ALASKA PHOTO ALBUM

6-17 SAT
We wake to gloomy weather, rain. Weigh anchor, and head north saying good-bye to the saber-toothed chief and the little cove. We make our way to New Bella Bella at noon, when everything closes down for lunch. Wanting fuel, we eat lunch and wait. A couple of Indians try to bum money for beers. Ron and Lori go up to the store for milk, fresh food and chewing tobacco. Little kid asks us if we are going to move for the Queen. The Queen, we wonder? The Queen of the North, the BC ferry, due at noon. Oh, yea, guess we will. We were wondering about all the car traffic on the pier. We move around to the other dock. Rob and Lori reappear empty handed, reporting that it was "gross", there were bugs on the lettuce, used barbecues for sale- and Indian trading post, fresh produce arriving once a week on Saturday. We leave Rob back on dock when the wind blasts us away, it takes several tries to puck him back up. Around a point on Seaforth Channel the wind and seas really pick up, hitting us on the side. We seek shelter and wait it out, then brave our way up Mathison Channel, cross Jackson Passage and then into Graham Reach. We push past Butedale and at night fall arrive in Bishop's Bay for anchorage.

6-18 SUN
Les and I row ashore to explore the hot springs. We climb up the old float and walk the planks along the shore and trees to a little hut. We jump into the warm water with an ah. The ceiling rafters are covered with vessel names and dates. We add f/v My Colleen, 6-18-89 above the door. I cook sausages and eggs as we depart. There is a debate over the amount of fuel but we are using less being lighter. We motor on up Grenville Channel with a lunch stop at Lowe Inlet, anchored at the base of a small waterfall. Les and Lori go up to explore, and report that there is a small lake above. As we move on to Prince Rupert I photograph the water from all angles. When we arrive at 6:30 p.m. Sunday evening all the gas docks are closed so we tie up and walk into town. We go to Mama Song's and Rob finally gets his chew- $4!! We walk to McD's and chow down. The walk and air was good. All the cars whizzing around are scary though, we're not used to such speed. Big city. We leave a muffin on the dock for the sea otters.

6-19 MON
We wake at 7 and move over to the fuel dock, hang out until 8 and get 100 gallons, then off we go. Weather has improved, W cross Dixon Entrance and into the State of Alaska uneventfully. We run into the southeastern fleet fishing and spot some sister Lindell boats. the Betty Jean, maybe the Ocean Pearl and for sure the Kokomo, a larger red boat built just before ours. We go over to say hello, it's slow fishing. As we leave Les spots another boat we saw in Friday Harbor and we swing over to say hi there too, they toss us three nice fresh salmon. Tree Point was good to us, happily we go on to Ketchican and hunt for customs, dock there and pay $9 for a stamp. They don't even bother to inspect us. Lori and Rob go do laundry and we go back and put 266 gallons of fuel in. That with the 100 gal. Wow. Rob and I go buy groceries, a drink and a wink. I buy a polarizing filter. Then we shove off. Up Tongass narrows, into Clarence Strait, we decide to head for Santa Anna Bay in Earnst Sound. The water becomes glassy and dolphins play in our wake. We start the stove and cook salmon for dinner. Also catch some crab at our good anchorage.

6-20 TUE
Lori has a claustrophobic fit, wakes up backwards. We get underway, head up Seward Passage and around to Zimovia Strait, have to zigzag up to Wrangell Island, turn west up the narrows to St. Petersberg. We run into Betty Jane at the fuel dock and say hello, then into town. I try to call Alaska ferry wanting to prolong my passage home but it is busy. We do a little shopping and then we are off again. In Fredrick Sound we see whales, they surface with puffs out their blowholes, roll on their backs and sink with a flip of the tail. We stop right beside one playing in the kelp, twenty feet away. Then another large one surfaces and they wallow off. Spectacular. We make our way into Warm Springs Bay and Baranof where we dock- neat general store with hot springs tubs. We hike up the river by the falls.

1989 TRIP NORTH TO COOK INLET                  

        Winter 1989, building the boat    

        Preparing in Seattle    

        Our Departure    

        Calvert Island and The Chief    

        The Inside Passage    

    NEXT         Glacier Bay    

        Glacier Bay, part II    

        To Prince William Sound    

        Around to Kenai    

        Fun in Snug Harbor    

        Back to the Cannery    

        Return to Index