“Wrangelling” Our Way to Petersburg

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.