ALASKA PHOTO ALBUM

6-24 SAT
We pull out of Elfin Cove at 4:30 a.m. After helping untie I sleep in till 7:30, Les has put on 40 of the 140 miles across to Gulf of Alaska, the open ocean, the Pacific. I take over and we do another 25 miles by 11. The seas have been ocean swells with a wind blown chop running from behind. Rob takes over as the seas worsen. Les works it again. We really slow down and take a pounding. It gets really hairy when we finally make it to YAKUTAT. We stop and pump water into the side fish holds to lower or center of gravity, then follow two other boats into the harbor. As we pass the point I'm thinking its only a few hundred yards, I could easily swim it, if we were in North Carolina where the water is warm, only here, the water is freezing, you'd never make it! As we pass the bar the ten to twelve foot waves are breaking. You ride them in like you are surfing, surfing on a thirty-five foot boat! It's very unstable, the wave out run you, you either stay straight, or turn sharp left or sharp right. You don't know which. But we make it. We want to go into town for dinner but it is too late. It's taken us sixteen hours. We wait for our food once again but we are all very happy to be back on dry, hard, not moving land. We rename this place, Yuk-a-tat. My bike seems to have made it okay, tucked snugly in the net bags.

6-25 SUN
My birthday. We all sleep in and then have pancakes and sausage. The plan is to wait for calmer seas. None of us want to go back out there again. Of course plans change. Les talks with some people and we find some to follow to Cordovia and he's told ways to enter there. So off we go again. We go to the fuel dock and meet up with Bill Sulivan an the Argo and another boat, the Capricorn. We have to wait for fuel, the guy isn't there... and then we have to wait some more while they scrounge up a 55 gal. drum. Capricorn has gone out ahead and reports fair seas. At 4 p.m. we begin our journey. Capricorn reports they have hit a deadhead and broken a prop. No problem, they have two and will limp back to port. We decide to rotate, two hours on, four off. We are treated to clear skies and easy seas with spectacular views of the coastline. Massive glaciers cover the shoreline, swirling down from equally massive mountains behind them. Mt. St. Elias at 18,000 ft. is the tallest mountain I've ever seen to this point. We push on into the night, thought it never really get totally dark, more an endless sunset turning into and endless sunrise in brilliant hues. The walkman is put to work. The waters are flat and I have to remind myself where we are, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I must keep watch, thought it is impossible to see, we don't want to hit a log like the Capricorn. Morning finds us passing Henchenbrook Point and entering Prince William Sound. This is a beautiful place, many times the Puget Sound I think. The main difference being no input from mankind, no houses or homes, no smoke stacks or bridges, no highways or utility poles, no motor or sail boats polluting the view, less ourselves and of course the haunting knowledge of the Exxon Valdez. We look for oil and find none to speak of until we pass a cove where a clean up crew is hard at work. Just like TV, small and large boats, a hotel barge, a work barge, helicopters flying overhead, booms ring the shore where workmen shoot powerful hoses at the rocks, while others are down on their knees scrubbing individual rocks by hand. It's very errie, and quite obvious that it is useless, there are hundreds if not thousands of miles of coastline, this entire crew might be able to do just a few. We continue on, back out into the Gulf once again and finally around and into Resurrection Bay and SEWARD. We pull in around 9 p.m., celebrate by going out for dinner, prime rib at Ray's. Rob and I go to a bar afterwards and see a cowboy try to pass a bogus $20.

6-27 TUE
SEWARD I wake up and go to the Harbor Masters office. It's Christmas! Both packages, one form home and one, more importantly, from Buckingham BMW, my final drive, are here. I call the Alaska RR and confirm that my tickets are in Anchorage waiting for me. I call BC Ferries and change by crossing to August 5th. The world is spinning in the right direction! We fuel up, drop off the extra drum, and pull my bike out. I install the final drive and it's time for a test ride. Everyone wants to go. I cruise into town and all the cannery boys like my ride. I try to find a secure place to park it but find none. Haul Les and Lori up and back for laundry, shopping. We have tacos for dinner. I have to divide up what I'm leaving with the bike and what's going with me on the boat and to Denali. I should have taken more clothing, left them on the boat. Buy film, a book- see huge stuffed bear. Buy tarp.

1989 TRIP NORTH TO COOK INLET                  

        Winter 1989, building the boat    

        Preparing in Seattle    

        Our Departure    

        Calvert Island and The Chief    

        The Inside Passage    

        Glacier Bay    

        Glacier Bay, part II    

        To Prince William Sound    

    NEXT         Around to Kenai    

        Fun in Snug Harbor    

        Back to the Cannery    

        Return to Index