Ketchikan – Caro Babbo

Ketchikan, 2024

Ketchikan Yacht Club, Ketchikan, AK, 07-AUG-2024 – The world has changed since we’ve last been here. StarLink is the major yachting change and the cities quest for more tourists is the other.

Here in Ketchikan, we’ve started speaking to the boats we’ve seen along the way. Everyone stops in Ketchikan. There are the groups that travel together, either from a yacht club, or a tour led by a manufacturer. These seem to be the normal number moving back and forth.

The power boats are oftentimes aging sailors who sold their sailboats and opted for a power boat. They seem to enjoy them. Other power boats are working people, who in years gone by could never have come here, but now with StarLink and no need to go to the office, are here. During this summer Ketchikan harbor became completely full with no slips available.

Fog turning to smoke

Nakat Harbor Baidarka Arm, AK, 21-Aug-2018 — A quick post. We’ll be in Prince Rupert this evening, but I’ll be doing a oil change and may not have time to do a full post.

Leaving Ketchikan was a real leaving. We have friends there now. When asked the question, ”Will we see you next year?” We could only answer, ”We don’t know. We may be sailing to Hawaii next year.”

The traveling south has all been under power. The predicted north winds have not shown up. Yesterday we might have been able to beat southward, but we had a current to catch.

This morning the weather forecast is for fog turning to smoke in many places. We’re told there are 600 fires burning in BC. Yes, we enter Canada this afternoon and the pacific time zone.

The weather report again says sailing conditions.

Oh, yes. We’ve been anchoring in small coves and finding the depths in some places are not as expected. Jennifer did research last night. Many of the soundings were last conducted between 1870 and 1939.

We’re doing well and heading south. The next decision: east side of west side of Vancouver Island.

Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

We meet a new friend in Foggy Bay and we’re remembered in Ketchikan

8-JUN-2017 Foggy Bay and Ketchikan, AK – Yesterday morning, when we had cellular service for a few minutes, Jennifer called US CBP to say that we would be spending the night in Foggy Bay, on the American side of the border.
We spent the night before in a long, poorly charted inlet called Winter Inlet. The GPS coordinates for the charts, both Canadian and Navionics, were hundreds of feet off. The holding was good and we were fine, but Jennifer was unsettled by the experience. Continue reading “We meet a new friend in Foggy Bay and we’re remembered in Ketchikan”

Ketchikan to Salt Lake City – Life Intervenes

Warning: Profanity has its place to convey the emotion and gravity of a situation. I use it in this piece.

What is the lead of this story? I don’t want to bury the lead.

Is it JoAnn dropping into a coma? JoAnn slowly crawling out of a coma?

Deciding to miss my nephew’s wedding… the first in his generation to marry?

The Delta ticket agent who reversed my check in so I could decide not to fly from Ketchikan to Salt Lake City. That she left the gate to find me to give me additional info to help me decide? Continue reading “Ketchikan to Salt Lake City – Life Intervenes”

Status: More air-freighted engine parts, more new friends.

Friday June 3rd – It’s 46°F in Ketchikan; Hilary wakes up and comments occasionally; Jennifer arrived in Providence five hours ago; 18 hours ago I ordered more engine parts, this time from Seattle. Caro Babbo strains on her dock lines against the 25kn winds that blast through the harbor. Continue reading “Status: More air-freighted engine parts, more new friends.”