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.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
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.
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