Transit through BC to Southeast Alaska, Cruising SE Alaska

Location: Hoonah, Alaska

The US / Canada border was still closed to non-essential travel when we were ready to go north to Alaska.  We had visited many places in Puget Sound; some we had never been to before and others that were favorites from past visits.  We had used up all of our time in Washington and it was time to head north.  Although US-flagged pleasure boats are still not allowed to travel as tourists within Canadian waters, CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency) has established guidelines that allow transit through British Columbia (BC) from Washington to Alaska and back. 

B in her kayak watching Goldie the brown bear graze in Red Bluff Bay, Baranof Island, SE Alaska

Map of our journey from Roche Harbor, WA to Hoonah, Alaska.  The blue circles 1 - 11 show the places we stopped on our transit through BC from Roche Harbor to Ketchikan (579 nm).  The orange circles 1 - 12 are the stops we've made cruising Southeast Alaska (432 nm).

Prior to departure, we checked MarineTraffic.com on a regular basis and watched a steady stream of US-flagged vessels making their way north up the BC coast to Alaska.  We listened to a webinar that explained most of the rules and what to expect when clearing customs and during transit.  Some of the rules are:  you had to have a transit plan showing your stops along the way; you were not allowed to stop at any First Nations Communities; you were only allowed to stop at shore side facilities if you needed fuel, water or groceries but these stops were to be kept to a minimum; no fishing or tourist activities were allowed.  Of course, in an emergency you could get assistance.  We carry plenty of fuel and water and we stocked up on groceries in Anacortes a few days prior to our departure so all of our stops in BC were anchorages.

Monday, May 10, 2021 – Roche Harbor, WA to Hammond Bay, BC via Sidney, BC (55 nm, 9.5 hours):  We pulled away from the Roche Harbor dock at 7:45 and headed west to Sidney, BC to clear into Canada at the Port Sidney Customs Dock.  We had heard all kinds of rumors about it taking three hours or more for US-flagged pleasure vessels to clear in and about boats being searched for weapons, alcohol and other things that need to be declared.  When we arrived at the dock, a US-flagged pleasure vessel was in the process of clearing in, so we tied up and waited our turn.  Although there were two customs officers at the dock, we were still required to call into the central customs clearance center in Ontario to report our arrival and to declare any items.  Once that was complete, we reviewed our transit plan with the officers at the dock and provided a list of the items we were declaring (beer, wine and groceries).  They asked a few questions, explained Canada’s COVID requirements and protocol and wished us a safe voyage.  The whole process took about 30 minutes and we were on our way again.  We figured that they had cleared in enough US-flagged vessels that they had all of the kinks worked out of the process.

Watching the clouds go by while we are at anchor waiting for slack water at Dodd Narrows

Originally, because we were unsure of how long it would take to clear customs, we had planned a short voyage for the day.  Since it didn’t take as long as expected, we decided we could transit Dodd Narrows and anchor somewhere near Nanaimo for the night.  Dodd Narrows is a narrow, deep passage south of Nanaimo where the currents can run up to 9 knots.  Although the narrows is short, it is best taken at slack water.  The tide and current tables told us that slack water at Dodd Narrows was at 16:38 and we decided we could safely transit through at ~16:00 with ~2 knots of current flowing with us.  We arrived south of the narrows about 15:00, too early to go through, so we anchored up behind an island nearby to wait.  We heaved anchor at 15:45 and made it through the narrows with no issues.  In Northumberland Channel, just north of the narrows, we saw three orcas heading south.  We motored up to Hammond Bay, north of Nanaimo, and anchored up for the night. 

Approaching Dodd Narrows

3 orcas north of Dodd Narrows

A camper on the cliffs in Northumberland Channel near Nanaimo, BC

Tuesday, May 11, 2021 – Hammond Bay, BC to Otter Bay (S of Chatham Point), BC (90 nm, 12 hours):  Last night before we went to bed, we did a bunch of current calculations for Seymour Narrows.  This leg of the journey is tricky and it is difficult to time the currents right.  The current ebbs and floods around both ends of Vancouver Island and it meets between Shelter Point and Kuhushan Point, south of Discovery Passage.  The currents in Seymour Narrows can run up to 16 knots and you want to transit as close to slack water as possible.  From the south, to get to Seymour narrows near slack water, when the tide turns from the flood flowing south (180 deg. true) to the ebb flowing north (000 deg true), you have to travel up Discovery Passage with a flood current of up to 4 knots working against you.  Today’s maximum currents were predicted to be +12.3 (flood) and -10.3 (ebb).  We calculated that if we left our Hammond Bay anchorage around 9:00, we would arrive at the narrows between 18:30 – 19:00; slack was predicted for 18:37.  If we didn’t make it, we would anchor up for the night in Gowlland Harbor, south of the narrows, and go through early tomorrow morning.

The Winchelsea Control station near the Whiskey Golf testing area.  

We heaved anchor at 8:30 and headed north.  “Whiskey Golf”, a restricted area north of Nanaimo that the US and Canadian Navies use to test torpedoes and ships’ systems, was active today so we skirted around the west side.  The current was mostly with us and we cruised along at 7.5 – 7.8 knots most of the day.  Once we got to the current shear line, where the ebb and flood currents meet, north of Shelter Point, our speed went all the way down to less than 4 knots, then back up to 5 and finally back up to 7 knots.  

Cape Mudge Lighthouse at the southern end of Discovery Passage

The timing looked good for us to arrive at Seymour Narrows just after 19:00 with ~2 knots of current in our favor; we continued north and made it through with no issues.  We decided to ride the current for another hour and anchored up in Otter Cove, south of Chatham Point at 20:30.  A long day but worth it to get the narrows behind us.

Wednesday, May 12, 2021 – Otter Bay, BC to Spout Cove, Hanson Island, BC (55 nm, 7.5 hours):  We left Otter Bay at 5:45 to catch the ebb current flowing west through Johnstone Strait. 

Chatham Point Lighthouse, just around the corner from our anchorage in Otter Cove

This is another area with strong currents, and if the wind is blowing from the west up the strait while the ebb is flowing out to the west, the seas become short and steep.  The wind was light today, with a low ceiling and some fog.  We had to dodge a few logs along the way but overall a pleasant voyage. 

A tug towing a loaded log barge heading east and an LST heading west in the fog in Johnstone Strait

We turned north out of Johnstone Strait into Blackney Passage and anchored up in Spout Cove on the north side of Hanson Island at 13:30, about the time the current changed from ebb to flood.  We unlaxed, did a few minor boat chores and checked the weather for tomorrow’s voyage.  If the weather cooperated, we planned to go around Cape Caution but we plotted an alternative route to an anchorage south of the Cape just in case.

 

The shoreline at Spout Cove. 
Our solar panels are in the foreground soaking up the sun and keeping the batteries charged up.

Thursday, May 13, 2021 – Spout Bay, BC to Pruth Bay, Calvert Island, BC (90 nm, 12.3 hours):  We heaved anchor at 5:40 and motored out of Spout Bay.  It was overcast with a low ceiling and light rain.  The current was with us for most of the morning and we averaged 8+ knots.  The weather was acceptable for going around Cape Caution and we rounded the cape ~13:30. For entertainment (and information) we have been listening to Traffic on the VHF radio but there weren’t many boats out today and the radio was fairly quiet.  We turned west around the north east corner of Calvert Island into Kwakshua Channel ~18:00 and were anchored up in Pruth Bay by 18:30. 

Pruth Bay is the home of the Hakai Beach Institute with access to good hiking trails and sandy beaches.  In normal times, this is a very popular anchorage but with COVID restrictions in place, the institute and the island are closed to guests.  We were surprised to find that we were the only boat in the anchorage.  The institute also provides limited Wi-Fi access and we were able to anchor close enough to pick up a signal and check our e-mails.

Sunrise at Pruth Bay

We took a day off on Friday to wait for the winds and the seas offshore to settle so that we could take the offshore route up the north coast of BC.

Saturday, May 15, 2021 – Pruth Bay, BC to Tate Cove, Aristazabal Island, BC (84 nm, 11 hours):  We fired up the main engine at 7:00 this morning and headed north up Meay Inlet to Hakai Passage then turned west/northwest into Queen Charlotte Sound.  The road less traveled, Queen Charlotte Sound is the outside route through northern BC.  Most boats take the inside route up Fitz Hugh Sound, through Loma Passage to Seaforth Channel, up Finlayson and Tolmie Channels and into Grenville Channel.  The inside route is better protected with numerous anchorages to duck into if the weather changes and several marinas providing fuel, water and groceries.  Last fall we had travelled south down the inside route from Alaska to Washington.  Since the weather was good, we decided to take the outside route so that we could see some different stretches of coastline.

The skies were gray as we motored across the south end of the Goose Islands, along the southwest coast of Price Island and up the west coast of Aristazabal Island.  We turned east and motored through the Wall Islets, along the north shore of Thompson Island and then south into Tate Cove where we anchored for the night.

Tree at the entrance to Tate Cove

Sunday, May 16, 2021 – Tate Cove, BC to Patterson Inlet, Pitt Island, BC (50 nm, 6.6 hours):  It was foggy and rainy this morning when we left Tate Cove to continue our journey north.  We cruised up Estevan Sound between Campania Island and the Estevan Group of islands, across Nepean Sound and into the southern end of Principe Channel, between Banks Island and Pitt Island.  We turned east into Patterson Inlet, on the west side of Pitt Island and were anchored up by 15:30.  

Trees from a landslide on the shore near the entrance to Patterson Inlet

The mountains surrounding the head of Patterson Inlet

Monday, May 17, 2021 – Patterson Inlet, BC to Hunt Inlet, Porcher Island, BC (59 nm, 8 hours):  Departure time this morning was at 10:00 to catch the flood flowing north so we did a few boat chores before leaving the anchorage.  We cruised up Principe Passage then turned into Petrel Channel and wound our way north up the east side of McCauley Island.  Our destination for tonight was Hunt Inlet on the north side of Porcher Island.  Both sides of Hunt Inlet are lined with interesting houses, buildings and docks.  We anchored up at the head of the inlet at 17:30 and settled in for the night.

Sunset at Hunt Inlet

A building and boat / seaplane dock in Hunt Inlet

Tuesday, May 18, 2021 – Hunt Inlet, BC to Brundige Inlet, Dundas Island, BC (41 nm, 6 hours):  Anchor up at 6:45 this morning for a short journey to Brundige Inlet on the north side of Dundas Island.  It was overcast, 46F/9C, winds were from the west 15 – 20 knots and the seas were choppy.  There were a few other pleasure boats headed north but most were faster than us.  Once we got into the lee of Dundas Island it was smooth cruising.  We cruised by the Green Island lighthouse, turned west around the northeast tip of Dundas Island and then south into Brundige Inlet. 

Green Island Lighthouse, east of Dundas Island

We anchored up south of Fitch Island, ate our lunch and settled in for the afternoon.  We watched a small sailboat come into the cove mid-afternoon.  Our last anchorage in BC, this was the first that we’ve shared with another boat.   Tomorrow we cross the border into Alaska.

Wednesday, May 19, 2021 – Brundige Inlet, BC to Ketchikan, Alaska (55 nm, 8 hours):  This morning we got up at 5:15, made coffee and ate our breakfast then heaved anchor and motored out of the inlet at 5:45.  The sailboat was heaving their anchor at the same time and they followed us out.  The early departure was so that we would be across Dixon Entrance before the tide changed from flood to ebb.  We took down our Canada flag after we crossed the border and cleared into the US using the CBP Roam app once we picked up a cell phone signal from Ketchikan.  Space was available at the Casey Moran Harbor, aka City Float, right in the heart of downtown and we tied up to the docks there about 13:00.  The guys on the dock gave us some restaurant recommendations so we walked up to Annabelle’s and had chowder and seafood for lunch.

Welcome to Ketchikan

We spent the afternoon doing town chores, i.e. getting our fishing licenses and visiting the local book store.  A walk along Creek Street, which used to be Ketchikan's red light district and Married Man’s Trail, the "back door" to the red light district, which follows Ketchikan Creek upstream to the fish ladder, finished the afternoon.  As per one of our guide books, the local joke is that at Ketchikan Creek, both salmon and men went up the creek to spawn.  For supper we went to Bar Harbor and had a nice meal.

We spent Thursday and Friday in Ketchikan doing more town chores – grocery shopping, trips to the hardware store and fishing store, laundry, etc.  The bus was free so we took advantage of that and did some touring around the south and north ends of town.   

Saturday, May 22, 2021 – Ketchikan to West Arm, Kendrick Bay (38 nm, 5.3 hours):  Although we enjoyed our time in town and the opportunity to stretch our legs, three days were more than enough and we were anxious to get out into the wilderness.  We decided to cross over to Prince of Wales Island to explore the bays, inlets and towns along the east and west coasts.  Before leaving the docks, we topped up our fresh water tank and set up the crab and shrimp pots.  We pulled out of the harbor at 10:30 and headed down Nichols Passage and across Clarence Strait.  Our first stop was Kendrick Bay.  We dropped off the shrimp trap and the crab trap then made our way to the head of the west arm where we anchored up.  We spotted a black bear along the shoreline about ten minutes after setting the hook. 

The shoreline and mountains at the head of West Arm in Kendrick Bay

Sunday morning, after coffee and breakfast and checking into the Boater’s Net with Darlene, we finished our high-level cruising plan for the summer.  Our plan is to do a clockwise loop through the islands, visiting places we haven’t been to before and revisiting some of our favorites.  We hope to spend at least two nights at each location, which gives us a travel day and an exploring day.  There are a few spots where we’ll only spend one day and some where we’ll spend several days. 

We spotted two black bears, one black colored and one with a rusty brown coat, working their way along the shoreline.  It was raining so we spent most of the day doing boat chores.  Late in the afternoon, the rusty colored bear ambled along the shoreline, scratching his back on the trees as he went; we enjoyed his show. 

Leaving Kendrick Bay 

Monday, May 24, 2021 – Kendrick Bay to Kassa Inlet (50 nm, 6.5 hours):  We left the anchorage this morning at 6:00.  There were no crabs in the crab trap and only two shrimp in the shrimp trap so that was disappointing.  Just north of Cape Chacon we spotted whales, eagles and dolphins feeding along the shoreline.  We cruised around Cape Chacon at the southern tip of Prince of Wales Island and turned north into Cordova Bay on the west side.  We stopped to fish at a high spot in Eureka Channel.  Dave put his line down to the bottom and had a fish almost immediately.  I waited for him to reel his line in, then put mine out and caught a fish.  They were both good size black rockfish (black bass).  Two was plenty for us so we put up our rods and continued north.  Two nice fish in less than ten minutes – catching is definitely a lot more fun than fishing.

Dave putting his line in the water, Eureka Channel on the west side of Prince of Wales Island

B with a black rock fish (black bass) on the line, Eureka Channel

We dropped off the shrimp trap at the entrance to Kassa Inlet and the crab trap on the north side of Kassa Island then anchored up in the small cove on the west side of Kassa Island.  Late evening a small black bear came out of the woods and worked its way along the shore.

Black bear on the shore, Kassa Inlet

We were planning to kayak around the inlet Tuesday but it was raining out so we stayed aboard and did some chores.  We spotted a different bear, this one was black with a rusty stripe across his hindquarters, on the shore mid-morning.  Early evening the small black bear and the rusty striped bear were both out eating grass and turning over rocks. 

Two black bears on the shore, Kassa Inlet

Wednesday, May 26, 2021 – Kassa Inlet to Hydaburg (26 nm, 3.6 hours):  We had our breakfast and coffee this morning, checked into the Boater’s Net with Darlene, put a pork roast in the crock pot, checked for bears then heaved anchor at 10:00.  The crab pot was empty but we caught 26 large spotted prawns in the shrimp trap, the best haul we’ve had in a long time. 

Dave pulling the crab trap, no luck today.

The shrimp trap with 26 large spot prawns in it

We pulled into the Hydaburg harbor ~14:15 and tied up on the inside of the breakwater dock.  We settled in then walked up the dock to check in with the harbormaster.   Hydaburg is one of the largest Haida communities in North America.  

There was a group of kids swimming near the shore – too cold for us, but they were having a good time.  We walked into town to check out the totem park, then to the grocery store and the café. 

Totem pole in the Hydaburg Totem Park

Totem Pole in the Hydaburg Totem Park

Mural on the back of the Hydaburg Library

Everyone we met was super friendly.  While we were at the totem park, a lady came out to make sure we didn’t miss the mural painted behind the building.  At the grocery, we asked if they had ice.  The owner said no but she thought her mother might have some extra so she called to ask.  Her mother only had one extra bag so we said not to worry, we would pick some up when we got to Craig.  The café was closed, but the owner came out and talked to us to tell us what was on the menu for tomorrow.  As we made our way back to the boat, we stopped and traded stories with a group of fishermen on the dock.

Fishing boats in the Hydaburg Harbor

Sunset at Hydaburg

Thursday was a beautiful bright sunny day, the best we’ve had since arriving in Alaska.  We spent the morning doing some outside boat chores, like scrubbing green algae from around the hatch covers and the decks.  At 11:30 we walked up the hill to the main road that connects Hydaburg to Craig, then down to the beach road and along the shore to the café. 

B at the Welcome to Hydaburg sign

Mileage sign on the main road between Hydaburg and the other communities on Prince of Wales Island

Two fishing boats on the rocks in a cove south of downtown

The café wasn’t open so we finished the loop through town, stopping to talk with a lady about the Haida culture and the town.  She told us we should come back at the end of July which is when they have their culture festival.  We made fish tacos with the rest of our black bass then did more outside chores and enjoyed the sunshine.

Friday, May 28, 2021 – Hydaburg to Craig (33 nm, 4.7 hours):  While lying in bed early this morning, I thought I heard someone on the dock crying “Help, Help, Help” so I jumped up to see what was happening.  There were a few fishermen getting ready to go out for the day, but I couldn’t see anything urgent going on.  I opened the door and discovered that the “help” calls were some ravens (the tricksters) along the shore.  I was wide awake, so drank some early morning coffee while watching the activities in the harbor.  The king salmon are running and the halibut are biting so most of the boats were either getting ready to troll for salmon or rigging up their halibut gear.    

We left the dock at 10:30 to catch slack water in the Tvelak Narrows.  It was close of low tide when we left and we could see all of the rocks and shoals in the area.  We tied up to the tee head in Craig’s north harbor ~15:00.  After settling in, we walked up to the harbormaster’s office (closed for the weekend), then through town past the totem park, to the hardware store (closed) and to the grocery store (open).  We bought a few things, then headed back to the boat.  For supper, we went up to the pizza parlor.

The Healing Heart Totem Pole in Craig

The Story about the Healing Heart Totem Pole

Saturday morning, we walked up to the café for breakfast then walked along the shore west of the South and North Harbors and back to the boat to do boat chores.  We’ve been having some issues with noise, i.e. RFI (radio frequency interference), on the depth sounder and every now and then our environmental screen goes off for no reason so we spent the morning troubleshooting the electrical wiring under the pilot house console. 

Dave troubleshooting the wiring under the pilot house console.

The spaghetti bowl of wires under the console

We cleaned ring terminals on the fuse block and moved some wires around including the “optional” ground shield wire from the battery monitor.  It was on the same ground terminal as the depth sounder.  We moved it to the FM radio ground terminal and then the radio didn’t work.  After some internet research, we decided to go with the “optional” option and left it disconnected.  The FM radio worked and the environmental monitor came back on but we’ll have to wait and see if the noise in the depth sounder disappears. (Note: as of the writing of this blog, we still haven't found the source of the noise.  Suggestions are welcome.)

B putting wires back on to the fuse block terminals.

After lunch, we went out for walk around the shore east of the harbors, picked up a few things at the hardware store and the grocery store, then spent the evening on the boat.

Sunday, May 30, 2021 – Craig to Klawock (6 nm, 1 hour):  The wind had picked up before we went to bed last night and it was raining and overcast this morning.  We topped up our water tank and took up the trash then fired the main engine and pulled away from the dock at 9:30. 

A bald eagle sitting on top of the Craig North Harbor breakwater.
The breakwater is made up of two barges with containers and boat / fishing gear on top.

Today we had a very short run north to the small town of Klawock, a Tlingit community on the west coast of Prince of Wales Island.  Outside the Klawock harbor, a cargo ship was loading timber and we slowed down to watch.

Ship loading timber near Klawock

Close up of the timber loading operation.

Close up of the timber loading operation.  The guys on the left are securing a bundle of logs for the crane to pick up and load on board the ship.  The guy near the middle is operating a small skiff that helps to push the logs into the bundles.

We tied up at the town dock about 10:30 and spent the rest of the morning on the boat waiting for the rain to move through.  The rain quit early afternoon so we walked up the hill to the totem park, then walked a loop around this part of town.  It rained again late afternoon and we spent the time on the boat doing internet stuff.

The Sockeye Salmon Pole at the Klawock Totem Park

The Klawock community canoe

Old boilers from the cannery

 

A bald eagle south of the Klawock harbor

The Klawock Totem Park

Monday, May 31, 2021– Klawock to Kaguk Cove (27 nm, 3.8 hours):  We pulled away from the dock this morning at 7:00 with a light rain falling. 

Seabiscuit at the Klawock Dock

As we motored north, we spotted some whales spouting near Catalina Island.  The wind was blowing 20 – 25 knots with gusts up to 30 and we had some SW swell on the stern.  There are some protected passages behind the islands on our route today and we took advantage of them.  The first passage was along the east side of St. Philip Island, where we got out of the wind and swell.  Sea otters were scattered amongst the kelp near the rocks at the south entrance.  North of St. Philip Island is the Harmony Islands Passage with Salt Lake Bay at the southern end and the Tonowek Narrows at the northern end.  After transiting through the Tonowek Narrows, we turned east and then south into Kaguk Cove where we anchored up for the night, well protected from the winds and seas. 

Tuesday, June 1, 2021 – Kaguk Cove to Kell Bay, Affleck Canal, Kuiu Island (44 nm, 6.1 hours):  Light rain was falling this morning when we left Kaguk Cove at 8:30.  We spotted a bear on our way out.  Nothing in the crab trap; the water in the area wasn’t deep enough for shrimp so we didn’t bother putting the shrimp trap out yesterday afternoon. 

B pulling up the crab trap in Kaguk Cove

B giving the sign that the crab trap is empty again

We cruised north through Karheen Passage, then turned west into Sea Otter Passage and north again to cruise along the east coast of Warren Island.  There were a few fishermen working along the northeast coast of Warren Island, along with the sea birds and some whales.  We crossed Sumner Strait and entered Affleck Canal which splits the southern portion of Kuiu Island.  About 1/3 of the way up Affleck Canal, we turned west into Kell Bay and dropped off the shrimp trap and the crab trap.  We could hear sea lions roaring on the rocks as we dropped off the crab trap and we wondered if we were wasting our time putting it out.  We worked our way around the islands on the south side of the bay and anchored in Kell Bay Arm. 

Wednesday, June 2, 2021 – Kell Bay to Shelter Cove, Tebenkof Bay, Kuiu Island (51 nm, 7.1 hours):  We had been checking the weather and there was a big low off the coast heading this way.  We wanted to get around the south end of Kuiu Island and up Chatham Strait before the south winds started blowing so we moved again today.  Before heaving anchor, we watched two bald eagles scouting for fish at the head of the bay.  As we made our way around the islands out of the cove, we spotted a bear on the shore. 

Looking out the pilot house window at the Kell Bay shore

A black bear  on the shore as we leave Kell Bay

The crab trap was empty as expected and so was the shrimp trap.  It was raining and foggy so we switched on the radar as we cruised south down Affleck Canal.  The fog lifted as we rounded the corner at Cape Decision and we had a good view of the lighthouse. 

The Cape Decision Lighthouse

We cruised north up Chatham Strait along the west coast of Kuiu Island.  Just south of our turn into Explorer Basin, a small group of Dall’s porpoises joined us for a ride on our bow wake but they didn’t hang around for long.

Splash of a Dall's porpoise playing in our bow wake

It looked like the fog was going to settle over us again as we made our turn east into Explorer Basin, but it was just a thin sliver and the visibility in Tebenkof Bay was good.  We dropped off the shrimp trap south of Gap Point, tried to catch a fish (no luck) then wove our way through the islands north of Elena Point and into Shelter Cove.  Tebenkof Bay, on the west side of Kuiu Island, is surrounded by the Tebenkof Bay Wilderness Area; Shelter Cove is in the northeast arm of the bay, has a large flat bottom for easy anchoring, has a creek at the head of the cove and is surrounded by grassy flats for good wildlife viewing.  We spotted a lot of sea otters and a seal on our way in. 

We anchored near the head of the north cove and settled in to wait out the rain.  Late in the afternoon, we spotted two black bears and two deer along the shore in the grass on the east side of the cove and watched a crane fly by.

Thursday it rained all day and we did inside chores, unlaxed and read our books.  Along with the sea otters eating clams and playing in the cove, we watched a doe pick her way along the east shore and a bear in the grass at the head of the cove.

Dave reading in the pilot house on a rainy afternoon

It was still raining when we got up on Friday and the barometer had dropped down to 999 so we were hoping the low had moved east of us and the rain would quit on Saturday.  We spent the day doing more indoor chores, reading and checking the shoreline for wildlife.  We spotted a bear at the head of the cove mid-afternoon and, early evening, we saw two bears eating grass on the west shore.  One sea otter hung around close to the boat most of the afternoon and entertained us with his swimming, diving and clam eating.

Our engine room bilge cleaning project, a good rainy day chore.  The bays on the right side of the photo have been cleaned, osphoed, primed and painted.  The bays in the middle are a work in progress.

It was still raining when we woke up Saturday morning, but the skies were lighter and the barometer was rising.  After checking in with Darlene on the Boater’s Net, we did a few chores and watched the wildlife in the cove:  two bears near the creek at the head of the cove and 6 sea otters swimming past the boat into the small cove south of here.  We saw two hunters cruise by in their dinghy toward the south cove early afternoon.  They stopped to talk on their way back out and told us that they were from Colorado, a float plane had dropped them off and they were camping in Elena Cove just north of us.  It rained off and on most of the day and we did more unlaxing and inside chores.

Afternoon sun in Shelter Cove

Sea otter swimming near the boat.

Sunday, June 6, 2021 – Shelter Cove to Red Bluff Bay, Baranof Island (37 nm, 5.1 hours):  Today was a bonanza of wildlife viewing.  The sea otters were out in the cove this morning when we heaved anchor at 6:30.  Both the crab and shrimp trap were empty but the crab trap buoy was full of sharp teeth marks – we figured the sea otters must have been curious.  Out in Chatham Strait, just past the entrance to Tebenkof Bay, we saw a large pod of humpback whales (20+), two orcas, a small pod of Dall’s porpoises and three bald eagles, all feeding on the shoals of fish that we could see on the surface of the water.

It was a nice day to be cruising north up Chatham Strait.  It was partly sunny, the winds were light, the swell was small, there was no chop and the current was with us.  It looked as though we were going to be in the fog as we neared the east coast of Baranof Island, but it lifted before the entrance to Red Bluff Bay. 

Approaching Red Bluff Bay from Chatham Strait.

We followed a sailboat into the bay and dropped off the shrimp and crab traps.  As we were preparing to drop anchor near the head of the inner bay, we spotted a cinnamon-colored brown bear (grizzly) in the meadows eating grass.  We settled in and had our lunch, then watched a big brown bear in the meadows chasing after a smaller bear. 

When we left Shelter Cove, the cooling water coming out of the main engine overboard looked weak.  Dave opened the crossover valve between the two seachests to provide more seawater and then the flow looked normal.  Once we anchored up in Red Bluff Bay, he checked the port Groco strainer and found it clogged up by a jelly fish (the orange stuff you can see inside the strainer).  There were a lot of jelly fish in Shelter Cove and it must have gotten sucked up into the seawater intake when we fired up  the main engine this morning.

Mid-afternoon, the rain moved through so we stayed inside and read our books.  During one of our many wildlife scans, we noticed a brown bear walking along the east shore grazing in the grass.  We stepped outside in the sunshine at happy hour and counted 11 brown bears, 8 in the meadow on the far shore and three on the shore behind us – Wow, what a day!  This is why we’re out here.

Looking west from our anchorage in Red Bluff Bay

Two brown bears on the shoreline near our anchorage

The sailboat was gone when we got up on Monday morning and we had the bay to ourselves for most of the day.  We spotted a few bears in the meadow and one young brown bear (Goldie) on the shore astern of us.  We launched the kayaks and were able to get close to Goldie.  We paddled along the meadows on the far shore and part way up the creek then circled back around to the boat. 

Goldie the brown bear grazing on the shore

Goldie up close and personal - Look at those claws

Dave in his kayak watching Goldie graze along the shore

Trees choking the creek that flows into Red Bluff Bay

The big meadow at the base of the mountains on the west side of the head of Red Bluff Bay

The rest of the afternoon was spent unlaxing and enjoying the view.  Late in the afternoon, Goldie was back out along the shore eating grass when two other boats came into the bay and anchored up for the night. 

Tuesday, June 8, 2021 – Red Bluff Bay to Warm Springs Bay, Baranof Island (21 miles, 3.1 hours):  Anchor up at 8:00 this morning.  A small crab was on top of the crab trap and the bait was gone but nothing inside.  We pulled up the shrimp trap, and BINGO!  We finally got a good haul – 45 large spotted prawns, a feast in the making. 

The biggest waterfall in Red Bluff Bay - there are at least nine that come down to the shore and many more up in the mountains surrounding the bay.  To give you an idea how large it is, there is a dinghy on the left side of the falls that looks like a tiny speck in the water.

Dave moving prawns from the trap to a bucket.  We counted 45 total.

The Red Bluffs at the entrance to Red Bluff Bay

We stopped to try our luck fishing just outside the bay but didn’t catch anything, then cruised north up the east coast of Baranof Island to Warm Springs Bay.  This is a popular stop but we were able to get a space at the dock.  We hiked up the boardwalk to soak in the hot springs pools next to the river.  On the way back down, we stopped to soak in the tubs in the bath house near the dock.  After that our energy was sapped and we had a lazy afternoon watching the boats coming in and out of the harbor.

The Baranof Warm Springs Bath House.  Dave is waving from the window on the left.

The view of the dock from the bath house at Baranof Warm Springs

Wednesday, June 9, 2021 – Warm Springs Bay to Tenakee Springs, Chichagof Island (54 nm, 7.5 hours):  The weather was not as forecast when we got out into Chatham Strait this morning:  forecast = winds 10 knots, seas two feet or less; reality = winds 20 – 25 knots, seas 4 -5  feet.  Both the wind and the seas were coming from the south and we did a lot of yawing on our way north.  North of Peril Strait, the winds died down some as did the seas.  As we turned into Tenakee Inlet, we were protected from the seas out in Chatham Strait and the rest of the voyage to Tenakee Springs was smooth.  We tied up at the dock and walked into town to stretch our legs and to exchange some books at the community book exchange.   The few times we’ve been here, we have always had good luck finding interesting books to read.

The Tenakee Springs Harbor

We stopped at the Blue Moon Café which is set up on the honor system.  Somebody cooks something and sets it out and if you want something you serve yourself and make a donation.  The donations will be used to purchase stained glass windows above the doors.  At the back of the café is a community greenhouse, with squash, tomatoes, peppers, onions and other fruits and vegetables growing.  The library was open so we nosed around there then walked went back to the boat.

Thursday, June 10, 2021 – Tenakee Springs to Hoonah, Chichagof Island (45 nm, 6.4 hours):  What a difference a day makes.  The winds had blown themselves out overnight and Chatham Strait was calm this morning.  Near Iyoukeen Cove, seven orcas heading south cruised by us, three on the port side and four on the starboard side.  We saw a few sea otters and a humpback whale.  About 13:00, we tied up at the transient dock in Hoonah Harbor and got busy with our town chores.  We'll spend two nights here and then head back into the wilderness.

Forget-me-nots,  Alaska's state flower, in Hoonah

Until Next Time…