SYC Members Sail North to Alaska
SYC Home
| <<
| 1
| 2
| 3
| 4
| 5
| 6
| 7
| 8
| 9
| 10
| 11
| 12
| >>
| eMail Bob & Tracie
|
|
Hello All and Greetings from the capitol of Alaska…Juneau. We did not see Sara Palin while we were here but we heard a lot about her. It seems that none of the locals think too much about her and figured she would not be have been elected to a second term so her resignation is not a blow to most Alaskans.
We sat out a storm in Petersburg and we really didn’t see much of it except lots of rain. Winds were reported to be over 70knots so the choice to stay an extra few days was worth the $20/nite moorage. Although King Salmon season starts on July 1st most of the fishing fleet stayed in port also. On our last day we managed to get a picture of the Devil’s Thumb.
We left on Monday, June 31 with cloudy skies and headed west along Fredrick Sound to an anchorage called Cannery Cove in Pybus Bay. I guess there used to be a cannery there but now it is quiet except for a fishing camp. The cove was beautiful but it was raining most of the time we were there. We stayed two nights and the boys went fishing, crabbing, and shrimping. They caught one halibut (small), one crab, and one shrimp (large). This is a stop not to be missed.
Leaving Cannery Cove we headed north up Stephens Passage towards Taku Harbor. It was still raining and we are sure we missed many beautiful sights hidden behind the fog. We skipped Tracy’s Arm since we had seen so many icebergs in LeConte. Taku is only 19miles from Juneau but there is a free public dock available. The boys put out the crab pots again but only caught 3 flounder and 5 hermit crabs. Taku was interesting and we could have done some exploring but the bugs were so thick it was hard to do anything except run for the cover. Many boats arrived thru out the day with all the same thought to get to Auke Bay for the 4th. We left at 4:30am hoping to beat the crowd. As it turned out this was the best choice to make since only two transient spots were available when we arrived. Auke Bay is a working harbor with limited slips for traveling boaters. If we could not get a slip we would have had to turn around 20 miles and head back around Douglas Island back into Juneau for slip assignment. There is now a 10-day limit, up from 3, so many fishing boats use this as their main moorage.
We left Taku and headed north towards Juneau. It was raining, foggy, and overcast the entire way but the water was like glass so the trip was very easy. Just as we were coming into Auke Bay, north of Juneau, we could see the Mendenhall Glacier because the sun was just shining on just that one spot. It was pretty remarkable…and beautiful. Later that day the sun came out all over and it turned into a very warm day. It has stayed warm and sunny and a great change from the rain we have been suffering.
We learned the bus system in Juneau and went into town a couple of times. The place was packed with people from 5 or 6 cruise ships but just like Ketchikan…no one was buying. Again, there is a jewelry stores every twenty feet but no shoppers were in the stores. You also need to take the bus to Fred Meyers, Walmart or Costco for groceries or supplies. The laundry mart was close by but very busy.
Today we had a little dock party with some people we met here in Juneau who are also traveling north. We have met so many nice people and we will probably run into them again during this trip. The locals hate tourists so we cruisers have to stick together. After 200hrs on the engine since we left it was also time to change the oil.
Tomorrow we head to a place called Hoonan. It will be the farthest north we go and then we will start heading south towards home.
Everything continues to be going fine with the boat and with our plans. I wish the boys were better “hunter and gatherers”, but they keep trying. The crew has been diligent on keeping a watchful eye on any hidden dangers along our travels.
We hope you all enjoyed a safe and sane 4th of July. Love, Bob and Tracie
|
