Whales of Baker Point
The morning quiet was rhythmically interspersed by the gentle bellows of breathing whales just outside our anchorage at Merrifield Bay. Further out in Sumner Strait misty sprays shot up here and there. Underway we soon came upon the rippled textures of the tidal current which sounded like a river and you could actually see different elevations in the water. We shut down the motor and swirled about in the eddies and watched whales all around us. Mures lined the rip for at least a mile right at the color line as though they were waiting in line for the market to open. It was soon apparent that the market had been open and it was fully stocked. Birds dove, whales rolled, millions of krill appeared under the boat, and occasionally the water boiled with schools of larger fish. It didn’t take long to have a beautiful King aboard, which we bled and filleted right there swirling around in a whirlpool with the kelp and logs. What an honor to share with other creatures the proceeds of this rich belt of bait
Off the point we were able to pick up Gary’s cell message that he was coming in to Port Protection in the early afternoon so we idled that way amongst the black humps and tails of feeding whales.
Salmon for dinner at our anchorage just south of Rocky Pass. Good conversation with our new friend, Gary.
Wind turned northerly so we moved anchor this am and explored a beach while waiting for higher tide to pass through the Devil’s Elbow and The Summit. The current was quite impressive through those narrows. We have come to a beautiful quiet cove just 10 miles from last night. A very warm day and a welcome swim after dropping the hook and readying the dingy for exploration. It was the maiden use of the little ladder off the starboard swim step which makes it real easy to get aboard. The thermometer reached 82 degrees today.
Morning Coffee by Dingy
Bright and calm I set off around 0500 while the ebbing tide still afforded enough water to allow me to reach the creek at the back of the inlet. Water swiftly passed under the dingy as i headed up the cove cognizant that if my timing was off it would be a couple miles of hard work to get back. Two deer were crossing ahead and with prop tilted up I got up to the rocky outcrop they passed, then turned and was carried over the clear bottom, avoiding rocks and trying to stay in the main, deeper channels. Arrows of small fish schools occasionally shot here and there. Once clear of the reefs and shallow kelp bars I explored an Island under big Hemlocks and saw several pockets of moose nuggets. My shipmates had appeared from their bunks by the time i returned. I dropped Gary off to study along the beach and came back for a nice nap.
About an hour after tide turn we headed north and came to Honeydew Cove on the Cornwallis Peninsula of Kuiu Island. We are surrounded by Limestone cliffs and arches. The water is so clear, from aqua blue along the shore to deep green/ blue/black in the deeps. We poked the dingy into a couple caves then walked the beach to a huge limestone swale wall and under an arch. Salmon and salad for dinner with a nice cold bottle of white wine and good stories all accompanied by the constant breathing of nearby whales. The water was so utterly flat as far as you could see that Louise and I decided to take the dingy to circumnavigate the nearby island. We explored a cave with a lot of bones, a mom and baby whale passed very close to us. This square flat rock island off toward Kupreanof was very inticing, so we went there and walked all around it. It looked a bit too dicey to climb to the top so we settled for jumping off a nearby cliff and swimming over to the dingy on the beach as the sun was setting over Baranof.
Boating back we were met by these warm thermal pockets and the forest scent off the land. What a day – into the low 80’s again!
Black Rockfish and Greenling Cod quick fried in olive oil and garlic on a bed of rice for dinner in Little Halleck Bay on the west side of the Cornwallis Peninsula. Watched a large Black Bear along the shore while we ate.
It was too difficult to maintain anchorage near the creek Gary wanted to explore so he set off in the dingy and Louise and I drifted about watching our Humpback friend feed along the deep shore. It was real interesting the way he cruised right next to rock, rolling, bubbling, raising his huge wings to slap and swirl the water and coming up with his mouth open. After awhile we motored over a couple hundred feet off a point in about 80 ft of water and caught numerous fish and saw a school of herring that glittered and shone like stars in the blue water. Gary returned with a couple small pieces of Red Jaspar and pictures of beautiful pools below sliding waterfalls.
Last night as my comrades were tucking in I rowed ashore and hiked up through the forest and came out on the bigger bay North. I think my pleasure of being in the forest amongst all the trees and animal trails is akin to Gary’s fondness for following a shore and looking at rocks and the geology. The tide was about half out so I followed the rocky coast around the point and cut back by a small creek to my beach landing in our little Bay.
Today, when my shipmates awake and properly greet another calm, totally cloudless day we will go to Kake. After fuel and provisioning we will head across Frederick Sound to the southern end of Admiralty. Gary plans to stay a day in Kake, then fly to Juneau and Hoonah on another leg of his adventure. I sure enjoyed Gary’s company and the intimate knowledge he has of the area. Now – it’s time to look at some charts….
Chapin Bay
We walked another bay and creek with Gary in Saginaw Bay and checked out the lagoons at the head of the Bay yesterday morning. A whale put on quite the display slapping his tail on the water for a good 10 minutes in all sorts of contortions.
We did the foot tour of Kake after getting a ride from the southern harbor with a nice forest service gal. Hit the post office, general store, and airport. Got a mango smoothie at the Tribal Grounds coffee shop. No internet. It felt good to walk the 3 or 4 miles or so and not feel so wobbly on land as during those first couple weeks.
Opted not to fuel up in Kake since it was a bit windy and you have to tie to piers and have them drop down the fuel hose. Figure we have plenty of diesel to make Angoon. Crossed Frederick Sound to this slot on Admiralty Island that holds Chaplin Bay. Beautiful rock escarpments tower up, one with a hole in it. Ended up moving about 0400 because a north wind was dragging anchor so just came around the bight and had a peaceful rest to the first falling rain in several days, but now, as I write this blue sky appears among spots in the clouds and the wind has stopped. A fine mist lingers in the upper bay and brilliant green weed drifts by on the outgoing tide as the boat gently rocks.
Baranof Warm Springs
WO – getting a little backed up here. A couple of days have passed and we are now in Florence Bay of Sitkoh Bay at the entrance of Peril Strait. I’ll try a recap, but don’t expect much because things have been so intensely beautiful and interesting there’s no way words can do it justice, especially since I am fairly exhausted having my tea in this hot sun.
.. checked out Carrol Island before rounding Point Gardner and heading up Chatham Strait to Baranof Hot Springs. Only 2 boats were at the dock when we arrived about 1000 am – a big sailboat and another large powerboat also from Homer. One of the fellows wondered what boat our “skiff” was off. About a half mile up the hot springs are amazing with pools right next to the rushing river that disgorges as a waterfall into the bay below. We arrived at the right time, enjoying the springs by ourselves before many large tour vessels arrived. Soon the wharf was full and many other luxurious vessels were anchored out, bringing folks over in their runabouts.
The comrraderie at the dock was great and we visited many of the boats and people. Among them were Dave and Alison from Vancouver, Canada who bought a Bayweld in Homer and were bringing it home. It was great to hear their boating stories from the way we will be heading. They had a good gulf crossing and Dave and I compared lots of notes.
One of the boats full of old friends on their annual fishing trip had a huge Redwood burl in the living room. The chef kept the horsedeovres coming from a long bar with a live tank behind it full of Dungeness. An older couple on a beautiful red and white Nordic Tug called the Sandpiper docked behind us. Curiosity got the better of them and they had to inquire about our beach poles, which we explained were for our shower cap but were quite useful as handholds getting on and off the boat or doing other exercises overboard.
Bill and Julie from Petersburg docked up to hike up to the lake and Bill taught us how to splice another 300 ft of 1/2” nylon on to my existing anchor line. Before hitting the rack I used the private hot tubs at the top of the dock laying there looking at the waterfall and snow capped mountains.
This morning we hiked to the Lake, then made everything ship shape, hosed down the boat with fresh water and went to Angoon where we took on fuel (2.24 nmpg since Craig). We walked to the grocery and a gentleman gave us a ride back to our boat. Angoon seems to be one of the more responsible towns regarding Covid and had very reasonable safety measures in place. Back across Chatham Strait from Angoon at low slack we arrived here. Nap time.
A cove behind Point Reynard.
We swung around on the anchor to the lapping of waves on the hull from some westerly gusts during afternoon in Florence Bay but by evening the water was placid. About 0600, half awake, I felt the boat rock and heard a single wave fold on the nearby pebble beach. The wake of a passing boat would have brought several rocks and a series of beach waves. As i got up to investigate, the distinctive blow of the whale told the story. A pair of humpbacks fed along the shore and passed between us. I watched them roll out and linger in a patch of bait where little fishes were shooting out of the water like springs. All this only 100 feet away. That’s how my day began.
We found a beautiful anchorage last night at the end of Hoonah Sound in the South Arm. Caught some Black Rock fish and a small cod off the point before coming in to set anchor.
Built a fire on shore to cook and had fired fish, moose (Louise traded some morels for the moose in Meyer’s Chuck), noodles, and a salad with a huge beautiful Beefsteak tomato we found in Angoon. We finally have some leftovers. Boiled water on shore for the thermos so didn’t have to fire up the gas barby for coffee and tea this morning. Louise usually sleeps a couple hours longer than I in her little nest midship and I really enjoy my quiet time in the morning just looking at the shore as the boat swings around, checking charts, writing these little epistles, and contemplating where we will go next. Today is the 4 th of July, so we will probably hit Sitka tomorrow or the next day once the furor has died down. Then we plan to head up the outer coast of Chichagof and visit some bays in the Yakobi wilderness area. Our only timeline is to make Yakutat by the 10 th or 11 th to go halibut fishing with Tom.
