Ketchikan Here We Come!

We made a stop in Prince Rupert B.C. for fuel, water and ice.  We were planning on staying here a little longer, but after listening to the weather forecast, it looks like our window to cross Dixon Entrance is tomorrow.  We will continue on from Prince Rupert this afternoon though we don't know how far we'll get, we just need to get closer to Ketchikan since it is still about 90 miles away. The plan is to wake up very early tomorrow, listen to the weather to make sure the light SE winds are still forecast and then make the very long trip to Ketchikan.  I'm making sure Tor takes Bonine before leaving...too bad I don't know the infant dosing,  Hopefully we won't need it if the weather forecast is right.

Our best to all.

We've got many days of blog updates that we'll post once we get to Ketchikan.

High Pressure Ridge

We've spent the last 3 nights hiding out from predicted gale force NW winds with our good friends from Seattle Greg and Nicole on Baraka.  We chose a good place to hide and didn't see much wind at all and since it's a high pressure ridge, not a low pressure system, the weather has been sunny and gorgeous.  It's difficult to feel good about hiding out from a "storm" when the weather seems so nice.  We were feeling very itchy to go and when the weather sounded better on the radio this morning we decided to make a break for it.  We stopped in Shearwater for some internet access and so I've posted what we had for updates and we'll finish up when we get internet access again, because we are ready to make some miles!

Alaska Trip Day 19

6/3/11

Fury Cove

Miles Travelled:  13

(Tor reporting)

We woke up this morning both feeling a bit worn out from the previous day.   It didn’t help matters that Odin and Lars awoke for their early feeding Very early at 0330 and then Odin woke again at 0530 quite upset.   It was a bit of an unsettled morning  as we usually all sleep quite soundly until 0700.

Three years ago when we were on our trip around Vancouver Island we met a wonderful guy named Harvey on his sailboat Dances Lightly who had mentioned a place he recalled fondly called Fury Cove.  Even though it was a short run of only 13 miles north, we decided to anchor there for the night if we could.

Leaving shortly after 7 am we motored to Fury Cove on Penrose Island.  There was some exposure to the ocean swell, but conditions were so calm and the distance so short that nobody suffered from it.

Fury cove is a fairly large enclosed anchorage with beautiful white shell beaches along the western shore.  Technically it is open to the ocean, but the passage through is so shallow and the anchorage so sheltered and secure that there is no swell and it is even considered a safe hiding place during storms.

We spent a great day lounging on deck in the gorgeous sun, took a dinghy ride in John-T, our handy nesting dinghy that stows on the foredeck, to allow the boys a much needed sand eating experience, and dove deep into the storage compartments in the boat to restock the larder. 

Tor played with the boys in the cockpit (after all donning sun hats and sunscreen) while Jess baked two loaves of whole wheat bread.

We had a chance to have a very broken VHF conversation with our friends Greg and Nicole who are sailing north on their boat Baraka.   They are on an extended journey of a couple of years which began in early April from Seattle (see s/v Baraka).  Despite the poor transmission we arranged to meet up with them on our way north up Fitz Hugh Sound tomorrow.

Mama and Odin going for a stroll at Fury Cove

Papa and Lars going for a stroll at Fury Cove

Yum!  White sand

High Tide at Fury Cove

John-T our new dinghy who looks so jaunty surfing down 6 ft. swell

Alaska Trip Day 18

6/2/11

Millbrook Cove

Miles Travelled:  58

(Tor reporting)

Whew, what a day.  Both boys woke early this morning at 0430.  Jess topped them off while Tor got geared up in warm clothing and got the engine started and the boat ready for departure.  After putting the boys back in their bunks for the rest of the morning, we were off. 

By 0530 Yare had slipped out of the harbor of Port McNeill headed north.  Motoring again.  It was an absolute windless morning and we were riding the ebb north making close to eight knots (when we usually do 5.7).  Quite a benefit when the tides are running with you!

Tor had learned an important lesson from the early morning trip from Forward Harbour and had bundled up in a number of layers to guard against the morning chill.  All told four boats left the harbor early heading either around the north tip of Vancouver Island, or up the coast like us.  We had the option of a moderate day stopping at an anchorage north of Port Hardy, or a long day jumping across Queen Charlotte Sound if the weather cooperated.  We ended up making the jump. 

Crossing Queen Charlotte sound around Cape Caution can be a harrowing experience.   To begin with it is one of the few open ocean stints on this trip.  Calm conditions can be rare with prevailing NW winds and tidal currents that can run over two knots.  One of the reference books we had along mentioned checking the VHF weather report and paying close attention to Ocean buoy West Sea Otter.  They claimed that if the sea state was less than 1.5 meters and the weather was settled - recreational boaters should go for it.  We listened to the report and the sea state was only 0.8 meters and winds were calm so we continued motoring north. 

Generally speaking it was a good day.  The wind never came in, so we motored the whole trip.  The swell was quite low but still rolly and uncomfortable. 

We put Odin and Lars down for their nap at 0900 before we were out in the Pacific swell.  They both had good long naps.  Odin slept solid for close to 3 hours!!  Lars awoke after a long nap of 1.5 hours but shortly after awaking it became clear that he was suffering from seasickness.   Jess played with him In our berth/enclosure and he puked a number of times, immediately feeling better and smiling and wanting to play until the next round.  Eventually he fell asleep on our berth and woke up obviously feeling better.

Perhaps seasickness is genetic?  Tor felt pretty good despite the rolling motion of the boat.  Spitting over the side quite often (seasickness for him starts with prodigious saliva production).  He nearly made it the whole way across the sound and around Cape Caution, until a light NW breeze came up at the very end (just south of Egg Island) , that caused the diesel engine exhaust fumes to eddy back over the bulwarks and into the cockpit.   Urrp.  Evidently it was quite the juxtaposition for Jess to be down below playing with to happy giggly boys in our berth and look up and see an immediately post puking - green face staring back down the companionway.

We decided to anchor in a place called Millbrook cove and were the only boat to stop in for the night.  The cove is completely protected from ocean swell hidden back behind two islands.  We all were glad to be stopped and felt pretty tuckered after a long trip (58 miles for the day).  We put the boys down for an afternoon nap, which wasn’t long but allowed the whole family to lay down for a well needed rest.  Cape Caution is now at our backs with the real “inside passage” to Alaska ahead.

Pine Island Light House

 Lars figured out how to deal with sea sickness, take a nap

Rounding Cape Caution

No More Swell!!  Millbrook Cove

Alaska Trip Day 17

6/1/2011

(Tor reporting)

Hard to believe that June has already arrived!  So far we have been blessed with some pretty fabulous weather!  Today the forecast was for the settled sunny weather to remain for 2-3 more days.  As a result we decided to remain in Port McNeill for the day and do some more errands. We were a bit torn as it is nice to get miles in when the weather is favorable, but our trip up from forward harbor yesterday was a long one and we felt we deserved a bit of a rest.

We started off by rolling out of bed a bit late (0800) and working slowly towards showers for the whole family.  The moorage office was kind enough to extend the winter rates that we paid for the first night (50 cents/foot) to the second night even though the first of June technically brought with it an increase to 90 cents/foot.  I’m certain that the greater community of Port McNeill benefitted as we ended up spending more money through the day:

• Buying a bread pan to enable two loaves at once (and minimize Lars stepping in our unbaked loaves)
• Doing laundry, again.
• Topping off both the fuel tank and the water tank.
• Eating out at the Chinese food restaurant where the boys scarfed down noodles and Mom and Dad regretted not having brought along the camera.  

We ended up at the Chinese food restaurant because most of the other eating establishments were either too expensive, not open yet (as we tend to work towards bed for the boys fairly early), or licensed pubs that were in a frenzy due to the first game of the Stanley Cup, Which is a BIG deal here.  Most of the cars driving through town had blue Canucks flags flying and there were quite a few folks wearing jerseys.  Not being hockey, or sports fans in general we kinda felt like we were in line for the wrong movie.

We also had time to visit with some friends from Seattle who are up on their sailboat.  Nicole and Aaron live aboard a beautiful Hans Christian 33 and are a few weeks into a several year trip that should take them around Vancouver island, and then down the coast of North America “until they quite having fun or run out of money”.   (see their blog at: s/v bella star)

After cramming all of the above into our relaxing day off we hit the sack fairly early with the plan of rising at the first breastfeeding and getting underway.

Hanging out in Port McNeill

Kings of the flagpole!

Thoughtful Lars

"No Odin!  Glasses are for seeing, not for playing!"

I feel welcomed at the welcome center!

Playing instead of napping

Yesterday when we were motoring down Johnstone Strait, Tor put the boys down for their afternoon nap. We didn't hear much sleeping, only giggling, so I snuck down below with the camera and hid behind the blanket we use as a curtain and found them playing instead of napping.  They finally fell asleep after about 45 minutes.  This is likely to put a smile on your face!

Alaska Trip Day 16

5/31/11

Port McNeill, B.C.

Miles Travelled:  53

The boys woke up at 5:10 this morning to nurse and we jumped to action.  Tor got the engine started and the anchor weighed and then we got the boys back to bed and I crawled back in myself while Tor piloted us out of Forward Harbour.  There was a little fussing from Odin, but we all went back to sleep relatively quickly.  Poor Tor didn’t have any hot coffee or breakfast until the boys and I got up at 7:30…a rude awakening on your birthday!  But, he couldn’t have asked for better weather for his birthday!

When we poked our nose out into Johnstone Strait it was glass calm and we had a nice push from the ebb tide.  When we got to the turn off for Havannah Channel, it was still glass smooth and we were getting a nice push.  We next set our sights on Growler Cove on the West end of West Cracroft Island thinking that if the winds picked up like we expected, we’d tuck in there for the night.  We got to the end of West Cracroft and it was still beautiful and calm…so we decided to go all the way to Port McNeill.  Amazingly by sticking next to shore we were also able to ride the back eddies west even though the eastward flood started at about 11:00.  It was truly a spectacular day.  The birthday boy couldn’t have asked for anything better.  We didn’t start having a problem with the flood current until reaching Cormorant Island and our speed got down to 3.3 knots or so, but we were still making headway.  We arrived in Port McNeill around 3:15.  What a great day!

Beautiful conditions on Johnstone Strait

Mirror smooth water, glorious weather!

It was calm enough for Tor to read my Kindle underway

Yum!  Chili

Once we arrived in Port McNeill, we put the boys in carriers and hit the town.  It’s a big town with access by road, so supplies are much cheaper here.  We went into the grocery store and it was like the land of plenty!  We’ve only been gone a little over 2 weeks, but my eyes were still dazzled by the variety in the produce section!  Organic broccoli and bananas were the same price or cheaper than I pay at home.  At the grocery store we ran into Aaron and Nicole of s/v Bella Star who we know from Seattle.  It was great to catch up a bit and we look forward to seeing more of them tomorrow.

After the grocery store, Lars, Odin and I took Tor out for a birthday dinner.  It was so nice to have an ICE cold beer!  We had cheeseburgers and the boys had a grilled cheese sandwich.  What a treat.

  

Afterwards we headed back to the boat to enjoy the birthday cake I managed to bake while underway. 

Once the boys were in bed, Tor took dirty clothes and diapers to the Laundromat and I stayed back at the boat to do internet chores.  I also was able to call my Mom and Ralph to check on Helen.  It was so good to hear their voices.