Punchbowl, AK – This year versus Last

It’s difficult not to compare that second time one does something with the first.

Jennifer and I find ourselves doing that often these last couple of days.

We compare our calendar and where we were last year against where we are this year. The comparison is a false one: so much was different.

We feel like we’ve sat at anchor for days this year doing nothing, while last year at this time we‘d sat at anchor waiting for parts, and then sat a t a dock waiting for parts. Jennifer and I spent weeks apart last year as Jennifer flew to Owen’s graduation and I flew to say good bye to my dying friend JoAnn.

Yesterday, we were in Punchbowl, two day’s sail from Ketchikan, though we took three days, stopping in a small cove we knew a few hours south of Ketchikan that contained a mooring buoy. And then staying at a further cove, with a Park Service cabin and buoy. Continue reading “Punchbowl, AK – This year versus Last”

No Lions, No Tigers, but Bears. Oh My! and Wolves.

5-JUN-2017, K’tzim-a-deem Grizzly Bear Sanctuary – It has been a very different trip this year.

I find myself thinking that the lack of things breaking has decreased the excitement of the trip: There is little adversity to overcome.

Jennifer often points out that we’ve been here before. The continual acknowledgement that this is as far north as we have ever been is also missing.

Things are different. Hilary is a much larger burden and we have no guests to look forward to. Continue reading “No Lions, No Tigers, but Bears. Oh My! and Wolves.”

Small Inlet, Johnstone Strait, Hilary, Two Whales Feeding and things that work

17-MAY-2017, Johnstone Strait – Yesterday morning we had two conflicting weather reports. Environment Canada said wind on the nose up Straits of Georgia and in to Johnstone Strait.

Our GRIB files said four knots the entire day.

The Strait outside Campbell river was flat and calm. As we made our decision to leave all 100 feet of Discovery, who was docked across the finger dock from us, powered up.

The night had been a real windstorm with moments of driving rain. When on an anchor, the boat general points into the wind. The portion of the cockpit in the dodger’s wind shadow stays dry. Continue reading “Small Inlet, Johnstone Strait, Hilary, Two Whales Feeding and things that work”

No Denying that We’re Home: Port Townsend

Yesterday, we sailed from Roche Harbor to MacKay Harbor. The day before from Sidney Spit to Roche Harbor. Today from MacKay Harbor to Port Townsend. There is no denying that we’re home: blue Skies, light winds. Continue reading “No Denying that We’re Home: Port Townsend”

A pod of Humpback Whales feed near Hoonah

17-JUL-2016 – I’ll be trying to get a bunch of posts done today. I’m at the park ranger station at Glacier Park.

This video was taken on the ninth on our way to Hoonah.

The video is 12 minutes long, but I think it is worth watching. We did not get video of the actual bubble net feeding. Sorry.

I think it catches our excitement: