Saturday, October 11, 2008 Otter Cove
Now don’t get confused. This is Otter Cove, not Sea Otter Cove! We followed a route down the Inland Passage with a lot of twists and turns with lots of really pretty scenery to get here. On the way, this afternoon, while I was on watch, I spotted a pod of Orcas off of our starboard bow. We turned to intercept them, and I managed to get a couple of good photos before they dove deep and disappeared. That really made the trip complete! I now have photos of bears, Humpback whales, salmon, and finally Orcas. They are quite majestic with their very large dorsal fins. They were very graceful as they surfaced and blew repeatedly within a couple of boat lengths of us.
This evening, we are anchored in a small cove that is in the middle of a logging operation. They are in the process of the cleanup phase, and there are many fires and lots of smoke in the air. The one good thing is that there are no mosquitoes or any other biting insects around. The gas grill on the stern pulpit got used to cook chicken tonight, and it was its farewell meal. I have been propping it together to cook on, and it has been having more pieces come loose every time. Tonight’s chicken was not one of it’s better jobs, so I have decided to bid it farewell and let it finish it’s days as a marine sanctuary beginning tomorrow morning. Scott is giving me his blessing to proceed with this noble duty. The air is much warmer tonight than it has been for a few days, so we are just running heat long enough to dry things up a bit before bed. Tomorrow will be the second last day of what has been a wonderful journey, and we are planning to be at another resort for dinner.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Jeff's Log ~ Friday, October 10th, 2008
Friday Morning, October 10, 2008 Port Hardy, British Columbia, Canada 0229
I guess that I must have turned in a little too early last night because here it is at 0230, and I am awake and raring to go. The days are blending into each other, and time is flying by, even though it seems like it is dragging by slowly. We are now at about 160 miles from our final destination for the winter, which is in Vancouver.
We left Shear Water Marina on the eighth, at about 1000. We stopped at the fuel dock and topped off the two fuel bladders, to make sure we had enough fuel for possibly motoring all the way to Vancouver. We then continued our trip down the Inland Passage to Fish Egg Inlet. The morning weather was fine. It was possibly some of the nicest weather we have had since entering Canada. After lunch it turned stormy again, with blustery winds and hard cold rain. It was pouring as we entered Green Island cove and set the anchor. I cooked dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and corn, and made a dessert of apples baked with cinnamon sticks and a crumb topping. After the cold and rainy afternoon, the food was comforting, and as the night turned totally black, we both went to bed rather early.
The fore and aft heaters still are acting up, so we warmed up the boat with only the main salon heat. It got really chilly at about 0200. I broke out my heated back massaging pad and laid on it with the heat on, and quickly fell back to sleep. We woke to clear skies and after morning coffee, pulled the anchor and got under way once again. We had about seventy miles to Port Hardy. The morning was again absolutely beautiful, as we traversed Fitzhugh Sound, and the Queen Charlotte Strait. There were storms building west of us that provided excellent sailing breeze. There was a slight problem though. In Shearwater, with high winds predicted, I had lashed the mainsail and closed the cover. In order to put the main up, I had to undo all of that. We sailed under jib alone for a while, but it was very ineffective with the wind so far behind us. I got up on the boom and began releasing the cover clips, but in the large quartering swells, I decided that it was a little too dangerous to be up there.
We poked along, until after lunch and a slight turn in our course put the seas a little more behind us. I pulled the boom to the side, stood on the dingy, and got the rest of the clips undone. There was some motivation provided by another sailboat that was closing on us from behind. When I see another sailboat, it is always a race; I don’t care where I am! Scott turned Pipe Dream into the wind, we raised the main, then resumed our course, and the other boat quickly shrank and disappeared over the transom. With the large quartering waves, the autopilot did a little too much wandering for my taste, so I drove the boat. It was good fun and a little bit of a workout, as we had twenty plus knots of breeze from directly astern and three meter quartering seas. I needed some practice driving downwind, and got it. After a while, I was confident enough to close my eyes and drive by the feel of the wind on my neck and ears. I have never been able to do that before. We picked up some kelp on the keel, and the boat slowed to fewer than ten knots, and down below it sounded like a machine gun rapping on the bottom of the hull. The turbulence caused would make the whole boat wobble as we surfed down the waves. We had to jibe in a short while, so I drove her like that to the jibe point.
Jibing is the act of taking the stern through the wind, and the main has to be swung around to the other side. Because of the kelp, we had to tack the boat around to the other board, using the engine, and allowing the boat to stop and begin moving backwards. Tacking the boat puts the bow through the wind. As we suspected, a very large bunch of kelp came off the keel. As we stated to sail, we could see that we were still dragging it, so we put the bow in the wind again, and let her back until it was clear. After getting rid of our underwater baggage, Pipe dream felt like a sports car. Our course took us to a beam reach, and the wind freshened to twenty-eight knots. It sure didn’t take long to complete the last four miles. I was a little occupied watching the course over ground instrument to avoid shallows to monitor speed, but when I did glance at it, it was twelve and a half knots. That’s Cruisin’!!! As we approached the small harbor, we sadly had to drop the main and end a very nice day of sailing, becoming a power boat again for the short trip to our dock. Port Hardy is a small resort town. The marina is quiet and the people are friendly. The restaurant is a cozy kind of place, with hockey on the TV. After having the special of ribs and chicken, and a piece of cheesecake, I called it a night. Tomorrow should be a fairly easy, short forty mile day. Our slip in Vancouver will not be available until Monday, so we will take our time finishing the journey.
Friday Night, October 10, 2008, 2100
This morning, after coffee, I was going to have breakfast up at the pub. As I stepped onto the dock, I realized that the entire dock was covered in frost. That is something that I haven’t seen in a long time. The last part of the floating dock before the ramp was extremely slippery. After the treacherous walk, the restaurant was found to be closed temporarily, so I reversed course and slipped and slid my way back to the boat for an English muffin with jelly.
The weather God smiled on us again today. We could not sail, but it was a totally clear, sunny day and the mountain tops were all covered in fresh snow as we started this morning. Visibility was at least twenty miles, and the wind was light and on the nose. As the day progressed, we watched the snow cover disappear from the lower elevations due to the warm sun. Tonight we are anchored in a place called Pott’s Lagoon. It is a very clear night, and the half moon is so bright, that I thought that maybe sunglasses would be needed to comfortably look around. There are four floating homes nearby, but only one is occupied at present. As we anchored and got settled, we observed a middle aged couple tending to their chores. It was pretty neat when we pulled up and saw the smoke coming from the chimney. Scott at first did not like the idea of anchoring in close proximity to the cabins, but after a while, he was ok with it. This place is so quiet and sheltered from the wind, that for the first time ever, we could hear a sea gull land in the water at a distance of seventy five yards. They are actually quite noisy when they take off and land. This evening’s dinner was spaghetti with meat sauce and a bottle of wine. It is tough being a pair of bachelors on a sailing adventure.
I guess that I must have turned in a little too early last night because here it is at 0230, and I am awake and raring to go. The days are blending into each other, and time is flying by, even though it seems like it is dragging by slowly. We are now at about 160 miles from our final destination for the winter, which is in Vancouver.
We left Shear Water Marina on the eighth, at about 1000. We stopped at the fuel dock and topped off the two fuel bladders, to make sure we had enough fuel for possibly motoring all the way to Vancouver. We then continued our trip down the Inland Passage to Fish Egg Inlet. The morning weather was fine. It was possibly some of the nicest weather we have had since entering Canada. After lunch it turned stormy again, with blustery winds and hard cold rain. It was pouring as we entered Green Island cove and set the anchor. I cooked dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and corn, and made a dessert of apples baked with cinnamon sticks and a crumb topping. After the cold and rainy afternoon, the food was comforting, and as the night turned totally black, we both went to bed rather early.
The fore and aft heaters still are acting up, so we warmed up the boat with only the main salon heat. It got really chilly at about 0200. I broke out my heated back massaging pad and laid on it with the heat on, and quickly fell back to sleep. We woke to clear skies and after morning coffee, pulled the anchor and got under way once again. We had about seventy miles to Port Hardy. The morning was again absolutely beautiful, as we traversed Fitzhugh Sound, and the Queen Charlotte Strait. There were storms building west of us that provided excellent sailing breeze. There was a slight problem though. In Shearwater, with high winds predicted, I had lashed the mainsail and closed the cover. In order to put the main up, I had to undo all of that. We sailed under jib alone for a while, but it was very ineffective with the wind so far behind us. I got up on the boom and began releasing the cover clips, but in the large quartering swells, I decided that it was a little too dangerous to be up there.
We poked along, until after lunch and a slight turn in our course put the seas a little more behind us. I pulled the boom to the side, stood on the dingy, and got the rest of the clips undone. There was some motivation provided by another sailboat that was closing on us from behind. When I see another sailboat, it is always a race; I don’t care where I am! Scott turned Pipe Dream into the wind, we raised the main, then resumed our course, and the other boat quickly shrank and disappeared over the transom. With the large quartering waves, the autopilot did a little too much wandering for my taste, so I drove the boat. It was good fun and a little bit of a workout, as we had twenty plus knots of breeze from directly astern and three meter quartering seas. I needed some practice driving downwind, and got it. After a while, I was confident enough to close my eyes and drive by the feel of the wind on my neck and ears. I have never been able to do that before. We picked up some kelp on the keel, and the boat slowed to fewer than ten knots, and down below it sounded like a machine gun rapping on the bottom of the hull. The turbulence caused would make the whole boat wobble as we surfed down the waves. We had to jibe in a short while, so I drove her like that to the jibe point.
Jibing is the act of taking the stern through the wind, and the main has to be swung around to the other side. Because of the kelp, we had to tack the boat around to the other board, using the engine, and allowing the boat to stop and begin moving backwards. Tacking the boat puts the bow through the wind. As we suspected, a very large bunch of kelp came off the keel. As we stated to sail, we could see that we were still dragging it, so we put the bow in the wind again, and let her back until it was clear. After getting rid of our underwater baggage, Pipe dream felt like a sports car. Our course took us to a beam reach, and the wind freshened to twenty-eight knots. It sure didn’t take long to complete the last four miles. I was a little occupied watching the course over ground instrument to avoid shallows to monitor speed, but when I did glance at it, it was twelve and a half knots. That’s Cruisin’!!! As we approached the small harbor, we sadly had to drop the main and end a very nice day of sailing, becoming a power boat again for the short trip to our dock. Port Hardy is a small resort town. The marina is quiet and the people are friendly. The restaurant is a cozy kind of place, with hockey on the TV. After having the special of ribs and chicken, and a piece of cheesecake, I called it a night. Tomorrow should be a fairly easy, short forty mile day. Our slip in Vancouver will not be available until Monday, so we will take our time finishing the journey.
Friday Night, October 10, 2008, 2100
This morning, after coffee, I was going to have breakfast up at the pub. As I stepped onto the dock, I realized that the entire dock was covered in frost. That is something that I haven’t seen in a long time. The last part of the floating dock before the ramp was extremely slippery. After the treacherous walk, the restaurant was found to be closed temporarily, so I reversed course and slipped and slid my way back to the boat for an English muffin with jelly.
The weather God smiled on us again today. We could not sail, but it was a totally clear, sunny day and the mountain tops were all covered in fresh snow as we started this morning. Visibility was at least twenty miles, and the wind was light and on the nose. As the day progressed, we watched the snow cover disappear from the lower elevations due to the warm sun. Tonight we are anchored in a place called Pott’s Lagoon. It is a very clear night, and the half moon is so bright, that I thought that maybe sunglasses would be needed to comfortably look around. There are four floating homes nearby, but only one is occupied at present. As we anchored and got settled, we observed a middle aged couple tending to their chores. It was pretty neat when we pulled up and saw the smoke coming from the chimney. Scott at first did not like the idea of anchoring in close proximity to the cabins, but after a while, he was ok with it. This place is so quiet and sheltered from the wind, that for the first time ever, we could hear a sea gull land in the water at a distance of seventy five yards. They are actually quite noisy when they take off and land. This evening’s dinner was spaghetti with meat sauce and a bottle of wine. It is tough being a pair of bachelors on a sailing adventure.
Captain Scott's Log ~ Friday, October 10th, 2008
1:09 PM
Subject: Vancouver Island
3 days in Shearwater hunkered down for the "hurricane" that never even
whimpered. On the last night we had sleet and hail all night. Snow plows
were working inland. Wed I had to push on. We sailed by NAMU another old
cannery with dozens of old stately crumbling building. Like Burkedale it had
only one resident. These places were a big deal a hundred years ago. Much to
my amazement both places are on the world map that hangs on the bulkhead.
That night was in yet another perfectly sheltered cove--Green Island 51 38
5n 127 50w. Thursday we left the inside passage to sail across Queen
Charollete Strait and sail we did. 25 kts from behind got us surfing. Nearly
70 miles to the NW tip of Vancouver Island to Port Hardy, a resort. Thur and
Fri have been clear and cold. Outside temp 41 this morning at 10am. It froze
last night and there is ice on the dock.
Subject: Vancouver Island
3 days in Shearwater hunkered down for the "hurricane" that never even
whimpered. On the last night we had sleet and hail all night. Snow plows
were working inland. Wed I had to push on. We sailed by NAMU another old
cannery with dozens of old stately crumbling building. Like Burkedale it had
only one resident. These places were a big deal a hundred years ago. Much to
my amazement both places are on the world map that hangs on the bulkhead.
That night was in yet another perfectly sheltered cove--Green Island 51 38
5n 127 50w. Thursday we left the inside passage to sail across Queen
Charollete Strait and sail we did. 25 kts from behind got us surfing. Nearly
70 miles to the NW tip of Vancouver Island to Port Hardy, a resort. Thur and
Fri have been clear and cold. Outside temp 41 this morning at 10am. It froze
last night and there is ice on the dock.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Jeff's Log ~ Tuesday, October 7th, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008 Shearwater Marina, Bella Bella, British Columbia
On our way from The Verny falls, we stopped at an old cannery called Butedale. The place is mostly in ruins, but there is a caretaker living there by the name of Lou. He is known as Butedale Lou. He stays there with his dog named Bert, who was born there and orphaned when he was a pup by a pack of wolves that killed the rest of his family. There is also an orange cat that looks like George, who is named Tiger.George is a lucky cat that is owned by a very dear friend of mine, Ivani. Tiger and Bert met us at the fairly solid, but rustic, floating dock. They were followed by Lou, who also came down to meet us, even though it was raining.
There were lots of interesting things to look at in the ruins. Lou took us on a little tour and told us how things were in the cannery heydays. The old power house that was a hydro-electric plant is still there, and the pipes that run down to it from the lake above still supply the stream of water which still is used to turn the old generator. The big generators no longer function, but the machinery still is used to turn an automotive alternator wit a belt driven off of the old armature. He has an inverter which supplies AC power for vcr and TV, as well as a little bit of lighting. There is a 12 volt battery bank which is charged by the alternator. That keeps the refrigeration working, as during the summer, Lou sells ice cream to his visitors. He also does painted native style carvings out of a large yellow cedar log that he drug in to shore a couple of years ago. He cuts and split’s the log himself, and makes his own finished boards from it, utilizing a hydro powered planer which is part of the old machinery. Quite a tough old fella, I must say.
He seems very happy and content, but is talking about retiring and returning to civilization, although he gets a gleam in his eye when he says that Butedale is the perfect place to live. I was impressed when we walked in to his home, and with a single wood burning stove, it was dry and very large inside. Things were kept pretty clean too. He lives in what was the mess hall. There are a couple of cabins, and during summer, he also rents rooms to fishermen and hunters. You would have to enjoy rustic living to stay there! After our tour, Lou joined us aboard Pipe Dream, and we all had a cocktail. Bert waited patiently in the cockpit for his master to finish. Lou enjoyed seeing the map of where the boat has been, and after a short while, it was time for us to leave, as we wanted to get to the next anchorage before dark. Lou gave us a hand with our lines, and we were off. We anchored in Bottleneck Cove, along with two other sailboats from Australia.
Morning found us leaving in the rain, and both of them staying, awaiting better weather. We made our course for Bella Bella, and arrived here at the shearwater Marina well before dark. The weather did deteriorate all day, and right outside the pass to Bella Bella, it was downright nasty with the cold rain being blown sideways, making the awning all but useless. My feet got cold, and I turned into a whimpering baby, and had to turn the heat on when my watch was completed. It’s amazing to me how cold feet can do that.
Shearwater has all of the proper stuff. A bar and restaurant that is pretty good, a Laundromat, and clean restrooms and showers. Hurricane winds were predicted, so we stayed an extra day. We never saw any of that wind, but I was glad for just a little time to relax ashore, with the shore power connected, and the heat on. It is nice to have a dry atmosphere for a change. As we were getting prepared to leave today, Scott noticed that the radar appeared to be cocked. The gimbaled mount that has been cracked since I got on the boat is now really cracked, and was in danger of breaking. I went up on the main halyard, and disassembled the radar antenna and removed the whole thing from the backstay. It took a while to gain access to all of the wiring, and supporting myself while not losing any of the pieces was quite a feat. I got the job completed, and now have a few aches and pains, and a stiff joint or two.
As I was putting away all of the stuff from that project, I noticed that the heat in the fore and aft cabins had quit working. The seawater pump was not running. I pulled up the necessary floor boards, and discovered a broken shaft for the impeller. I robbed the necessary parts from the used spare pump, and had that repaired by lunchtime. We chose to stay here another night, as there were still some squalls coming through from the storm that missed us. The dinner special was lamb shank with risotto, so staying the extra day turned out just fine for me.
On our way from The Verny falls, we stopped at an old cannery called Butedale. The place is mostly in ruins, but there is a caretaker living there by the name of Lou. He is known as Butedale Lou. He stays there with his dog named Bert, who was born there and orphaned when he was a pup by a pack of wolves that killed the rest of his family. There is also an orange cat that looks like George, who is named Tiger.George is a lucky cat that is owned by a very dear friend of mine, Ivani. Tiger and Bert met us at the fairly solid, but rustic, floating dock. They were followed by Lou, who also came down to meet us, even though it was raining.
There were lots of interesting things to look at in the ruins. Lou took us on a little tour and told us how things were in the cannery heydays. The old power house that was a hydro-electric plant is still there, and the pipes that run down to it from the lake above still supply the stream of water which still is used to turn the old generator. The big generators no longer function, but the machinery still is used to turn an automotive alternator wit a belt driven off of the old armature. He has an inverter which supplies AC power for vcr and TV, as well as a little bit of lighting. There is a 12 volt battery bank which is charged by the alternator. That keeps the refrigeration working, as during the summer, Lou sells ice cream to his visitors. He also does painted native style carvings out of a large yellow cedar log that he drug in to shore a couple of years ago. He cuts and split’s the log himself, and makes his own finished boards from it, utilizing a hydro powered planer which is part of the old machinery. Quite a tough old fella, I must say.
He seems very happy and content, but is talking about retiring and returning to civilization, although he gets a gleam in his eye when he says that Butedale is the perfect place to live. I was impressed when we walked in to his home, and with a single wood burning stove, it was dry and very large inside. Things were kept pretty clean too. He lives in what was the mess hall. There are a couple of cabins, and during summer, he also rents rooms to fishermen and hunters. You would have to enjoy rustic living to stay there! After our tour, Lou joined us aboard Pipe Dream, and we all had a cocktail. Bert waited patiently in the cockpit for his master to finish. Lou enjoyed seeing the map of where the boat has been, and after a short while, it was time for us to leave, as we wanted to get to the next anchorage before dark. Lou gave us a hand with our lines, and we were off. We anchored in Bottleneck Cove, along with two other sailboats from Australia.
Morning found us leaving in the rain, and both of them staying, awaiting better weather. We made our course for Bella Bella, and arrived here at the shearwater Marina well before dark. The weather did deteriorate all day, and right outside the pass to Bella Bella, it was downright nasty with the cold rain being blown sideways, making the awning all but useless. My feet got cold, and I turned into a whimpering baby, and had to turn the heat on when my watch was completed. It’s amazing to me how cold feet can do that.
Shearwater has all of the proper stuff. A bar and restaurant that is pretty good, a Laundromat, and clean restrooms and showers. Hurricane winds were predicted, so we stayed an extra day. We never saw any of that wind, but I was glad for just a little time to relax ashore, with the shore power connected, and the heat on. It is nice to have a dry atmosphere for a change. As we were getting prepared to leave today, Scott noticed that the radar appeared to be cocked. The gimbaled mount that has been cracked since I got on the boat is now really cracked, and was in danger of breaking. I went up on the main halyard, and disassembled the radar antenna and removed the whole thing from the backstay. It took a while to gain access to all of the wiring, and supporting myself while not losing any of the pieces was quite a feat. I got the job completed, and now have a few aches and pains, and a stiff joint or two.
As I was putting away all of the stuff from that project, I noticed that the heat in the fore and aft cabins had quit working. The seawater pump was not running. I pulled up the necessary floor boards, and discovered a broken shaft for the impeller. I robbed the necessary parts from the used spare pump, and had that repaired by lunchtime. We chose to stay here another night, as there were still some squalls coming through from the storm that missed us. The dinner special was lamb shank with risotto, so staying the extra day turned out just fine for me.
Captains Scott's Log ~ Tuesday, October 7th, 2008
Subject: hurricane & radar
Yesterdays hurricane amounted to 2 kts of wind gusting to 8. So today I got
the forcast in writing from the Coast Guard: "Today Tonight and Wednesday
Hurricane force wind warning in effect. Wind NW 55 to 65 kts". Its blowing 7
now so I decided to leave but noted a problem with the backstay radar mount.
The radar was tilted down 30 degrees with the front end pointing upwards. In
retrospect my first clue should have been several days ago --then I noted
something on radar approaching us very fast. I ran up on deck in time to see
the heliocopter pass. Now the radar is a hazard ready to fall on the
helmsmans head. So the morning was spent getting it down. Hope there is no
thick fog between here and Vancouver. Too late to leave so we will let this
hurricane pass and head south Wed
Yesterdays hurricane amounted to 2 kts of wind gusting to 8. So today I got
the forcast in writing from the Coast Guard: "Today Tonight and Wednesday
Hurricane force wind warning in effect. Wind NW 55 to 65 kts". Its blowing 7
now so I decided to leave but noted a problem with the backstay radar mount.
The radar was tilted down 30 degrees with the front end pointing upwards. In
retrospect my first clue should have been several days ago --then I noted
something on radar approaching us very fast. I ran up on deck in time to see
the heliocopter pass. Now the radar is a hazard ready to fall on the
helmsmans head. So the morning was spent getting it down. Hope there is no
thick fog between here and Vancouver. Too late to leave so we will let this
hurricane pass and head south Wed
Jeff's Log ~ Friday, October 3rd, 2008
Friday, October 3,2008 53 23.82N 129 17.20W, Otter Shoal, British Columbia, Canada
Yesterday, we just beat the high winds and most of the rain across Dixon Entrance, to our anchorage Kumealon Inlet. We did have to anchor three times because the anchor drug in the high winds. The third time proved to be the charm, and we stayed firmly anchored until morning. After a dinner of chicken with mushroom gravy, it was lights out.
Today, we slept in a little bit, and were under way by about 0900. The weather today was delightful, with partly cloudy skies, and light wind and the usual current on the nose. We anchored in a beautiful spot called Nettle Basin for lunch. It was a terrific anchorage right in front of Verney Waterfall. The waterfall is at the end of the river, and the river apparently breeds biting flies which drove us away after lunch. When we pulled into the cove, there were a lot of bubbles in the water. As we got closer to the falls, we encountered what at first appeared to be floating ice. On closer inspection, it was foam from the waterfall. Quite an interesting phenomenon, heh? We were wondering if maybe that had something to do with the flies.
At any rate, we headed back out into the channel, and traveled for another three and a half hours south to Otter Shoal, which is a fairly open spot, but fairly calm today. A south east blow would not be good, but I don’t think we need to worry about that tonight. We haven’t seen any otters, but we did hear the call of loons which is pretty neat. Tonight is a very simple dinner. We are making hot dogs and pork n beans. I’m going to have mine with relish, sour kraut, ketchup and mustard. It will be an early start tomorrow, so I will turn in early tonight. This is not really an exciting part of the journey is it!
Yesterday, we just beat the high winds and most of the rain across Dixon Entrance, to our anchorage Kumealon Inlet. We did have to anchor three times because the anchor drug in the high winds. The third time proved to be the charm, and we stayed firmly anchored until morning. After a dinner of chicken with mushroom gravy, it was lights out.
Today, we slept in a little bit, and were under way by about 0900. The weather today was delightful, with partly cloudy skies, and light wind and the usual current on the nose. We anchored in a beautiful spot called Nettle Basin for lunch. It was a terrific anchorage right in front of Verney Waterfall. The waterfall is at the end of the river, and the river apparently breeds biting flies which drove us away after lunch. When we pulled into the cove, there were a lot of bubbles in the water. As we got closer to the falls, we encountered what at first appeared to be floating ice. On closer inspection, it was foam from the waterfall. Quite an interesting phenomenon, heh? We were wondering if maybe that had something to do with the flies.
At any rate, we headed back out into the channel, and traveled for another three and a half hours south to Otter Shoal, which is a fairly open spot, but fairly calm today. A south east blow would not be good, but I don’t think we need to worry about that tonight. We haven’t seen any otters, but we did hear the call of loons which is pretty neat. Tonight is a very simple dinner. We are making hot dogs and pork n beans. I’m going to have mine with relish, sour kraut, ketchup and mustard. It will be an early start tomorrow, so I will turn in early tonight. This is not really an exciting part of the journey is it!
Jeff's Log ~ Wednesday, October 1st, 2008
Wednesday, October 1,2008, Foggy Bay, Alaska
We left Ketchikan on a glorious sunny morning. A little back-tracking was necessary for fuel and propane. The fuel dock provided for both needs, and we were on our way at about 1100. The trip down the channel this time was an awesome one with the splendor of the scenery visible for miles. About an hour after lunch, however, things began to deteriorate, and before long, we had gusts to 35 knots on the nose, and seas were building rapidly. Our destination of Foggy Bay was not far away, and we got there with a minimum of discomfort. The channel in to the anchorage was very narrow, and Scott drove the boat slowly while I directed him from the nav. Station. There was only one time when I had to really get tough with him because he did not want to follow my direction. After we were anchored, I showed him on the chart what he could not see under water, and we are still friends.
Ken left us some Friskies cat food to try in the crab trap. I cleaned out the very rotten chicken that produced no results, and installed the cat food. That yielded the usual results this morning. You guessed it, an empty trap. They sure make it look easy on the deadliest catch tv show! While we were at anchor last night, the sky was full of stars, and they were so bright, one could almost read in the cockpit. We fell asleep to the sound of wolves howling. Sometimes close and fairly loud, and sometimes distant and very hushed. That sure was neat. I wonder what they were talking about.
This morning, we were up at 0700, and the tide was low. We both could see what we navigated through yesterday afternoon, and congratulated each other on the job that we did. Navigation out was done the same way, retracing the path that was left on the chart plotter. We were safely outside the rocks by 0815, and Scott took the first watch. We expect wind and seas to build all day as we go to the Chatham Straights, on the other side of the Dixon Inlet.
We left Ketchikan on a glorious sunny morning. A little back-tracking was necessary for fuel and propane. The fuel dock provided for both needs, and we were on our way at about 1100. The trip down the channel this time was an awesome one with the splendor of the scenery visible for miles. About an hour after lunch, however, things began to deteriorate, and before long, we had gusts to 35 knots on the nose, and seas were building rapidly. Our destination of Foggy Bay was not far away, and we got there with a minimum of discomfort. The channel in to the anchorage was very narrow, and Scott drove the boat slowly while I directed him from the nav. Station. There was only one time when I had to really get tough with him because he did not want to follow my direction. After we were anchored, I showed him on the chart what he could not see under water, and we are still friends.
Ken left us some Friskies cat food to try in the crab trap. I cleaned out the very rotten chicken that produced no results, and installed the cat food. That yielded the usual results this morning. You guessed it, an empty trap. They sure make it look easy on the deadliest catch tv show! While we were at anchor last night, the sky was full of stars, and they were so bright, one could almost read in the cockpit. We fell asleep to the sound of wolves howling. Sometimes close and fairly loud, and sometimes distant and very hushed. That sure was neat. I wonder what they were talking about.
This morning, we were up at 0700, and the tide was low. We both could see what we navigated through yesterday afternoon, and congratulated each other on the job that we did. Navigation out was done the same way, retracing the path that was left on the chart plotter. We were safely outside the rocks by 0815, and Scott took the first watch. We expect wind and seas to build all day as we go to the Chatham Straights, on the other side of the Dixon Inlet.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Captain Scott's Log ~ October 1st, 3rd, 5th & 6th 2008
Sent: Wednesday, October 01, 2008 2:20 PM
Subject: almost gales and wolves
On Mon the guests went to the airport at 10am. Their plane was delayed for
repair and they took off around 8pm. The airport bar bill exceeded their air
tickets. Back on the boat, Jeff and I got laundry done, engine repaired,
refueled, boat cleaned up, refill propane tanks, and re-fix the autopilot.
The weather perfect and Tuesday was clear sunny and beautiful. So we headed
south for Canada. Things changed fast as they do in these parts. By
afternoon the wind was 25 on the nose and big rolling seas were beginning to
break. The weather service gave gale warnings till midnight wed. So I
stopped at Foggy Bay which is fully protected on all sides prepared to spend
wed there as well. Getting in the narrow entrance with the seas breaking on
rocks on both sides was scary but the millpond inside made it worth it. At
sunset a wolf began to howl and for a half hour we could follow his progress
through the woods. In the silence of the night the howls awoke me at
midnight and again at 4 am. Wed morning dawned clear and calm. The weather
service now reported no gale but deteriorating weather so we left ASAP to
try for Prince Rupert. Now, motor sailing across the Dixon Entrance in good
weather.
Sent: Friday, October 03, 2008 3:58 PM
Subject: Inside passage
Pipe Dream got across the Dixon Entrance in nice weather. This is one of the
few places open to the Pacific Ocean. Freighters offshore were reporting
high wind and dropping barometers but we waltzed into Prince Rupert
unscratched. Clearing into Canada was only a phone call. Prince Rupert is a
real town. Unlike Any place we went in Alaska, Prince Rupert is connected to
the rest of the continent by roads. At noon the outside air temp is 52 and
water temp is 50. Still we have the feeling of being south. Thursday we
pushed on into the inside passage--nearly 100 miles of natural channel
taking us further south. The start was easy but by afternoon the Pacific
gale began to push ashore. Even in the channel we had 30 kts with rain on
the nose. There are good anchorages everywhere. So I quit early and
anchored in Kumealon Inlet 53 52n 125 58w. Completely enclosed and
beautiful, But 30 kt gusts would hit us broadside and heel us over while
anchored. Twice this action pulled out our set anchor and we dragged and had
to reset in the rain. 3rd time was a charm and we held for the night. Today
the weather is good again and we are motoring happily south flanked by pine
forests, mountains, and waterfalls
Sent: Sunday, October 05, 2008 1:56 PM
Subject: More inside passage
On Friday we came to Lowe inlet with Verney falls. A must stop and we
anchored 100 feet off the falls so that the current held us in place. We
were going to spend the day and night here, but found the serpent in this
Garden of Eden. There were swarms of small black gnats which at first seemed
only a minor nuisance. Jeff and I found the truth at the same time--they
were vampire gnats and we were forced to flee. On Sat we came to Butedale a
large cannery built in 1909. It was a state of the art glorious place and
now a falling down ruin. Lou is the lone occupant with his dog Bert and Cat
Tiger. The 3 story bunkhouse collapsed last year under 20 ft snows. Bert’s
dad was taken by wolves and Tigers mom was had by eagles. The old power
plant still stands with 2 hydro generators--one still turns but no longer
generates. So this huge piece of machinery turns a small belt on a car
alternator which continuously charges a bank of batteries. Then an inverter
gives him his electricity.
Sent: Monday, October 06, 2008 1:58 PM
Subject: Hurricane
After the Vampire gnats (we are still itching) and Butedale, Pipe Dream
spent a perfect night in Bottleneck Inlet. 2 Australian sailboats we
there--also heading south. Bottleneck had its salmon stream and harbor seal
along with close in high wooded cliffs. Streams of low clouds flowed through
the pines. Sunday we powered down to Bella Bella a large Native American
town--a raw trip with blustery winds and cold rain. LOTS of logs in the
water requiring continuous watch ahead. The Coast Guard now broadcasting storm
warnings (more than 50 kts of wind). So we are holed up at Shearwater Marina
along with all the local fishing boats. Monday morning the CG now calling
for hurricane force winds starting this afternoon. It’s blowing 4 outside
with sunshine (does the coast guard take its cue from Channel 7?). But the
locals are taking it seriously and so are we.
Subject: almost gales and wolves
On Mon the guests went to the airport at 10am. Their plane was delayed for
repair and they took off around 8pm. The airport bar bill exceeded their air
tickets. Back on the boat, Jeff and I got laundry done, engine repaired,
refueled, boat cleaned up, refill propane tanks, and re-fix the autopilot.
The weather perfect and Tuesday was clear sunny and beautiful. So we headed
south for Canada. Things changed fast as they do in these parts. By
afternoon the wind was 25 on the nose and big rolling seas were beginning to
break. The weather service gave gale warnings till midnight wed. So I
stopped at Foggy Bay which is fully protected on all sides prepared to spend
wed there as well. Getting in the narrow entrance with the seas breaking on
rocks on both sides was scary but the millpond inside made it worth it. At
sunset a wolf began to howl and for a half hour we could follow his progress
through the woods. In the silence of the night the howls awoke me at
midnight and again at 4 am. Wed morning dawned clear and calm. The weather
service now reported no gale but deteriorating weather so we left ASAP to
try for Prince Rupert. Now, motor sailing across the Dixon Entrance in good
weather.
Sent: Friday, October 03, 2008 3:58 PM
Subject: Inside passage
Pipe Dream got across the Dixon Entrance in nice weather. This is one of the
few places open to the Pacific Ocean. Freighters offshore were reporting
high wind and dropping barometers but we waltzed into Prince Rupert
unscratched. Clearing into Canada was only a phone call. Prince Rupert is a
real town. Unlike Any place we went in Alaska, Prince Rupert is connected to
the rest of the continent by roads. At noon the outside air temp is 52 and
water temp is 50. Still we have the feeling of being south. Thursday we
pushed on into the inside passage--nearly 100 miles of natural channel
taking us further south. The start was easy but by afternoon the Pacific
gale began to push ashore. Even in the channel we had 30 kts with rain on
the nose. There are good anchorages everywhere. So I quit early and
anchored in Kumealon Inlet 53 52n 125 58w. Completely enclosed and
beautiful, But 30 kt gusts would hit us broadside and heel us over while
anchored. Twice this action pulled out our set anchor and we dragged and had
to reset in the rain. 3rd time was a charm and we held for the night. Today
the weather is good again and we are motoring happily south flanked by pine
forests, mountains, and waterfalls
Sent: Sunday, October 05, 2008 1:56 PM
Subject: More inside passage
On Friday we came to Lowe inlet with Verney falls. A must stop and we
anchored 100 feet off the falls so that the current held us in place. We
were going to spend the day and night here, but found the serpent in this
Garden of Eden. There were swarms of small black gnats which at first seemed
only a minor nuisance. Jeff and I found the truth at the same time--they
were vampire gnats and we were forced to flee. On Sat we came to Butedale a
large cannery built in 1909. It was a state of the art glorious place and
now a falling down ruin. Lou is the lone occupant with his dog Bert and Cat
Tiger. The 3 story bunkhouse collapsed last year under 20 ft snows. Bert’s
dad was taken by wolves and Tigers mom was had by eagles. The old power
plant still stands with 2 hydro generators--one still turns but no longer
generates. So this huge piece of machinery turns a small belt on a car
alternator which continuously charges a bank of batteries. Then an inverter
gives him his electricity.
Sent: Monday, October 06, 2008 1:58 PM
Subject: Hurricane
After the Vampire gnats (we are still itching) and Butedale, Pipe Dream
spent a perfect night in Bottleneck Inlet. 2 Australian sailboats we
there--also heading south. Bottleneck had its salmon stream and harbor seal
along with close in high wooded cliffs. Streams of low clouds flowed through
the pines. Sunday we powered down to Bella Bella a large Native American
town--a raw trip with blustery winds and cold rain. LOTS of logs in the
water requiring continuous watch ahead. The Coast Guard now broadcasting storm
warnings (more than 50 kts of wind). So we are holed up at Shearwater Marina
along with all the local fishing boats. Monday morning the CG now calling
for hurricane force winds starting this afternoon. It’s blowing 4 outside
with sunshine (does the coast guard take its cue from Channel 7?). But the
locals are taking it seriously and so are we.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Captain Scott's Log ~ Monday, September 29, 2008 11:49 AM & 12:41 PM
Subject: Piper Dream #2
Friday the 26th we left Petersburg and went through the Wrangell narrows
which look dangerous on the chart and guidebook. But it was well marked,
scenic and a piece of cake. Later we were going through the Zimovia Strait
at 9 knots. I noted a suspicious area on the chart plotter and zoomed in and
saw a shallow spot ahead. I yelled to kill the power and turn sharply to
starboard. The helmsman had trouble getting the autopilot off to change
course and we hit hard--our first touch since the Philippians. But we did
not stick and sheepishly proceeded on being more diligent. That night a nice
anchorage at Thoms Place 56 10n 132 08e. Sat the bad weather returned as
we made Ketchikan--the town with cruise ships, totem poles and one stop
light. And a pump out station. Our holding tank is clean.
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2008 12:41 PM
Subject: Ketchikan
Catch U if I can. Nice 24 hr stop except for wind and rain and had to push
on into a near gale on Sun. The fathometer works however it always reads
0.0ft. The autopilot is intermittent but we know the problem and can fix it.
Ketchikan is the southern most town in Alaska and we needed to be in Prince
Rupert by today (mon) to fly the guests home. We got 30 miles out powering
into 30 kts of wind and heavy rain when an injector blew off its mounting
studs. Very fortunately the engine was shut down before we did any damage
and was in open water. Not many options except to return for repair. We got
back very quickly under sail---downwind with gusts higher. Even luckier in
that a large cruise ship was in and our dock was in her lee. So we are back
safely and a mechanic is scheduled to make a boat call today. Getting Tom,
Ken and the girls out was not easy as the ferries and airlines have already
cut back for the season--but, they fly out to Seattle this afternoon. Jeff
and I will push on alone when engine repaired and weather allows.
Friday the 26th we left Petersburg and went through the Wrangell narrows
which look dangerous on the chart and guidebook. But it was well marked,
scenic and a piece of cake. Later we were going through the Zimovia Strait
at 9 knots. I noted a suspicious area on the chart plotter and zoomed in and
saw a shallow spot ahead. I yelled to kill the power and turn sharply to
starboard. The helmsman had trouble getting the autopilot off to change
course and we hit hard--our first touch since the Philippians. But we did
not stick and sheepishly proceeded on being more diligent. That night a nice
anchorage at Thoms Place 56 10n 132 08e. Sat the bad weather returned as
we made Ketchikan--the town with cruise ships, totem poles and one stop
light. And a pump out station. Our holding tank is clean.
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2008 12:41 PM
Subject: Ketchikan
Catch U if I can. Nice 24 hr stop except for wind and rain and had to push
on into a near gale on Sun. The fathometer works however it always reads
0.0ft. The autopilot is intermittent but we know the problem and can fix it.
Ketchikan is the southern most town in Alaska and we needed to be in Prince
Rupert by today (mon) to fly the guests home. We got 30 miles out powering
into 30 kts of wind and heavy rain when an injector blew off its mounting
studs. Very fortunately the engine was shut down before we did any damage
and was in open water. Not many options except to return for repair. We got
back very quickly under sail---downwind with gusts higher. Even luckier in
that a large cruise ship was in and our dock was in her lee. So we are back
safely and a mechanic is scheduled to make a boat call today. Getting Tom,
Ken and the girls out was not easy as the ferries and airlines have already
cut back for the season--but, they fly out to Seattle this afternoon. Jeff
and I will push on alone when engine repaired and weather allows.
Captain Scott's Log ~ Sunday, September 28th, 2008
Subject: P Dream
Back on Wed we stopped in Steamboat Bay known for its whales. We saw hundreds. That night we heard animal sounds ashore--a first. Some of the whales also were noisy making a squealing sound when blowing. Thursday morning we were socked in with dense fog. With radar and GPS we felt our way slowly to Petersburg. On entering the harbor we exited the fog bank into bright sunshine. Behind the dense fog lay low on the water while snow covered mountain peaks floated above in the sun. Petersburg is a small Norwegian town and very friendly as is most of Alaska. The young girls were as cute as could be and their mothers looked like Eskimos. Almost all the fishing boats are in and preparing for winter with elaborate tenting.
Our holding tank has overflowed yet again. The new valve made in Turkey failed and the new macerator pump failed also. Jeff earned the big bucks!! Pay him and re plumed the entire head.
Back on Wed we stopped in Steamboat Bay known for its whales. We saw hundreds. That night we heard animal sounds ashore--a first. Some of the whales also were noisy making a squealing sound when blowing. Thursday morning we were socked in with dense fog. With radar and GPS we felt our way slowly to Petersburg. On entering the harbor we exited the fog bank into bright sunshine. Behind the dense fog lay low on the water while snow covered mountain peaks floated above in the sun. Petersburg is a small Norwegian town and very friendly as is most of Alaska. The young girls were as cute as could be and their mothers looked like Eskimos. Almost all the fishing boats are in and preparing for winter with elaborate tenting.
Our holding tank has overflowed yet again. The new valve made in Turkey failed and the new macerator pump failed also. Jeff earned the big bucks!! Pay him and re plumed the entire head.
Jeff's Log ~ Thursday, September 25th, 2008
Reid Cove, Alaska
It has again been many days since I have had a chance to write. I had to give up my cabin for Scott’s brother Tom and his girlfriend Kristin. I am now staying in the salon, and have had no time or space to myself since Sunday. The cruising has been absolutely wonderful, and the scenery has been magnificent. We went up Tracey Arm, and tried to make our way to the main glacier, but could not get through the floating ice. We even launched the dingy, and tried to get through, but it was a little too dangerous, as some of the floating chunks out weighed us by tons, and were surrounded with razor sharp edges that were capable of slitting the tubes on the dink.
We went back to the big boat, and towed the dingy back up to the secondary arm which had been choked with ice earlier. The channel had opened by this time, and we were able to get all the way up with the big boat. The Sawyer Glacier was magnificent and impressive, towering about 300 feet above the water, and dropping small calves pretty routinely. We were very close to it and everyone got some very good photos. I again jumped in the dink with Pat, and we took a few more photos of Pipe Dream. There were a couple of seals in the area, but they would not let us get close enough for pictures.
We began our exit after having hot buttered rum, and enjoying the view a little while longer. When we entered the main arm, there was lots of floating ice, and Scott and I took turns navigating the boat through it. We did lightly bump a couple of smaller pieces, but all in all escaped with no damage. We anchored in Tracey Arm Cove going both in and out of Tracey Arm. Tracey Arm Cove is another beautiful spot, which is why we chose to stay there twice. On the second morning, since the dink was still in the water, Pat and I ventured to shore. We were sharing the cove with another small boat owned by a couple from Juneau. The woman was on shore, playing rock toss with their dog. After a brief chat, we hiked up and over the small ridge to see what was on the other side. What we found was another cove with large pieces of floating ice with the sun reflecting off of them, and beautiful snow capped mountains also illuminated with great sunlight. That is something that we haven’t seen much of. We both posed with a chunk of ice that had been left when the tide dropped.
After getting back in the dingy, and beginning our return to Pipe Dream, I noticed a good sized iceberg not far away. The dingy really needed a good, high speed run,(and so did I) so I opened her up and let her run all the way out to the iceberg. It turned out to be a great move, as we were up close and personal with a great piece of nature. The shapes and color were something to behold. I unfortunately had a full memory chip, so again will have to wait for Pat’s photos. We retuned to the big boat, and shipped the dingy so that we could make good time to Reid Cove.
It has again been many days since I have had a chance to write. I had to give up my cabin for Scott’s brother Tom and his girlfriend Kristin. I am now staying in the salon, and have had no time or space to myself since Sunday. The cruising has been absolutely wonderful, and the scenery has been magnificent. We went up Tracey Arm, and tried to make our way to the main glacier, but could not get through the floating ice. We even launched the dingy, and tried to get through, but it was a little too dangerous, as some of the floating chunks out weighed us by tons, and were surrounded with razor sharp edges that were capable of slitting the tubes on the dink.
We went back to the big boat, and towed the dingy back up to the secondary arm which had been choked with ice earlier. The channel had opened by this time, and we were able to get all the way up with the big boat. The Sawyer Glacier was magnificent and impressive, towering about 300 feet above the water, and dropping small calves pretty routinely. We were very close to it and everyone got some very good photos. I again jumped in the dink with Pat, and we took a few more photos of Pipe Dream. There were a couple of seals in the area, but they would not let us get close enough for pictures.
We began our exit after having hot buttered rum, and enjoying the view a little while longer. When we entered the main arm, there was lots of floating ice, and Scott and I took turns navigating the boat through it. We did lightly bump a couple of smaller pieces, but all in all escaped with no damage. We anchored in Tracey Arm Cove going both in and out of Tracey Arm. Tracey Arm Cove is another beautiful spot, which is why we chose to stay there twice. On the second morning, since the dink was still in the water, Pat and I ventured to shore. We were sharing the cove with another small boat owned by a couple from Juneau. The woman was on shore, playing rock toss with their dog. After a brief chat, we hiked up and over the small ridge to see what was on the other side. What we found was another cove with large pieces of floating ice with the sun reflecting off of them, and beautiful snow capped mountains also illuminated with great sunlight. That is something that we haven’t seen much of. We both posed with a chunk of ice that had been left when the tide dropped.
After getting back in the dingy, and beginning our return to Pipe Dream, I noticed a good sized iceberg not far away. The dingy really needed a good, high speed run,(and so did I) so I opened her up and let her run all the way out to the iceberg. It turned out to be a great move, as we were up close and personal with a great piece of nature. The shapes and color were something to behold. I unfortunately had a full memory chip, so again will have to wait for Pat’s photos. We retuned to the big boat, and shipped the dingy so that we could make good time to Reid Cove.
Captain Scott's Log ~ Wednesday September 24th, 2008 Part 2
Subject: Best Day 2
The ice at the base of the glacier went beyond blue--it was almost purple. On the way out I had planned to stop and hike a side valley. We did stop and the valley was beautiful but it was 300 ft deep just a few feet from the shore. Sunset is changing fast and we needed to get to an anchorage before dark--going at night in this ice is not smart. And we did anchor as the last light was fading. With the improving weather we got a sunset---very rare--and no rain at night, But Cold But Cold. This morning was bright and clear. Great views of the higher mountains all covered with new snow. The paddle wheel witch gives us our speed had broken blades back in Japan. We had suffered with this for months and Tom brought us a new one. So yesterday we had good speed readouts for the first time. The ice however took out the new paddle wheel before it was one day old. Now sailing under main only--downwind towing the dingy--with an SOG of 10.2 kts—reasonable protected water in the Stephens passage--likely to sail on to Petersburg, a Norwegian community.
The ice at the base of the glacier went beyond blue--it was almost purple. On the way out I had planned to stop and hike a side valley. We did stop and the valley was beautiful but it was 300 ft deep just a few feet from the shore. Sunset is changing fast and we needed to get to an anchorage before dark--going at night in this ice is not smart. And we did anchor as the last light was fading. With the improving weather we got a sunset---very rare--and no rain at night, But Cold But Cold. This morning was bright and clear. Great views of the higher mountains all covered with new snow. The paddle wheel witch gives us our speed had broken blades back in Japan. We had suffered with this for months and Tom brought us a new one. So yesterday we had good speed readouts for the first time. The ice however took out the new paddle wheel before it was one day old. Now sailing under main only--downwind towing the dingy--with an SOG of 10.2 kts—reasonable protected water in the Stephens passage--likely to sail on to Petersburg, a Norwegian community.
Captain Scott's Log ~ Wednesday, September 24th, 2008
Subject: Best Day Ever
From the size of the icebergs, many larger than the boat, we should have
guessed what the Sawyyer would be like 25 miles up the fjord. We had
clearing weather from last night’s rain and could see new snow on the
surrounding mountains. A few miles into the fjord the side walls rose
vertically 2000 feet. The mountain peaks just beyond were 5000feet. Water
runoff from the mountains spewed over the fjord rim creating hundreds of
2000 ft waterfalls. Each little side canyon was the remains of the old
glacier with its U shaped valley and polished rock walls. For 25 miles we
marveled at the scenery and dodged icebergs. One small sightseeing boat
passed us and went to the face of the So Sawyer Glacier. 1 1/2 mile from
there was as far as we could go as the ice was so thick. The sightseeing
boat was a dot against the 400 ft high ice edge. As Pipe Dream could go no
further, the dingy was put in and a party of 5 tried to push through. The
fjord is 1200 ft deep but the dingy would beach it self on ice flows and made
little progress. An inflatable in a frozen ice field with the glacier calving
monster bergs was pretty stupid--a fact which finally dawned on us and we
gave up. So we tried the North Sawyer and made it through to the face of the
glacier. Its 400 ft face was leaning out in several places and there were
frequent loud cracks. Seals swam nearby and the boat was photographed from the
dingy. Stand by for part 2
From the size of the icebergs, many larger than the boat, we should have
guessed what the Sawyyer would be like 25 miles up the fjord. We had
clearing weather from last night’s rain and could see new snow on the
surrounding mountains. A few miles into the fjord the side walls rose
vertically 2000 feet. The mountain peaks just beyond were 5000feet. Water
runoff from the mountains spewed over the fjord rim creating hundreds of
2000 ft waterfalls. Each little side canyon was the remains of the old
glacier with its U shaped valley and polished rock walls. For 25 miles we
marveled at the scenery and dodged icebergs. One small sightseeing boat
passed us and went to the face of the So Sawyer Glacier. 1 1/2 mile from
there was as far as we could go as the ice was so thick. The sightseeing
boat was a dot against the 400 ft high ice edge. As Pipe Dream could go no
further, the dingy was put in and a party of 5 tried to push through. The
fjord is 1200 ft deep but the dingy would beach it self on ice flows and made
little progress. An inflatable in a frozen ice field with the glacier calving
monster bergs was pretty stupid--a fact which finally dawned on us and we
gave up. So we tried the North Sawyer and made it through to the face of the
glacier. Its 400 ft face was leaning out in several places and there were
frequent loud cracks. Seals swam nearby and the boat was photographed from the
dingy. Stand by for part 2
Captain Scott's Log ~ Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008
Subject: Icebergs
After the Humpback display we returned to Jeneau. Tom and Kristin arrived
and went with Gill and Pat on a heliocopter tour of the nearby glacier.
Jeneau was shutting down for the winter--as in boarding up. Still we had 2
good days with some sunshine--very rare for Juneau. Today we left. Going
south. Our first night is in the Tracy Arm and on arrival we were greeted
by icebergs. Really, ice flows bigger than the boat and we are down stream
25 miles from the glaciers which calved them. Also new snow is on the hill
above us---our first of the season. Now snug in a cove in very good weather
(light rain) with the heaters on. Tomorrow up stream as far as the ice will
let us.
After the Humpback display we returned to Jeneau. Tom and Kristin arrived
and went with Gill and Pat on a heliocopter tour of the nearby glacier.
Jeneau was shutting down for the winter--as in boarding up. Still we had 2
good days with some sunshine--very rare for Juneau. Today we left. Going
south. Our first night is in the Tracy Arm and on arrival we were greeted
by icebergs. Really, ice flows bigger than the boat and we are down stream
25 miles from the glaciers which calved them. Also new snow is on the hill
above us---our first of the season. Now snug in a cove in very good weather
(light rain) with the heaters on. Tomorrow up stream as far as the ice will
let us.
Captain Scott's Log ~ Monday, September 22nd, 2008
Subject: Glaciers Bears & Whales
On Wed the weather cleared and we had a 2 day sunny window to see the park. First was the Margerie Glacier "that offers the quintessential tidewater glacier experience". Its 200 foot face was higher than the cruise ship that was there. It was very noisy with frequent cracks, groans and booms--often sounding like thunder. That night we anchored close to the Reid Glacier and the next morning dingied in to hike around it. Gill fell in a glacial stream but pressed on and has a good photo of her in a deep blue ice cavern.
Thursday afternoon we saw the Lamplugh and the John Hopkins Glaciers.
This was our best day in the park as the entire John Hopkins inlet is breathtaking with numerous glaciers. We have some good photos of the boat alongside ice bergs.The Lamplugh was the best with alternating layers of blue ice, white ice, and black ice (no yellow ice) and we ventured closer than was safe to photo the boat. Thursday night the 2 days of good weather ended--rain, mist and fog returned. Fri we made the forced march out of the park and back up Icy Strait. 30 kts of wind on the nose with big seas was no fun. But by dark we got into Coot Bay and docked 100 ft from shore on a float. After sunset 2 Grizzlies walked the beach right by us. Today the weather is better and we are headed to Juneau to pick up Tom and Kristian who have just missed their plane and now will arrive on Sunday. This morning we saw Humpbacks jumping and followed them closely for over an hour.
On Wed the weather cleared and we had a 2 day sunny window to see the park. First was the Margerie Glacier "that offers the quintessential tidewater glacier experience". Its 200 foot face was higher than the cruise ship that was there. It was very noisy with frequent cracks, groans and booms--often sounding like thunder. That night we anchored close to the Reid Glacier and the next morning dingied in to hike around it. Gill fell in a glacial stream but pressed on and has a good photo of her in a deep blue ice cavern.
Thursday afternoon we saw the Lamplugh and the John Hopkins Glaciers.
This was our best day in the park as the entire John Hopkins inlet is breathtaking with numerous glaciers. We have some good photos of the boat alongside ice bergs.The Lamplugh was the best with alternating layers of blue ice, white ice, and black ice (no yellow ice) and we ventured closer than was safe to photo the boat. Thursday night the 2 days of good weather ended--rain, mist and fog returned. Fri we made the forced march out of the park and back up Icy Strait. 30 kts of wind on the nose with big seas was no fun. But by dark we got into Coot Bay and docked 100 ft from shore on a float. After sunset 2 Grizzlies walked the beach right by us. Today the weather is better and we are headed to Juneau to pick up Tom and Kristian who have just missed their plane and now will arrive on Sunday. This morning we saw Humpbacks jumping and followed them closely for over an hour.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Jeff's Log ~ Friday, September 19th, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008 Icy Straights, Alaska
We have completed another trip around Glacier Bay National park. We spent more time touring this time and saw lots of beautiful sights. The night before last, we were anchored about a mile from Reed Glacier, and on Thursday morning, I splashed the dingy for the first time since Japan, and we all went to shore to do a little hiking. I made it my mission to walk on top of the glacier. It was quite a hike to get there from the beach we landed on. There was some light climbing and crossing of several streams necessary. Scott and I saw one bear track in the area of a lot of empty mussel shells. Judging from the amount of eaten mussels, I knew we did not have to worry about a hungry bear in the neighborhood!
Gill and Pat took off quickly, wanting to be the first on the glacier. I caught up with them quickly by making my way over the higher ground. They did not think that was the right approach, so I helped them over a couple of streams, and then they went their way, and I went mine. It turned out that I was right. I made it to the top of the dirty part of the glacier, and then it was getting way too slippery. Going up wasn’t the problem, it would have been controlling the speed of descent that was. I had no cleats on my sea boots, and the sun was beginning to shine on the ice making the surface liquefy.
Pat and Gill stayed on the bottom, and made their way into one of the fissures. They were actually in the glacier! Gill slipped while crossing a steam, and got herself soaked, so upon the return to Pipe Dream, the first order of business was starting the generator and turning on the heat, so everyone, and especially Gill could get warmed up. The next thing was getting the mud under control. The dirt and mud from the glacier is called “glacier flour” and believe me, it is just like flour. It gets on everything, and sticks with the slightest amount of moisture. Our boots were covered in it, the back of my jeans were covered in it from when I had to reduce vertical mass on the ice slope, The dingy deck was covered in it, and it was almost spreading to the big boat. Everyone took off their boots in the dink, and got on Pipe Dream in their socks. The soles of the hiking boots were absolutely the worst. My sea boots rinsed right off, and I proceeded to clean hiking boots of the other crew, confining the mess to the area behind the steering wheel. Then it was time to raise the anchor and get under way for the John Hopkins Glacier, which is the one setting off the most calving.
On the way there, we passed the prettiest glacier that we have seen yet. It comes right to the water’s edge, and in the middle has a hole through which a river of water runs. That was spectacular! All around the hole could be seen the layers which make up the glacier. It was like a cross section of time right in front of us.
We continued up the fjord and began encountering lots of floating ice. Rather than risk the waterline paint, we opted to turn around about five miles from the glacier. It was still quite impressive, as it goes from the sea level to about 2,000 feet in altitude. On the way out. I jumped in the dingy which we were towing, and had a Pipe Dream photo shoot using a small iceberg and the glacier with the hole as props. The pictures turned out very well, and Scott was pretty happy with them. It is a little hard to get good steady pictures while on a bouncy little dingy, but I did the best I could. I also had Pat’s camera, and she has some of the better shots on hers because my batteries went dead after a few shots. After pictures, Pat made some wonderful hot buttered rum. It really hit the spot after the chilly picture shoot. I also just had to give the dink a good high speed run, so my face and cheeks were a rosy red.
We proceeded to our anchorage that Scott chose, and it was like target shooting with the anchor. There was an underwater mountain that we had to hit the top of with the anchor. Everything around was hundreds of feet deep, and our target was sixty feet. The GPS put us right on the spot, and our timing could not have been better. The anchor went down very quickly and set on the first attempt. Sometimes we really look professional. The next day, Scott and I were up early to get a good start on a long day of motoring back to Coot Cove. When we arrived there, we decided to anchor on the other side of the ridge from where we had been previously. When we pulled in close to shore, we noticed a floating dock that is not attached to land. We decided to tie up there, rather than anchor. It turned out to be a very good decision, because for the first time since being in Alaska, we saw two grizzly bears come out of the woods and wander up the shore.
When Scott spotted them, he said to be quiet and come up on deck. Well, the large roasting pans that are usually stored in the oven had been placed right in front of my cabin door. I did not see them, and the resounding crash from kicking the pans accidentally could probably be heard twenty miles away. The bears were not phased, however, and continued their slow stroll as if we weren’t there.
On Saturday morning, it was a return trip to Juneau. Gill is leaving early Monday morning, and Scott’s brother Tom arrives on Sunday night. He and his girlfriend Kristin will be staying at a hotel Sunday, and will move into my cabin on Monday. Tom had our new anchor windlass shipped to the hotel, so I went and picked it up on Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon was spent removing the old and installing the new. That job went relatively smoothly. The hardest part was getting the corrosion broken between the inner and outer pieces on the old windlass. I got a good workout in the process. Sometimes, I wish that I had a helper. The new one is chrome plated, and sure does look a lot nicer than the old brown colored one. Sunday would have been my Dad’s birthday, so I also took a moment to think about him.
Moving out of my cabin was not too bad either, although I found that I have accumulated a lot of stuff in a year. I packed the shorts and light clothing away in storage bags and put them out back in the lazarette. Souvenirs and things I did the same with, and my working clothes I put in my bag and moved to the knee hole under the vanity in Scott’s cabin. I’ll be all right for the eight days that Tom is here.
We have completed another trip around Glacier Bay National park. We spent more time touring this time and saw lots of beautiful sights. The night before last, we were anchored about a mile from Reed Glacier, and on Thursday morning, I splashed the dingy for the first time since Japan, and we all went to shore to do a little hiking. I made it my mission to walk on top of the glacier. It was quite a hike to get there from the beach we landed on. There was some light climbing and crossing of several streams necessary. Scott and I saw one bear track in the area of a lot of empty mussel shells. Judging from the amount of eaten mussels, I knew we did not have to worry about a hungry bear in the neighborhood!
Gill and Pat took off quickly, wanting to be the first on the glacier. I caught up with them quickly by making my way over the higher ground. They did not think that was the right approach, so I helped them over a couple of streams, and then they went their way, and I went mine. It turned out that I was right. I made it to the top of the dirty part of the glacier, and then it was getting way too slippery. Going up wasn’t the problem, it would have been controlling the speed of descent that was. I had no cleats on my sea boots, and the sun was beginning to shine on the ice making the surface liquefy.
Pat and Gill stayed on the bottom, and made their way into one of the fissures. They were actually in the glacier! Gill slipped while crossing a steam, and got herself soaked, so upon the return to Pipe Dream, the first order of business was starting the generator and turning on the heat, so everyone, and especially Gill could get warmed up. The next thing was getting the mud under control. The dirt and mud from the glacier is called “glacier flour” and believe me, it is just like flour. It gets on everything, and sticks with the slightest amount of moisture. Our boots were covered in it, the back of my jeans were covered in it from when I had to reduce vertical mass on the ice slope, The dingy deck was covered in it, and it was almost spreading to the big boat. Everyone took off their boots in the dink, and got on Pipe Dream in their socks. The soles of the hiking boots were absolutely the worst. My sea boots rinsed right off, and I proceeded to clean hiking boots of the other crew, confining the mess to the area behind the steering wheel. Then it was time to raise the anchor and get under way for the John Hopkins Glacier, which is the one setting off the most calving.
On the way there, we passed the prettiest glacier that we have seen yet. It comes right to the water’s edge, and in the middle has a hole through which a river of water runs. That was spectacular! All around the hole could be seen the layers which make up the glacier. It was like a cross section of time right in front of us.
We continued up the fjord and began encountering lots of floating ice. Rather than risk the waterline paint, we opted to turn around about five miles from the glacier. It was still quite impressive, as it goes from the sea level to about 2,000 feet in altitude. On the way out. I jumped in the dingy which we were towing, and had a Pipe Dream photo shoot using a small iceberg and the glacier with the hole as props. The pictures turned out very well, and Scott was pretty happy with them. It is a little hard to get good steady pictures while on a bouncy little dingy, but I did the best I could. I also had Pat’s camera, and she has some of the better shots on hers because my batteries went dead after a few shots. After pictures, Pat made some wonderful hot buttered rum. It really hit the spot after the chilly picture shoot. I also just had to give the dink a good high speed run, so my face and cheeks were a rosy red.
We proceeded to our anchorage that Scott chose, and it was like target shooting with the anchor. There was an underwater mountain that we had to hit the top of with the anchor. Everything around was hundreds of feet deep, and our target was sixty feet. The GPS put us right on the spot, and our timing could not have been better. The anchor went down very quickly and set on the first attempt. Sometimes we really look professional. The next day, Scott and I were up early to get a good start on a long day of motoring back to Coot Cove. When we arrived there, we decided to anchor on the other side of the ridge from where we had been previously. When we pulled in close to shore, we noticed a floating dock that is not attached to land. We decided to tie up there, rather than anchor. It turned out to be a very good decision, because for the first time since being in Alaska, we saw two grizzly bears come out of the woods and wander up the shore.
When Scott spotted them, he said to be quiet and come up on deck. Well, the large roasting pans that are usually stored in the oven had been placed right in front of my cabin door. I did not see them, and the resounding crash from kicking the pans accidentally could probably be heard twenty miles away. The bears were not phased, however, and continued their slow stroll as if we weren’t there.
On Saturday morning, it was a return trip to Juneau. Gill is leaving early Monday morning, and Scott’s brother Tom arrives on Sunday night. He and his girlfriend Kristin will be staying at a hotel Sunday, and will move into my cabin on Monday. Tom had our new anchor windlass shipped to the hotel, so I went and picked it up on Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon was spent removing the old and installing the new. That job went relatively smoothly. The hardest part was getting the corrosion broken between the inner and outer pieces on the old windlass. I got a good workout in the process. Sometimes, I wish that I had a helper. The new one is chrome plated, and sure does look a lot nicer than the old brown colored one. Sunday would have been my Dad’s birthday, so I also took a moment to think about him.
Moving out of my cabin was not too bad either, although I found that I have accumulated a lot of stuff in a year. I packed the shorts and light clothing away in storage bags and put them out back in the lazarette. Souvenirs and things I did the same with, and my working clothes I put in my bag and moved to the knee hole under the vanity in Scott’s cabin. I’ll be all right for the eight days that Tom is here.
Captain Scott's Log ~ Tuesday, September 16th 2008
Subject: Back in Glacier Bay
Monday was a foggy experience so we cut the day short and went into Coot
Bay. 58 15.4n 134 53.3w Its not in our cruising guide but Ken said its our
best anchorage ever. It rained all night but that’s standard and today we set
out early for Glacier Bay. We got some wind and sailed by "Rocky Island"
which had the sea lion colony and had an uneventful sail/motor sail to the
Park. Now stopped in Fingers Bay 58 35n 136 13w one boat length from a
waterfall. Ken says it’s our best anchorage ever. Ken is having a good time.
When last here 5 days ago there was no fall color. Now all the trees are
bright yellow and some look past their prime. It’s raining. Foggy mist flows
through the hillside trees. Our nearby waterfall dominates the water sounds
but 4 other streams are in sight flowing into Fingers Bay. Maybe Ken is
right.
Monday was a foggy experience so we cut the day short and went into Coot
Bay. 58 15.4n 134 53.3w Its not in our cruising guide but Ken said its our
best anchorage ever. It rained all night but that’s standard and today we set
out early for Glacier Bay. We got some wind and sailed by "Rocky Island"
which had the sea lion colony and had an uneventful sail/motor sail to the
Park. Now stopped in Fingers Bay 58 35n 136 13w one boat length from a
waterfall. Ken says it’s our best anchorage ever. Ken is having a good time.
When last here 5 days ago there was no fall color. Now all the trees are
bright yellow and some look past their prime. It’s raining. Foggy mist flows
through the hillside trees. Our nearby waterfall dominates the water sounds
but 4 other streams are in sight flowing into Fingers Bay. Maybe Ken is
right.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Captain Scott's Log ~ Monday, September 15th, 2008
Sent: Monday, September 15, 2008 4:01 PM
Subject: Juneau
After Hoonah we went on to Juneau. Passed a large sea lion colony on a small rocky island. We were very close and doing 9 kts under sail when we discovered each other. Lots of excitement from us as everyone ran for their cameras. More excitement from them with bellowing, snorting, and other sea lion outrage. We passed downwind from them---and won’t again as the smell was enough to gag a maggot. Juneau was quiet on our arrival with no cruise ships in (I'm told it was the only day of the year without them). Juneau sits up an old glacial valley which is narrow with very steep sides. The town has equal proportions of fur shops, jewelry stores, and bars--about a hundred of each. The next morning we awoke to find 6 cruise ships in. Oil money was distributed---3000 in cash to every Alaskan resident including children. The Indians went nuts. Jon got off and Gill flew in. It rains every day in Juneau. Today we left in dense fog and headed down the narrow Gastineau channel. Our old VHF died and Tom got us a new one Which Gill brought. Jeff worked franticly to install it as we felt our way out with the hand held, GPS and radar. 3 cruise ships came in past us. Lot’s of chatter on the radio--Fog horns echoing up and down the ravine. The cruise ships materializing out of the mist very close aboard---a puckering experience for a Florida boy.
Subject: Juneau
After Hoonah we went on to Juneau. Passed a large sea lion colony on a small rocky island. We were very close and doing 9 kts under sail when we discovered each other. Lots of excitement from us as everyone ran for their cameras. More excitement from them with bellowing, snorting, and other sea lion outrage. We passed downwind from them---and won’t again as the smell was enough to gag a maggot. Juneau was quiet on our arrival with no cruise ships in (I'm told it was the only day of the year without them). Juneau sits up an old glacial valley which is narrow with very steep sides. The town has equal proportions of fur shops, jewelry stores, and bars--about a hundred of each. The next morning we awoke to find 6 cruise ships in. Oil money was distributed---3000 in cash to every Alaskan resident including children. The Indians went nuts. Jon got off and Gill flew in. It rains every day in Juneau. Today we left in dense fog and headed down the narrow Gastineau channel. Our old VHF died and Tom got us a new one Which Gill brought. Jeff worked franticly to install it as we felt our way out with the hand held, GPS and radar. 3 cruise ships came in past us. Lot’s of chatter on the radio--Fog horns echoing up and down the ravine. The cruise ships materializing out of the mist very close aboard---a puckering experience for a Florida boy.
Jeff's Log ~ Saturday, September 13th, 2008
Saturday September 13, 2008
I just realized that I had forgotten to write about Elfin Cove, and that would have left out what is possibly the neatest small town in America. The whole town is built around a boardwalk system that is their highway. One section had the roots of the trees exposed, and I could see the way the roots anchor the trees to the rock. The government maintains it and all of the docks. Everybody in town knows everybody else. Of course, the main occupation is fishing, so every life in the area is involved in fishing one way or another. We refueled upon arrival at a very solid floating dock. We had to wait for a little while because the girl working there had just washed her hair, and it had to get rinsed and dried.
After fueling, we moved over to the transient dock, and rafted up on a fish boat. The owner’s name was Geoff, and he was quite a quiet, nice guy. One of the other boats down the dock gave us a beautiful Coho salmon as a welcome gift. Geoff filleted it for me, which was very nice of him. I gave him a few beers for his effort. I walked all the way around town on the boardwalk, and stopped at the general store. The shopkeeper’s name is Joanne, and she told me in conversation that she was fifty six years old. I couldn’t believe it! She looked to be in her late thirties. She said she looked so young because of the Allute heritage, and the fact that she never spends any time in the sun. I made my purchases and returned to the boat with a rare treat, ice cream. I spent the rest of the time before dinner chatting with the neighbor, Geoff, and enjoyed the warmth of his boat. He has a diesel fired stove that provides warmth as well as cooking. We had a great dinner with the marinated Coho being cooked on the grill by yours truly, and Pat made garlic mashed potatoes. After dinner and ice cream, we watched some more two and a half men, and retired.
Enroute to Juneau, Alaska
Yesterday was a cold, miserable, rainy day and we made our way to Hoonah, Alaska. It is a neat looking town as the approach is made from sea. An old cannery is the first thing that you see, and it has been restored and made into a visitor’s cultural center where the native Indians do a show and sell tribal things for the cruise ship passengers. Unfortunately, I was not able to get pictures because of no life in camera batteries, but I will try to get some e-mailed to me. Sorry about that. We tied up on the municipal dock, and I went to register as usual. The ranger’s name was Paul; and he was very helpful with getting necessary phone numbers.
There were two choices for dinner. One was a pizza and deli type place, the other was a lodge about a mile away. The deli had no alcohol, the lodge of course did. Well, you can probably guess where we had dinner. The taxi to the lodge is charged by the person. It is five dollars for the first person, and four dollars for each additional. The crew thought that that was outrageous, but we took the taxi to the lodge anyway, as it was raining. The special was barbequed ribs, and we all had that. Food was OK, too salty for my taste, though. After dinner, the crew all walked back to the boat, and Scott took the cab. The driver beeped his horn as they passed.
I was glad for the walk, as that was the only way I would see any of the town. Jon and I kept going past the boat to see what “downtown” was like. It is a very tiny town, and it did not take very long at all to walk the length of it. All of the stores were closed, as it was after 1700. Most of the housing is either mobile homes, or manufactured housing. There were a few very nice homes though. We returned to the boat and the hearts championship was retained by Jon. Then it was lights out, so that we would be fresh and ready for the trip to Juneau.
This morning was coffee as usual, with the lines being thrown at 0800. On the way out of the harbor area, we were met by a couple of playful seals who were cruising by us looking for their breakfast. It was a very quick passing, as they were going the opposite direction. At about 1030, we are actually under sail, and just passed a small island filled with sea lions, the odor as we passed was pretty bad. We did not stop for pictures because we were sailing rather quickly on a brisk southeast wind.
I just realized that I had forgotten to write about Elfin Cove, and that would have left out what is possibly the neatest small town in America. The whole town is built around a boardwalk system that is their highway. One section had the roots of the trees exposed, and I could see the way the roots anchor the trees to the rock. The government maintains it and all of the docks. Everybody in town knows everybody else. Of course, the main occupation is fishing, so every life in the area is involved in fishing one way or another. We refueled upon arrival at a very solid floating dock. We had to wait for a little while because the girl working there had just washed her hair, and it had to get rinsed and dried.
After fueling, we moved over to the transient dock, and rafted up on a fish boat. The owner’s name was Geoff, and he was quite a quiet, nice guy. One of the other boats down the dock gave us a beautiful Coho salmon as a welcome gift. Geoff filleted it for me, which was very nice of him. I gave him a few beers for his effort. I walked all the way around town on the boardwalk, and stopped at the general store. The shopkeeper’s name is Joanne, and she told me in conversation that she was fifty six years old. I couldn’t believe it! She looked to be in her late thirties. She said she looked so young because of the Allute heritage, and the fact that she never spends any time in the sun. I made my purchases and returned to the boat with a rare treat, ice cream. I spent the rest of the time before dinner chatting with the neighbor, Geoff, and enjoyed the warmth of his boat. He has a diesel fired stove that provides warmth as well as cooking. We had a great dinner with the marinated Coho being cooked on the grill by yours truly, and Pat made garlic mashed potatoes. After dinner and ice cream, we watched some more two and a half men, and retired.
Enroute to Juneau, Alaska
Yesterday was a cold, miserable, rainy day and we made our way to Hoonah, Alaska. It is a neat looking town as the approach is made from sea. An old cannery is the first thing that you see, and it has been restored and made into a visitor’s cultural center where the native Indians do a show and sell tribal things for the cruise ship passengers. Unfortunately, I was not able to get pictures because of no life in camera batteries, but I will try to get some e-mailed to me. Sorry about that. We tied up on the municipal dock, and I went to register as usual. The ranger’s name was Paul; and he was very helpful with getting necessary phone numbers.
There were two choices for dinner. One was a pizza and deli type place, the other was a lodge about a mile away. The deli had no alcohol, the lodge of course did. Well, you can probably guess where we had dinner. The taxi to the lodge is charged by the person. It is five dollars for the first person, and four dollars for each additional. The crew thought that that was outrageous, but we took the taxi to the lodge anyway, as it was raining. The special was barbequed ribs, and we all had that. Food was OK, too salty for my taste, though. After dinner, the crew all walked back to the boat, and Scott took the cab. The driver beeped his horn as they passed.
I was glad for the walk, as that was the only way I would see any of the town. Jon and I kept going past the boat to see what “downtown” was like. It is a very tiny town, and it did not take very long at all to walk the length of it. All of the stores were closed, as it was after 1700. Most of the housing is either mobile homes, or manufactured housing. There were a few very nice homes though. We returned to the boat and the hearts championship was retained by Jon. Then it was lights out, so that we would be fresh and ready for the trip to Juneau.
This morning was coffee as usual, with the lines being thrown at 0800. On the way out of the harbor area, we were met by a couple of playful seals who were cruising by us looking for their breakfast. It was a very quick passing, as they were going the opposite direction. At about 1030, we are actually under sail, and just passed a small island filled with sea lions, the odor as we passed was pretty bad. We did not stop for pictures because we were sailing rather quickly on a brisk southeast wind.
Jeff's Log ~ Saturday, September 6th, 2008
Saturday, September 6, 2008 about 80 miles NE of Seward, Alaska
Scott’s brother Jon arrived on the morning of the fourth, about two and a half hours early. There was a sinkhole along the Alaskan Railroad some where, and the train was not running. All of the train’s passengers got switched to busses, which make the trip from Anchorage quicker than the train does. I could tell that he was a Piper as soon as I saw his face. We had a great introduction to each other, and I helped him get his bag onto the boat.
The weather cooperated, and I could finally spend some time outdoors with no rain. I proceeded to scrub the boat from front to back, and gave the cockpit cushions lots of soap and water. While I was scrubbing the transom, I pulled up the crab trap, and there was a crab in it. It was too small to keep, however, but at least I know that the trap works! I managed to get the whole boat washed, and was no sooner done than the clouds came back, and then it rained all night. The boat still looks good though, and we awaited the arrival of Ken and Pat. They arrived on the train at 11:05 on the morning of the fifth. I had sailed with them at the start of my trip a year ago, and it is good to have them aboard again. They enjoy cooking, so the first place we went was to the grocery store. The taxi driver had her new pet with her. He is a Springer spaniel and a very nice dog.
Grocery shopping is one thing that I have come to enjoy, and this trip was fun as usual. When completed, we had to fold down the rear seat in a minivan to make enough room for the groceries. Ken and Pat enjoy wine very much, so there was a good supply of that on top of the stack. Upon arrival at the boat, everything got stowed and we were off the dock in short order with our destination about sixty miles away. Pat made a lunch of hot dogs for us, and it may sound silly, but I sure did enjoy having a couple of great American hotdogs with all of the fixings. It had been over a year since I had a good hot dog.
We anchored in a very calm, protected cove, and as usual, when all was quiet, the sound of a nearby waterfall could be plainly heard. There was a bald eagle cruising around, and he sat in a tree not far from us for a little while. Ken made some of one of my personal favorites, macaroni and cheese, from scratch. Unfortunately, he was unaccustomed to the oven’s quirks, and it ended up a little over cooked, but for me that was ok, because I really like the browned crispy cheese that was on the bottom.
Today, after coffee, I went to the top of the mast and replaced the wind instrument which Pat brought for us. We now have our full compliment of electronics back. One doesn’t realize how much you use them, until they quit working. After getting out of the protected cove, we were actually able to motor sail for a while. But after about an hour, it was right back on the nose, so the main came down again. The weather was going to get bad, so we anchored early in a protected bay. It was already raining when the anchor went down, but the wind had not yet started to build. Pat made some great roasted potatoes, and I went out and grilled some steaks on the Barbie. About halfway through the grilling process, the wind began picking up. By the time the steaks were cooked, the rain was blowing horizontally, so I got pretty wet as I took them off the grill.
Dinner turned out really well, and then it was time for a game of hearts. I was the first one out, which was ok, because I had plenty of time to do the dishes and clean up the galley. It rained very hard all night and blew at gale force most of the night. The anchor remained secure, and we had no problems. Today, we waited until 1300 to leave so things had a chance to calm down a little. Right now, I just got off watch, and we are motor sailing into fairly large seas, heading for Glacier Bay. We expect to arrive at about 1300 on Tuesday, the ninth.
Scott’s brother Jon arrived on the morning of the fourth, about two and a half hours early. There was a sinkhole along the Alaskan Railroad some where, and the train was not running. All of the train’s passengers got switched to busses, which make the trip from Anchorage quicker than the train does. I could tell that he was a Piper as soon as I saw his face. We had a great introduction to each other, and I helped him get his bag onto the boat.
The weather cooperated, and I could finally spend some time outdoors with no rain. I proceeded to scrub the boat from front to back, and gave the cockpit cushions lots of soap and water. While I was scrubbing the transom, I pulled up the crab trap, and there was a crab in it. It was too small to keep, however, but at least I know that the trap works! I managed to get the whole boat washed, and was no sooner done than the clouds came back, and then it rained all night. The boat still looks good though, and we awaited the arrival of Ken and Pat. They arrived on the train at 11:05 on the morning of the fifth. I had sailed with them at the start of my trip a year ago, and it is good to have them aboard again. They enjoy cooking, so the first place we went was to the grocery store. The taxi driver had her new pet with her. He is a Springer spaniel and a very nice dog.
Grocery shopping is one thing that I have come to enjoy, and this trip was fun as usual. When completed, we had to fold down the rear seat in a minivan to make enough room for the groceries. Ken and Pat enjoy wine very much, so there was a good supply of that on top of the stack. Upon arrival at the boat, everything got stowed and we were off the dock in short order with our destination about sixty miles away. Pat made a lunch of hot dogs for us, and it may sound silly, but I sure did enjoy having a couple of great American hotdogs with all of the fixings. It had been over a year since I had a good hot dog.
We anchored in a very calm, protected cove, and as usual, when all was quiet, the sound of a nearby waterfall could be plainly heard. There was a bald eagle cruising around, and he sat in a tree not far from us for a little while. Ken made some of one of my personal favorites, macaroni and cheese, from scratch. Unfortunately, he was unaccustomed to the oven’s quirks, and it ended up a little over cooked, but for me that was ok, because I really like the browned crispy cheese that was on the bottom.
Today, after coffee, I went to the top of the mast and replaced the wind instrument which Pat brought for us. We now have our full compliment of electronics back. One doesn’t realize how much you use them, until they quit working. After getting out of the protected cove, we were actually able to motor sail for a while. But after about an hour, it was right back on the nose, so the main came down again. The weather was going to get bad, so we anchored early in a protected bay. It was already raining when the anchor went down, but the wind had not yet started to build. Pat made some great roasted potatoes, and I went out and grilled some steaks on the Barbie. About halfway through the grilling process, the wind began picking up. By the time the steaks were cooked, the rain was blowing horizontally, so I got pretty wet as I took them off the grill.
Dinner turned out really well, and then it was time for a game of hearts. I was the first one out, which was ok, because I had plenty of time to do the dishes and clean up the galley. It rained very hard all night and blew at gale force most of the night. The anchor remained secure, and we had no problems. Today, we waited until 1300 to leave so things had a chance to calm down a little. Right now, I just got off watch, and we are motor sailing into fairly large seas, heading for Glacier Bay. We expect to arrive at about 1300 on Tuesday, the ninth.
Jeff's Log ~ August 29th & 30th, 2008
August 29th & 30th, 2008
We arrived in Seward on Friday afternoon August 29th, and Clara got us a room at the Holiday Inn Express. We had a very nice dinner at Ray’s restaurant overlooking the bay. The following morning, we got up and met the bus to go to Anchorage so that Clara could make her flight home. The bus trip was quite scenic, and our driver Dennis did a fine job of narrating the trip. The trip ended at the museum in Anchorage. We went to the museum there, and saw how life used to be in Alaska. It sure is a lot easier now. We walked around down-town Anchorage and got some souvenirs and stuff, and then headed to the hotel where I was spending the night all alone and by myself with no Clara.
After relaxing for a bit, we went next door and got a pizza. Before long, it was time to leave for the airport. I rode in the van with Clara, and dropped her off at the airport. It is always hard to say good-bye, and this time was no exception. I headed back to the hotel, thinking that it won’t be that much longer before I go home for the winter. In the morning, I arose at 0500 to ensure a timely arrival at the train station. I took the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Seward. The train is the best looking train that I have ever seen. It is very clean and shiny. Even the suspension parts are clean and painted silver regularly. For the first part of the trip, the train is in the same vicinity as the highway.
We went down the Turnagain Arm, which is a body of water that has large mud flats at low tide. It was high tide when the train went through, and we saw Beluga Whales. Later, after the train went inland, we saw four moose along the side of the tracks. I had been spoiled by the scenery that I saw while cruising down from Kodiak, and the train trip actually was anticlimactic for me. It still was a very nice trip, and I would highly recommend it for any one who has the chance to do it. The staff on the train was mostly young people who were very nice and courteous, and the Bloody Marys were spicy, just the way I like them. I was extra fortunate, because there was a rail travel club sharing the same car. Their speaker knew a lot of the history and folk lore of the areas we were traveling through, and that made the trip very interesting. One comical thing that was said on the bus and the train was about a town called Moose Pass. The town council will not allow a gas station to be in the town, because they do not want “Moose Pass Gas” in their town. I arrived back in Seward at 11:05, and headed back to the boat just in time for the rain to begin.
We arrived in Seward on Friday afternoon August 29th, and Clara got us a room at the Holiday Inn Express. We had a very nice dinner at Ray’s restaurant overlooking the bay. The following morning, we got up and met the bus to go to Anchorage so that Clara could make her flight home. The bus trip was quite scenic, and our driver Dennis did a fine job of narrating the trip. The trip ended at the museum in Anchorage. We went to the museum there, and saw how life used to be in Alaska. It sure is a lot easier now. We walked around down-town Anchorage and got some souvenirs and stuff, and then headed to the hotel where I was spending the night all alone and by myself with no Clara.
After relaxing for a bit, we went next door and got a pizza. Before long, it was time to leave for the airport. I rode in the van with Clara, and dropped her off at the airport. It is always hard to say good-bye, and this time was no exception. I headed back to the hotel, thinking that it won’t be that much longer before I go home for the winter. In the morning, I arose at 0500 to ensure a timely arrival at the train station. I took the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Seward. The train is the best looking train that I have ever seen. It is very clean and shiny. Even the suspension parts are clean and painted silver regularly. For the first part of the trip, the train is in the same vicinity as the highway.
We went down the Turnagain Arm, which is a body of water that has large mud flats at low tide. It was high tide when the train went through, and we saw Beluga Whales. Later, after the train went inland, we saw four moose along the side of the tracks. I had been spoiled by the scenery that I saw while cruising down from Kodiak, and the train trip actually was anticlimactic for me. It still was a very nice trip, and I would highly recommend it for any one who has the chance to do it. The staff on the train was mostly young people who were very nice and courteous, and the Bloody Marys were spicy, just the way I like them. I was extra fortunate, because there was a rail travel club sharing the same car. Their speaker knew a lot of the history and folk lore of the areas we were traveling through, and that made the trip very interesting. One comical thing that was said on the bus and the train was about a town called Moose Pass. The town council will not allow a gas station to be in the town, because they do not want “Moose Pass Gas” in their town. I arrived back in Seward at 11:05, and headed back to the boat just in time for the rain to begin.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Captain Scott's Log ~ Thursday, September 11th 2008
Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2008 10:10 PM
Subject: Blue Mouse Cove
Back in Elfin we dined on salmon steaks as the new gale blew overhead. Wednesday was little better in the weather but we needed to move on to Glacier Bay Park. It was ugly even in protected water but the day had its magic. 3 Orcas paid us a close visit and left quickly when they found us uneatable. There was a white mass in the fog and rain that was thought to be an ice berg but slowly turned into a cruise ship. We cleared in at the ranger station and found that the only restaurant had shut down for the season 2 days ago---oh well, we have lots of salmon. So we moved into Glacier Bay and spent another quiet night in N Sandy Cove. Wind and rain all night. Our crab trap yielded 6 sea snails (like small queen conch) and one large starfish that was eating them--quite a sight. Today we went glacier sight seeing. We visited the McBride, The Riggs and Muir Glaciers. Pretty spectacular--even in fog, mist and sometimes because of the fog and mist. And now we are headed for BLUE MOUSE COVE---what’s in a name anyway. The guide book says we might see wolves and bears on the shore. Damn, salmon again tonight!
Subject: Blue Mouse Cove
Back in Elfin we dined on salmon steaks as the new gale blew overhead. Wednesday was little better in the weather but we needed to move on to Glacier Bay Park. It was ugly even in protected water but the day had its magic. 3 Orcas paid us a close visit and left quickly when they found us uneatable. There was a white mass in the fog and rain that was thought to be an ice berg but slowly turned into a cruise ship. We cleared in at the ranger station and found that the only restaurant had shut down for the season 2 days ago---oh well, we have lots of salmon. So we moved into Glacier Bay and spent another quiet night in N Sandy Cove. Wind and rain all night. Our crab trap yielded 6 sea snails (like small queen conch) and one large starfish that was eating them--quite a sight. Today we went glacier sight seeing. We visited the McBride, The Riggs and Muir Glaciers. Pretty spectacular--even in fog, mist and sometimes because of the fog and mist. And now we are headed for BLUE MOUSE COVE---what’s in a name anyway. The guide book says we might see wolves and bears on the shore. Damn, salmon again tonight!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Captain Scott's Log ~ Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2008 12:36 AM
Subject: Elfin Cove
The last 24 hours in the Gulf were easy as the wind went light. But Commanders said the weather window was short and again they were right. As we neared the inlet the new wind came in and we surfed to the protection of Elfin Cove. The guide book says “This is a place of meandering boardwalks going in multiple directions, lined by a homes, a few shops and friendly people. This tiny village nearly sings out the attention and love and care it has been given. The word Charming really means something here." But the season is late. The owner of the only bar and restaurant has left to teach school in Sitka. But with the weather turning to shit, the local fishing fleet is in. Most of the boats are mom and pop types smaller than us. Behind me is a raft of 5--the "Revelation", "Hellen T", "Silver Fox", "Glenmar", and "Ocean Wave". We were given a 25 lb Coho Salmon Witch is now on our grill (5lbs of it anyway). The new gale is beginning. Snug and safe in Elfin Cove 58 12n 136 21w
Subject: Elfin Cove
The last 24 hours in the Gulf were easy as the wind went light. But Commanders said the weather window was short and again they were right. As we neared the inlet the new wind came in and we surfed to the protection of Elfin Cove. The guide book says “This is a place of meandering boardwalks going in multiple directions, lined by a homes, a few shops and friendly people. This tiny village nearly sings out the attention and love and care it has been given. The word Charming really means something here." But the season is late. The owner of the only bar and restaurant has left to teach school in Sitka. But with the weather turning to shit, the local fishing fleet is in. Most of the boats are mom and pop types smaller than us. Behind me is a raft of 5--the "Revelation", "Hellen T", "Silver Fox", "Glenmar", and "Ocean Wave". We were given a 25 lb Coho Salmon Witch is now on our grill (5lbs of it anyway). The new gale is beginning. Snug and safe in Elfin Cove 58 12n 136 21w
Monday, September 8, 2008
Captain Scott's Log ~ Monday, September 8th, 2008
Sent: Monday, September 08, 2008 3:47 PM
Subject: Gulf of Alaska
Fox Farm Bay had everything except foxes. Not even a farm. We were completely alone with the otters, salmon and bald eagles. We set the crab trap as we do at every anchorage with the usual result. The trap cost $80 and the license another $90 in Kodiak. So after 2 weeks, one small crab cost us $170. On Saturday we moved 40 miles to be near the exit of Prince William Sound—60 19n 147 10w. The predicted gale blew with steady rain so we stayed below playing hearts and drank Kens wine. On Sunday the wind dropped. We had planned to stay till Monday am or go to Cordova. But with cabin fever, the anchor was lifted after lunch and we ventured out into the Gulf of Alaska. It was a boarder line call and for several hours we paid the price in left over seas and wind on the nose. By midnight the wind began its predicted shift to the SW. Soon the banging and crashing was replaced by the swish of the phosphorescent wake as we sailed at 9.4 kts. Elfin Cove is our destination (460nm from our anchorage) and we hope to be there Tuesday night
Subject: Gulf of Alaska
Fox Farm Bay had everything except foxes. Not even a farm. We were completely alone with the otters, salmon and bald eagles. We set the crab trap as we do at every anchorage with the usual result. The trap cost $80 and the license another $90 in Kodiak. So after 2 weeks, one small crab cost us $170. On Saturday we moved 40 miles to be near the exit of Prince William Sound—60 19n 147 10w. The predicted gale blew with steady rain so we stayed below playing hearts and drank Kens wine. On Sunday the wind dropped. We had planned to stay till Monday am or go to Cordova. But with cabin fever, the anchor was lifted after lunch and we ventured out into the Gulf of Alaska. It was a boarder line call and for several hours we paid the price in left over seas and wind on the nose. By midnight the wind began its predicted shift to the SW. Soon the banging and crashing was replaced by the swish of the phosphorescent wake as we sailed at 9.4 kts. Elfin Cove is our destination (460nm from our anchorage) and we hope to be there Tuesday night
Captain Scott's Log ~ Friday, September 5th, 2008
Sent: Friday, September 05, 2008 8:04 PM
New crew consisting of Jon Piper, Ken Hege and Pat Montgomery aboard. The 5 days from Kodiak to Seward were perfect with clear sunny nice weather. Clara was developing her pictures and others waiting said "did you really see all that". YES we did! Then as soon as we got to Seward the rain started and rained non stop for 5 depressing days. The plan was to sail direct to Glacier Bay but the forecast has changed that. Today is supposed to be nice (it is) but Sat it blows a gale from the east and Sun the wind drops all the way to 35 kts also from the east. So plan B. As soon as Ken got off the train (and bought his wine) we left Seward in what little good weather is predicted. Instead of going across The Gulf of Alaska we are headed for Prince William Sound. Then tomorrow when the gale blows we will head to Cordova in more protected water. Tonight I expect to be anchored in Fox Farm Bay---not too far from where the Bear Man and his girl (recent movie) got eaten by Grizzlies. So now we are motoring along the coast, drinks in hand, watching low clouds drift along the nearby cliffs and glaciers
New crew consisting of Jon Piper, Ken Hege and Pat Montgomery aboard. The 5 days from Kodiak to Seward were perfect with clear sunny nice weather. Clara was developing her pictures and others waiting said "did you really see all that". YES we did! Then as soon as we got to Seward the rain started and rained non stop for 5 depressing days. The plan was to sail direct to Glacier Bay but the forecast has changed that. Today is supposed to be nice (it is) but Sat it blows a gale from the east and Sun the wind drops all the way to 35 kts also from the east. So plan B. As soon as Ken got off the train (and bought his wine) we left Seward in what little good weather is predicted. Instead of going across The Gulf of Alaska we are headed for Prince William Sound. Then tomorrow when the gale blows we will head to Cordova in more protected water. Tonight I expect to be anchored in Fox Farm Bay---not too far from where the Bear Man and his girl (recent movie) got eaten by Grizzlies. So now we are motoring along the coast, drinks in hand, watching low clouds drift along the nearby cliffs and glaciers
Jeff's Log ~ Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008 Seward, Alaska
Small boat harbor 60 07.10N 149 26.24W
On Monday a week ago, we got up in the morning and went to the sporting goods store next to our hotel. I got a fishing license, so that we could legally fish for crab. The girl there could not tell me if the license covered crab, so we took a small hike to the fish and game dept. I had to go to the second floor, and when I got up there, the first thing that caught my eye was a pair of large bear hides hanging on the wall. When the girl came to the window, I commented about how neat it was to see the bear hides. Boy, was that a mistake! She did not share my feelings toward bear hides at all.
After that little hurdle, she was quite helpful and gave me all of the information that I needed. On the way back to the boat from there, we stopped in at the office of Karen, the gal who put our bear watching trip together, and thanked her for a job well done. Scott met us on the dock, and he and Clara returned to the boat while I went to purchase a crab trap. There are several different kinds, and I chose one made with a collapsible frame with net over it so that it can be stored in the lazarette when it is not being used.
I got to the boat, and everything was disconnected and we were ready to go. We pulled out of Kodiak and headed through the bridge and headed for the northwest side of Kodiak Island. We went through Whale Passage and saw many whales spouting. A few were close enough that we headed in their direction. The sound that a spouting whale makes is pretty distinct and hard to describe in words, but one can sense the power in the animals when you hear it. We did get close enough for some good photos. One whale was coming right at the boat, and flipped up it’s tail and dove about thirty feet away. I finally got a good whale tail picture!
There were also hundreds of sea otters, and puffins as far as the eye could see. I have been trying to get photos of those two animals too, but they never allow us to get close enough. The first night out, we anchored just off of a very nice cottage in a sheltered cove. It got pretty chilly, but the cabin stayed fairly warm, with lots of condensation dripping from the port light frame in the morning. When I raised the anchor, I was surprised by the amount of kelp that came up with it. It took a while to get it cleared before I locked the anchor down, and my hands got really cold from working with it. The next day we motored along and continued to see spectacular scenery that evening Scott found a sheltered bay which we headed up. There was one shallow spot that was surrounded with a lot of floating kelp on the way in. When we got all the way inside, there was a fish boat working right where we had planned on anchoring. We decided to anchor off of what looked like an empty shack.
After getting the anchor down, we were running the generator for heat and discussing our fuel situation, which was getting short. I thought that maybe the fish boat or some other boat could either sell us some, or tell us where we could get some. I got on the vhf radio asking any vessel to reply. There was no answer, but a few minutes later, I received a call back from the ranger station. It turns out that we were anchored right in front of the ranger station. The empty shack was in fact their supply shack. We invited Jason the ranger out onto the boat for a drink, and dinner. He came right out and we met him face to face. He is a nice young man, and was happy to see us. After a couple of drinks, he told us that he had a drum of diesel fuel, but nothing that used it. Scott gave him a bottle of rum, and I went ashore with him and filled two jerry cans with diesel. There were two other guys there who were volunteers from colleges and getting credit towards their education. Jason had baked some cinnamon sweet rolls, and John had eaten half of them, so Jason told him he was not invited back to the boat. Jason did invite Jim to come along, so Clara sliced up the pork chops so that there was enough to go around. She made tequila sunrise pork chops with yellow rice, and everyone enjoyed it. A nice cocktail party ensued, and everyone went to bed with a nice buzz on, and Jason and Jim returned to the ranger station. We resumed our course which was loosely heading for Seward, when we saw on the map there was a glacier fairly close by. Scott and I discussed the pros and cons of going out of our way to see the glacier, and decided that if necessary, we would go slower to conserve fuel. The side trip to the glacier turned out to be the high point of the trip!
It was McCarty Glacier, and we traveled twenty miles up McCarty Fjord to see it up close and personal. As we entered the fjord, there was what looked like a crashed plane on the side of a large hill. I looked at it through the binoculars, Scott looked, and Clara looked. We all thought it was a crashed plane. Then we brought up the stabilized binoculars, and we could see that it was just snow. We all got a chuckle out of that. As we got close to the glacier, we began seeing large chunks of floating ice. A couple of the larger chunks even had that unique blue tint to them. The closer we got, the more floating ice there was, and I went up on the bow to spot for Scott. We didn’t want to hit any ice with the boat because the edges are very sharp, and will go right through the paint at the waterline.
The hills on either side of the glacier were topped with walls of snow, and some of the snow cliffs had to be a couple of hundred feet high. The ice of the glacier was very jagged, and has a really pretty blue glow to it. As I was looking at it, a chunk fell off and into the water, and a few seconds later, there was a noise like loud thunder that came from it. We heard a few more of these “thunder” noises coming from the glacier cracking as we sat there. The water in the fjord gets turned sort of milky blue from the glacier melting. There is so much mineral content in the water that if you put some in a glass and let it sit, it will separate and leave a deposit in the bottom. The whole experience was pretty incredible, and something that I will never forget. We ended up getting to within a hundred feet of the glacier. And slowly nudged into the pack ice that was floating in the fjord. Seeing the glacier took a lot of time, and we had to change our anchor site for the night.
Small boat harbor 60 07.10N 149 26.24W
On Monday a week ago, we got up in the morning and went to the sporting goods store next to our hotel. I got a fishing license, so that we could legally fish for crab. The girl there could not tell me if the license covered crab, so we took a small hike to the fish and game dept. I had to go to the second floor, and when I got up there, the first thing that caught my eye was a pair of large bear hides hanging on the wall. When the girl came to the window, I commented about how neat it was to see the bear hides. Boy, was that a mistake! She did not share my feelings toward bear hides at all.
After that little hurdle, she was quite helpful and gave me all of the information that I needed. On the way back to the boat from there, we stopped in at the office of Karen, the gal who put our bear watching trip together, and thanked her for a job well done. Scott met us on the dock, and he and Clara returned to the boat while I went to purchase a crab trap. There are several different kinds, and I chose one made with a collapsible frame with net over it so that it can be stored in the lazarette when it is not being used.
I got to the boat, and everything was disconnected and we were ready to go. We pulled out of Kodiak and headed through the bridge and headed for the northwest side of Kodiak Island. We went through Whale Passage and saw many whales spouting. A few were close enough that we headed in their direction. The sound that a spouting whale makes is pretty distinct and hard to describe in words, but one can sense the power in the animals when you hear it. We did get close enough for some good photos. One whale was coming right at the boat, and flipped up it’s tail and dove about thirty feet away. I finally got a good whale tail picture!
There were also hundreds of sea otters, and puffins as far as the eye could see. I have been trying to get photos of those two animals too, but they never allow us to get close enough. The first night out, we anchored just off of a very nice cottage in a sheltered cove. It got pretty chilly, but the cabin stayed fairly warm, with lots of condensation dripping from the port light frame in the morning. When I raised the anchor, I was surprised by the amount of kelp that came up with it. It took a while to get it cleared before I locked the anchor down, and my hands got really cold from working with it. The next day we motored along and continued to see spectacular scenery that evening Scott found a sheltered bay which we headed up. There was one shallow spot that was surrounded with a lot of floating kelp on the way in. When we got all the way inside, there was a fish boat working right where we had planned on anchoring. We decided to anchor off of what looked like an empty shack.
After getting the anchor down, we were running the generator for heat and discussing our fuel situation, which was getting short. I thought that maybe the fish boat or some other boat could either sell us some, or tell us where we could get some. I got on the vhf radio asking any vessel to reply. There was no answer, but a few minutes later, I received a call back from the ranger station. It turns out that we were anchored right in front of the ranger station. The empty shack was in fact their supply shack. We invited Jason the ranger out onto the boat for a drink, and dinner. He came right out and we met him face to face. He is a nice young man, and was happy to see us. After a couple of drinks, he told us that he had a drum of diesel fuel, but nothing that used it. Scott gave him a bottle of rum, and I went ashore with him and filled two jerry cans with diesel. There were two other guys there who were volunteers from colleges and getting credit towards their education. Jason had baked some cinnamon sweet rolls, and John had eaten half of them, so Jason told him he was not invited back to the boat. Jason did invite Jim to come along, so Clara sliced up the pork chops so that there was enough to go around. She made tequila sunrise pork chops with yellow rice, and everyone enjoyed it. A nice cocktail party ensued, and everyone went to bed with a nice buzz on, and Jason and Jim returned to the ranger station. We resumed our course which was loosely heading for Seward, when we saw on the map there was a glacier fairly close by. Scott and I discussed the pros and cons of going out of our way to see the glacier, and decided that if necessary, we would go slower to conserve fuel. The side trip to the glacier turned out to be the high point of the trip!
It was McCarty Glacier, and we traveled twenty miles up McCarty Fjord to see it up close and personal. As we entered the fjord, there was what looked like a crashed plane on the side of a large hill. I looked at it through the binoculars, Scott looked, and Clara looked. We all thought it was a crashed plane. Then we brought up the stabilized binoculars, and we could see that it was just snow. We all got a chuckle out of that. As we got close to the glacier, we began seeing large chunks of floating ice. A couple of the larger chunks even had that unique blue tint to them. The closer we got, the more floating ice there was, and I went up on the bow to spot for Scott. We didn’t want to hit any ice with the boat because the edges are very sharp, and will go right through the paint at the waterline.
The hills on either side of the glacier were topped with walls of snow, and some of the snow cliffs had to be a couple of hundred feet high. The ice of the glacier was very jagged, and has a really pretty blue glow to it. As I was looking at it, a chunk fell off and into the water, and a few seconds later, there was a noise like loud thunder that came from it. We heard a few more of these “thunder” noises coming from the glacier cracking as we sat there. The water in the fjord gets turned sort of milky blue from the glacier melting. There is so much mineral content in the water that if you put some in a glass and let it sit, it will separate and leave a deposit in the bottom. The whole experience was pretty incredible, and something that I will never forget. We ended up getting to within a hundred feet of the glacier. And slowly nudged into the pack ice that was floating in the fjord. Seeing the glacier took a lot of time, and we had to change our anchor site for the night.
Captain Scott's Log ~ Thursday & Friday, August 28th & 29th 2008
Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2008 3:26 PM
Subject: P Dream
We left the State Park at Shuyak at dawn and headed to the Kenai Peninsula. Foggy and a little rough as we passed the Barren Island which guard the Cook Inlet. In the mist they look forbidding as in King Kong. The day kept getting nicer and was sunny as we pulled into Tonsina Cove on the Kenai Peninsula. Never, and I mean never, has Pipe Dream been in a more Idyllic anchorage-- very steep mountains with water falls enclose us. Today we set out for Seward but noted glaciers up fjords and changed course to investigate. They were 20 miles away!! And so we have spent all day looking at Split and McCarty Glaciers. Huge thunder as the glacier moves. Best of all were the surrounding mountains which had 200 ft snow cliffs and mini glaciers looming over the McCarty glacier below. Now at Morning Cove 59 27n 150 18w. Steaks on the grill, 3 waterfalls nearby, Loons... maybe tomorrow we will go to Seward.
Sent: Friday, August 29, 2008 4:49 AM
Subject: Seward
Yesterday on the way to the glacier Jeff noted a plane on the mountainside. He handed me the Commander 7 power glasses and pointed to the white spot on the green slope. I immediately identified a twin in a clearing. Clara also agreed and I took bearings, noted its lat lon, and we discussed calling the Coast Guard. First let me get some more info--so, I got our new Jap eyes, 10 power and gyro stabilized. It was a snow patch. Glad we had not called the CG, we proceeded on to the glacier. Today is clear, cloudless, sunny and warmer---and calm again. Seward was only 180 miles from Kodiak (a 24 hr sail) which is why I stupidly did not refuel. However, today is our 5th day out cruising around and stopping every night. Throttled way back we should get to Seward this afternoon having covered 340 nm from Kodiak--but wow, 5 very neat days.
Subject: P Dream
We left the State Park at Shuyak at dawn and headed to the Kenai Peninsula. Foggy and a little rough as we passed the Barren Island which guard the Cook Inlet. In the mist they look forbidding as in King Kong. The day kept getting nicer and was sunny as we pulled into Tonsina Cove on the Kenai Peninsula. Never, and I mean never, has Pipe Dream been in a more Idyllic anchorage-- very steep mountains with water falls enclose us. Today we set out for Seward but noted glaciers up fjords and changed course to investigate. They were 20 miles away!! And so we have spent all day looking at Split and McCarty Glaciers. Huge thunder as the glacier moves. Best of all were the surrounding mountains which had 200 ft snow cliffs and mini glaciers looming over the McCarty glacier below. Now at Morning Cove 59 27n 150 18w. Steaks on the grill, 3 waterfalls nearby, Loons... maybe tomorrow we will go to Seward.
Sent: Friday, August 29, 2008 4:49 AM
Subject: Seward
Yesterday on the way to the glacier Jeff noted a plane on the mountainside. He handed me the Commander 7 power glasses and pointed to the white spot on the green slope. I immediately identified a twin in a clearing. Clara also agreed and I took bearings, noted its lat lon, and we discussed calling the Coast Guard. First let me get some more info--so, I got our new Jap eyes, 10 power and gyro stabilized. It was a snow patch. Glad we had not called the CG, we proceeded on to the glacier. Today is clear, cloudless, sunny and warmer---and calm again. Seward was only 180 miles from Kodiak (a 24 hr sail) which is why I stupidly did not refuel. However, today is our 5th day out cruising around and stopping every night. Throttled way back we should get to Seward this afternoon having covered 340 nm from Kodiak--but wow, 5 very neat days.
Captain Scott's Log ~ Monday & Tuesday, August 25th & 26th 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008 4:31 AM
Subject: P Dream resumed
6 days in Daneli with Gill. Great weather, views of Mt McKinley, hiking every day, lots of game, and now back to Kodiak by air. Although I saw Grizzlies in Daneli, I decided to see Kodiak bears here. Jeff's girl, Clara, is here and we chartered a bush pilot to fly us to an interior lake to bear watch. Salmon are swimming up the river to spawn and the bears have collected at a set of small falls to cash in. Since I am not allowed to carry a machine gun, I bought a can of "bear spray". The instructions are hysterical. 1) Point the nozzle at the bears face, not yours. 2) Do not spray into the wind. 3) Wait till the bear is close then spray for 2 seconds. 4) If this does not work, check and clean the nozzle. 5) Repeat 3. The flight in a float plane, a Beaver, was worth the price as we had 2 hours of air time over fantastic wilderness. On the river we sat on a small knoll 20 feet from the falls. 3 cubs played on the bank a few feet beneath us while Mom fished. 11 adults caught salmon and ignored us. After 2 hours we hiked back to the plane. A large bear met us on the trail, stood on his hind legs to look us over, then turned and went the other way. Today is Monday the 25th and the weather is good. I am going to cruise the north coast of Kodiak for the next couple of days before putting in at Seward.
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 6:13 PM
Pipe Dream-Yankee Trader
Left Kodiak in calm and approaching Whale Island we saw----Whales. About 30. Engine off and drifting among them--for me, it was the sound in the calm and quiet, of them blowing all around us. For the crew it was the proximity as they dived within a boat length of us. Then we went through Whale Passage and we saw---Otters and Puffins by the thousands. Puffins with orange large beaks that fly through the water and struggle to fly through the air. Otters that lie on their backs eating oysters from their tummy. The next day we passed Alligator Island and saw---Otters. Then past Eagle Cape and saw---Sea Gulls and Kelp.
The first night was past and among high mountains and tonight we are in Big Bay on the Island of Shuyak 58 33 27n 152 36 44w. Stupid me did not refuel in Kodiak and so our extra cruising is stretching our supply as we have only motored for the 2 days. Now anchored off what we thought was an empty summer cottage, we radioed for any vessel to ask where fuel might be obtained. We were answered by a park ranger. Yes we are in a park and anchored off the ranger station. Jason the ranger broke speed records getting to our boat when we offered a drink and dinner. Now the
Yankee Trader bit. You may recall we bought rum in the Philippians that was cheaper than diesel. Jason was happy to trade 1 fifth of rum ( 1 dollor) for 10 gal of his diesel!
For those of you who like to Google map her location, here it is. Lat: 59-7-42 Lon: 151-18-25.3
Subject: P Dream resumed
6 days in Daneli with Gill. Great weather, views of Mt McKinley, hiking every day, lots of game, and now back to Kodiak by air. Although I saw Grizzlies in Daneli, I decided to see Kodiak bears here. Jeff's girl, Clara, is here and we chartered a bush pilot to fly us to an interior lake to bear watch. Salmon are swimming up the river to spawn and the bears have collected at a set of small falls to cash in. Since I am not allowed to carry a machine gun, I bought a can of "bear spray". The instructions are hysterical. 1) Point the nozzle at the bears face, not yours. 2) Do not spray into the wind. 3) Wait till the bear is close then spray for 2 seconds. 4) If this does not work, check and clean the nozzle. 5) Repeat 3. The flight in a float plane, a Beaver, was worth the price as we had 2 hours of air time over fantastic wilderness. On the river we sat on a small knoll 20 feet from the falls. 3 cubs played on the bank a few feet beneath us while Mom fished. 11 adults caught salmon and ignored us. After 2 hours we hiked back to the plane. A large bear met us on the trail, stood on his hind legs to look us over, then turned and went the other way. Today is Monday the 25th and the weather is good. I am going to cruise the north coast of Kodiak for the next couple of days before putting in at Seward.
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 6:13 PM
Pipe Dream-Yankee Trader
Left Kodiak in calm and approaching Whale Island we saw----Whales. About 30. Engine off and drifting among them--for me, it was the sound in the calm and quiet, of them blowing all around us. For the crew it was the proximity as they dived within a boat length of us. Then we went through Whale Passage and we saw---Otters and Puffins by the thousands. Puffins with orange large beaks that fly through the water and struggle to fly through the air. Otters that lie on their backs eating oysters from their tummy. The next day we passed Alligator Island and saw---Otters. Then past Eagle Cape and saw---Sea Gulls and Kelp.
The first night was past and among high mountains and tonight we are in Big Bay on the Island of Shuyak 58 33 27n 152 36 44w. Stupid me did not refuel in Kodiak and so our extra cruising is stretching our supply as we have only motored for the 2 days. Now anchored off what we thought was an empty summer cottage, we radioed for any vessel to ask where fuel might be obtained. We were answered by a park ranger. Yes we are in a park and anchored off the ranger station. Jason the ranger broke speed records getting to our boat when we offered a drink and dinner. Now the
Yankee Trader bit. You may recall we bought rum in the Philippians that was cheaper than diesel. Jason was happy to trade 1 fifth of rum ( 1 dollor) for 10 gal of his diesel!
For those of you who like to Google map her location, here it is. Lat: 59-7-42 Lon: 151-18-25.3
Jeff's Log ~ Wednesday, August 13th 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008 Kodiak, Alaska Saint Paul Marina 57 47.203N, 152 24.686W
We arrived in Kodiak the day before yesterday at about 1830. We were given a slip assignment, and went to it and tied the boat up. The docks are floating pontoons with timber decks. Ther are mostly fishing boats of various types around us. The fellows that are around are very pleasant and friendly. The weather was sunny and pleasant on our arrival, but deteriorated rapidly. Rather than proceed on to Seward, the boys opted to stay here. I was rather happy about that, because by the time we would be approaching Seward, it would have been blowing at full gale and we would have been beating into it. That is not sailing to me, that is punishment, both for the boat and the crew.
Kodiak is a sprawling town, but the main down town area is a short walk from the boat. There is a well stocked true value hardware store right across the street, as well as carquest and Napa parts stores. Right up a stairway across the street is a best western hotel where they serve a continental breakfast, and I have not been able to pay for it. The girl says it’s ok, free. That’s ok with me! It is harder to get on the internet here than any place that I have been. I am going to see about using my cell phone like I did in Thailand. Since I have been here, I have been spending a lot of time calling people on the phone. It is good to be able to use my cell phone again. They would only keep it on hold for six months, so I have over 4,000 rollover minutes. I don’t know if I can talk on the phone that long!
We have the power plugged in and the heat on, and it sure is pleasant sleeping in a drier atmosphere. The floor boards are already coming back to their proper size. They have been very swollen from all of the moisture contained by them, and hard to remove to check bilges, etc. Scott likes to keep his cabin cool, and condensation drips from his hatch frames and port lights. Tomorrow will be spent getting laundry together and delivered to the laundry place at the other end of town. I feel sorry for who ever that is. It has been a while since it was done.
Dave decided to head home yesterday. His four year old daughter misses him, as well as he misses her, and he decided that he would rather go home and spend a couple of quality days with her than look at bears here. Neil is taking a bear watching tour tomorrow morning, and flies to New Zealand tomorrow night. Scott leaves for Denali, and a national park tour, so I will be alone on Pipe Dream after tomorrow night. Clara arrives here on the twenty-third, and I can hardly wait to see her. We will tour around here for a few days, and then, weather permitting; she will sail with us down to Seward.
We arrived in Kodiak the day before yesterday at about 1830. We were given a slip assignment, and went to it and tied the boat up. The docks are floating pontoons with timber decks. Ther are mostly fishing boats of various types around us. The fellows that are around are very pleasant and friendly. The weather was sunny and pleasant on our arrival, but deteriorated rapidly. Rather than proceed on to Seward, the boys opted to stay here. I was rather happy about that, because by the time we would be approaching Seward, it would have been blowing at full gale and we would have been beating into it. That is not sailing to me, that is punishment, both for the boat and the crew.
Kodiak is a sprawling town, but the main down town area is a short walk from the boat. There is a well stocked true value hardware store right across the street, as well as carquest and Napa parts stores. Right up a stairway across the street is a best western hotel where they serve a continental breakfast, and I have not been able to pay for it. The girl says it’s ok, free. That’s ok with me! It is harder to get on the internet here than any place that I have been. I am going to see about using my cell phone like I did in Thailand. Since I have been here, I have been spending a lot of time calling people on the phone. It is good to be able to use my cell phone again. They would only keep it on hold for six months, so I have over 4,000 rollover minutes. I don’t know if I can talk on the phone that long!
We have the power plugged in and the heat on, and it sure is pleasant sleeping in a drier atmosphere. The floor boards are already coming back to their proper size. They have been very swollen from all of the moisture contained by them, and hard to remove to check bilges, etc. Scott likes to keep his cabin cool, and condensation drips from his hatch frames and port lights. Tomorrow will be spent getting laundry together and delivered to the laundry place at the other end of town. I feel sorry for who ever that is. It has been a while since it was done.
Dave decided to head home yesterday. His four year old daughter misses him, as well as he misses her, and he decided that he would rather go home and spend a couple of quality days with her than look at bears here. Neil is taking a bear watching tour tomorrow morning, and flies to New Zealand tomorrow night. Scott leaves for Denali, and a national park tour, so I will be alone on Pipe Dream after tomorrow night. Clara arrives here on the twenty-third, and I can hardly wait to see her. We will tour around here for a few days, and then, weather permitting; she will sail with us down to Seward.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Catch~up Jeff's Log ~ Tuesday, August 5th, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008 In view of Islands Of Four Mountains, Alaska
What a nice sight! At 1120, while on my watch, the clouds parted just aft of the beam, and I was treated to my first glimpse of Alaska. It is also the first time in my life that I’ve seen snow capped mountains. Quite an awesome sight, I must say. The Pacific has cooled to a bone chilling fifty-two degrees, there are more and more sea birds including petrels, albatrosses, and puffins. We have not seen any more whales or seals, however. We are passing lots of large kelp islands, and late last night we even got one wrapped over the keel.
When I came out for my 0200 watch, there was a rumbling type of vibration which I could feel with my feet on the galley sole. The galley sink drain was also gurgling from cavitation.I stopped the boat, and reversed long enough top get going about two knots astern , then resumed motoring ahead on course, and the noise was gone, and boat speed increased by half a knot. I was thankful that no swimming would be required. The current seems to always be against us and lately so is the wind. After the backing episode, I got fooled by a cat’s paw of wind that was usable, and hoisted the main sail. I was just getting things tweaked and feeling really good about being able to motor sail, and the wind shut right off, making the main flog. I had to take it right back down again, and secure the boom. Scott came up and asked if I was practicing for anything special. I told him I was hood-winked by a cat’s paw. He went back to bed chuckling. When Neil came up to relieve me at 0400, I told him what had happened, so he would not fall for the same thing, if tempted. I’m glad I told him, as a little later, he encountered the same thing. That saved a wake up for me, because the electric winch for the main halyard is directly above my head, and usually, that will wake me when it gets used.
Dave has emerged as quite the cook. Today for lunch, he whipped up some corned beef hash that was very tasty. He keeps saying that he’s really not good, just lucky. By tomorrow morning, we should be tied up at the dock in Dutch Harbor. I want a cold beer, and some ice cream, and right now, I would even have them at the same time.
What a nice sight! At 1120, while on my watch, the clouds parted just aft of the beam, and I was treated to my first glimpse of Alaska. It is also the first time in my life that I’ve seen snow capped mountains. Quite an awesome sight, I must say. The Pacific has cooled to a bone chilling fifty-two degrees, there are more and more sea birds including petrels, albatrosses, and puffins. We have not seen any more whales or seals, however. We are passing lots of large kelp islands, and late last night we even got one wrapped over the keel.
When I came out for my 0200 watch, there was a rumbling type of vibration which I could feel with my feet on the galley sole. The galley sink drain was also gurgling from cavitation.I stopped the boat, and reversed long enough top get going about two knots astern , then resumed motoring ahead on course, and the noise was gone, and boat speed increased by half a knot. I was thankful that no swimming would be required. The current seems to always be against us and lately so is the wind. After the backing episode, I got fooled by a cat’s paw of wind that was usable, and hoisted the main sail. I was just getting things tweaked and feeling really good about being able to motor sail, and the wind shut right off, making the main flog. I had to take it right back down again, and secure the boom. Scott came up and asked if I was practicing for anything special. I told him I was hood-winked by a cat’s paw. He went back to bed chuckling. When Neil came up to relieve me at 0400, I told him what had happened, so he would not fall for the same thing, if tempted. I’m glad I told him, as a little later, he encountered the same thing. That saved a wake up for me, because the electric winch for the main halyard is directly above my head, and usually, that will wake me when it gets used.
Dave has emerged as quite the cook. Today for lunch, he whipped up some corned beef hash that was very tasty. He keeps saying that he’s really not good, just lucky. By tomorrow morning, we should be tied up at the dock in Dutch Harbor. I want a cold beer, and some ice cream, and right now, I would even have them at the same time.
Catch~up with Jeff's Log ~ Sunday, August 3rd, 2008
Sunday, August 3, 2008 350 miles SSW of Dutch Harbor, Alaska
We are now cruising under spinnaker at nine knots. The anemometer broke, so we now have no accurate wind speed. Shortly after lunch, we noticed the barometer rise and the wind freshened and went forward of the beam. The temperature dropped a bit, and we all scurried to get the spinnaker up and drawing, As soon as it filled, the boat accelerated and began driving through the sea as she is meant to do. There is a certain feeling of awe that happens every time I hear a spinnaker go “whomp” as it fills. They make an enormous amount of power, and the burst of acceleration happens smoothly and gracefully.
At this speed, the chart plotter shows us reaching Dutch Harbor tomorrow evening. The weather report says the wind won’t last. I hope that they are wrong this time. I must say that Commander’s Weather has been giving very accurate weather thus far, and I certainly do want to thank them for that. They steered us around the bad weather that we would have run directly into, without their guidance. The water temperature is now a chilly 55 degrees, so the nights on watch are very cool and damp. My windward lens of my glasses routinely gets covered in mist and I sometimes wish I had a wiper on that lens. I am getting a lot of use out of my foul weather gear and boots. When I look up at our tri-color light at the top of the mast, in the dark, the mist can be seen blowing around it. All of this mist condenses on the mast and rigging, and runs down to the fittings at the base of the mast. Another leak appeared, and drips right on Scott’s pillow area at the head of his bunk. I studied what was happening and made a shield to deflect the water from the lid of a plastic margarine tub, which I secured to the boom vang hydraulic line. The fitting for the hydraulics is not sealed to the deck plate any longer. I will fix that while in port, as I do not want to risk a hardware failure for which repairs would be impossible at sea. Scott reported that things were drying out since. That’s the price of having the big cabin up forward.
I sure do miss communication with Clara. This has been the longest time since leaving Florida that we have not communicated, and I am concerned, because she is going through a lot right now, and I cannot help her in any way. All I can do is pray and hope that all is well. I have my U.S. phone all charged up so that I can call her at the first opportunity. When the wind speed device stopped working, I checked the connections and so forth in the boat, and then we sent Neil up the mast to remove the outside part for a check over. He brought the wind wand down with him, and we cleaned and lubed it, but that did not help. On his return trip up the mast, I sent a can of lube along, and he sprayed the sheaves and windex, so that is another little bit of maintenance that is now done.
We are now cruising under spinnaker at nine knots. The anemometer broke, so we now have no accurate wind speed. Shortly after lunch, we noticed the barometer rise and the wind freshened and went forward of the beam. The temperature dropped a bit, and we all scurried to get the spinnaker up and drawing, As soon as it filled, the boat accelerated and began driving through the sea as she is meant to do. There is a certain feeling of awe that happens every time I hear a spinnaker go “whomp” as it fills. They make an enormous amount of power, and the burst of acceleration happens smoothly and gracefully.
At this speed, the chart plotter shows us reaching Dutch Harbor tomorrow evening. The weather report says the wind won’t last. I hope that they are wrong this time. I must say that Commander’s Weather has been giving very accurate weather thus far, and I certainly do want to thank them for that. They steered us around the bad weather that we would have run directly into, without their guidance. The water temperature is now a chilly 55 degrees, so the nights on watch are very cool and damp. My windward lens of my glasses routinely gets covered in mist and I sometimes wish I had a wiper on that lens. I am getting a lot of use out of my foul weather gear and boots. When I look up at our tri-color light at the top of the mast, in the dark, the mist can be seen blowing around it. All of this mist condenses on the mast and rigging, and runs down to the fittings at the base of the mast. Another leak appeared, and drips right on Scott’s pillow area at the head of his bunk. I studied what was happening and made a shield to deflect the water from the lid of a plastic margarine tub, which I secured to the boom vang hydraulic line. The fitting for the hydraulics is not sealed to the deck plate any longer. I will fix that while in port, as I do not want to risk a hardware failure for which repairs would be impossible at sea. Scott reported that things were drying out since. That’s the price of having the big cabin up forward.
I sure do miss communication with Clara. This has been the longest time since leaving Florida that we have not communicated, and I am concerned, because she is going through a lot right now, and I cannot help her in any way. All I can do is pray and hope that all is well. I have my U.S. phone all charged up so that I can call her at the first opportunity. When the wind speed device stopped working, I checked the connections and so forth in the boat, and then we sent Neil up the mast to remove the outside part for a check over. He brought the wind wand down with him, and we cleaned and lubed it, but that did not help. On his return trip up the mast, I sent a can of lube along, and he sprayed the sheaves and windex, so that is another little bit of maintenance that is now done.
Catch~ up Jeff's Log ~ Friday, August 1st, 2008
August 1, 2008 N45 15.36, W179 37.44 Enroute to Dutch Harbor, Alaska
Just a couple of hours ago, I began the second August 1, 2008 of my year. We crossed the International Date Line. We all gained a day, just like that! I think I even look a little younger, but the others disagree. Our first port of call has been changed to Dutch Harbor. The wind has been light, and Dave and Neil would like to see some of Alaska, rather than just going to the airport with no time to spare, if we pressed on to Kodiak. This is fine with me too, as now we will be on U.S. soil in a little over four days. Scott raised our minimum speed to 5.5 knots, because now we will have more than enough fuel to make the trip, if motoring becomes constant. The crossing has gone very smoothly, thus far, and we had a few really good traveling days with breeze behind us. Neil is quite experienced, and has given me the basics in some new skills. He taught me how to splice modern lines, and how to install a bungee inside of a line to take up hanging slack. He’s a good country cook too.
Everyone has been doing a good job cooking, as we have all taken turns. Scott remains the pasta king, but that is mostly because that is all he cooks. He also watches carefully to make sure no one else uses his sauce. I must say ,though, that it is nice to see his face beaming with pride as we completely finish his spaghetti every time he makes it. Dave is quite the unsung cook. I keep telling him that I’m going to tell his wife how well he cooks. That would change his life for sure.. I enjoy watching Neil and Dave drive the boat when the wind is up. That is what they were hoping for when they came to do the delivery. They are both really happy when they can do a little surfing, and the boat likes it too. That is what she was designed to do, and is very stable and powerful while doing it. I have gotten a considerable amount of helm time, and I think that my driving skills have gotten a little better. Instead of a snake wake, I now leave a wavy wake.
Just a couple of hours ago, I began the second August 1, 2008 of my year. We crossed the International Date Line. We all gained a day, just like that! I think I even look a little younger, but the others disagree. Our first port of call has been changed to Dutch Harbor. The wind has been light, and Dave and Neil would like to see some of Alaska, rather than just going to the airport with no time to spare, if we pressed on to Kodiak. This is fine with me too, as now we will be on U.S. soil in a little over four days. Scott raised our minimum speed to 5.5 knots, because now we will have more than enough fuel to make the trip, if motoring becomes constant. The crossing has gone very smoothly, thus far, and we had a few really good traveling days with breeze behind us. Neil is quite experienced, and has given me the basics in some new skills. He taught me how to splice modern lines, and how to install a bungee inside of a line to take up hanging slack. He’s a good country cook too.
Everyone has been doing a good job cooking, as we have all taken turns. Scott remains the pasta king, but that is mostly because that is all he cooks. He also watches carefully to make sure no one else uses his sauce. I must say ,though, that it is nice to see his face beaming with pride as we completely finish his spaghetti every time he makes it. Dave is quite the unsung cook. I keep telling him that I’m going to tell his wife how well he cooks. That would change his life for sure.. I enjoy watching Neil and Dave drive the boat when the wind is up. That is what they were hoping for when they came to do the delivery. They are both really happy when they can do a little surfing, and the boat likes it too. That is what she was designed to do, and is very stable and powerful while doing it. I have gotten a considerable amount of helm time, and I think that my driving skills have gotten a little better. Instead of a snake wake, I now leave a wavy wake.
More catch ~ up Jeff's Log ~ Tuesday, July 29th 2008
Tuesday July 29, 2008 Halfway to Kodiak
We have been under engine power for the last 30 hours. The breeze died and has not returned yet. Yesterday, we had some excitement when the d-4 mast support rod parted while the sails were down. The boat got hit by a wave that bounced her a bit, and there was a pop that is a familiar sound to all of us. I was at the base of the mast doing halyard snap shackle maintenance at the time, so the resounding pop was right above my head. I put my gear away, and then we had a little brainstorming session to decide the best course of action. Scott of course was Mr. Negative, saying “how are you going to repair that?” and under his breath saying “yea right” with sarcastic tones. We showed him!!! I rooted around in the sail locker and found some spectra line that was used to keep spinnaker sheets off the boom while racing that was the size we needed. Neil went up the mast to remove the broken pieces and brought the threaded adjuster down with him. We drilled a hole through the adjuster, and I found a shackle that was the proper shape in the “closet of doom” (the hanging locker in my cabin has been turned into spare parts and equipment storage) and we attached that to the adjusting sleeve. Neil tapered the line so that he could easily feed it through the inner bushing on the mast. A stop knot at the top, a bowline at the bottom around the shackle, and Walla! We had an adjustable spectra d-4. Now if the breeze ever comes back, we will be able to sail with no worries.
We have seen a few whale spouts, and one came within a couple of boat lengths going the opposite direction. I could see the water rushing over his large grey body. That was pretty cool. Albatrosses are a pretty common sight, and their low soaring over the waves is fun to watch. Yesterday we happened upon one lone seal. When I spotted him, he was floating on his back with his flippers in the air. I did not know what it was, so I put the autopilot on stand-by and turned the boat so that we could get a closer look. We were all surprised when it was a seal. It was as curious about us as we were of it, and we looked at each other for a few seconds before he dove out of sight. We are seeing dolphins a lot too. Here, they are colored like Killer whales. They are black on top and white underneath, which continues partway up their sides. They are smaller and much quicker moving than the dolphins I see at home. They do not just hang in the bow wave, they dart about and jump with a great sense of excitement. I tried to get pictures, but they do not stay in the same relative spot long enough. I keep getting picture of water instead.
We have been under engine power for the last 30 hours. The breeze died and has not returned yet. Yesterday, we had some excitement when the d-4 mast support rod parted while the sails were down. The boat got hit by a wave that bounced her a bit, and there was a pop that is a familiar sound to all of us. I was at the base of the mast doing halyard snap shackle maintenance at the time, so the resounding pop was right above my head. I put my gear away, and then we had a little brainstorming session to decide the best course of action. Scott of course was Mr. Negative, saying “how are you going to repair that?” and under his breath saying “yea right” with sarcastic tones. We showed him!!! I rooted around in the sail locker and found some spectra line that was used to keep spinnaker sheets off the boom while racing that was the size we needed. Neil went up the mast to remove the broken pieces and brought the threaded adjuster down with him. We drilled a hole through the adjuster, and I found a shackle that was the proper shape in the “closet of doom” (the hanging locker in my cabin has been turned into spare parts and equipment storage) and we attached that to the adjusting sleeve. Neil tapered the line so that he could easily feed it through the inner bushing on the mast. A stop knot at the top, a bowline at the bottom around the shackle, and Walla! We had an adjustable spectra d-4. Now if the breeze ever comes back, we will be able to sail with no worries.
We have seen a few whale spouts, and one came within a couple of boat lengths going the opposite direction. I could see the water rushing over his large grey body. That was pretty cool. Albatrosses are a pretty common sight, and their low soaring over the waves is fun to watch. Yesterday we happened upon one lone seal. When I spotted him, he was floating on his back with his flippers in the air. I did not know what it was, so I put the autopilot on stand-by and turned the boat so that we could get a closer look. We were all surprised when it was a seal. It was as curious about us as we were of it, and we looked at each other for a few seconds before he dove out of sight. We are seeing dolphins a lot too. Here, they are colored like Killer whales. They are black on top and white underneath, which continues partway up their sides. They are smaller and much quicker moving than the dolphins I see at home. They do not just hang in the bow wave, they dart about and jump with a great sense of excitement. I tried to get pictures, but they do not stay in the same relative spot long enough. I keep getting picture of water instead.
More catch~up Jeff's Log ~ Sunday, July 27th, 2008 HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFF
Sunday, July 27,2008
My 54th birthday. 42 44.47N 158 54E 2,000 miles SW of Kodiak, Alaska
This morning at 0200, when I came on deck for my watch, things were really beautiful here in God’s country. Shortly after taking over from Dave, the cloud cover that was with us for so many days broke, and the ocean was illuminated by a very bright quarter moon, and there were more bright stars in the sky than I have ever seen. The view put a big sense of reverence in my mind, and sure made me think about our vulnerability. The wind was a steady fourteen knots, and the boat was charging along at eight and a half knots with the auto pilot driving. I went down and got my handy weather instrument (Thanks Sandy and Vicki) and found that what felt like a really chilly temperature was really 65 degrees. The wind and humidity make it feel a lot cooler. I tweaked the sails just a little bit and got the speed up a couple of tenths to 8.7. In a couple of the puffs, it went over nine.
With it being my birthday, I really sort of meditated, focusing on fond memories of friends and family, and trying not to leave anyone unthought-of. I realized, as I have before, that I am truly blessed with a large number of people that I really care for and consider friends. I want to say “cheers” to you all!
On a sad note, Scott let me make a call to Clara on the sat phone, and she informed me that our dear friend Chrissy had passed away from her cancer on Thursday. I am sorry and she will be missed.
Things aboard Pipe Dream are doing well. When we can, we have been using the spinnaker to go fast. For you non-sailors, that is the large, usually colorful, balloon shaped sail at the front of the boat. Neil and Dave are here for the sailing, not to go sight-seeing. They both usually take the pilot off, and drive the boat. Most of the time, that makes us go faster, because they change course when the wind oscillates, keeping the speed up. We have all been taking turns on cooking dinner, and the food has been very good thus far. Last night, I made fried chicken and mashed potatoes, with some corn dressed up with bits of red pepper. Our watch schedule is two on and six off. It has been working ok, and I do not feel fatigued at all from it. I am on from 0200 till 0400, from 1000 to 1200, and 1800 to 2000. When it’s my turn to cook dinner, Dave and I change, and I take the 1600 to 1800. We all work together very well. It is fun to sail with such good guys. Alaska is getting closer, and my anticipation is growing.
My 54th birthday. 42 44.47N 158 54E 2,000 miles SW of Kodiak, Alaska
This morning at 0200, when I came on deck for my watch, things were really beautiful here in God’s country. Shortly after taking over from Dave, the cloud cover that was with us for so many days broke, and the ocean was illuminated by a very bright quarter moon, and there were more bright stars in the sky than I have ever seen. The view put a big sense of reverence in my mind, and sure made me think about our vulnerability. The wind was a steady fourteen knots, and the boat was charging along at eight and a half knots with the auto pilot driving. I went down and got my handy weather instrument (Thanks Sandy and Vicki) and found that what felt like a really chilly temperature was really 65 degrees. The wind and humidity make it feel a lot cooler. I tweaked the sails just a little bit and got the speed up a couple of tenths to 8.7. In a couple of the puffs, it went over nine.
With it being my birthday, I really sort of meditated, focusing on fond memories of friends and family, and trying not to leave anyone unthought-of. I realized, as I have before, that I am truly blessed with a large number of people that I really care for and consider friends. I want to say “cheers” to you all!
On a sad note, Scott let me make a call to Clara on the sat phone, and she informed me that our dear friend Chrissy had passed away from her cancer on Thursday. I am sorry and she will be missed.
Things aboard Pipe Dream are doing well. When we can, we have been using the spinnaker to go fast. For you non-sailors, that is the large, usually colorful, balloon shaped sail at the front of the boat. Neil and Dave are here for the sailing, not to go sight-seeing. They both usually take the pilot off, and drive the boat. Most of the time, that makes us go faster, because they change course when the wind oscillates, keeping the speed up. We have all been taking turns on cooking dinner, and the food has been very good thus far. Last night, I made fried chicken and mashed potatoes, with some corn dressed up with bits of red pepper. Our watch schedule is two on and six off. It has been working ok, and I do not feel fatigued at all from it. I am on from 0200 till 0400, from 1000 to 1200, and 1800 to 2000. When it’s my turn to cook dinner, Dave and I change, and I take the 1600 to 1800. We all work together very well. It is fun to sail with such good guys. Alaska is getting closer, and my anticipation is growing.
Finally he has internet...Jeff's Log ~ Playing catch up ~ Monday, July 21, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008 34 01N 138 15 E Sea of Japan
We are now into our second day from Tannowa. For a change, there has been sufficient wind to sail, most of the time. The bad news is that the wind is from the wrong direction. The crew now consists of four men. David Woolsey, Neil Cates, Scott and myself. Of the four, I am the one with the least sailing experience, so you can see that as far as sailing goes, we should be all right. We are tacking our way across the bottom of Japan, so the actual distance made good is relatively short. It sure does feel good to be sailing instead of motoring, and Pipe Dream seems to be enjoying it as well.
The last couple of days in Tannowa were very busy, and filled with hard work. The first thing we did upon arrival was head straight to the fuel dock and top off every tank and fill all of the spare fuel cans. While in Osaka, I purchased five more new fuel cans. We now have about fifty five gallons of fuel in cans secured both in the cockpit, and stowed in the forepeak locker. After a short discussion, we collectively agreed that changing to the smaller “Yankee” jib would be a lot easier at the dock, than in a bouncy sea. All of the fuel up front had to come out to get the sail out. We removed the big jib and folded it very tightly (in sailing jargon: flaked and bricked) so that it would fit easily into the sail locker. I must say that Scott and Dave did a fine job, as the sail was in the smallest package that I have ever seen it in. We then hoisted the Yankee onto the head foil, and furled it. The no.2 was then stowed in its place in the forepeak locker.
As long as I had the locker empty, I figured that the time was right to drop the anchor and chain, pull out the anchor rode, and thoroughly clean the bilges, as a lot of mud makes its way in there in the process of all of the anchoring that we do. I am very glad that I did, because it was worse than I thought. There was also a lot of long, tough sea weed strands that surely would have blocked the bilge pump intakes had I not removed them. While in there, I also did the routine hose clamp inspection, and electrical connection service. Now all is well up forward. I removed the line going through the deck for setting the bowsprit, and taped up the hole in the deck. A large rag was forced into the anchor chain chute to slow down the entry of water as the submarine characteristics of this boat forces a lot of water through there.
Mr. Yoshida was kind enough to take us to the super market in his car. It sure did help having someone translate labels for us. After all of the groceries were loaded into his car, there was almost no room for people, but we got everyone crammed in and headed for the boat. By then it was lunch time, and very warm outside. After carrying the groceries to the boat, Scott and Dave rode with Yoshida up to the snack bar, and I repacked the freezer and put away the refrigerator stuff. Then I joined them for lunch. Takeda, the dock manager had given me a straw pointed Japanese hat. I took a sharpie with me and had friends and the office staff sign it in Japanese. It is a memento that I will keep on a special peg at home. I returned to the boat, jumped in the water, and gave the bottom one more going over to be sure it was as clean as possible for our long trip.
After a shower, it was still early enough to get to the office and send a couple of last minute e-mails before meeting Neil at the gate of the marina. I said goodbye to the wonderful staff at the Tannowa Yacht Harbor, gave all of the girls a hug, and with tears in my eyes, left the office. Takahara and Fujiko had some parting gifts of t-shirts and a jar of jam in a nice little basket. They sure are sweet gals! I met Neil when his taxi arrived. He had flown from New Zealand. We took the hike to the boat, and after he stowed his gear, we all went to dinner up on the hill. The restaurant had changed their dinner menu slightly, and we all got meat and fish, instead of meat or fish. The food was very good as usual, and the presentation was that of a first class restaurant. On the way back to the marina, I counted the steps we had to climb to get to the restaurant. There are ninety six, if I counted correctly. Going up helps build your appetite and gets you a little sweaty.
Walking past the marina to the gate, I got a little melancholy knowing that I will probably never see it again. I am left with plenty of fond memories of very hard working, happy people throughout Japan, and I am thankful for the friends that I have made and truly hope to be able to see each and every one of them some time in the future The final preparations for leaving did not take very long, and by 9:30PM, we were off the dock and beginning our journey to Alaska. We quickly settled into our watch schedule, and began making our way around the south side of Japan, looking forward to Alaska.
We are now into our second day from Tannowa. For a change, there has been sufficient wind to sail, most of the time. The bad news is that the wind is from the wrong direction. The crew now consists of four men. David Woolsey, Neil Cates, Scott and myself. Of the four, I am the one with the least sailing experience, so you can see that as far as sailing goes, we should be all right. We are tacking our way across the bottom of Japan, so the actual distance made good is relatively short. It sure does feel good to be sailing instead of motoring, and Pipe Dream seems to be enjoying it as well.
The last couple of days in Tannowa were very busy, and filled with hard work. The first thing we did upon arrival was head straight to the fuel dock and top off every tank and fill all of the spare fuel cans. While in Osaka, I purchased five more new fuel cans. We now have about fifty five gallons of fuel in cans secured both in the cockpit, and stowed in the forepeak locker. After a short discussion, we collectively agreed that changing to the smaller “Yankee” jib would be a lot easier at the dock, than in a bouncy sea. All of the fuel up front had to come out to get the sail out. We removed the big jib and folded it very tightly (in sailing jargon: flaked and bricked) so that it would fit easily into the sail locker. I must say that Scott and Dave did a fine job, as the sail was in the smallest package that I have ever seen it in. We then hoisted the Yankee onto the head foil, and furled it. The no.2 was then stowed in its place in the forepeak locker.
As long as I had the locker empty, I figured that the time was right to drop the anchor and chain, pull out the anchor rode, and thoroughly clean the bilges, as a lot of mud makes its way in there in the process of all of the anchoring that we do. I am very glad that I did, because it was worse than I thought. There was also a lot of long, tough sea weed strands that surely would have blocked the bilge pump intakes had I not removed them. While in there, I also did the routine hose clamp inspection, and electrical connection service. Now all is well up forward. I removed the line going through the deck for setting the bowsprit, and taped up the hole in the deck. A large rag was forced into the anchor chain chute to slow down the entry of water as the submarine characteristics of this boat forces a lot of water through there.
Mr. Yoshida was kind enough to take us to the super market in his car. It sure did help having someone translate labels for us. After all of the groceries were loaded into his car, there was almost no room for people, but we got everyone crammed in and headed for the boat. By then it was lunch time, and very warm outside. After carrying the groceries to the boat, Scott and Dave rode with Yoshida up to the snack bar, and I repacked the freezer and put away the refrigerator stuff. Then I joined them for lunch. Takeda, the dock manager had given me a straw pointed Japanese hat. I took a sharpie with me and had friends and the office staff sign it in Japanese. It is a memento that I will keep on a special peg at home. I returned to the boat, jumped in the water, and gave the bottom one more going over to be sure it was as clean as possible for our long trip.
After a shower, it was still early enough to get to the office and send a couple of last minute e-mails before meeting Neil at the gate of the marina. I said goodbye to the wonderful staff at the Tannowa Yacht Harbor, gave all of the girls a hug, and with tears in my eyes, left the office. Takahara and Fujiko had some parting gifts of t-shirts and a jar of jam in a nice little basket. They sure are sweet gals! I met Neil when his taxi arrived. He had flown from New Zealand. We took the hike to the boat, and after he stowed his gear, we all went to dinner up on the hill. The restaurant had changed their dinner menu slightly, and we all got meat and fish, instead of meat or fish. The food was very good as usual, and the presentation was that of a first class restaurant. On the way back to the marina, I counted the steps we had to climb to get to the restaurant. There are ninety six, if I counted correctly. Going up helps build your appetite and gets you a little sweaty.
Walking past the marina to the gate, I got a little melancholy knowing that I will probably never see it again. I am left with plenty of fond memories of very hard working, happy people throughout Japan, and I am thankful for the friends that I have made and truly hope to be able to see each and every one of them some time in the future The final preparations for leaving did not take very long, and by 9:30PM, we were off the dock and beginning our journey to Alaska. We quickly settled into our watch schedule, and began making our way around the south side of Japan, looking forward to Alaska.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Captain Scott's Log ~ Tuesday, August 12th, 2008
Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2008 4:47 PM
Subject: Kodiac
The last day at sea was spent powering into the wind and running along the south coast of Kodiak Island. The wind lightened some and the sun stayed out so it was a pretty day. There are high snow streaked mountains and nearly no civilization visible. Except for a rocket launching facility!!. There is a beach here called fossil breach. Apparently the natural land erosion leaves hardened fossils littered on the beach. We began to get weather reports that said the weather would deteriorate rapidly--it did, but we made Kodiak OK. Forecast for the next 2 days calls for a gale from the NE (directly from Seward) and heavy rain. Both Neil and Dave have a plane to catch in Anchorage--so, they are going to fly out of Kodiak. Jeff and I will wait for perfect weather to get to Seward only 180 miles away. I meet Gill in Anchorage for a 6 day trip into Denali Park. So this will be my last mail for a couple of weeks. Its raining and blowing now but the town of Kodiak looks like its going to be fun.
Subject: Kodiac
The last day at sea was spent powering into the wind and running along the south coast of Kodiak Island. The wind lightened some and the sun stayed out so it was a pretty day. There are high snow streaked mountains and nearly no civilization visible. Except for a rocket launching facility!!. There is a beach here called fossil breach. Apparently the natural land erosion leaves hardened fossils littered on the beach. We began to get weather reports that said the weather would deteriorate rapidly--it did, but we made Kodiak OK. Forecast for the next 2 days calls for a gale from the NE (directly from Seward) and heavy rain. Both Neil and Dave have a plane to catch in Anchorage--so, they are going to fly out of Kodiak. Jeff and I will wait for perfect weather to get to Seward only 180 miles away. I meet Gill in Anchorage for a 6 day trip into Denali Park. So this will be my last mail for a couple of weeks. Its raining and blowing now but the town of Kodiak looks like its going to be fun.
Captain Scott's Log ~ Sunday, August 10th, 2008
Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2008 10:52 AM
Subject: Dutch Harbor 2
The people here made this stop memorable. It is clear that there is little to do and so most made as much as they could out of what interested them. Bill pumped our gas on arrival and later that night picked us up on the road as we walked to diner. The next day he came by Pipe Dream in a 17 ft aluminum skiff with an ancient outboard, a fishing friend, and a dog. He was drunk as was his friend but his dog didn’t seem to mind. He also had a boatload of fish. He gave us several and asked if he could see the boat. After looking around he said "I got to get a better boat". Then after reflection he said "No, If I did my wife would want to go fishing with me." He had a real gift of story telling and as we were the only people on the island that had not heard them....We heard about the world record 650 lb Halibut that he could not get in the boat, climbing volcanoes, fishing, hunting fox (these are called the Fox Islands), his wife’s lack of cooking skills and winter in Dutch Harbor. "It blows real hard. We get 160 mile an hour winds. You call them hurricanes and we call them Tuesday." Bill also gave us 3 bottles of homemade wild berry jam. He cans 200 bottles every year. It must take a long time to pick that many berries, I asked. "Not that much to do around here"
Subject: Dutch Harbor 2
The people here made this stop memorable. It is clear that there is little to do and so most made as much as they could out of what interested them. Bill pumped our gas on arrival and later that night picked us up on the road as we walked to diner. The next day he came by Pipe Dream in a 17 ft aluminum skiff with an ancient outboard, a fishing friend, and a dog. He was drunk as was his friend but his dog didn’t seem to mind. He also had a boatload of fish. He gave us several and asked if he could see the boat. After looking around he said "I got to get a better boat". Then after reflection he said "No, If I did my wife would want to go fishing with me." He had a real gift of story telling and as we were the only people on the island that had not heard them....We heard about the world record 650 lb Halibut that he could not get in the boat, climbing volcanoes, fishing, hunting fox (these are called the Fox Islands), his wife’s lack of cooking skills and winter in Dutch Harbor. "It blows real hard. We get 160 mile an hour winds. You call them hurricanes and we call them Tuesday." Bill also gave us 3 bottles of homemade wild berry jam. He cans 200 bottles every year. It must take a long time to pick that many berries, I asked. "Not that much to do around here"
Captain Scotts Log ~ Monday, August 11th, 2008
Sent: Monday, August 11, 2008 3:39 AM
Subject: Toward Kodiak
The wind was strong out of the NE so we stayed in Dutch Harbor an extra day. Good call but wish we had one more day to wait as the wind was still on the nose when we left. Commanders weather promised it would slacken and back to the NW--it didn't. The passes between the Pacific and the Bering Sea are noted for rough water--it was. So we settled in for the heavy wind and sea beat--crash, bang. By mid day the boat was taking on water at an alarming rate--drop all sail, turn down wind to access the forepeak, pump the boat dry, fix some of the leaks in the bow, and start again--crash bang. To preserve sanity and the boat I decided to motersail at a slower speed. With reefed main only the boat was more upright and dryer. And at the slower speed of 7 kts the crashing and banging was reduced. The next morning the wind quit, skies cleared, and our sense of humor returned. The mid portion of this leg was gorgeous. I actually saw the sun rise and set for the first time since leaving Japan. Stars and moon on a flat sea--wow. We were now up under the Alaskan Peninsula. It the clear air and with setting sun behind you could see 3 volcano's 75 miles away. I have never seen anything so neat. The tallest 2 were 8000 and 9000 feet high and nearly vertical. The top half was snow capped and one was smoking heavily. The slopes on these monsters had to be 70 degrees--perfect cones. Today, Monday, the wind has returned and again on our nose. The barometer is dropping and we are hoping to make landfall before dark.
Subject: Toward Kodiak
The wind was strong out of the NE so we stayed in Dutch Harbor an extra day. Good call but wish we had one more day to wait as the wind was still on the nose when we left. Commanders weather promised it would slacken and back to the NW--it didn't. The passes between the Pacific and the Bering Sea are noted for rough water--it was. So we settled in for the heavy wind and sea beat--crash, bang. By mid day the boat was taking on water at an alarming rate--drop all sail, turn down wind to access the forepeak, pump the boat dry, fix some of the leaks in the bow, and start again--crash bang. To preserve sanity and the boat I decided to motersail at a slower speed. With reefed main only the boat was more upright and dryer. And at the slower speed of 7 kts the crashing and banging was reduced. The next morning the wind quit, skies cleared, and our sense of humor returned. The mid portion of this leg was gorgeous. I actually saw the sun rise and set for the first time since leaving Japan. Stars and moon on a flat sea--wow. We were now up under the Alaskan Peninsula. It the clear air and with setting sun behind you could see 3 volcano's 75 miles away. I have never seen anything so neat. The tallest 2 were 8000 and 9000 feet high and nearly vertical. The top half was snow capped and one was smoking heavily. The slopes on these monsters had to be 70 degrees--perfect cones. Today, Monday, the wind has returned and again on our nose. The barometer is dropping and we are hoping to make landfall before dark.
Captain Scotts Log ~ Thursday, August 7th, 2008
Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2008 8:11 PM
Subject: Dutch Harbor
The sun rose? Behind a fog bank as we moved slowly to Dutch in the early morning. Then for a minute the fog cleared and we could see the Volcanoes on Unalaska with the sun rising behind them. REAL MAGIC. Later the fog lifted and we could see Umnak behind us with the volcanic plume rising into the stratosphere. We sailed along the severe coast of Unalaska all day and got into Dutch in the afternoon. No customs to clear into the USA as they fly in from Anchorage and the airport has been closed for 3 days with fog. But Port control radioed our info and then drove us around for everything. Drinks at the unisea sports bar, dinner at the Grand Aleutian, shopping and general gossip. Small place with pop of 4000 but wow. Crew hiked up mountain to WW11 bunker-saw old Russian Cathedral--Museum. Boats came by to chat and give us fish and crab. We now have tons of Halibut and Cod and one live King Crab roams the cockpit. Earthquake of 5.2 while having diner--Umnak will be active for awhile. We plan to leave early on the 8th headed NE along the Alaskan Peninsula toward Kodiak Island
Subject: Dutch Harbor
The sun rose? Behind a fog bank as we moved slowly to Dutch in the early morning. Then for a minute the fog cleared and we could see the Volcanoes on Unalaska with the sun rising behind them. REAL MAGIC. Later the fog lifted and we could see Umnak behind us with the volcanic plume rising into the stratosphere. We sailed along the severe coast of Unalaska all day and got into Dutch in the afternoon. No customs to clear into the USA as they fly in from Anchorage and the airport has been closed for 3 days with fog. But Port control radioed our info and then drove us around for everything. Drinks at the unisea sports bar, dinner at the Grand Aleutian, shopping and general gossip. Small place with pop of 4000 but wow. Crew hiked up mountain to WW11 bunker-saw old Russian Cathedral--Museum. Boats came by to chat and give us fish and crab. We now have tons of Halibut and Cod and one live King Crab roams the cockpit. Earthquake of 5.2 while having diner--Umnak will be active for awhile. We plan to leave early on the 8th headed NE along the Alaskan Peninsula toward Kodiak Island
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Captain Scott's Log ~ Wednesday, August 6th, 2008
Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2008 3:04 AM
Subject: Gawn on the Bering Sea
Only 12 hours since my last mail in Umnak Pass and that was only 40 miles ago. With the night which finally settled in around midnight came stronger headwinds and a roaring current against us. To keep from being swept back wards out of the pass the last gallon of diesel was required. But the old girl keeps on ticking. Now the last tank reads empty--I know there is a little there but will need it for docking. With the night also came Real Cold. Three layers of thermals was not enough for the deck and two layers not enough for the bunk--even with the Patagonia down sleeping bag. My Gortex waterproof socks as a third layer feels good in the sea boots. 54 degrees north. The dawn is calm, cold, and foggy. The sea is glassy flat--but, Dutch Harbor is JUST around the corner
Subject: Gawn on the Bering Sea
Only 12 hours since my last mail in Umnak Pass and that was only 40 miles ago. With the night which finally settled in around midnight came stronger headwinds and a roaring current against us. To keep from being swept back wards out of the pass the last gallon of diesel was required. But the old girl keeps on ticking. Now the last tank reads empty--I know there is a little there but will need it for docking. With the night also came Real Cold. Three layers of thermals was not enough for the deck and two layers not enough for the bunk--even with the Patagonia down sleeping bag. My Gortex waterproof socks as a third layer feels good in the sea boots. 54 degrees north. The dawn is calm, cold, and foggy. The sea is glassy flat--but, Dutch Harbor is JUST around the corner
Captain Scott's Log ~ Tuesday, August 5th, 2008
Sent: Tuesday, August 05, 2008 6:58 PM
Subject: Umnak Pass
As I write this we are in the pass at sunset with only 90 miles to Dutch Harbor. After 10 days of continuous fog, the wet misty stuff lifted today. We had a sudden view of the snow capped volcanos on the "Islands of Four Mountains". Quite a view for our first landfall. Umnak is an 80 mile long island and we have run beside it most of the day. Its tallest volcano is more than 7000 feet high. But it’s the Okmok Caldera that blew its top 3 weeks ago. We have light ash on the deck but otherwise no evidence of activity. The caldera is 6 to 10 miles across. Great visibility is very cold air but patchy fog is reclaiming the night. Today we found and stopped at a sea lion colony on an offshore island. Lots of noise and bellows from the beach masters. Kelp has floated by us for the past day in massive patches. Some stems as long as the boat and as thick as my arm. The bird life is unbelievable. No bears yet. But its the dozens of volcanoes that rise into
the clouds that stir the imagination.
Subject: Umnak Pass
As I write this we are in the pass at sunset with only 90 miles to Dutch Harbor. After 10 days of continuous fog, the wet misty stuff lifted today. We had a sudden view of the snow capped volcanos on the "Islands of Four Mountains". Quite a view for our first landfall. Umnak is an 80 mile long island and we have run beside it most of the day. Its tallest volcano is more than 7000 feet high. But it’s the Okmok Caldera that blew its top 3 weeks ago. We have light ash on the deck but otherwise no evidence of activity. The caldera is 6 to 10 miles across. Great visibility is very cold air but patchy fog is reclaiming the night. Today we found and stopped at a sea lion colony on an offshore island. Lots of noise and bellows from the beach masters. Kelp has floated by us for the past day in massive patches. Some stems as long as the boat and as thick as my arm. The bird life is unbelievable. No bears yet. But its the dozens of volcanoes that rise into
the clouds that stir the imagination.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Captain Scott's Log ~ Monday, August 4th, 2008
Sent: Monday, August 04, 2008 2:56 AM
Sat night I wrote in the log "Colder again and thermal long johns welcome. Fog as always but not so wet. The boat has a slight heel in the weak wind and the sound of the engine all too familiar. On deck faint phosphorescence flows by in the swirl of the bow wave but mostly only the glow of the instruments warms the night. The radar shows light rain to leeward but otherwise an empty sea. The promise of the Aleutians will require a few more lonely nights." Sunday the mast head wind indicator quit and Neil was sent to the top to no avail. By afternoon we had a sailing breeze and the chute up. Before dark the wind backed further and increased. Now blowing directly
from Kodiak and why we are headed to Dutch Harbor. But hard on the wind on starboard tack we had reason to worry about the rig with the broken D3. It was out of column and we tried several different configurations. We lived the night with full main with some luffing, 60% rolled up jib, and loosened backstay. I believe if the mast had been aluminum we would have lost it. But its carbon. It blew 20 last night but now it’s a pleasant and safe 13 knot beat. Unlikely to make Umnak Pass and will probably pass close to "The Islands of 4 Mountains" tomorrow. Water temp 52
Sat night I wrote in the log "Colder again and thermal long johns welcome. Fog as always but not so wet. The boat has a slight heel in the weak wind and the sound of the engine all too familiar. On deck faint phosphorescence flows by in the swirl of the bow wave but mostly only the glow of the instruments warms the night. The radar shows light rain to leeward but otherwise an empty sea. The promise of the Aleutians will require a few more lonely nights." Sunday the mast head wind indicator quit and Neil was sent to the top to no avail. By afternoon we had a sailing breeze and the chute up. Before dark the wind backed further and increased. Now blowing directly
from Kodiak and why we are headed to Dutch Harbor. But hard on the wind on starboard tack we had reason to worry about the rig with the broken D3. It was out of column and we tried several different configurations. We lived the night with full main with some luffing, 60% rolled up jib, and loosened backstay. I believe if the mast had been aluminum we would have lost it. But its carbon. It blew 20 last night but now it’s a pleasant and safe 13 knot beat. Unlikely to make Umnak Pass and will probably pass close to "The Islands of 4 Mountains" tomorrow. Water temp 52
Captain Scott's Log ~ Saturday, August 2nd, 2008
Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2008 11:42 AM
We have changed our clocks again. Now GMT minus 11 or Samoan or midway time. We have 6 kts of breeze for past 24hours. Seas flat and we are moving at the same speed as the wind using the chute, Saw another seal. They lie on their backs in the calm water holding their flippers up for warmth. Each time we have mistaken the flipper for a dorsal fin but the head pops up as the boat closes. Engine time and fuel becoming critical. The main has been on so much that we had to shut it down and change oil today. Too much motoring. Also becoming critical is the number of days left. It’s going to be hard to get to Seward in time for Neil’s flight home. Sat 3pm here at 46 54n 176 43west--drifting 500 mile from Umnak Pass and the Okmok Volcano. I have a song on board that we will play as we sail by--" I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know where I'm going to go when the vol-ca-no blows" Only 75 miles further to Dutch Harbor (via the Bering Sea) to get to our real destination---The Unisea Sports Bar and Grill
Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2008 9:47 AM
Diverting to Dutch Harbor
Commanders confirms light wind followed by NE breeze if we continue present course to Kodiak. Now under engine heading 39 degrees toward Umnak pass 690nm away. Umnak has the erupting volcano close to the pass. I have phoned Dutch Harbor and they confirm that they have ash in the air but believe the pass is open. 2380 nm out of Japan. Fog every day and night
We have changed our clocks again. Now GMT minus 11 or Samoan or midway time. We have 6 kts of breeze for past 24hours. Seas flat and we are moving at the same speed as the wind using the chute, Saw another seal. They lie on their backs in the calm water holding their flippers up for warmth. Each time we have mistaken the flipper for a dorsal fin but the head pops up as the boat closes. Engine time and fuel becoming critical. The main has been on so much that we had to shut it down and change oil today. Too much motoring. Also becoming critical is the number of days left. It’s going to be hard to get to Seward in time for Neil’s flight home. Sat 3pm here at 46 54n 176 43west--drifting 500 mile from Umnak Pass and the Okmok Volcano. I have a song on board that we will play as we sail by--" I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know where I'm going to go when the vol-ca-no blows" Only 75 miles further to Dutch Harbor (via the Bering Sea) to get to our real destination---The Unisea Sports Bar and Grill
Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2008 9:47 AM
Diverting to Dutch Harbor
Commanders confirms light wind followed by NE breeze if we continue present course to Kodiak. Now under engine heading 39 degrees toward Umnak pass 690nm away. Umnak has the erupting volcano close to the pass. I have phoned Dutch Harbor and they confirm that they have ash in the air but believe the pass is open. 2380 nm out of Japan. Fog every day and night
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