Underway again! Five days in Ketchikan felt like forever. It's good to be moving again.
One of the hundred or so float planes taking off in Tongass Narrows on our way out from Ketchikan.
Clarence Strait can be an ugly body of water, but it (mostly) cooperated today. The wind was blowing from the northwest at about 15 knots. Just enough to coat the boat in salt spray, but not enough to make the ride uncomfortable.
Our destination was Meyers Chuck, a small settlement about 30 miles northwest of Ketchikan. There's no real commercial activity in Meyers Chuck, just a few residents and a nice dock.
The public dock at Meyers Chuck
Once we got to Meyers Chuck, the weather cleared up. Light wind, some sunshine, comfortable temps. We decided to do a group dinner on the dock later in the evening.
By the time dinner rolled around, the temperature had dropped and the wind picked up. Brrrr, but at least there weren't bugs. Despite the chilliness, we had a great time.
Potluck dinner on the dock in Meyers Chuck
Meyers Chuck is always a pleasant stop. It's very well protected—no matter what's happening on Clarence Strait, it's calm in Meyers Chuck. It also has a great dock, which though free in previous years, now costs 30 cents per foot per night. No power, no water, but still a bargain. Most entertaining, though, are Steve and has wife Cassy. They've lived in Meyers Chuck since 1961. He's 78 now, and still goes commercial fishing each summer. By himself. She bakes cinnamon rolls for passing boaters. Order in the evening, and she drops them off (still warm) in the morning. If you're passing through Meyers Chuck, order in advance by calling (907) 946-8308.
After three weeks of traveling, I needed a few days to catch up. Laundry, grocery shopping, sending Kevin home and picking Anna up. Real life, basically.
Every few years, Ketchikan sees some blue sky
Ketchikan weather seems remarkably consistent. Soon after I arrive and fill the fuel tanks, wind and rain move in. They dominate the following several days. This year was no exception, but the wind was way stronger than normal.
Highliner Laundry. Drying guidelines for geriatric diapers are an indication that it's time for a boat with laundry facilities aboard.
We'd rushed across Dixon Entrance a bit earlier than expected because the forecast called for windy conditions on Thursday and Friday. Thursday was blustery but not bad. Friday was really windy—gusting over 40 knots in the harbor. Whitecaps in the marina. A cruise ship—with 38 megawatts of vector-able thrust!—took out the dock.
Celebrity Infinity southbound in Tongass Narrows. This was just a few minutes before it slammed the dock.
Oops
One of the damages dolphins at berth 3.
No damage aboard Safe Harbour, thankfully. Friday was a good day to hang out at the dock and catch up on chores.
When I went to bed last night, I was a little discouraged. The brief weather window Environment Canada had previously predicted had evaporated, replaced with a gale warning for the next several days. I thought we'd be stuck.
The NOAA forecast didn't agree. It said the weather would move in about 12 hours later, and we'd still have our opportunity to cross. It wouldn't be a flat calm crossing, but 10-20 knots and 3 foot chop on the stern isn't bad.
I woke up at 4:30 a.m. and looked at the forecast. Environment Canada had amended their prediction once again: our window was back. I checked the Central Dixon Entrance weather buoy: 9 knots, gusting to 13, 3 foot seas. Green Island lightstation reported 16 knots of wind and 3 foot moderate sea conditions. Not ideal, but tolerable and perfectly safe.
Armed with this information, I made the go decision and commenced waking up the entire fleet. Not the most fun job at 5:00 a.m.
At 6:00 a.m. we slipped away from the dock and headed for Venn Passage. Venn Passage is a narrow, shallow, winding waterway. It's well charted and well marked, but requires careful navigation. The advantage is it cuts the distance to Ketchikan by about 12 nautical miles, or about an hour and a half in a boat like mine.
Several of the boats were nervous about transiting Venn Passage, so we went single file, Safe Harbour leading the charge. We all made it through uneventfully, never seeing water less than 18 feet.
Once into Chatham Sound, seas picked up. We had about 15-20 knots of wind from the south, and three foot chop. The autopilot got a workout, but most of the day was reasonably comfortable. I napped, showered, and flew the drone, so it wasn't that bad.
Motoring into Alaska
Crossing Dixon Entrance is a little faster with 870hp...
Event Horizon in Dixon Entrance. A bit bumpy, but not bad!
Usually I break up the 82 nautical mile run from Prince Rupert to Ketchikan with a stop at Foggy Bay. Because of the predicted weather, we skipped Foggy Bay and headed directly to Ketchikan. Another long day.
We cleared U.S. Customs at the fuel dock. Ketchikan customs agents are AWESOME! Apparently recognizing that Southeast Alaska has no agriculture, they don't concern themselves with citrus or apples or any other food items. Have prohibited food on board? No worries, welcome to Alaska!
At the fuel dock I put on 209.43 gallons of diesel at $2.25 per gallon. Since the last fill, I've clocked 100.12 engine hours and traveled 727.98 nautical miles. That means I'm getting 3.48 nautical miles per gallon, burning 2.09 gallons per hour, and averaging 7.27 knots. Pretty good economy for a 40 foot powerboat.
Below is a video I put together of the five "gates" on the trip up the Inside Passage. These are the areas that cause the most worry and have the most potential for danger. They're particularly susceptible to serious weather and currents. As you can see, we had a pretty easy trip!
Time to catch up on chores and wait out the weather. North again in a few days.
