Metlakatla, Annette Island
We travelled 93 miles today, leaving our Punchbowl anchorage in Rudyerd early this morning, passing close by Eddystone Rock which rises 234 ft straight up like a finger, and surveying the two arms of Smeaton Bay before leaving Misty Fiords National monument for Ketchikan. Took on 120 gallons in the tank (+ 15 spare in our jugs) which made for 281 miles since Wrangell @ 2.34 nautical mpg. We hiked around sunny, hot Ketchikan getting marine and grocery supplies, then came here to the quiet harbor of Metlakatla. Unlike many other nearly modern and immaculate harbors in southeast, Metlakatla has a mellow more relaxed nature. Grasses grow up among the ramps, some of which lean at fairly acute angles. The majority of boats are not your sleek, polished, people carriers, but working, battered vessels, some of which, looking just a slip away from the grave. Walking around town a few defeated vessels and wrecked cars were being consumed by the tall grass and berry bushes. We passed three children having a great time on a trampoline. We smiled and said Hi. The little tyke, who couldn’t have been much older than a year said, “I love you”. A sweet image to drift off to sleep to.
A beach in the bowels of Hessa Inlet
Huge Cedar and Hemlock line the shores. Many deer and bear trials lead into the forest. We find some nice sea-washed poles for the awning project and a cedar piece to fashion into a helm bench/ table. It is so great to explore the wood, trees, and rocks on the shore. There is an amazingly diverse collection of rocks here, many of which I have to touch, heft to feel their weight, marvel at their texture and colors, and gently place back not to harm the multitude of organisms that generally live underneath. The stories of this shore calm my soul and make me realize how good it is to slow down.
Calm water prevails and I breakfast on the back deck to the gentle lapping of water on the dingy as 10 ducks cavort around. Today we will explore more beaches in search of a couple more poles for the stern awning. We have 2 beauties and also fashioned our cedar bench/table that slides between the front seats. It is nice to be in these well protected islands and intricate inlets on the West side of Prince of Wales. We had a beautiful crossing from Metlakatla yesterday with a few brief foggy patches and then coming into full sun as we rounded Cape Chacon. Several seiners were fishing near there on the East side. Explorer is so responsive and graceful that the 8 ft westerly swells coming into Dixon Entrance were barely noticeable, except for the churning sprays they were throwing off the Nunez Rocks and other promontories. We snuck into the entrance of Cordova Bay via the Kelp gardens of Minnie cutoff and the Barrier Islands.
Kassa Inlet – Clam Cove
Checked out Tah Bay, then went up Klakas Inlet and into Max Cove. Enjoyed some time with the seals coming back down the west side of Klakas, then into Ruth Bay via the cutoff. Scouted up several more nice poles for the awning which we hauled back in the dingy, happy to have that little outboard. The low hills didn’t afford much protection from the wind in our anchorage so we have run over here into Clam Cove in the next big bay over for a gentler swing. Feeling like time to fire up the barbecue and throw on that King.
Kaguk Cove
A full and fabulous Day. What we anticipated as a leisurely tour around the next bay up and a bit of time working on some projects changed with the upcoming forecast and our rendezvous with Gary into Baker Point on Friday. It seemed prudent to head north, fuel and grocery up and have greater protection without the need to make a lot of miles later on. So we traveled onto Hydaburg where a gracious Hyda woman took us under her wing and even into her home to gave us a big bag of dried seaweed. We walked the shore back toward the dock together and she introduced us to Doreen who also invited us into her home and showed us some beautiful Hyda baskets, weavings and a beautiful painted canoe paddle that I imagined could tell many tales. Down on the dock we helped Rowly fix a transducer to his stern before heading on to Craig where we took on 87 gallons of diesel, picked up some supplies, touched base with the phone and internet world and headed on here to the Tuxekan area. The weather report mentioned an unseasonably strong storm that will produce some southeast winds and 1 1/2 to 3 inches of rain over the next couple days so we’re happy to be tucked into this cove with the prospects of following the El Capitan passage over the next couple days. Hope to visit Stanley Creek and sone Limestone caves.
—- Awoke this morning to perfectly still water under a silk gray sky. Started the morning coffee water on the barbecue, did the routine engine checks, and puttered about as two deer nimbly ambled along the shore at low tide.
El Capitan Passage
Days are full of so many highlights it is hard to know where to begin, but there is always a character that stands out for sheer amazement. One such fellow was Clark whom we met at the Little Naukati Bay dock where Louise and I were fashioning the shower cap for Explorer.
A friendly man, like most in these parts, Clark had deep set red eyes and walked with a 30 degree forward sloop, but with a natural unhampered vigor. He was on his way out to pick the shrimp pot with his friend Paul, the HarborMaster. When they returned they gave us a whole pan of shrimp, big ones. Louise reciprocated by giving them some morels. We shot the breeze and they mentioned how little there was on Prince of Wales when they first arrived. “Yea, now there’s grocery stores and even a couple banks”, Paul said. I replied, “well, at least you don’t have a Major League Baseball team yet” and Clark said, “yea and I’d be the pinch runner”
We saw more deer, two more Black Bear today, and lots more otter. Came close to the mouth of Stanley Creek, but couldn’t see the forest service cabin we stayed in those years ago while traveling the island with the van. They were building or replacing piling and the dock at little Naukati when I was here last and seemed fitting that we were able to use it to spread out our visqueen and place the grommets that will attach to our beach poles. And now after a nap at anchor we have moved over to the forest service dock below the caves and have a dry stern under our new shower cap.
