Leaving Ketchikan my plan was to run the International waters on a three day run to Neah Bay, but the Windy forecast rapidly degraded to Gale Warnings, so I cut back inside Graham Island and then jumped from there back to the inside passages through Queen Charlotte Strait, past Dent and the rapids, and down to Anacortes.
I spent a few days in Anacortes, repaired the broken diverter valve on my septic system, and generally rested for the next leg of my voyage. It was a pleasure to be in a harbor like Anacortes, with everything at hand and familiar since it's where my boat was delivered when I purchased it in Virginia and had it trucked across the country.
Leaving Anacortes with full fuel and provisions I ran to Neah Bay, anchored for the night and proceeded down the coast to LaPush, which was a train wreck of a harbor. The docks literally had trees and grass growing out of them and it was extremely shallow. I wound up anchoring in the channel outside the harbor for the night and pushed on in the morning at first light.
I pushed down to Hoquiam, fighting my way against the current running 4.5 knots against me, and found the marina was full, shallow, and there was no harbor master available. I came in about dark, tied for the night in a 30 minute loading zone with 3' of water under the hull, and left in the morning when the docks became active. There is a long waiting list for slips, and the locals have taken pretty much all of the transient spaces. Kevin said he tied to the fuel dock for the night and left at sun up.
Things get better after that, with stops in Newport and Bandon, good docks, plenty of transient space, water under the hull. I had to stay in Bandon for a few days while weather blew past before running to Brookings, which was dark and poorly lighted, fumbling my way in and slowing down the local mariners until I finally pulled aside and let them lead me in.
I used my iPad for fine navigation in the channels, and it worked well and was very accurate. My autopilot has a Bluetooth remote control and I used it to steer while manipulating the iPad. The next morning I departed for Eureka where I stayed for several day (weather again) on Woodley Island, which had a marina with some security.
There is only one fuel dock in the entire area, next to the public marina, due to leasing by the city. So I topped off, as Bandon fueled boats from a fuel truck and I wasn't confident in the quality of the fuel due to low fuel turnover in the very small harbor.
I will continue the story at a later date, it's time to go wander the streets of Ensenada and become further acclimated to being in Mexico
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