Day 40: Ell Cove to Red Bluff Bay

Our first stop today was Baranof Warm Springs, about midway between Ell Cove and Red Bluff Bay. Unfortunately the lower hot spring pool (my favorite) was closed today because the locals were fixing some broken sections, but the upper pools were open.

Chatham Strait was calm again today. We spotted more whales, although none as close as yesterday.

 

Hanging glacier on Baranof Island.

Approaching Red Bluff Bay.

A mini cruise ship was anchored in Red Bluff Bay when we arrived, but it was well outside the normal pleasure boat anchorage. No other boats were present. No bears, either, but the sun was shining and we had a nice afternoon reading on the upper deck and kayaking around the bay.

 

Note how small Safe Harbour appears.

After dinner we explored the head of the bay by dinghy, hoping to see a bear. No luck. As we returned to the boat, a 32 foot center console fishing boat came in and idled around. Not long after a 130 foot Westport named Serengeti showed up. The center console is the tender.

Serengeti had been on the end of the dock I was on in Sitka. It’s a charter boat with a crew of seven. For several days they were non-stop shopping: groceries and more groceries, dock carts filled with flowers, and who knows what else. A one week charter costs $110,000.

Late in the evening I finally spotted a bear on shore. I hopped in the dinghy for a closer look. It was wandering around deep in the tidal flats at the head of the bay, and I couldn’t get too close. It was already getting dark, so no pictures.

30.2 nm today

1273.07 nm total