on their first trip up the coast and people that have many trips under their keels And all are excited to be there. The only alternative to the yacht club for moorage is the City Floats. It's so packed there that every time I've tied there it was to the side of a fishing boat ... rafting as we call it. I believe rafting is the law of the land/sea in Canada. Your'e required to allow other boats to raft to yours. In Canada other people are more like family and more inclined to share. In The US we are more inclined to Private space.

Pic #2: Tourist places next door to the YC. Restaurants, Kayaking, chartering, motels/hotels and other such stuff. This place in Cow Bay has a rather unique charm that I find fetching. "Smiles" is a Fish & Chips Restaurant that was established in 1938. Great historical pics inside and great food.

Pic #3: Taken from the YC floats deer are often seen in and among the pilings at low tide.
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Old 08-26-2012, 05:55 PM   #13
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Tolmie Channel is between Klemtu and Cone Island. Butedale Reach is what's in front of Butedale. Fraser Reach is the same channel northwest of Butedale. I guess the whole deal is called Princess Royal.

Curious why you went west of Pitt instead of the more direct route down Grenville?
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Old 08-26-2012, 06:18 PM   #14
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Many Boats

beautifull places on a even more beautifull trip...Congrats

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Old 08-26-2012, 06:23 PM   #15
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Seems it's difficult to take a photo in the PNW that isn't scenic/dramatic.

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Old 08-26-2012, 07:30 PM   #16
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Mark you sure have taken a lot of pics of Ketchikan. Good. So you're say'in it's possible? It IS possible. And next to Randy Kerr I'm definitely 2nd rate. He's a professional photographer (see Randy Kerr.com) and the PO of Willy. I'm not a good photographer? Well I know beyond a doubt you don't think that but when I see really good pictures I know I'm 2nd rate. If you really want to see more great pictures search ( Our World ). Over 500 really super amazing photographs from all over the world. It's an excellent geography lesson too. Try it.

Thanks Portugese.

Marin I've done way too much of point A to point B on the inside passage. This time it was a compromise but still saw some new places and re-visited some very special old places. Grenville and Princess Royal Reach are beautiful ditches. Lots of barges, ferries, cruisers like us and cruise ships. Just on the other side of Pitt Is is the wilderness. A wild place w very few boats.

On my narration to this thread I'm at a disadvantage in that all my books and maps and charts are packed. Even my log book is in Wash. So I'm relying on memory alone and at 72 that's questionable as well. I've got the i-pad w the Nav App but it's not forthcoming w many names. Pictures need to be IN the i-pad to be able to post them ... right? Soon I'll be back to the i-pad only and will need Starbucks or some other wifi to even post. This thread will stop then being a photo thread. For new guys here that do'nt know about "A Long Way Home I" it's still here in Voyagers ..., but it's text w/o pics but I put more effort into the text then. I found out on Face Book how much people like pictures.
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Old 08-26-2012, 07:41 PM   #17
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Quote:
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Mark you sure have taken a lot of pics of Ketchikan. Good. So you're say'in it's possible?
Ketchikan seems to be the most interesting location for observing recreational boats in Alaska (visited most SE Alaskan ports up to five times in the last eight or nine years). After all, my 2010 visit to Ketchikan was the final "shove" needed for me to purchase a "trawler."

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Old 08-26-2012, 10:40 PM   #18
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My biggest complaint about the Navimatics charts is they don't show the names of many of the channels and passes unless you zoom way in. And even then some are not shown.

The route up the west side of Pitt looks very intriguing. If or when we get to make this run in the boat we'll definitely think about it. Thanks for pointing it out.
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Old 08-27-2012, 12:15 AM   #19
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Mark,
Too bad you are'nt riding the cruise ships when they came to downtown Jueeau. You'd forget all about Ketchikan but Ketchikan has a small town flavor that Juneau lacks. Sitka has plenty of charm though.

Marin,
You present a too positive opinion of Navamatics and names. Even if the name is on there and you zoomed in (way in as you say) you'll only be looking at about 1/50th of Grenville Channel and you'll have a 1 in 50 chance of seeing the name. Bahh. But I still really like having it.
The west side of Pitt ... I don't know if it's a good place to go for most people. We went there for wild wilderness that makes one feel like an explorer. Another person might say "but there's nothing there". One anchorage there I won't recommend .. you'll see.



Pic #1: Inside the Cowpachino on a rather quiet day or quiet time. Excellent coffee, pastries w lots of berries inside, special but regular breakfasts and sex in a pan ... a chocolate thing. We like the people that flock to this place. Again very international. The cafe Smiles is across the street w good seafood and beyond.

Pic #2: Manyboats and one wife Henning in Cowpachino.
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Old 08-27-2012, 12:52 AM   #20
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Mark,
Too bad you aren't riding the cruise ships when they came to downtown Jueeau. You'd forget all about Ketchikan but Ketchikan has a small town flavor that Juneau lacks. Sitka has plenty of charm though.
No, no. JUNEAU, Ketchikan and Victoria are always on the cruise-ship route; Sitka, Haines, and Skagway are less often. The last two cruises we got off only once each: Haines because we had never been there before, and Skagway to ride the train again. Juneau, Ketchikan, and Victoria have become pedestrian. Next time we'll look for an itinerary includeing Sitka (been there only once).



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