Saturday, June 4, 2016

Alaska 2016 | Day 17 | Lowe Inlet to Prince Rupert

Some days on the boat are boring. The clouds are low, the wind is calm, nothing breaks down. Today was one of those days. Somehow, I didn't even take any pictures.

Today we headed back into the "city." Prince Rupert, that is, population 12,500. After five nights at anchor, everyone was ready to be tied to a dock and go out for a meal.

Most of the day was spent cruising up Grenville Channel. We had a nice push from the current for the first few hours, then not much current at all. It's a long way from Lowe Inlet to Prince Rupert—about 60 nautical miles—and the current can run strongly in Grenville Channel. A few knots of current against you makes this long, boring day even worse.

We'd originally planned on stopping for the night at Kumealon Inlet, partway between Lowe Inlet and Prince Rupert. But the weather forecast made us move our schedule ahead one day. Here's the weather deal:

After Prince Rupert, we cross Dixon Entrance into Alaska. Dixon Entrance is the second spot on this trip when we go into the ocean, so it's critical that we go when the weather cooperates. Today the wind is blowing 15-25 knots. Tomorrow it's supposed to calm down to southerly 10-15 knots in the morning, before rising to 15-25, then 20-30, then, by Friday, 30-40. So either we go tomorrow, if the weather cooperates, or we don't go until Saturday.

Prince Rupert, by the way, has a new marina, and it's great. We used to stay at the Prince Rupert Rowing and Yacht Club. It was dated, had limited maneuvering room, and reservations weren't guaranteed. The new Cow Bay Marina is excellent: stable docks, more maneuvering room, power, water, Wi-Fi, garbage drop...basically everything a cruising boat needs. Marty, the harbormaster, is helpful and welcoming. Recommended.

58.25 nm today
645.36 nm total

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