Part IV - Ketchikan to Petersburg

June 4 – 6, Ketchikan

It’s been almost a month since we left Everett on our journey to meet Cash in Ketchikan.  Between maintenance and weather problems there were times when we weren’t sure we would make it.  Cash arrived on schedule late in the afternoon two days after his high school graduation and was greeted by wind, heavy rain, and a chilly temperature; Cash loves these conditions just like his mother. 

Arriving in Ketchikan

Happy on Hobbit

For dinner on his first night Cash wanted fish and chips.  Not knowing where to go on a rainy Sunday evening, we called a cab and asked the driver what he would suggest.  He recommended the Ocean View restaurant.  After arriving, the cab waited while Cash and I confirmed that they did, indeed, have fish and chips.  After the cab left and we were seated at our table with a menu, we found that the restaurant served Mexican and Italian food.  Fish and chips was not on the menu but the waitress confirmed that we could order it.  Linda and Cash ordered and enjoyed the fish and chips while I went Mexican with fajitas.

First order of business on Cash’s first full day in Alaska was to buy him some good rain gear.  Following that we hopped on the free shuttle and went to the US Forest Service SE Alaska exhibit followed by a trip to the Totem Heritage Center.  Naturally, Cash had fish and chips for lunch (Linda and I settled for a halibut sandwich).

Decked out for heavy weather

On Cash’s second day we had the first calm, not raining day in about a week – wonderful!!  We went to the Saxman Native American village which claims to have the world’s largest collection of totem poles.  They did have a lot of totem poles, but I have my doubts that their collection is the biggest.  Our last tourist stop (after fish and chips for lunch) was at Creek Street, a heritage site Where both men and salmon came upstream to spawn.  Creek Street was yesteryear’s red light district.

Saxman village community house

Cash and Linda with a small totem pole

Relaxing at Saxman

Cash at Dolly’s house where both men and salmon
come upstream to spawn

Exhausted from finals, the trip, and a busy day

June 7 – 8, Thoms Place

After 8 days in Ketchikan it felt good to be back on the water again.  No rain and there were actually patches of blue sky visible.  Our plan had been to go about 35 miles and stop at Meyer’s Chuck then go to Thoms Place the next day.  Meyer’s Chuck is a place of convenience which offers neither amenities nor recreation.  Given that the weather was so good when we arrived at Meyer’s Chuck, we decided to make a really long day of it and spend nearly 10 hours going the 60 miles to Thoms place.  This would allow us to spend a day exploring the shore on a minus tide, crabbing, and, hopefully, fishing; things Cash badly wants to do.  On the way we saw our first humpback whales – 2 in Ernest Sound.

We caught huge numbers of Dungeness crab, however, most were just under the Alaska size limit of 6 1/2 inches.  We did manage to keep 10 and satisfy Cash’s urge for fresh crab.  On our one full day, Cash and I took the dinghy out of the bay, set a prawn trap, and tried to do some bottom fishing.  Unfortunately, the wind started picking up by mid afternoon, and we found fishing impossible.  Arriving back at Hobbit the wind really picked up to 15 knots gusting 20 and a soaking rain set in. 

Freedom!!!

A pair of eagles

A good catch

Whacking crabs

Mmm, mmm good

June 9, Wrangell

I was awakened at 3:00 in the morning by noise of the halyards smacking the mast and the flags flapping in the wind.  This was followed shortly by the sound of rain.  Rolling over and looking at the weather station readout, the wind was 12 knots gusting 17.  I really didn’t like the idea of spending the day at anchor in Thoms Place, but there was no way I was going to head out in this.

When I finally got up around 6:00, the wind was still blowing, the rain was still coming down, and waves were rolling down the bay.  Fortunately, the weather began to ease, and by 9:00 the wind was 5 knots gusting 10.  Cash and I put on our rain gear and Hobbit headed out.  First stop was to pick up the shrimp trap.  We only got 34 but they were probably the largest prawns we ever caught; they were approximately 8 inches long.  Linda prepared a wonderful crab and prawn pasta for dinner when we arrived at Wrangell.

Nice big prawns

June 10, Deception Bay

This morning we took the dinghy from the Heritage Harbor marina just outside the town around to the Wrangell Harbor then took a walking tour.  First stop was the house of Tlingit chief, Chief Shakes.  When we were here in 2011 numerous totem poles were standing around the chief’s house; today they were all laid horizontal and under cover for “recarving”.  We walked on to the totem park, Wrangell museum, and an art store that specializes in water colors on navigation charts.

We left Wrangell about noon and stopped for an hour and a half to fish for halibut.  We didn’t get one but saw two caught by other boats.  Deception Bay (not sure of the name) isn’t the best anchorage but it’s convenient to the Wrangell Narrows which we will enter on a flood tide tomorrow morning.  While there we saw the first sunset we’ve seen in a really long time (it’s been cloudy).

Deception Bay sunset

June 11 – 12, Petersburg

Had an uneventful trip up the Wrangell Narrows with the current pushing us most of the way.  Unfortunately, for the last 5 miles or so we had a current of up to 4 knots against us. Cash and I caught a bunch of herring around the dock which we will use for halibut or prawns later in the trip.

Bringing in a herring in Petersburg

A bunch of herring