PORT MCNEIL TO KETCHIKAN

I’ve condensed all the stops from Port McNeil to Ketchikan into one (long) blog.

You’re welcome!

30APR SATURDAY-Fury Cove. As we mentioned, Cape Caution can be nasty. For us, the crossing wasn’t too bad – approximately 5 ft swells with 10-12 second intervals. Not bad. However, once we rounded Cape Caution we took the swells on the beam and it was…less pleasant. We had some corkscrewing going on. Most of the crew did well.

Fury Cove was our first stop after the ten hour run from Port McNeil. As we were starting to make our turns towards Fury Cove Russell spotted a whale! It was pretty far off and was traveling alone so we we suspect it was a humpback and only surfaced a couple of times…but it was a whale! Whale spotted – check! 

Fury Cove is exposed to Queen Charlotte Sound and is a little weather beaten.  But the beaches are pretty, and after a long day it really doesn’t matter. You just want to drop the anchor and call it a day. Which is what we did. But look – are those white beaches? Break out the flip-flops!

Fury Cove – Is that a BEACH?

We went to bed early, just Sweet T, in Fury Cove. We woke early to head out and when I looked out I saw a anchored across from us our little sailboat neighbors from Port McNeil. They left when we did but they go slower than we do which made for a very long day for them.

01MAY SUNDAY-Codville Lagoon Marine Park. A bright sunshiny day. We arrived at Codville around 1300 leaving us time to enjoy this beautiful cove. There isn’t any logging back in this large cove; it’s undisturbed, quiet, and quite lovely. (Tammy’s favorite anchorage) 

Fitzhugh Sound before Fisher Channel on the way to Codville

Around 1730 – 1800 we noticed a little sailboat coming in. Yep, our neighbors again!

Codville Lagoon Marine Park

02MAY MONDAY-Bottleneck Inlet. Before we left Codville, Russell started the generator. He starts it in the morning to charge the batteries. Shortly after he started it the gen shut down. Restarted it, shut down again. This isn’t good. But off we went and the main engine will charge the batteries.

Bottleneck Inlet has a very narrow entry and and the cove is shaped like a long-neck bottle, hence the name. There were beautiful tall granite walls in this cove. A serene anchorage with a “shut-off from the rest of the world” feel to it. (Russell’s favorite anchorage)

Bottleneck Inlet with a narrow entry

Bottleneck Inlet

03MAY TUESDAY-Coghlan Anchorage. Another early morning departure…and the gen shuts down. Again. Ruh-Roh.

On the way to Coghlan Anchorage

We went through Hiekish Narrows to Graham Reach, McKay Reach, Wright Sound toward our anchorage at the south end of Grenville Channel.  Russell worked on the gen as soon as we got the anchor set. We lucked out and got a brief cell signal at which time he fired off an email to the Nordhavn owners email group. As luck would have it Sweet T’s former owner saw the email and told him to check the coolant high temp shutdown switch, as did a couple other members. He bypassed the switch to see if that was the issue. It was. Once we get settled in Ketchikan he can replace the switch. Thanks Ian and others!

We started out with rain and a bit of bumpy anchorage but shortly after bedtime it settled down.

Coghlan Anchorage

A couple nice shell beaches in this anchorage.

04MAY Wednesday-Kumealon Island Cove. The majority of today will be Grenville Channel. As we rounded the corner to start our journey up Grenville Channel we got to observe helicopter logging. That entertained us for a while.

Pick up a log or two, drop it in the water, then back for more; at most a five minute turn around.

Splash Down! 

A freeloader who wanted to do his Titanic impression

Grenville Channel is beautiful. One of the prettier channels we’ve been through. All kinds of waterfalls, rivers, creeks emptying into the channel with no logging scars, which makes a huge difference. In the distance beautiful snow capped mountains.

Beautiful Grenville Channel

Grenville Channel

Kumealon is a beautiful anchorage, albeit deeper than we normally anchor. I used the entire 100 ft. of line for my “friend”, the anchor ball. At high tide we had a depth of 90ft. This may have been the prettiest entry into an anchorage we’ve ever had.

Entry to Kumealon Island Cove

Early to rise again, 0500 for an 0600 departure. Aren’t we retired? Anyway, Russell went to take the snubbers off and reported back that we had ICE on our trunk (the sticky-up part of the bow for you non-boaters). It was cold that morning. Off we went…and what’s all that white stuff in the water? Foam from the fast flowing water at Kumealon Narrows, either that or someone threw a box of soap suds in the water.

Kumealon Narrows foam – I missed taking a pic of the majority of it! 

05 MAY Thursday-Foggy Bay. Our original plan was to stop in Brundige Inlet, then cross the Dixon Entrance back into the states on Friday. But what a beautiful day, not a lot of wind, and calm seas. The next day was supposed to be nice but why chance it when we knew what today was like….we opted to cross while the gettin’ was good.  We kept going and crossed Dixon Entrance, back in the USA. (BTW, the next day ended up not being as nice, good call on our part)

Green Island lighthouse and weather station in Chatham Sound before we left BC 

It was a long day, 81.67 NM – 12.5 hrs. As we were crossing Dixon Entrance we spotted another whale! Foggy Bay is a common overnight stop for those entering Alaska. We phoned in to Customs and got permission to anchor. Going on to Ketchikan would be an additional 38 nm (6 hrs). It would have to wait one more day.

We entered Foggy Bay at a +1ft tide, Russell had me on bow watch for a reported uncharted rock off to the port and….FOUND IT! Noooooo, we didn’t hit it, it was underwater and we were a little close for comfort. We left at a -2.85 tide and Russell gave a wider berth to the rock on the way out which clearly could be seen.

Under water when we entered – barely, clearly seen as we left.

Foggy Bay is a rough, rustic looking bay. I thought this bay had all kinds of places for bears to hang out…not that we saw any. Although we did have a sea otter swim by to check us out.

Foggy Bay – I thought for sure I’d see a bear here! 

06MAY Friday-Ketchikan. Land of cell phone coverage and Internet. Another early morning departure – 0600 wake up call for a 0730 departure. (We’re sleeping in once we get in Ketchikan) These guys greeted us, there were probably 15 of them – something good was in the water!

Just a few of the bald eagles feeding on something in the water – the one in the middle/bottom is likely an adolescent that hasn’t got the white yet. 

Rainy and windy as we pulled in, but at least we arrived at slack tide.

There is 20 foot tide differential.

At 0830

at 1515

0830 – The blue ramp from the docks to land. My wagon full of groceries could seriously get away from me coming down this at low tide!! 

1515 – This is when I should manage my wagon full of groceries.

This is definitely a fishing marina probably because it is a fishing town, duh. Our friends from Seattle, Lynn and Neal, arrived in Ketchikan the day before we did so we went out for a most EXCELLENT dinner. Hopefully we’ll cross paths again before they head back to Seattle in the fall.

It only took us seven days to reach Ketchikan from Port McNeil, which is the fast track. We averaged 55.99 NM a day since leaving Port McNeil. It’s not that we were in a particular hurry, but when the weather is good, you go. We do want to get to Glacier Bay well before June 1 though.

We’ll have a few days to check out Ketchikan before we head out again. I’ll report back.

All is well.