Soundings ...

Slideshow 12: West Coast Treasures ... A Puffin, a Parrot, a Swimming Bear and Amazing Totems

2010-09-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

Traveling south on the west coast of Baranof Island, we were hoping to enjoy the hundreds of islands on the outer coastline but instead found ourselves enveloped in a sea of fog ... and discovered fog really does not photograph well. As we continued around the passage to Prince of Wales Island, we had an unexpected stop in Craig, where we met some interesting characters walking the docks. This slideshow also includes our visit to Hydaburg where we photographed an exquisite totem collection and local children chasing salmon spawning in the river.

http://web.me.com/lauragongos/Engelenbak/12_Prince_of_Wales.html

Spawning Salmon and Haida’s in Hydaburg

2010-09-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

Thursday, August 5

Heading south, down the west side of Prince of Wales Island, we were treated to the telltale spouting of whales, always watching for that beautiful swoosh of the tail as they glide back into the waters. It doesn’t matter how many times you see these creatures … it’s always inspiring … and I inevitably reach for my binoculars or camera.

It was a beautiful sunny day so we decided to drop anchor, put the tender in the water and take a side trip to Hydaburg, the largest Haida settlement in the U.S. The Haida tribes originated in BC, but migrated to Alaska and merged five villages into one at Hydaburg in 1911.

Walking through the village we stopped and took photos of a striking totem collection adjacent to the school, with some of the most exquisite carvings we’ve seen to date.

Further up the road we stopped at a bridge crossing the Hydaburg River where we hoped to see salmon spawning. Sure enough, looking down into the water you could see the dead fish lying at the bottom of the stream, having completed the last act of their life cycle, making it back after years in the ocean, miraculously swimming thousands of miles to return to the very fresh water stream where they were originally hatched … to breed … and then die. It’s truly an amazing act of nature.

It was a hot day by Alaska standards and native children were swimming below us in the stream, chasing the weakened salmon that were still alive, and YES, picking the salmon up in their bare arms. I suspect this behavior would appall most mothers in the U.S. But the Haida’s have always taken great pride in harvesting resources from the land and sea … so I suspect many generations of native children have played in these very waters during spawning season. Indeed, it was a treat for us to watch their rapture with the fish.

Walking the Docks in Craig, Alaska

2010-08-21T18:19:00.000-07:00

Craig Harbor

Monday, August 2

Under rare sunny skies, a leak in the steering created a diversion to Craig … a small town we’d never heard of half way down the west coast of Prince of Wales Island … in search of o-rings.

Who knew? With a population of about 1,200, Craig is the largest town on POW Island, and is shaped like a figure 8, with one road connecting both halves and boat harbors on each side of the intersecting road.

Rick and PETEY

After procuring our o-rings at the General Store and having lunch at Ruth Ann’s Restaurant next door on the waterfront, we spent the later part of the afternoon enjoying one of our favorite activities at new harbors … walking the docks.

We’ve met some of the most interesting, generous, colorful and considerate people … just by walking up and down the docks of Alaska. And Crag was no exception.

We crossed the street from the South Cove Harbor where we were docked with mostly pleasure boats and visited the North Cove Harbor, which was predominantly filled with fishing boats, usually where you’ll find the most interesting characters. Half way up the docks we heard a loud squawk unlike any native birds we’d heard in Alaska and looked up only to see a huge blue Amazon Parrot in a cage aboard one of the fishing boats from Washington State. As we walked past the boat we heard another loud squawk followed by a throaty “H-E-L-L-L-O!”

Later, walking back down the docks, the parrot was perched down on the back deck and we had the opportunity to meet “Petey,” and his captain, Rick, who jointly owns the bird with his son.

We learned that Petey has a great vocabulary, and uses his words appropriately (which is more than you can say of most people). He is 7 years old, sleeps on the boat hanging from his perch upside down by one claw, and has a bad habit of climbing up the mast … a dangerous performance with so many eagles around looking for easy prey.

Siverado

Further down the docks we also happened upon the motor yacht called Siverado, which originally was the largest fiberglass yacht ever built, back in the early 1970s … and still is quite handsome.

Travelling 3 Miles in Puffin Bay … At Anchor!!!

2010-08-21T17:13:00.000-07:00

Yikes!!!!

Sunday, August 1

Leaving Sitka, we made the decision to take the west coast passage on the outside of Baranof Island down to Prince of Wales Island … a route most pleasure craft avoid because of its exposure to the Gulf of Alaska.

After our last experience crossing the Gulf, I wasn’t so sure I wanted to take this route. But a large collection of islands serve as a buffer against the Gulf, and our cruising manuals say it’s an extremely scenic passage, so we headed out. Ultimately, our only scenery was the radar!

We had two days of rain mixed with a soupy thick fog. In the meantime, we were navigating a foggy maze of hundreds of islands, first through the Necker Islands south of Sitka, and the next day through Windy Passage, a collection of reefs, submerged rocks, fishing boats and narrows with depths as low as 12 feet.

The going was slow and tense … we could barely see our bow, and somehow (like a rear view mirror) objects in the water were a lot closer than they seemed on the charts or radar.

We finally were able to pull out of the fog when we headed into a channel on the southwest side of Baranof Island and anchored in a tiny spot called Puffin Bay.

Entrance to Puffin Bay ... tight!

The rain continued all night, and the wind picked up as well. By morning our anchor tracker showed that the boat not only made huge sweeping zigzags around the anchor through the night, including a line that took us right over the shores onto land (guess the GPS is off a bit), but we had travelled 3 miles around the anchor. At least it held!

Wedding Congratulations to Alex and James

2010-08-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe we are down to the last month of our cruise in Alaska. As amazing as this adventure has been, it has not been without sacrifice.

We've missed so many important events with our family and friends. My oldest niece Ali's high school graduation in June. My brother's 50th birthday celebration last week in Michigan. And what I'm sure was a beautiful wedding yesterday for Alex and James. I know our dear friends Dave and Mikie were disappointed we couldn't be there. And we were too. We were watching the clock throughout the day ....and thinking about everyone getting ready for the ceremony ... Alex and James taking their vows .... and finally, everyone enjoying the reception.

Congratulations to all. I'm sure I would have cried!

Slideshow 11: A Whale Feeding Frenzy and Historic Sitka

2010-08-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

This collection of photos includes some amazing photos of a pod of whales that took us by surprise in Icy Strait ... spouting, fluke flapping, breaching ... it was a true show of nature. The next day we discovered the probable origin of the name Peril Straits when we witnessed rip tides and a rapid 12-knot ride through Sergius Narrows. And finally, you'll see photos of Sitka, a town that takes great pride in its Russian, American and Native Alaskan culture.

http://web.me.com/lauragongos/Engelenbak/11_Sitka.html

Enjoy!

Slideshow 10: An Amazing Glacier Show in Harriman Fjord

2010-08-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

Roland and I took hundreds of photos the day we cruised up the Harriman Fjord and witnessed 13 glaciers ... each one as stunning as the next. This slideshow includes an intimate look at Surprise Glacier from our dinghy, as well as our final few days in Prince William Sound ... a rough two-day crossing of the Gulf back to the Southeast ... and our return to old friends in Pelican.

http://web.me.com/lauragongos/Engelenbak/10_Harriman_Fjord.html

Enjoy!

Sitka: Russia’s Colonial Capital of Alaska, Now Largest City in the U.S.

2010-08-07T18:10:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, July 27

Sitka, with Mt. Edgecombe in background

How’s this for a jolt back to civilization … we saw our first automobile in more than two weeks when we cruised into Sitka.

I had high expectations for this scenic and historic stop. My biggest disappointment … we didn’t allow ourselves more time to explore.

Sitka Harbor

Sitka has it all. An exotic Russian history. A rich Native culture. A beautiful setting among forested islands, with a view overlooking Mt. Edgecombe, a dormant volcano. There’s a dynamic arts community here … spanning Russian, native and American heritage. A great harbor. And LAND … with 4,710 square miles, it's the largest city in the U.S. by area.

It was named capital city of Russia’s colonies in 1808 (specifically because it was the center for fur trade in the region), and as a consequence, is where Alaska’s history as a U.S. territory began. Which leads me to a question I’ve been asking ever since we landed in Alaskan waters … why did Russia ever sell this amazing piece of land called Alaska to the United States back in 1867? In hindsight, I’m sure they’ve kicked themselves up and down for that transaction as well … especially during the Cold War era.

Holland America's two ships in Sitka harbor

With a population just shy of 9,000, Sitka, like most cities in Alaska, thrives on tourism. But it’s not as obnoxious as Juneau or Ketchikan. For one, the cruise ships have no docks in town. They anchor in the channel and shuttle passengers in, which I suspect cuts down on both the number of cruise ships that come in as well as tourists.

Totem in Sitka National Historical Park

Second, Sitka recognizes the importance of its history and culture, and puts its colonial/native pedigree to good advantage. It boasts more than 20 locations on the National Register of Historic Places, including seven National Historic Landmarks.

We particularly enjoyed the 107-acre Sitka National Historical Park. 100 years old, it’s Alaska’s oldest national park area, and on Thursday afternoon we walked the 2-mile trail that runs through its rain forest along the beach of Sitka Sound and the banks of the Indian River. The trail sits on the site of the 1804 attack by the Russians on the Tlingits (retaliation for the 1802 massacre by the Tlingits of the Russians), and is lined with, 18 beautifully carved totems, each commemorating historical evens, family ancestors, clan stories, or individual clan members.

Russian orthodox church

We also visited the Russian Bishop’s House which is filled with artifacts from Russia’s territorial occupation and fur trading era in Alaska. It is sadly striking to consider how much blood was shed over sea otter pelts.

Poison and Complex Passageways in Peril Strait

2010-08-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

Monday, July 26

Lots of current

Peril Strait is a 39-mile waterway that cuts diagonally between Baranof and Chichagof Islands, a route that essentially all boats use to navigate to Sitka from the inside.

Its name is a bit of a misnomer. For one, the waterway is anything but straight. But rather a series of zigzagging passageways that twist and wind around granite islands, mixed with hidden rocks, riptides, markers, narrows, and very strong currents. For a captain like Roland who loves a challenge … it’s a beaut.

Secondly, despite the “perils” of navigating these waters, the true source of the name results from an incident dating back to 1799 when a party of Aleut hunters camped on the beaches in this stretch of water, ate some of the mussels, and over 100 died from what is now known as paralytic shellfish poisoning.

Channel buoy in Sergious Narrows

The Russians named the waterway Pogibshii, meaning deadly, which has since been translated in English … to Peril Strait. The episode is duly noted with other names along the way, such as Poison Cove, the site where the mussels were collected … and Deadman Reach, where the hunters ate their last meal.

Note lower right.... 12.1 knots

But these locations were inconsequential to us. We had our sites set on Sergius Narrows ... a 450-foot wide channel where the tide is known to rush through at speeds topping 9 ½ knots (Engelenbak runs at 7-8 knots in comparison).

As a rule of thumb, you can tell the strength and direction of the current by the tilt of the channel buoys. Normally you try to time your entrance into narrow passageways to coincide with slack tide, either at the top of high tide or bottom of low tide, when there is the least amount of water movement.

Sukoi Inlet

We timed our passage through Sergius Narrows a little more than an hour before slack, hoping to get a slight push behind us. You can see in the photos we had more than enough PUSH … and what a ride! You could feel the water lift us and in seconds Engelenbak was gliding through the narrows at 12.1 knots. Just moments later, we were back down to 6 knots … but what a rush!

And quite a contrast to the serenity of our anchorage that evening in Sukoi Inlet ...

Whale Tales and Tango Lines

2010-08-07T17:54:00.000-07:00

Sunday, July 25

Very early on in our cruise, I was in Ketchikan with Sharon browsing through a delightful bookshop on Creek Street that specializes in books on Alaska, when I came across a large book devoted entirely to humpback whales. Thumbing through it, I wondered if there really could be that much information about this slow moving immense mammal to keep 436 pages interesting.

Since then, rarely a day has gone buy when we haven’t passed at least one humpback while cruising. Usually more. And I am filled with questions about the behavior of these grand animals.

Consequently, rarely a day has gone by where I also haven’t kicked myself for not buying that book when I had the chance …out in the middle of Alaskan waters … it’s hard to surf the net for answers like I normally would!

Before leaving Pelican, our friend John from Morning Mist lent us a beautifully produced PBS video about the abundant wildlife in Glacier Bay. People in Alaska seem to be both proud and generous in sharing information with “outsiders,” and I was particularly intrigued to watch the video because it included an entire section on humpback whales and how they fish for food.

For humpbacks, fishing is a team sport! A pod comprised of several whales will fish along the shores where schools of salmon tend to congregate. When they find fish they spread out to surround them and basically stun them into submission … which is when the real fun begins for spectators.

We were fascinated to watch this on the video … but absolutely astounded the very next day to see it upfront and personal when we came upon a pod of whales in Icy Strait, after we left Pelican on our way to Sitka. So we put the boat in neutral … and in a stretch of about 20 minutes I think Roland and I took more than 400 photos between us (oh the joy of digital photos!).

First thing we saw were whales spouting. One, then another further away, and then enough that we were able to see there were at least six. Next we both heard and saw two whales next to each other pounding their huge flukes up and down in the water … bam, bam, bam, bam ... nonstop noise and spraying water. We were about a half mile away and the crack of those tails was loud, I can’t imagine what it sounded like to the salmon below.

No sooner had the tail flapping stopped that we saw one of the whales breach straight up and out of the water. And then another one breached next to him.

Within a few minutes, the whales had tightened into a line around their prey … the tail flapping began again, simultaneously another whale breached, while others next to him were surfacing and spouting … all in a line.

It was a phenomenal display … and with a smile I couldn’t help but think of those tango lines you see at weddings where everyone does their own dance move. Just a simple act of nature … an experience I will never forget.

Happy 50th Shout Out to My Brother John

2010-07-30T13:24:00.000-07:00

July 30

Happy Birthday to my brother, John, who is celebrating his 50^th with our family in Torch Lake, Michigan.

Sorry we couldn't be there for the big celebration last night!!!! I miss you guys.

And John ... welcome to the club!

Love, sis

Rest and Reunions in Pelican

2010-07-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday, July 24

There’s a charming allure to the community of Pelican, so we were happy to head up Lisianski Inlet after a rough two days crossing the Gulf and head back into Pelican.

Fatigued but full of adrenaline from two days at sea, we were pleased to tie off the same dock next to our new friend John on Morning Mist, and invited him over for dinner Thursday evening when we arrived.

John and his wife Bliss, who unfortunately we missed because she had returned to their home in Arizona, are building a new home in Pelican. They bought two houses and are converting them under one roof into a vacation home and guesthouse. This is quite an undertaking under normal conditions, but imagine a building project where all of your supplies need to be shipped in by a ferry that only arrives every other week!

John gave us a tour of the project and it’s going to be quite a complex. We hope we have an opportunity to return next summer to see the finished product!

In the meantime we also reunited with Deb and Keith … owners of Cross Sounds Seafood. We’ve been so impressed with the salmon we’ve tasted in Alaska that we ordered 50 pounds from them for delivery when we return to Ohio!

Pelican interestingly is the only place in Alaska we’ve visited twice … and I’m sure we’ll return in future years.

Crossing the Gulf … 433 Miles Non-Stop

2010-07-30T13:11:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, July 20

Our second crossing of the Gulf of Alaska was less kind than the first.

With confused seas, up to 25 knots of wind and 6 to 9-foot seas … it wasn’t a comfortable ride. I spent most of my time down below with Lovie (he got sick three times along the way) and only a few hours at the wheel at the beginning of the first day and the morning of the last day of the crossing. Which meant Roland had the wheel for most of the way … 56 hours non-stop, including 43 in the Gulf.

The seas were coming at us starboard and rear quarter aft, so our back deck was covered in water and we lost our doormat to the Gulf. Glad that was the only casualty.

And even happier to hit land Thursday afternoon … with a return trip to Pelican.

13 Glaciers in Harriman Fjord … Better Than Glacier Bay!

2010-07-30T13:07:00.000-07:00

Monday, July 19

On Monday morning, after puling anchor around 8:30 and heading up Port Wells into Barry Arm, we were immediately struck by the view ahead – a wall of glaciers intermixed with sheer, rugged mountains capped with snow and ribbons of clouds suspended along the face.

Three glaciers come together in a spectacular view at the juncture of Barry Arm and Harriman Fjord, where Cascade, Barry and Coxe Glaciers form a terminus.

We navigated around Point Doran, where an old moraine creates a shallow shoal that we definitely wanted to avoid, and continued up Harriman Fjord …. home to 6 tidal glaciers, 7 “hanging” glaciers (not at sea level), and an endless number of cascading waterfalls carved into every crack and crevice along the entire fjord.

We anchored the boat on a 4-fathom shelf on the northeast shore … dropped the skiff for an hour … and weeded our way through a field of icebergs and bergy bits to within a half mile of the face of Surprise Glacier.

We had been warned time and again about the dangers of waves caused by calving glaciers, so when we heard the first CRACK of thunder coming from the glacier and saw tons of ice plunging into the water along its face … we needed no more surprises from Surprise Glacier … and quickly move further wary from the face.

Photos cannot capture the sheer scale of the glaciers and waterfalls carved in this rugged terrain … it’s a treat for the eyes and a vista that is best appreciated with all five senses … in person.

Seeing RED

2010-07-30T12:56:00.000-07:00

Richard and Fran, on their boat RED

Friday, July 16

So here we are, two months into our cruise … and I have to say the most magnificent anchorages to date have been in Prince William Sound … despite the rain, which never seems to stop.

After leaving Hogg Bay, we spent an evening in Lower Herring Bay on the west side of Knight Island. This was Roland’s favorite anchorage because there was so much to explore. We anchored in one of five inlets around the perimeter of the bay, called Miners Bight, and used the skiff to explore the others… had fun watching a bear grazing along shore in the Northwestern Arm.

Tight and very shallow entrance to Bettles Lagoon

Delightfully, we also connected for the weekend with our new friends, Richard and Fran on their beautiful sailboat Red, in West Twin Bay on the north end of Perry Island. Unfortunately it rained all weekend … but it didn’t dampen the fun of having the two of them over for dinner, sharing stories and enjoying our time together.

After leaving West Twin Bay we discovered another favorite anchorage of ours in the Sound … a gorgeous secluded place called Bettles Lagoon. We knew it was going to be shallow going in … at mid-tide we had only 2 feet of water under the keel. Sigh of relief once we made it in and found about 30 feet of water … accordingly we planned our exit the next morning for high tide.

Ultimately, it was worth the effort. Bettles Lagoon faces a glacier on one side and two spectacular waterfalls on the other … in the rain and fog it was absolutely stunning.

Slideshow 9: Roland's Photo Class and the Bear Scare

2010-07-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

This links to one of the most beautiful collection of photos we've posted to date ... largely due to the photo lessons Roland had in Seward ... and the amazing scenery we had leaving Seward. I especially like the photos of the French red tug we affectionately called the "Beast" ... and the photos of our Hogg Bay anchorage with the harbor seals and Bainbridge Glacier in the background are stunning.

http://web.me.com/lauragongos/Engelenbak/9_Seward.html

Enjoy!!!

BEAR SCARE At Bainbridge Glacier

2010-07-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

Thursday, July 15

These pictures are worth a thousand words …

Hogg Bay was a beautiful anchorage, with a stunning view of Bainbridge Glacier in the distance.

We were anxious to test out the new steering on the dinghy, so first thing in the morning we dropped it in and took a cruise to the Glacier. We were less than a quarter of the way there in this photo, just to give a sense of scale.

Pulling up to the glacier was awesome. Its face is away from the water ...

So we decided to beach the dinghy and then walk to the glacier ...

But Laura didn't trust the dinghy to stay in place with just rocks to tie off of, so she waited with the dinghy ...

... While Roland walked out of view to the glacier to take some photos. But ...

Laura saw a bear on the shoreline down from where she was standing with the dinghy ... and yelled ...

BEAR!!! BEAR!!! Roland came quickly back to the dinghy ...

And they pushed back into the water and drove down closer to get photos of the bear.

But once he caught wind of the two humans ... he hightailed it out of there.

And that's the story of our close encounter with the Bainbridge bear. On the way back to the boat we passed a reef with a herd of harbor seals carefully observing us as we passed.

In the meantime, Engelenbak was waiting patiently for our return. We loaded the dinghy back on the bow and by noon had pulled up the anchor and headed on to Lower Herring Bay.

Beauty and the Beast

2010-07-28T13:58:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, July 13

The harbor in Seward was filled beyond capacity, so our first few days were spent tied off other vessels, including Le Manguier, a retrofitted red tugboat from France. Roland described it wonderfully in an email to some of his friends and colleagues …

… “So here you have it ... beauty and the beast ... a 50+ year old French navy tug and our Engelenbak in Seward. The French boat left Corsica in the Med last summer and took the Northeast Passage (the Russian side) across the top and spent the winter in the Aleutian Islands before sailing onto Kodiak Island and Seward Alaska.

Total crew ... one couple, their 8-year-old daughter and a nanny!!!!! This is a modified tug with a new "sail plan"... 2 masts made from tubular steel and pretty much free standing. The horsepower in the engine room was reduced from 750 HP to 400 HP.... minimum speed 5 knots!!!! It truly was fun to see this boat up close and see him depart from the dock ... it took 15 minutes to pull away and turn the boat around in the harbor before he could actually leave the harbor ... and there was room to turn 125ft sightseeing vessels around in a single turn!!!

Philippe, the owner of the "beast" came up with the "Beauty and the Beast" line as we were talking about our boats ... they are having so much fun that they are leaving to spend another winter in the Aleutians and then sail onto Russia. When asked about his encounters ... he said that planning the trip was all based on staying away from depressions that are very frequent in the Bering Sea. Their foreword stateroom is their freezer when in the arctic!!!

We have met so many interesting people and seen such broad definition of what a boat means, that in hindsight I wished that I had logged all the vessels.”

A Rainy Road Trip to “Weird” Whittier

2010-07-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 10

One of the more interesting aspects of cruising is the people you meet along the way, especially the warm and supportive camaraderie you find among fellow boaters.

Through an organization called the Seven Seas Cruising Association, we developed an email relationship with a couple who live in Anchorage and keep their boat in Whittier. Fran and Richard own a beautiful bright red sailboat (sound familiar) built by Waterline Yachts, appropriately named … Red.

Approaching the tunnel to Whittier

We had been in communication with them for several months before our trip. Despite the fact we were total strangers, Richard most generously shared his insights on places to go in Prince William Sound, suggestions on books and cruising guides for the area, and helped us gain a better understanding of cell and internet reception in the Sound. His advice was priceless.

We had hoped to catch up with the two of them cruising somewhere in the Sound so we could meet face to face and personally thank them for all of their counsel. But while sitting in Seward waiting for parts to be flown in for dinghy repairs, we decided to rent a car and make the 1.5-hour drive to Whittier to see them … on a very rainy Saturday.

The one word everyone seems to use most in describing Whittier is … weird. And after going there, we concur.

Whittier was founded as a military base during WWII, and was known as the “city under one roof”, where ONE building housed 1000 apartments, a hospital, bowling alley, theater, library, shops, gymnasium and a pool. That building was damaged in the 1964 earthquake; so another 10-story building was used for housing and today, everyone in Whittier still lives in that SAME building. Weird.

Driving on top of the tracks in the railroad tunnel

And if that’s not weird enough, the only way to reach Whittier is to drive through a 2.5-mile railway tunnel that cars and trains take turns using. Not only is this the longest highway tunnel in North America, it's the only one-way reversible traffic tunnel shared with a train in the world.

Once an hour the tunnel opens at each end for 15 minute of traffic each way. If you miss that window, you have to wait for another hour before you can go through.

Baby moose grazing

We had a wonderful visit with Fran and Richard, but the weather and wind in Whittier is notoriously unkind thanks to Passage Canal, and the day we were there was no exception. At their suggestion, on the way home that evening we stopped in Girdwood, a small town between Whittier and Anchorage known for one of the best restaurants in Alaska -- the Double Musky – Cajun cooking at its best with a décor that could keep you gawking for hours.

On our way back to Seward we saw a female moose grazing in the field adjacent to the road with two calves and couldn’t resist stopping for a few photos.

Roland's Christmas in July

2010-07-28T13:24:00.000-07:00

Friday, July 9

As a Christmas gift for Roland last year I purchased three days of private photo instruction with Ron Niebrugge, a professional photographer who lives in Seward.

Here we are in July … and he’s finally able to enjoy his Christmas gift.

Roland’s lessons began with some basic instructions on how to interpret the information that his digital camera provides to improve the exposure of shots and better balance the light. He also received some tips on lenses, filters and other equipment that can help improve the quality of a photo under various conditions.

Living in Alaska, Ron specializes in nature photography and was able to expose Roland to some spectacular sites he knew near Seward … and with just a little coaching … he came back with some of these amazing shots. Unfortunately, rainy weather was a challenge, but they did manage to find two days that were nice enough for a shoot … albeit in short windows.

Roland with photographer Ron Niebrugge and his wife, Janine

On a cruise like this, the photo opportunities are endless. I think Roland had a lot of fun with Ron and is looking forward to applying what he’s learned a we continue our cruise through Alaska

Seward … As Far West As We Plan To Go

2010-07-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, July 7

Seward is a picturesque port west of Prince William Sound … and after 2 weeks in the Sound, seemed a metropolis by comparison.

It is located at the head of Resurrection Bay on the Kenai Peninsula, 126 miles south of Anchorage. Unlike most towns we’ve visited in Alaska, it has a road system that connects it to Whittier, Anchorage and other points of interest. Seward also is a destination for northbound cruise ships. In fact the Holland America line was there during the World Soccer Championship when Holland lost to Spain … we half expected to see the Dutch flag at half mast!

Getting there required heading back out into open ocean waters, and while the rolls weren’t as bad as our crossing, poor Lovie decided it was enough to make him seasick. Heading into Resurrection Bay we saw puffins, murres and sea lions. I wish I could get a good photo to share of a puffin … but they fly at over 50 mph, flap their wings 400 times a minute … making them a very difficult subject to photograph. They actually look like a cartoon character … very cute with their orange beaks and tufted black and white heads.

In the meantime, we ended up spending a week in Seward, practically refitting the dinghy electrically and mechanically. New steering system, new motor, new shifter, replaced the bilge pump … and replaced some bad wiring ... practically like new! Many thanks to Carl and our new friends at Storm Chasers ... a great boatyard in Seward that worked diligently with Roland to facilitate the repairs.

Slideshow 8: Beartrap Bay to Valdez

2010-07-24T12:44:00.000-07:00

We have an amazing collection of shots of ... rain ... in this slideshow, something you can't escape in Prince William Sound. Beartrap Bay, surrounded in nature, was undoubtedly one of our most beautiful anchorages ... even in the rain! You'll also see a slice of life of a couple of seiners we met in Valdez and their crews. And as always, great wildlife, including a huge group of sea lions lounging along the shores on route to Valdez.

http://web.me.com/lauragongos/Engelenbak/Alaska_8.html

Fourth of July and Williwaws in Granite Bay

2010-07-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

Iceberg from Columbia Glacier

Ice dragon

Monday, July 5

We left Valdez on July 2, heading ultimately to Seward to repair the steering on the dinghy, with a few leisurely stops along the way.

Leaving the Valdez Narrows we passed Columbia Glacier, reportedly the largest glacier in Alaska, but the bay leading in was so clogged with icebergs it was impossible to make it in further to see the glacier. In the meantime, huge icebergs littered the waters for miles around Columbia … we of course slowed down the boat to pull a few bergies onboard for the cooler and glacier cocktails later.

Sea Lions at Bull Head

Rounding Glacier Island we passed Bull Head, and it wasn’t hard to determine where that name came from. The entire rocky shoreline was lined with hundreds of lounging sea lions … including some very raucous bulls fighting on the highest boulders … no doubt over some female sea lion sunning herself down below ;)

Humpback entertaining tour boat

We also saw a tour boat stopped in the water … which usually is a good sign that there are whales nearby. Sure enough, a humpback popped out of the water just in front of the tour boat … almost as if he were under contract! And better work environment than Sea World.

Bilge Boy

We anchored in Granite Bay and stayed for three days, surrounded by dramatic towers of granite. We were tempted to launch a flare for the Fourth of July … but didn’t want to tempt fate … it’s against the law to shoot off a flare from a boat unless you’re in duress.

Amazingly, we had a day without rain so I took advantage of the clear weather to oil the teak cap rails. In the meantime, Roland organized the lazarette and squeezed down in the forward bilge to check some things out.

Dramatic cliffs of Granite Bay

But two days without precipitation seems to be impossible in Prince William Sound. Our second day at anchor it began raining and on day three we had williwaw winds coming down from the cliffs with wind gusts of up to 35 knots. The entire granite face in front of us turned into a wall of cascading waterfalls, with the sound of water echoing over the water. Total Solitude.

An Unexpected Stop in Valdez Nets Us Some Expert Fishing Advice

2010-07-23T11:22:00.000-07:00

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Valdez wasn’t a port we had planned to visit, but we decided to see if we could find someone to repair the steering on the dinghy. Along the way, we had an athletic school of Dall porpoise riding with us, swimming sideways and upside down in our bow wake.

Surprisingly, for a town that largely is centered around fishing and its harbor, we struck out on finding anyone in Valdez who could fix the steering … or even a place where we could buy parts.

What we DID find, however, were two delightful purse seiners -- the Angjenl from Peterburg, and the Raven from Seward – that we tied off of for two days because the harbor was filled beyond capacity with fishing boats waiting for an opener.

(Note in the picture to the right, a seiner is a fishing boat that can be configured to catch salmon, halibut, crabs, etc. For salmon they use a seine … a long net lined with floats on one side which is released behind the boat and dragged with a skiff into a large circle, where they then pull in the bottom of the net like the drawstring of a purse, before reeling it up and into the back of the boat … fish caught in the net drop into the hold of the boat.)

As we pulled in to tie off the Angjenl, its skipper, Ryan, was quick to offer us some fresh salmon if we were willing to give him a tour of our boat. Deal!!! (I figured this may be my surest way of securing some fresh salmon since we haven’t had much luck trying to catch any ourselves).

Cory, the skipper of the Raven was equally amiable, and even spent an afternoon helping Roland tear apart the steering on the dinghy and suggested the names of some folks in Seward who we could contact for parts since Valdez was a bust.

Thursday evening we invited the crews of both boats over for a dinner of Cincinnati Chili … eight hungry guys!!! I doubled the recipe and made enough for 16 and still barely had enough.

It was pretty entertaining getting to know both crews and listening to their stories, especially the two younger members on Angjenl, Dan and Evan, who gave me a tour of their boat. I walked away with a new appreciation for the creature comforts of Engelenbak.

When I commented that single girls in the “lower 48” would appreciate all the young single men there seems to be in these Alaskan fishing communities … they were quick to explain to me the chances a girl had finding a guy in Alaska … “The odds are good … but the goods are odd.” Very cute (both the guys and their joke)!

Over the course of the evening, Sam, an expert fisherman and Ryan’s first mate on Angjenl, generously shared some fishing tips with me. His father owns a tackle shop in Petersburg, so not only did he show me a special way to hook a herring on a lure so it spins through the water when you’re trolling, but he also gave me custom made “sliders” and shiners. His other secret piece of advice … soak your bait in WD40 … the smell attracts both salmon and crabs. Who knew!

The straightforward warmth and generosity of both crews was certainly the highlight of our time in Valdez.

Exxon Valdez, Bligh Reef … And Other Reasons Alaskans Should Hate Good Friday

2010-07-13T23:57:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 30

Good Friday historically has not been good to Alaska.

On Good Friday in 1964, Alaska experienced the largest earthquake in North American history, lasting 5 minutes and registering a record 9.2 on the Richter scale. The epicenter was in Prince William Sound.

As the ocean floor shifted, causing tsunami waves as high as 70 feet that reached as far as Hawaii and Japan, it not only severely damaged or destroyed villages and communities around the Sound, it also forever changed the depths in the Sound, rendering most navigational charts obsolete and permanently uplifting some areas as much as 6 to 30 feet.

We were quick to take note that many of our charts for the Sound include warnings that some areas haven’t been recharted since the earthquake in 1964, and therefore may not be accurate. Not comforting when you’re in a vessel with a 7-foot draft.

On March 24, 1989 … another Good Friday exactly 25 years later … the Exxon Valdez struck Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound. Most people remember seeing news images of this environmental disaster, which up until the BP rig explosion in April, was the largest oil spill in U.S. waters in history, releasing 11 million gallons of crude into the Sound.

By comparison, the Valdez spill is less than the amount of oil released into the Gulf of Mexico the first two weeks following the Deepwater Horizon explosion … and here’s the real kicker … 20 years later some areas of Prince William Sound are still saturated with toxic oil … and several species, like the herring population, have never recovered.

So it was with great trepidation … which quickly turned to indignation … that on Wednesday as we made our way to the port of Valdez, we sailed past Bligh Reef. Take note in the adjacent photos … Bligh Reef is not only well marked with a lit beacon … it’s 2 MILES LONG and clearly visible if you are navigating properly with charts!

You’d have to be blind, asleep … or I guess very drunk … to not see Bligh Reef on a chart. It’s an example of human error at its worst … at a huge cost to both the wildlife and humans who made a living in those waters … and a mere $900 million civil settlement paid out by Exxon over 10 years.

Today, 20 years after the spill and major restoration efforts, they estimate it may take decades, and possibly centuries for the oil to disappear entirely.

Sadly, one can only imagine the implications for the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and its surrounding ecosystem …

Intruders in Beartrap Bay, and Our First Prawn Catch

2010-07-13T16:15:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 29

Beartrap Bay, 34 miles northwest of Cordova at the end of Port Gravina, is described in one of our cruising guides as the “jewel” of Prince William Sound.

But in fact, it is a treasure chest of jewels … a cove encircled in a symphony of waterfalls cascading down every possible crevice like strings of pearls draped loosely over the mountains, magically dropping bead after bead into the water.

It was raining and misty with wisps of low hanging clouds suspended against the summits when we motored into the bay, feeling very much like we were intruders in this private sanctum of wildlife and fauna … escorted in by a couple of sea otters who by appearances were practicing synchronized swimming.

Five minutes after dropping anchor a gathering of three eagles appeared on shore, and within 10 minutes there were close to a dozen gathered there … must have been happy hour!

We quickly noticed there was perpetual movement in the water … salmon jumping around us everywhere … sometimes a foot into the air. If only Jim Plona were here to see this! We of course dropped a fishing line, thinking this would be a no brainer ... but the fish were more inclined to play jump rope with the line than take bait. Nothing!

Despite the rain, I was determined to at least catch prawn. We had a special recipe from our friend Lincoln that involves mixing prawn pellets with a can of cat food, a can of mackerel, and a certain amount of salmon oil (might as well buy them dinner while we're at it!) … which I stuffed in special bait boxes that attach to the prawn traps. We threw on foul weather gear and headed out looking like real fishermen, in search of 300 feet of water where we dropped the traps … about 4 miles from where Engelenbak was anchored.

The next morning we hooked our electric line hauler onto the dinghy and headed back out to check our traps ... with mixed blessings. The line hauler is a mechanical contraption that tows in the 300-feet of line, and I was thrilled when the traps finally made it to the surface ... our FIRST prawn catch … only 13 but it was a start! And like a savage … I mercilessly ripped the heads off each prawn … saving the tails in the bucket ... and that afternoon we had a delightful prawn appetizer!

But there was one complication to our prawn euphoria …we lost the steering on the dinghy and had no choice but to use the oar as a rudder to steer us the 4 miles back to Engelenbak.

Not wanting to spend the rest of our vacation without a dinghy, we pulled anchor the next morning and headed to Valdez in hopes of repairing the steering.

Slideshow 7: Crossing the Gulf Into Prince William Sound

2010-07-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

There wasn't a lot to see crossing the Gulf of Alaska ... just water in all directions. But once we entered Prince William Sound we were surrounded in beauty and wildlife. This slideshow includes our crossing as well as our first port, Cordova, on the east end of the Sound. Also, some amazing photos of our road trip to Child's Glacier and the Million Dollar Bridge.

http://web.me.com/lauragongos/Engelenbak/Alaska_7.html

The Million Dollar Bridge and A Road Trip to Child’s Glacier

2010-07-12T17:56:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 26

The Copper River Delta is a 60-mile arc of vast wetlands in the Chugach National Forest, all woven around six glacial river systems with massive runoffs … truly a paradise for those who cherish wildlife and wilderness.

At the advice of many of the locals we met in Cordova, we decided to rent a car and under sunny skies drove to Child’s Glacier, a 48-mile ride from Cordova along the Copper River Highway through the Delta. With binoculars and cameras in hand, we were awestruck by the spectacular pure beauty surrounding us.

Twelve miles out of town we traveled past Cordova’s Mudhole Airport (yes, that’s its real name) … and the road turned to gravel from that point on, until you reach the Million Dollar Bridge.

Back in 1910, the Guggenheim brothers and JPMorgan wanted to connect the railway to the Kennecott Mine, a major copper mine that they jointly owned, so they paid … you guessed it … a million dollars to build what since has been known as the Million Dollar Bridge. The bridge collapsed in the Good Friday 1964 Earthquake (more about that later!) and was only rebuilt in 2004 … at a cost of $19 million ... to basically connect to nowhere.

There’s a turnoff just before the bridge that takes you to a viewing platform 400 yards across the river from Child’s Glacier. Child’s is an intensely active glacier with a 300-foot high face that was an awesome sight to both see and hear. Every few minutes you could tell it was in motion when you heard it begin to rumble. And when the rumbling escalated into what sounded like huge thunderclaps, we knew to watch the face for massive pieces of ice calving into the water below.

The park signage particularly warns you to stay on the viewing platform and avoid the shore opposite the glacier, which often has waves over 10-feet high crashing on its banks from tsunamis caused by the calving. Of course Roland ignored that warning, grabbed his tri-pod, and scrambled down to the shore to try for the perfect shot of the calving in action … unfortunately no major calving but the good news is I didn’t lose my captain to a Child’s Glacier tsunami.

Driving back to Cordova that afternoon we stopped along the way to photograph more of the scenery, including a trumpeter swan and a female moose we spotted grazing in the marshlands. What a delightful day trip!

Cordova: An Alaskan Revelation (… and paradise for single women)

2010-07-11T18:49:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 23

Off the beaten path, but considered the fishing capital of Prince William Sound, Cordova took us by surprise.

Seven hours after pulling anchor from Montague Island, we arrived in this unique community, the eastern most town in the Sound located on Orca Inlet.

The harbor is as picturesque as you’ll find, nestled against a backdrop of mountains veiled in snow and an entrance marked by a convergence of seagulls looking for leftovers from the adjacent fisheries. We were charmed by Cordova before even stepping foot on the docks.

Adding sweetness to our fondness for this dramatic setting, the harbor master informed us our yacht club membership earned us free docking space … which is just one of many reasons we ended up spending four days in Cordova.

We immediately were impressed that this was easily the most active, hard-working harbor we’d seen since entering Alaska. The docks were filled with a broad assortment of purse seiners, gill-netters, bow pickers and tenders… all part of a very successful commercial fishing community that never slept. Boats were coming and going at all hours. Walk the docks and you see men at work cleaning their boats, repairing nets or working on engines. In fact, it’s a town where the men out number women at least 20 to 1! A potential gold mine for single girls.

Alaskans have impressed us with their open, honest congeniality … and Cordova was no exception. A plumber we hired to add Freon to our fridge loaned us a book on cruising Prince William Sound and said “just drop it in the mail to me when you’re done cruising here.” We had a good time talking with the crew of the Independence, a larger tender that ferries fish from the fishing boats to the fisheries, who gave us a jar of homemade smoked salmon. They smoke it themselves in birch on their boat and pack it in a “secret recipe” from an Alaskan native mixing brine, olive oil, jalapeños and maple syrup.

Walking through town that day we stumbled upon Copper River Fleece, a very cool outdoor clothing store that was started by a 15-year-old girl in her garage in Cordova in 1995. The garments are all 100% American made with woven trims that feature Tlingit designs created by an Alaskan Native artist. Inspired by both the quality of the apparel and the entrepreneurial spirit of the founder, I bought a matching vest and hat in periwinkle blue.

And to top it all off, we found a fabulous restaurant … the Reluctant Fisherman … overlooking the harbor where our red Engelenbak surely stood out from the crowd. The chef was from Chicago and created an amazing halibut sashimi. Finally, I got my sashimi fix ... Alaskan style.

UPs & DOWNs, ROCKs & ROLLs: A Swell Time in the Gulf of Alaska

2010-07-11T15:34:00.000-07:00

Sunday…Monday (Summer Solstice) … and finally Tuesday, June 22

The Gulf of Alaska covers 592,000 square miles.

Crossing the Gulf, solo in a boat, with a 360-degree view of nothing but water makes your feel really … small.

Truth be told … Lovie and I have no fond memories of our first few hours in the Gulf of Alaska.

We left Pelican at 10:15 am Sunday morning, and an hour later also left the protection of Lisianski Inlet as we entered the open waters of the Gulf. That’s when all hell broke loose … this 100-ton vessel began to rise and fall in full sweeps, simultaneously rolling back and forth in 6 foot swells. Things started clanging below and anything not secure was soon on the floor or crashing mercifully against the interior walls of cabinets. To the powerful Gulf of Alaska we were nothing more than a small cork in a very, very huge tub of water.

Lovie immediately got seasick in the pilothouse and I was feeling a bit green around the gills myself, so we both headed down to the stateroom, the lowest point in the boat, and laid down ... as I began the countdown, contemplating how I was going to survive the 48 hours it was going to take to make the crossing. In the meantime, Roland was up in the pilothouse enjoying every minute of the cruise and taking stunning photos of Mount Fairweather, which we had seen just a few days earlier from its other side … in Glacier Bay.

Eventually the seas died down to a steady roll that both Lovie and I learned to tolerate … and even enjoy. By 9:45 am Monday we had travelled 186 nautical miles …. And with all land out of sight, we were surrounded by the solitude of the sea.

That morning I saw my first albatross … sleek 3-foot long birds that glide effortlessly on their 7-foot wingspan over the crest of the open seas with only a rare flutter of their wings. Extraordinary to watch, and I had hours to do so!

It’s hard to explain the sensation of being 30 miles offshore alone on a boat. I thought I’d be terrified, but the weather was magnificent with no wind to speak of, and I was amazed to find that my body soon acclimated to the up and down, back and forth rhythm of the sea.

Roland and I traded off at the wheel, but he captained the boat for the majority of the crossing. When I took the wheel at 1:00 in the morning on Tuesday, June 22, the day after summer solstice, you could still see light over the horizon.

In fact it was never totally dark that evening, and by 3:30 am, the morning sun began to appear. Remarkable. Around 2 am that evening I sawa blip on the radar about 15 miles out, and soon saw the lights of a huge cruise ship, like a floating city, coming toward us and eventually passing about 3 miles to our port side.

We made it to the entrance of Prince William Sound by 5:30 am Tuesday and anchored in Zaikof Bay off Montague Island at 8:20 am … a 46-hour, 364-mile crossing from Pelican to Montague Island … with very little wind or weather, we had made good time!

And from the looks of things it was worth the crossing.

The view of Montague was delightful, but after 2-days of seeing nothing but water, just about any landscape would be pleasing to the eyes. Even Lovie was happy to be out on deck in sight of land.

We celebrated our first morning in PWS with Bloody Mary’s and breakfast on the back deck and then, bleary eyed and relaxed, both went to bed for a few hours, woke up and made dinner, and then slept again for 11 hours straight … safe and sound in Prince William Sound!

Slideshow 6: Sculpins, Sea Lions and Amazons ... Oh My!!!

2010-07-09T22:58:00.000-07:00

Here's a slideshow of the second leg of our week with Eric, Lydia and Cade, from the time we left Glacier Cove and anchored in Inian Cove ... Eric with a BIG catch ... and through Mosquito Pass where we spotted a herd of sea lions gathered on the rocks. We ended up in Pelican Cove, most definitely one of our more “colorful” ports ... a charming boardwalk town with a population of less than 100, and no motorized vehicles except for the garbage truck.

http://web.me.com/lauragongos/Engelenbak/Alaska_6.html

New and Old … Parting Ways With Friends In Pelican

2010-07-09T17:27:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 19

We all had a chuckle when we were headed to the “airport” in Pelican with Lydia, Cade and Eric … who were taking a seaplane to Juneau to connect with their flight home to Virginia.

Forget security. And don't worry about that liquid hand cream in your carry-on! The airport is a floating dock, one float over from Engelenbak. As we all gathered there waiting for the seaplane to fly in, an electric cart came wheeling down the dock to the plane carrying everyone’s luggage.

They couldn’t have chosen a better day to fly. Crystal clear and sunny, a rarity in Alaska … and at Roland’s suggestion, Eric was able to take the front seat next to the pilot … talk about the ride of a lifetime! With Cade still in his life vest, we watched everyone strap themselves in and off they went … floating past Engelenbak before making a u-turn, skimming down the surface of Lisianski Inlet, and then slowly lifting from the water and disappearing behind the steep coastlines of the inlet. So began their 40-minute aerial jaunt to Juneau, a course that took us one week with many twists and turns in Engelenbak. It was a delight having them on board for the week, and I hope Cade retains many good memories of his new experiences in Alaska.

We spent the rest of that afternoon at the Lisianski Inlet Café, having a bite to eat and taking advantage of their Wi-Fi to catch up on emails and upload the blog.

For such a short time in Pelican, we had made some wonderful acquaintances, including Keith and Deb, owners of Cross Sound Seafoods, a small family-owned business specializing in hook-and-line caught salmon and halibut, who we ran into again at the café. Keith gave us some great advise for our crossing of the Gulf of Alaska and Deb had given us some halibut the day before which we look forward to tasting at a future date.

We also enjoyed the company of John & Bliss, owners of the deep blue steel trawler Morning Mist docked next to us, and invited them for cocktails where they shared stories of their travels between Alaska and their ranch in Prescott, AZ.

For dinner that evening we walked to the top of the boat harbor to the Highliner Lodge, an intimate fishing lodge with a chef who could rival some of the best in most cities … I especially was in love with his starter … grilled scallops with a tomato avocado relish. If you’re ever looking for a serious charter fishing vacation in a delightfully remote location with great hosts and a wonderful cook… I highly suggest the Highliner. Owners Jill and Steve Daniels, winter in Sitka and head to Pelican for a short season …. the lodge is open June through August. We enjoyed hearing the colorful history of the lodge since they bought it in 2002 … and the evolution of their business.

In just two days … we indeed were charmed by Pelican, its unique setting and some of the folks we’d met there. It’s one town we hope to return to!

An Amazon in Pelican … Rose’s Bar and Grill, an Alaskan Institution

2010-06-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 18

On our last evening together with Lydia, Cade and Eric we opted for a “colorful” dinner at Rose’s Bar & Grill in Pelican, which we've learned is a legend among boaters in the region.

The sign in front of Rose’s should have been a giveaway … “WORLD FAMOUS … ROSE’S BAR & GRILL … MUSEUM & GIFT SHOP.” Turns out Rose is the “museum” part of that equation ... she is about 80 years old, has operated the bar for years, and consequently has built quite a regional reputation (for both the bar … and herself!!).

The evening was a bonanza for Cade. No sooner had we sat down and placed our order (including some open-mouthed ogling at the interior décor of Rose’s, which could be an entire blog post of its own) … a local resident walked in with a bright green Amazon parrot named "Buddy" sitting on his shoulder. Now THAT's something you just don’t see every day.

Rose’s apparently is the favored hangout for fisherman (one of two local taverns in Pelican), where we also met Terri, winner of the 2010 Pelican King Salmon Derby, awarded that evening. And finally, Roland made a friend of his own … a new blond babe that you won’t want to miss in the accompanying photo.

Rose’s turned out to be a dinner stop that I am sure will provide us with many stories to share for years to come.

Next time you see us … ask about the signing of the ceiling … and the “she” who turned out to be a “he!”

Pelican … A Charm You Have to See to Believe

2010-06-26T14:45:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 18

On Friday, we planned to tie up at Elfin Cove to see about flights to Juneau for Lydia and Eric the next day, but ended up going to Pelican because the docks were full at Elfin.

This was a stroke of luck for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that there was a big FIRE at Elfin Cove Friday evening. We undoubtedly would not have had much sleep.

Even better, we were able to experience Pelican … a uniquely “Alaskan” settlement that I had read about as I was planning for our trip and noted as a must see!

The only way to get to Pelican is by boat or seaplane.

With a population of about 80, it is located on Lisianski Inlet on the northwest corner of Chichagof Island, 10 miles from the entrance to the Gulf of Alaska.

This charming community sits mostly on stilts along a mile-long broad wooden boardwalk that serves as “main street,” overlooking the harbor and facing a towering snow-capped line of mountains dotted waterfalls on the opposite side of the inlet.

The only gasoline-fueled vehicle in town is the garbage truck. Instead you see electric carts zipping up and down the boardwalk all day and night.

Pelican was founded around a fish processing plant in the 1930s. Sadly, the plant has since closed taking its toll on the community. But Pelican is still all about fish. The harbor is filled with fishing boats, the town’s motto is “Closest to the Fish!” and the night we arrived coincided with the awards ceremony for the annual Pelican Salmon Derby.

Those are all the hard facts about Pelican. What’s more difficult to share is the feeling one gets walking through this charming community. The simplicity of life … where children wear life vests to and from school walking along the boardwalk: or when they take the time to tell you about the berries they are picking from the hillside next to the boardwalk … and offer you a handful of salmonberries.

It’s a community where everyone knows everyone. Where at 2 a.m. they leave their homes and jump in their boats to help their neighbors in Elfin Cove put out a fire. And while they don’t all agree with each other as is common in any community, they are bound together by a unique “tribal” closeness, living along one single boardwalk … walking past the same homes, buildings, and small businesses day after day … with the sea and sky being the only escape.

And more than anything, it’s a community with a view so stunning, you are surprised that no one has bought out the entire boardwalk and turned it into an exclusive tourist destination. I certainly hope that never happens.

“Tourism Rapes Alaska” in Inian Cove

2010-06-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 17

I was still sleeping Thursday morning when we pulled anchor at 6 a.m., but am told Engelenbak was really speeding when we left Glacier Bay … travelling with a strong current and running 12.9 knots. In comparison, our normal cruising speed is 7.5 knots!

In just over four hours we cruised 40 nautical miles and were already dropping anchor in Inian Cove at 10:15 a.m., about 4 miles north of Elfin Cove. We were greeted by the local Inian Cove “Welcome Wagon” … an old beached fishing boat along shore displaying a big sign that read “TOURISM RAPES ALASKA.” Apparently, this was a squatter with attitude!

With an entire day to spend at anchor, we promptly dropped a crab trap in hope of catching dinner. In the meantime, Eric and Cade also broke out the fishing poles and, with a little help from Roland (now an experienced fisherman) they even caught a fish!

Of course, none of us have a clue what Eric caught. But we believe it was a “rosy lip sculpin” based on the photo in the fish identification card we have on board. We have a long way to go to get up to speed on this fishing thing!

Leaving Inian Cove the next day we passed a rocky island in Mosquito Pass covered with a herd of sea lions. Of course we all ran for out cameras!!!

We weren’t the only ones interested in the sea lions. We soon saw several inflatables filled with tourists checking out the sea lions, and around the bend saw the big National Geographic tour boat that we had last seen docked in Petersburg. Small world.

Slideshow 5: Leaving Juneau With a New Crew

2010-06-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

This group of photos begins when our "new crew" joined us in Juneau and includes whale-watching in Icy Strait, a tour through Glacier Bay ... and even a wedding anniversary. Best of all, it includes photos of Cade ... totally enthralled by the new and unusual world around him. Enjoy!

http://web.me.com/lauragongos/Engelenbak/Alaska_5.html

Sunny Glacier Gazing and Girl Time on the Bow

2010-06-24T16:12:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 16

One thing I’ve learned since cruising in Alaska … it’s best to view glaciers under sunny skies. The light pulls amazing colors out of the ice, like prisms on steroids.

While Wednesday started out fairly gray and gloomy, by late afternoon when we reached Reid Glacier, the sun had emerged and Lydia and I pulled chairs out on the bow soaking in the sun, enjoying the view … and catching up on life.

We motored up to the head of Reid and were in awe of its immensity … but also surprised that there was not a single iceberg floating in the inlet outside the glacier. So different from our previous experiences at Le Conte and Endicott. Lydia especially was disappointed … she had been looking forward to a Glacier Cosmo!

Check out the slide show, which I’ll be posting next, to see some amazing photos. My guess is that between all of us at least 400 photos were taken that afternoon … even Lovie made it up on deck for a portrait with a glacial backdrop. The scenery most definitely will put you in another state of mind.

In the meantime, like magic, once we left the glaciers and headed back into the bay and on to Shag Cove to anchor for the evening, the rain began to fall.

But we had had our day in the sun … with the glaciers.

Crustless Quiche … A Boat Recipe Worth Sharing

2010-06-24T15:17:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, June 16

Since I left Burson-Marsteller, I have to admit, I’ve become a bit of a “foodie” and have had a lot of fun cooking and exploring new tastes.

I particularly like to cook with local, fresh ingredients … and have been inspired along the way by people like Lydia, Roland’s brother-in-law Stan in Holland, and our neighbor Theresa in the Vermillion Lagoons. All great cooks!

While this certainly is not a food blog, I thought it might be fun to share one recipe that has been a big hit with our guests on Engelenbak … it was given to me by my mother over 20 years ago. It’s simple and therefore great to make on a boat, requires no crust … and produces one of the most scrumptious quiches I’ve ever tasted. You may be tempted to replace the jalapeño with a different ingredient, but don’t – it adds the perfect kick.

This also is what we had Wednesday morning as we were entertained by a group of porpoise off the stern through the galley windows, just before pulling anchor to cruise to Reid Glacier.

Crustless Quiche

¼ cup butter

5 eggs

½ cup cottage cheese

8 oz. grated Monterey Jack Cheese

1 jalapeño pepper diced Paprika

Mix together, pour in dish, top with paprika, and bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Voila. Enjoy!

Pop the Cork! An Anniversary Celebration Turns Grizzly

2010-06-24T14:59:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 15

I can still remember Eric and Lydia’s wedding in Chatauqua like it was yesterday. Charming and intimate. It rained all day, which not only portends a good marriage, but also was a phenomenon they seemingly anticipated, as the guests’ gifts were huge umbrellas imprinted with their June 15 wedding date.

So it was a special joy to pop a cork on the evening of June 15 (after anchoring in the South Arm of Fingers Bay in Glacier Bay) to celebrate their anniversary in a setting surrounded by snow-capped mountains ... but a bit of a jolt to realize it was their 8^th!!! Why do the years fly so quickly as we grow older?

Roland set up the tripod on the bow, and with glasses of champagne in hand, their anniversary became a wonderful photo op, as we all piled on the steps leading up to the flybridge for a group shot.

But that wasn’t the only photo op of the evening. About 20 minutes later, as we were sipping champagne on the aft deck, Lydia noticed a big grizzly on the shoreline. Our first grizzly!!!! She was considering waking Cade up to see the bear … but quickly was overruled. Instead, we all pulled out cameras and started snapping photos.

I’m glad there was a good distance of water separating us. This bear was big.

Tomorrow. Onward to explore glaciers!

Entering Glacier Bay National Park … and Orientation at Bartlett Cove

2010-06-24T14:37:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 15

One of our tour books describes it this way …

“Glacier Bay National Park is a place where the word “awesome” was appropriate long before it became a cliché.”

We have to agree.

Glacier Bay, located across Icy Strait from Chichagof Island, is 62 miles long and 10 miles at its widest point, and is surrounded by mountains. The Fairweather Range to the west is dominated by Mount Fairweather at 15,300 feet, and includes some of the most beautiful glaciated mountains in the world.

Glacier Bay was designated a national park more than 85 years ago to serve as a natural laboratory for scientific research. Sixteen separate glaciers flow from its two arms, which including the bay encompass more than 4,400 square miles … but ONLY 25 pleasure boats and 2 cruise ships are allowed in the bay at a time, primarily to protect the wildlife population.

You must apply for a permit to enter at least 60 days in advance (we had applied for our permit months ago while we were still in Vermilion) and immediately upon entering the bay you are required to radio in and proceed directly to Bartlett Cove for a mandatory orientation presented by park rangers.

We pulled up to the docks just before noon and had 2 hours to kill before the next orientation at 2 pm, so we walked up to the Glacier Bay Lodge for lunch (passing a wild porcupine that was waddling along the road on the way). After lunch, Roland and I walked down to the ranger station (AGAIN passing the same porcupine) for our orientation while Lydia, Eric and Cade walked the Forest Loop Trail, getting their first taste of the lush rainforest mosses, ferns and undergrowth of the Pacific Northwest.

In the meantime, I found our orientation fascinating. We watched a film (just like my old high school biology classes!) and learned that many of the glaciers we had hoped to see were closed to protect wildlife, such as harbor seal breeding in Johns Hopkins Inlet; that there was a speed limit of less than 13 knots in the whale waters in the initial few miles of the bay to reduce the impact of noise disturbance to humpbacks (NO problem for us, we run at 7-8 knots); and we also were told to stay a mile off shore or stay mid-channel…. which apparently WAS a problem …. 15 minutes after we left the docks we received a “friendly reminder” from the park ranger over our marine radio that we were still in whale waters and needed to stay a mile off shore. Oops!

Humpbacks, Porpoise, Sea Otters … and a BIG “Oh My!!!”

2010-06-24T14:06:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 14

Cruising Icy Strait, we were hoping we’d be able to show Cade his first whale.

And sure enough, no sooner had we pulled anchor and navigated out of Coot Cove Monday morning, we were treated to a pod of humpbacks frolicking in the morning water. Cade was thrilled and spent most of the day with binoculars in hand watching for spouts or at the bow with his parents scanning the horizon.

By noon we also were entertained by a group of Dall’s porpoise riding our bow wake, crossing back and forth in front of the boat. Everyone was hanging over the bow, trying to catch photos of the porpoise. They are colored black and white, much like orcas, and are nearly impossible to photograph due to their incredible speed. But it is quite captivating watching them cross back and forth in front of the boat as if in a high stakes tag-team race to see who can cross the bow first.

Later that day, as we were making our way into Dundas Bay just outside Glacier Bay, we began to see sea otters all through the waters … floating on their backs taking a snooze, with eagles flying overhead and roosting in trees along the shores. Truly a wildlife paradise!

But perhaps … not the best place to anchor! There was lots of current running through Dundas Bay and, in retrospect, we didn’t go far enough into the bay to set anchor.

The next morning, thank goodness Roland was up early because the anchor broke loose from its hold around 5:30 a.m. and the current was taking us right into the rocks. OH MY!!!!

Fast action on the part of the captain got the anchor up and the boat out of harm’s way …. But a lesson learned … do NOT anchor in waters with strong currents, no matter how good the holding is supposed to be.

Another Slideshow … The Wonder of Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier

2010-06-19T15:21:00.000-07:00

This is the last wave of photos with Jim and Sharon … taking us from Baird Glacier, up Endicott Arm where we took over 200 photos of Dawes Glacier and the surrounding ice, on to Juneau after anchoring overnight in Taku Harbor. Of course … more whales, and even a quick try at salmon fishing … enjoy.

http://web.me.com/lauragongos/Engelenbak/Alaska_4.html

Our New Crew … and Cade’s First Day at Sea

2010-06-19T14:37:00.000-07:00

Sunday, June 13

There’s nothing more fun than watching the face of a five-year-old when he sees his first eagle, or spots a starfish along the shore, or his surprise when a crab trap comes out of the water filled with crab!

Today was filled with many firsts for Cade and his excitement was contagious. We left Juneau around 10:30 a.m. and headed south in Gastineau Channel past 2 cruise ships at port, up Stephens Passage toward Lynn Canal around Point Retreat Lighthouse and back down toward Chatham Strait.

It was a gray and rainy cruise, unfortunately with no whales in sight. But when we dropped anchor around 5 p.m. in Coot Cove in Funter Bay (who comes up with these names?!?) … we immediately began crabbing and much to Cade’s delight, caught 2 nice sized males in 5 pulls. Interestingly, we also pulled up a couple of small halibut.

Having Lydia on board is wonderful. And not just because we have been such close friends for more years than either of us want to admit. She happens to be one of the best cooks I know. Tonight she sautéed chicken breasts in a delicious sauce, and we stuffed them with crabmeat. You can check out Lydia’s blog …. she’ll be posting recipes and photos of the dishes she made on her cruise with us when she returns home to Virginia:

http://athomewithrealfood.blogspot.com/

It was a beautiful evening … sitting on the back deck, watching eagles and enjoying cocktails. Life is good!

Playing Tourists in Juneau

2010-06-19T14:04:00.000-07:00

Thursday – Friday, June 10-11

We spent our last evening at anchorage with Jim & Sharon in Taku Cove, about 20 miles south of Juneau. There were two floating docks in the cove … more boats than we’d seen since leaving Petersburg.

Juneau is known as a huge cruise ship destination and we soon saw why.

We arrived in Juneau just before noon on Thursday, passing three ships on our way into Aurora Harbor, just north of the town center, where we docked for three days.

Jim’s friend and fellow veteran Seawolf Mike, and his girlfriend Sherri, both have boats in Aurora Harbor. They stopped by in the afternoon and the six of us went into Juneau for a delicious dinner at The Hangar, just next to the cruise ships.

The next day, in lots of wind and rain, Sharon, Jim and I went into town and played tourists. It’s a typical cruise port … lots of jewelry shops, furriers, gift shops, and a scattering of bars and taverns.

We of course made sure to stop in at the Red Dog Saloon, a famous Juneau tavern renown for its sawdust covered floor, lots of stuffed critters adorning the walls, and an eclectic collection of life rings, Alaskan memorabilia and comedic signage.

Sadly, Jim and Sharon flew out Friday evening, just when we had them trained ;)

Roland and I spent all morning Saturday cleaning the boat, preparing for our next crew … Eric, Lydia and Cade arrived on Saturday afternoon …

Awestruck by Glaciers in Endicott Arm

2010-06-19T13:05:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 9

Tuesday afternoon we anchored 5 miles into Endicott Arm in Seaford Cove, one of the loveliest anchorages of our cruise to date.

Under warm sunny skies, and surrounded by snow-capped mountains, Roland and I read in the sun on the upper back deck while Sharon and Jim were up on the bow with binoculars watching eagles.

The next morning we proceeded up Endicott Arm and were struck by how much larger the icebergs were than in Le Conte Bay.

Neither words nor photos can capture the beauty we witnessed in Endicott. We made it all the way up the arm, within less than a mile of the face of Dawes Glacier. The entire arm is lined with fir-covered mountains, granite cliffs and cascading waterfalls of all sizes, shapes and volumes.

The closer we made it to the tip, the denser the ice in the water, and we soon saw groups of harbor seals sunning themselves on the icebergs everywhere, undisturbed by our presence.

The sun was shining, and we put the boat in idle, in complete awe of the quietness, the massive beauty of the glacier, and the sound of nothing but an occasional eagle or waterfall.

Our LeConte glacier ice had melted in the cooler so Roland pulled another large chunk from the water with a lasso, and using hammer and chisel carved pieces to take up to the cooler.

Leaving Endicott we were struck by the image of a lone bald eagle standing atop a huge iceberg.

I finally quit taking photos and just pulled a chair out on the back deck in the sun and soaked in as much as I could … knowing I would forever cherish the unspoiled nature and memories of my day in Endicott Arm.

Trolling for Salmon in Gambier Bay

2010-06-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 8

After three weeks of cruising, we still hadn’t caught a salmon. Of course … we hadn’t put the tender in and tried.

I was determined before Jim and Sharon left us in Juneau that we were going to at least make an attempt … hoping that if we caught a salmon, I’d have an opportunity to clean one with Jim around to show me how.

We dropped the tender at 7 a.m. Tuesday morning in a small cove just next to Snug Cove in Gambier Bay. We loaded up the fishing gear and by 8:15 Jim and I had the downriggers set up and the hooks down as we trolled for salmon in Gambier Bay.

We were out for an hour and a half of fishing, and headed back to the boat with nothing to show for our work … but a smile.

Pulled up the tender and we headed on to Endicott Arm to see Glaciers.

Seeing Our First Whale Breach … Too Fast for Photos!

2010-06-19T12:34:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 7

One thing I’ve discovered about cruising in Alaska … no matter how many whales you see, you never lose interest in watching the flip of that massive tail as they slowly make their dive down into the water.

After enjoying our crabs for dinner on Sunday evening, we left Ideal Cove early Monday and headed up Frederick Sound which is supposed to be prime waters for spotting humpback whales. We saw our first humpback 20 minutes after pulling anchor, but it wasn’t until Tuesday that we were rewarded with the big prize … watching our first whale breach!!!

We had just left Ruth Island Cove and were continuing up Frederick Sound past Petersburg when a pod of humpbacks caught our attention. We put the boat in neutral and snapped photos for about 30 minutes. Just as were ready move on a huge humpback charged up out of the water behind us and as he smacked back down through the water he emitted a loud noise that sounded like a huge fog horn, with a wall of water spraying up around him. We all were in such shock no one was able to catch the breach on camera. Roland and I caught the spray at the end …. And that was about it.

From Humpbacks to the "Man Cave" ....More Photos ...

2010-06-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

So many experiences translate into so many photos ...

http://web.me.com/lauragongos/Engelenbak/Alaska_3.html

Our First Crab Catch … in Ideal Cove

2010-06-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 5

We have discovered that often times it’s not hard to decipher why certain bays and coves are named what they are named … and Ideal Bay was no exception.

Ideal Cove is a secluded spot 13.8 miles southeast of Petersburg, across from the entrance to Le Conte Bay … surrounded by pine-covered slopes, topped by Glacier covered mountains … it’s simply ideal.

We dropped anchor at 5:45 pm after a day of dodging ice at Le Conte Bay, and dropped our new 2-beer crab trap. Within 20 minutes it was filled … with a batch of female crabs! By law, the females need to be thrown back in … and that evening, with the exception of one nice large male, females were the only crabs we seemed to attract. Must have been a lesbian crab community!

In the meantime, we decided to take advantage of our “ideal” backdrop. Roland set up the tri-pod on the bow and we timed a group photo. Even Lovie made it into the shot!

Glacier Cosmos & a Shout Out to My Ya Ya’s in Pittsburgh

2010-06-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 5

I couldn’t help thinking of my Ya Ya girlfriends in Pittsburgh tonight – Patty, Anne, Mary Esther, Darla, Helen, Carol & Jodi – many of whom were going to see the new Sex and the City this weekend. I miss you guys!! And can’t wait to hear if you like the movie.

My SATC yearning was further intensified when we anchored in Ideal Cove next to “Cosmos Point.” Roland chipped some ice from the bergie and the boys had bourbon over glacier ice, while Sharon and I made Glacier Cosmopolitans.

I’m not sure if it was my imagination, but it was the BEST cosmo I can ever remember tasting!

Dodging Ice in Le Conte Bay

2010-06-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June, 10

Le Conte Glacier in Frederick Sound was our first destination out of Petersburg. It’s the southernmost tidewater glacier in North America, and 2,000 harbor seals reportedly live in the bay and raise their pups on the glacier icebergs.

We were all thrilled when we saw our first piece of glacier ice floating out in Frederick Sound at 12:50 pm before we even made it into the bay. Within minutes we were surrounded by ice – little bergies that had broken from the glacier were everywhere.

We zigzagged our way up to Le Conte Bay, hoping to reach the end so we could see the glacier, but there was just too much ice blocking our way through the last leg. In the meantime, it still was a most spectacular experience.

The azure blue color of the ice was further dramatized by the vast variety of shapes of ice we saw floating by. Sharon saw an iced Donald Duck and Jaws, I saw dolphins and mushrooms,, and Jim saw a Mexican sombrero. I think Roland just saw a minefield of deadly sharp, hard torpedoes his bright new paint job, or worse, put a hole through the hull.

The entire spectacle had Roland and I snapping more than 400 photos, and before leaving the bay, he grabbed a junk of glacier ice to throw in the cooler.

Moonlight Madness in Petersburg

2010-06-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 4

You had to see it to believe it!!!

Or as Roland said, “THAT was a hood!” (that’s Dutch for “hoot”).

I’m talking about the “Moonlight Madness” sale at the local IGA grocery store in Petersburg. And Roland, Sharon and I were lucky enough to catch it!

From 6-10 p.m. people dress up in their pajamas, robes and slippers … and come shop for deals. Around 9:30, there’s a drawing and everyone gathers in the store to see if they won … the grand prizes were an iPad, boots, and Craftsman tools not too shabby.

I didn’t have my camera, but grabbed Roland’s iPhone to take some photos, including one of Sharon with the owner Ken, who was dressed in a snazzy silk robe with matching silk striped pajama pants. Ken and his wife Sue (in her pink fuzzy robe) invited us up to their office and shared with us their entire history. They’ve been doing the “Moonlight Madness” event for 20 years. The first year they said people were lined up around the block waiting to get in. How’s that for PR in Alaska.

It’s THE big event in Petersburg … and we were lucky enough to witness it!

Hanging Out With the BIG BOATS

2010-06-10T18:49:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 3 – Saturday, June 5

Petersburg has to be one of the most picturesque towns in Alaska. It sits on 33 miles of road … that literally goes no where.

With brightly painted houses and floral shutters, beautifully manicured gardens and potted plants throughout town, Petersburg is famous for its Norwegian heritage … and proud of it.

Known as the halibut capital of Alaska, Petersburg’s harbors are filled with more than 800 fishing boats (which DWARF Engelenbak) … and that’s for a community with a population of just 3,000. Unlike Ketchikan, Juneau and many other Alaskan ports … cruise boats don’t land in Petersburg (the water is too shallow). Instead its economy depends on commercial fishing. As a result, there’s a much more relaxing and laid back atmosphere; it’s a town where people actually stop and ask you if you need a ride as they pass you on the road, and say hello as they pass you on a sidewalk

It’s a good thing we liked the town so much … a crack in the steel support rod holding up the alternator had us worried so we stayed two nights in Petersburg and found a machine shop to make a new support. Roland and Jim spent a good afternoon in the engine room, which I affectionately have dubbed the “Man Cave,” and with more than a few groans, grunts and lots of muscle … reinstalled the support and mounted the alternator.

“Wrangelling” Our Way to Petersburg

2010-06-10T17:39:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 3

Petersburg took us all by surprise. But getting there was half the excitement ... up Wrangell Narrows.

Wrangell Narrows is a 21-mile waterway that extends north from Sumner Sound to the east part of Frederick Sound, between Mitkof and Woewodski Islands. Well-marked with over 60 numbered navigational aids, Wrangell is a piloting challenge to say the least, with narrow intricate twists and turns, mud flats, shoals, strong currents and enough shallows to keep your head spinning between watching buoys and beacons in the channel, and the depth sounder on the control panel. On top of all that … it’s also well travelled and in some spots fairly congested.

Interestingly, the tide runs into Wrangell from both ends, with the current meeting about half way. We took advantage of that and entered on the last half of the flood, and at about the halfway point we picked up the first part of the ebb … so we had a bit of push both the whole way, making good time … running slightly over 10 knots … which is speeding for this boat!

Despite rain most of the way up, it was a beautiful cruise, with fishing lodges and cabins occasionally lining the shores along the way, and within hours … Petersburg came into view.

Alaska Slide Show - Part 2

2010-06-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to a slide show containing our second wave of photos .... again down from hundreds .... taking us from Prince Rupert to just before Petersburg. Enjoy!

http://web.me.com/lauragongos/Engelenbak/Alaska_2.html

Roland Learns the A,B,Cs of Fishing in Kindergarten Bay

2010-06-04T14:43:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 2

A little known fact. Roland, with his Edgewater center console boat in Vermilion and this trawler we are currently cruising on, owns perhaps two of the finest boats built for fishing. And he’s NEVER fished in his life.

Well that changed today. Jim, an expert fisherman, was out back fishing for an hour or two after we set anchor in Kindergarten Bay, a small, secluded anchorage surrounded by steep pine slopes on the southwest side of Etolin Island in Stikine Strait.

Unfortunately for Jim, the fish just weren’t biting. So when Roland stepped out back to watch, Jim offered to show him how to fish. Minutes after dropping his line, Roland caught his first fish!!! We think it was a sculpin. Jim took it off the line for him, he dropped his pole back in the water and minutes later … another fish! All in all, he caught 5 fish in less than an hour, 4 sculpin and one black rock fish.

No one was more surprised than Roland.

Later, after waiting for another storm to blow through, Jim and Roland launched the tender, used our new caught fish as bait, and took the tender out to set two crab traps.

The next morning before leaving our lovely anchorage, Jim and Roland jumped in the tender and pulled the crabs hoping we’d find dinner. No such luck. Just one huge, ugly starfish engorging on our bait. Can’t believe we haven’t caught any crab!!!!

Rain and “Da Plane, Da Plane” in Meyers Chuck

2010-06-04T14:38:00.000-07:00

Monday, May 31-Tuesday, June 1

With two days of “liquid sunshine” and some wind and chop out in Clarence Strait, we anchored for two nights in a charming little bay called Meyers Chuck, surrounded by what literally was just a small settlement. No electricity. No water treatment. No roads. But there was one phone booth. And believe it or not … an art gallery.

There’s a scattering of homes around the shore in various phases of construction, all connected by dirt pathways that are lush with ferns, moss, ground dogwood, wild flowers and rhododendrons in full bloom. Back east, someone would have paid a fortune to have a professional landscaper achieve such a perfect composition of greenery! Nature is amazing.

The mail is delivered once a week by seaplane … needless to say, living in Meyers Chuck IS the simple life.

We heard a plane overhead the first afternoon at anchor. Sharon, Jim and I were playing cards while Roland was napping, and as we looked out the window, a plane was coming right at us … our quiet anchorage quickly became a runway as he expertly landed next to us in the water, cutting the space between our boat and the shore … no doubt laughing at the terrified look on our three faces as we ran out to the back deck to watch. The pilot gave us a little wave 20 minutes later as he was leaving with someone he’d picked up at shore, again buzzing right at us in the water before veering off and up out of the channel.

Kayaking in “Lovie Bay”

2010-06-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

Sunday, May 30

After leaving Ketchikan around 2 p.m., we cruised for about 35 nautical miles to a small anchorage southwest of Thorne Bay. Since we couldn’t identify it on any of our charts, it was quickly dubbed “Lovie Bay.”

No sooner did we drop anchor, everyone started to play. Jim and I dropped the “2-beer crab trap,” a new crab trap that we purchased in Ketchikan at the advise of a neighboring boater. He explained that you can hang it off the side of your boat and “after drinking about 2 beers” you pull it up and you should have a crab. Yeah, right!

Roland put his new kayak in the water and gingerly climbed in while keeping a good hold on the swim platform. And Jim pulled out his new fishing rod and gave it a try.

Ultimately … no fish … no crabs … and the next morning Roland fell into the water trying to get out of the kayak onto the boat. Unfortunately … I didn’t catch THAT one on camera! In the meantime, if anyone reading this blog knows the proper way to exit a kayak without tipping it over … please leave a comment!!!!

We are having SO MUCH FUN!

The Ghost of Alyeska Haunts Us in Ketchikan

2010-06-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

Friday, May 28 – Saturday, May 29

They say it’s bad luck to rename a boat. In fact there is an entire ritual you are supposed to go through if you DO rechristen a boat, which we of course chose to ignore. Maybe not a wise decision …

Prior to purchasing our boat and renaming it Engelenbak, a boat name that has been in Roland’s family for close to 50 years (see our website for the history of the Engelenbak), this boat was named Alyeska and it was docked in Ketchikan. We thought little about this as we called in to the harbormaster in Ketchikan and, based on the size of our boat, he directed us to dock in one of the three marinas available for transient boats -- Bar Harbor Marina, a little over a mile north of town, in Dock 10, Slip 10. But Alyeska definitely came back to haunt us as we pulled into the slip … we lost ALL electrical power. Not good.

Here’s where it gets really eerie. As we disembarked the boat, there was a nameplate at the head of our slip that said … you guessed it ... ALYESKA!!! Out of all the marinas and slips in Ketchikan (and there are MANY), somehow we had been assigned to the same slip where our boat used to dock with its previous owner.

Our one night stay in Ketchikan turned into 2 nights, as we had to hire an electrician to help Roland figure out what happened to our power. Luckily, it was just a blown 300 amp fuse … and by Sunday morning we were on our way.

In the meantime, there are worse places to be stranded. Ketchikan is a small town of about 8,000 (actually large by Alaskan standards), on Revillagigedo Island along Tongass Narrows. It exists primarily for the cruise ship industry, which dumps about 800,000 tourists into the town annually. There were 3 cruise ships docked at the downtown docks when we arrived … under sunny skies and weather warm enough for shorts. Seaplanes were buzzing over our bow as we cruised along the Narrows toward the harbor, providing tourists an opportunity to see the town from air. They even have land/sea Duckie tours.

On Saturday, while Roland spent the day on the boat with the electrician, Sharon, Jim and I walked into town to buy some fishing supplies, find an Internet connection and see the downtown area. What a difference a day makes. It was downright cold and threatening rain (Ketchikan gets 160 inches of “liquid sunshine” a year). We could tell we were near the cruise ships when t-shirt shops, gift shops, jewelry stores and a whole shopping district that catered to tourists surrounded us. Sharon and I continued on to Creek Street, an historic district that used to house the town’s brothels but is now filled with cute gift shops and bookstores. I wanted to visit Parnussus, a bookstore reportedly with the largest collection of books about Alaska in Alaska. It was worth the visit!

That evening, to celebrate the boat being fixed, we all had a delightful dinner of salmon at Bar Harbor Restaurant next to the marina. If you’re ever in Ketchikan this is the place to eat! We had drinks and appetizers out on the deck over the water, with eagles perched around us on rooftops and masts like the seagulls in Lake Erie …. Amazing. Great food, wonderful ambiance, and the owner/chef Martin and his wife, were delightful hosts. She even dug up some mint from her herb garden out on the deck for me to transplant to my planters on the boat … so a little bit of Bar Harbor Restaurant will be continuing on with us, spicing up the rest of our journeys in Alaska.

ALASKA … Pop the Champagne!!!

2010-06-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

Thursday, May 27 …

Today we had another taste of the bountiful wildlife we’ll be enjoying on our Alaskan odyssey this summer. Leaving Prince Rupert this morning we passed a congregation of at least 20 bald eagles sunning themselves on two floating logs … like a flock of seagulls on Lake Erie. And later in the day, after anchoring in Foggy Bay, Roland spotted our first black bear!

This morning, we left the docks around 10:30 after phoning Ketchikan to get permission to anchor in Foggy Bay, our first stop in Alaska, prior to going on to Ketchikan Friday to clear customs.

We enjoyed our time in Prince Rupert. It’s a quaint little town that has fun with the fact it is located in Cow Bay. All of the garbage bins are painted like black and white heifers. And for breakfast this morning, Roland went to “Cowpuccinos” and bought us blueberry muffins.

We all cheered as we crossed into Alaskan waters around 3:15 p.m., and after finding a beautiful spot to anchor in Outer Cove at Foggy Bay around 4:30 p.m., we popped a bottle of champagne to toast our arrival to Alaska! The water was like glass, and despite turning our clocks back an hour (now a four-hour time difference with back east), it stayed light until at last 9:30.

After a hearty dinner of Cincinnati Chili, we all enjoyed the tranquility of our first anchorage in Alaska. We saw a brown bear meandering along the shore opposite of us, hunting for food along the beach. Bald eagles and nests surround us … and as Jim remarked after we saw the fourth cruise ship go by in the far distance … this is a view those passengers will never enjoy.

Tom Hepburn was here???

2010-06-04T14:07:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, May 26 …

En route to Prince Rupert we passed Tom Island across from Hepburn Point. Tom, you really get around!

SMILES in Prince Rupert!

2010-05-27T08:42:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, May 26 ...

I think we all were looking forward to spending an evening at dock in Prince Rupert. For Sharon and I it meant not only a chance to walk on dry land, but also dinner at a restaurant and a break from the galley.

Travelling here from Coghlan Anchorage was a beautiful 75-mile cruise. We decided to take Grenville Channel, which is a 45-mile passage with steep mountains on each side leading northwestward to Arthur Passage, which opens into Chatham Sound leading to Prince Rupert.

We arrived in Prince Rupert around 4 p.m. and felt like we were seeing the “big city.” After docking at the Prince Rupert Yacht Club (see photo, not your typical yacht club), Roland, Sharon and I immediately turned on our computers to take advantage of the WiFi … which is s-l-o-w, and transmitting a very weak signal; and Jim rinsed down the boat.

We then took a short walk into town and had dinner at SMILES SEAFOOD, a cute little restaurant overlooking the marina, where Marcel waited on us with fish and chips for all. As we were leaving the docks, a Nordhavn 55 by the name of Segue docked behind us …. Looked like a brand new boat.

Port Rupert is the largest city in northern B.C. …. Population 13,000. The town is filled with a few restaurants and a charming selection of stores catering to boaters and cruise ship passengers that come in once a week. There’s also a Safeway grocery store and liquor store, which we plan to hit in the morning before leaving the docks.

While here I also set up my iPad, but can’t get a connection to download any applications or iBooks. Anticipation!!!! Maybe in Ketchikan!

More Photos ...

2010-05-26T22:05:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like I fried our website trying to upload changes to the home page.

But here's a link to some of the photos we've taken since leaving Blaine, WA on route to Mary Cove.... edited down from hundreds!!!!!

http://web.me.com/lauragongos/Engelenbak/Alaska_1.html

Orcas in Graham Reach.

2010-05-26T17:55:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, May 25 …

What began as another gray and rainy morning, opened up into sunshine later as we left our anchorage in Mary Cove under the watchful eye of a majestic Bald Eagle sitting at the point.

Today we saw our first pod of orcas as we were half way up Graham Reach after leaving Finlayson Sound. There must have been 3-4 orcas in the pod, and they were definitely at play. We put the boat in neutral and watched as they jumped in and out of the water, finally swimming right by the boat and coming up behind us. What a treat!

We spent the rest of the day heading up Graham to Fraser Reach, and without exaggeration have seen at least 100 waterfalls streaming down the mountains on both shores surrounding us along the way.

At the junction of the two Reaches we passed a sad little town called Butedale, where all of the buildings are deteriorating into the ground … sitting next to the most spectacular set of waterfalls we’d seen all day. Redevelopment anyone?

We had hoped to stop at Hartley Bay, a little town close to the mouth of Grenville Channel that is reported to have wireless internet so we can upload some of these blog entries, but after some back and forth with the marina over the radio decided to anchor in Coghlan Anchorage for the evening and wait until we are in Prince Rupert tomorrow to use the internet there.

Perils at Perceval Narrows.

2010-05-26T17:48:00.000-07:00

Monday, May 24 (Victoria Day)

Today was a long 73-mile day of cruising … heading north through Fitz Hugh Sound to Lama Passage, past Bella Bella and west into Seaforth Channel … names that mean nothing to most people reading this, but to fellow cruisers, provide insight into the route we are taking to get head to Alaska.

Leaving Seaforth to head north into Reid Passage was a bit of a heart-racer. The entrance to the passage is exposed to the open water with fairly large swells and water crashing against some very intimidating rocks on both sides of the approach, shallow water to dodge, and on top of all that … we had to cross Perceval Narrows to get through to Reid Passage, which at the time was ebbing towards us with a fairly strong current of about 4 knots (our top speed is around 9 knots). We yet again were reminded of the importance of checking our tide and current charts!

Our fearless captain prevailed, safely guiding us through the narrows, and by 6:15 pm we were safely anchored in Mary Cove, off Finlayson Sound, which reportedly is great for salmon fishing. Jim dropped a line in, but under a light drizzle, a fresh salmon dinner was not to be had. Instead we were treated to a spectacle of diamonds surrounding the boat from the drops of fresh water hitting the salt water.

Our First Humpback!!!

2010-05-26T17:40:00.000-07:00

Sunday, May 23 …

Saturday was rainy and grey, and after continuing up Johnstone Strait toward the northern tip of Vancouver Island we anchored in Port Alexander, on the SE side of Nigei Island. We shared the anchorage with a cute fishing trawler, Cinnabar, that had also shared anchorage with us in Port Harvey.

Sunday was the day we left the protection of Vancouver Island and hit open waters, heading north in the Queen Charlotte Strait …. And it didn’t take long to determine these waters could kick butt!

Despite great weather, we experienced 4-6-foot swells that had us rising and dropping, and anything not stowed away soon was. We saw about 8 other boats heading north with us, each trying to find the best place in the water to minimize the swells. No such luck. Even Lovie was feeling a bit seasick.

The swells disappeared once we got behind Calvert Island, heading toward Hunter Island in the Strait, and we had our first whale siting of the cruise!!! A couple of humpback whales were spouting and as we got closer we were able to see them breach. I was taken by the absolute gracefulness of such huge animals as they surfaced and dove back down in the waters, flipping their large tails in their descent. Needless to say, the whales were the highlight of the day.

We anchored Sunday evening in Mustang Bay on the SE side of Hunter Island.

A Diamond in the Rough.

2010-05-26T17:28:00.000-07:00

Friday-Saturday, May 23-24 …

We woke up Friday morning and discovered Gowlland Harbour to be a stunningly beautiful anchorage in daylight. Much less imposing than it had been the night before coming in under pitch-black darkness. A few small docks and what looked to be vacation cottages dotted the shores.

We proceeded on to Seymour Narrows and -- timed perfecty -- it was a piece of cake (which Roland’s sister and brother-in-law can attest is a far cry from what we experienced last time we were in Seymour Narrows in our Grand Banks … one hour off in our timing and we almost didn’t make it through).

Heading up Johnstone Strait we passed our first cruise ship. The Diamond Princess … with hand waves and photos exchanging across both boats.We anchored in Port Harvey around 6 p.m., another gorgeous anchorage with snow-capped mountains in both forward and aft views.

Christmas morning … and a LONG day of cruising.

2010-05-26T16:44:00.000-07:00

Thursday May 22 …

Woke up this morning and Roland was already up making coffee. But he left me a surprise. I felt something down at the foot of the bed and looked down to see a brand new iPad lying next to me. Woo hoo … just like Christmas!!! Too bad we have no Internet reception … I can’t wait to try it out but need to download iTunes before it will work.

In the meantime, today we went through Dodd Narrows and made sure to time our passage at slack tide due to the fast currents running through this tight channel of water. We anchored at Boat Harbour for a few hours waiting for slack, and the captain catnapped. Which was a good thing … because we ended up running that evening until the early morning hours to get us closer to Seymour Narrows … again another passage we had to time with the currents.

Anchoring at night is a challenge, for even the best of boaters. Luckily, Roland just installed a FLIR system on the boat that uses infrared sensors to provide amazing night vision. When we pulled into Gowlland Harbour just off Campbell River that evening around 1:30 a.m., the FLIR helped him navigate us through a myriad of menacing rocks and shallow waters until we reached the northern tip and dropped anchor around 2 a.m. We all took turns napping along the way that evening, and were happy to arrive safely … even happier to go to bed.

Bon Voyage.

2010-05-26T16:24:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, May 19 …

Our journey began a day later than planned. Turns out, you can’t provision for a 4-month cruise in two days! That and the fact that the weather was pretty nasty on Tuesday, we decided to wait until Wednesday to leave Blaine. Tuesday eve before we left, Patti & Lincoln joined us onboard Engelenbak for dinner at the Semiahmoo docks.

We fueled up Wednesday morning, topping off our 5,000-gallon tanks with more than 700 gallons of diesel and we pulled out of Blaine around 12:30 p.m. under sunny skies that gradually turned to clouds and rain. We made it to Pender Harbor to clear Canadian customs around 4 p.m. where we were welcomed by a Canadian Navy ship at the docks, with a young crew of sailors who were more than happy to help us with our lines.

Since we all have Nexus cards, we only had to wait 15 minutes to see if anyone wanted to board the boat at customs; no one showed up so we pulled out and motored around the bend and quickly set anchor in Bedwell Harbour where we watched the wind build to close to 40 knots … with waves to match.

Provisioning, Provisioning and More Provisioning

2010-05-26T16:15:00.001-07:00

Saturday, May 15 – Tuesday, May 18 … Vermilion, to Vancouver, to Blaine

Our journey begins …

We arrived in Seattle on Saturday with Sharon and Jim Plona, our neighbors from Vermilion who are joining us for the first month of our cruise, and together we drove up to Vancouver. After unpacking Lovie for a much-needed litterbox break and stowing away our luggage on the boat, we enjoyed an early dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant in North Vancouver. Exhausted, we retired early, spending the first night on the boat tucked away in our boathouse at Mosquito Creek Marina.

Sunday morning, Roland and Jim pulled out of the boathouse around 10:30 am for a 7-hour cruise to Blaine, WA where we planned to provision and fuel. Sharon and I made a quick stop at to our condo in Vancouver to pack a few things, and then headed south to Whidbey Island’s Naval Base Commissary to buy groceries. With Jim’s Naval benefits, we saved major $$$ on two huge carts of groceries. That was the easy part! Once back in Blaine, the trick was getting it all to the boat … in a brigade of carts down the docks … and then finding room to stow it all on the boat once there. The day gave new meaning to the word fatigue.

Monday was another full day of provisioning. In the morning, just as we were ready to leave, Roland’s new kayak was delivered to the boat. In the meantime, Pattie & Lincoln showed up in their truck loaded with 14 boxes we had shipped from Vermilion. Sharon and I left for another full day of shopping which included among other things …. 40 chicken breasts, 16 pork tenderloins, 18 pork chops, 12 pounds of ground beef, 7 pounds of assorted cheeses, 12 cans of orange juice, 10 pizza crusts … ultimately returning to the boat with a SUV filled to the brim with food, cleaning supplies, water, soft drinks and a dozen live plants and a bag of potting soil for an herb garden that I planted on the upper deck.

The guys borrowed Lincoln and Pattie’s truck and returned with 14 cases of wine, Roland’s new wet suit (which I promise to post as a photo when I see him in it!), fishing and crabbing supplies, and basically another truckload of supplies to fit on the boat. After dozens of trips down the docks to the boat, and much consternation finding space to stow everything, , we gratefully accepted an invitation to dinner at Lincoln & Patti’s where we were treated to a delicious meal of grilled salmon.

Alaska Here We Come!

2010-05-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe. We've been planning our cruise to Alaska for months ... and now it's less than a week away!

As most of you know, we're taking our new boat Engelenbak on a 4-month cruise to Alaska beginning May 15. We'll head from our home port in Vancouver down to Blaine, WA for 2 days of provisioning ... and then make our way up the Inside Passage to Alaska. Our friends Jim & Sharon Plona will be joining us for the first month of the voyage, and we'll be dropping them off in Juneau in mid- June.

We're not sure how often we'll have internet access to upload this blog, but we invite you to sign up to follow us. Feel free to also visit our website, www.engelenbak.net for photos and more info about Engelenbak.