If you can read the red numbers, they indicate how far north of Seattle we are.About an hour out of Meyers Chuck on Friday morning, our cell phone rang. Having cell phone reception in the middle of Clarence Strait is about as likely as having a white Christmas on Bainbridge. And guess who it was! The reception was somewhat broken, so I didn’t get his name, but he was from Darrell Emmel Tree Service on Bainbridge, probably asking if we wanted out trees sprayed…. couldn’t hear him too well. I told him that I was on a sailboat in Alaska and there were a lot of trees here for him to trim, but the transportation costs might be a little high. ‘Wish I could have understood his reply. (Our electronic chart sometimes notes “Wooded” and “Heavily Wooded”. We can’t tell the difference and wonder why they bother. It is ALL heavily wooded.)
Weather:
Conversation on the VHF radio between two fishermen:
Conversation on the VHF radio between two fishermen:
“That’s about the worst weather I’ve ever heard for this time of year.”
“Yeah, we had 55 on the meter as we turned into the bay. Where did that come from?”
“Right, they changed the forecast after it started to blow at 4:00.”
Ah ha! We are not wimps. The weather IS unseasonably cold, wet, and windy. (The fishermen know.) Doug is close to suicidal, unless I’m reading that wrong, and he is actually homicidal. I have better drugs, but I’m not willing to share…yet. At one point, we briefly toyed with the idea of going back to Canada, but couldn't get south because of the weather at the Dixon Entrance. One source of information says that the area around Ketchikan gets an average of six inches a rain each month in the summer. We got that in one night last week. But, are we complaining? Yes.
There is a high weather system coming in which should impreove things a bit. Last year we only “waited out” one day for weather. I guess we were spoiled. We like being spoiled.
Shaman sallied on under overcast skies and spent a night at a US Forest Service float that had specific instructions stenciled in large letters telling us not to tie up unless we HAD PERMISSION. Not only did we not have permission, but we were joined by another C&C sailboat, Stealth. Of course, with a name like that, you don’t ask permission. Stealth and Shaman spent a nice night in the rain, chatting about whatever boats talk about when the skippers and crew have gone to bed.
There is a high weather system coming in which should impreove things a bit. Last year we only “waited out” one day for weather. I guess we were spoiled. We like being spoiled.
Shaman sallied on under overcast skies and spent a night at a US Forest Service float that had specific instructions stenciled in large letters telling us not to tie up unless we HAD PERMISSION. Not only did we not have permission, but we were joined by another C&C sailboat, Stealth. Of course, with a name like that, you don’t ask permission. Stealth and Shaman spent a nice night in the rain, chatting about whatever boats talk about when the skippers and crew have gone to bed.
Larger–than-Shaman-and-Stealth-sailboat in Frosty Bay. He did not share our dock.
ROCKS WITH LEGS! ROCKS WITH LEGS! Winding through Zimovia Strait on June 28th, Doug spotted two grizzly cubs (BIG children!) on the beach. We couldn’t get close enough to take pictures that would look like anything other than rocks with legs (‘way too shallow), but it was fun watching with the binoculars. Use your imagination: tanny-gold color, long fur, grizzly humps, Disney-looking nose, eyes and ears; snuffing in the grass and brush for bear nibbles. Aren’t they cute?
Following a crab boat into Wrangell
ROCKS WITH LEGS! ROCKS WITH LEGS! Winding through Zimovia Strait on June 28th, Doug spotted two grizzly cubs (BIG children!) on the beach. We couldn’t get close enough to take pictures that would look like anything other than rocks with legs (‘way too shallow), but it was fun watching with the binoculars. Use your imagination: tanny-gold color, long fur, grizzly humps, Disney-looking nose, eyes and ears; snuffing in the grass and brush for bear nibbles. Aren’t they cute?
Following a crab boat into Wrangell 
Wrangell has good pizza! Note lack of rain. 
Boat names. The picture actually looks better than the real thing. It had gear on it indicating that it had been off-shore (many years years ago). We would love to know the story.
Wrangell Harbor in the morning. We would have stayed another day, but the weather forecast was good and we decided we had best head for Petersburg.
Heading for Wrangell NarrowsWrangell Narrow, leading to Petersburg, is about 25 miles east of Wrangell. It’s 21 miles long, with 60 navigation aids. In some areas, the dredged channel is narrow; you hope you don’t meet a large commercial boat or a cruise ship in those spots. Shaman tucked in her almost-eight-foot-keel and we paid close attention to charts and nav markers for the next four hours.
The only commercial traffic we met in the Narrows. 
Approaching Petersburg. That long blue tube-like apparatus on the left is part of the Alaska Marine Highway terminal. You will encounter it again in the next Chronicle.
Last channel marker. The guidebooks say there are 60 navigation devices. We didn’t see numbers 59 and 60.
We love Petersburg: very picturesque, nice people, and exquisite smoked salmon. We spent four days here last year waiting for overnight delivery of a boat part. (We have since learned that is within the average range.)
We love Petersburg: very picturesque, nice people, and exquisite smoked salmon. We spent four days here last year waiting for overnight delivery of a boat part. (We have since learned that is within the average range.)
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