April 15. Sam and Pat rented a car to drive home to attend an unexpected funeral so we went with them to take care of our mail and other things on our list of things to be done. Short trip but accomplished alot!While we were home taking car…
Whoa!
Wow, the waves were bigger this morning than we ever remember seeing them. So we decide to simply throw the bumper down the beach and not out into the surf. Dylan and Dee Dee still had a great time.
April 20 – Charleston, SC
Maritime Center Marina
“To travel is to take a journey into yourself.” ―Gustave Flaubert
We’re back in one of favorite places. We’ve spent a lot of time here and love it. While we’re here this week I will only be posting the highlights of our day…no time for a long blog. If you are new to this blog you can find out more of what we have done in the past from readying our old blog entries at this link.
2016-02 Prepping For Out 8th Alaska Cruise
We’ve been here in Anacortes all week preparing for another cruise northward. This will be our 8th three-month cruise to AK out of the last 9 years!
It’s been fantastic weather week so far….70’s and 80’s all week with no rain. Our boat neighbor and fishing celebrity Jay Field (see Jay’s latest fish story here) says we always bring the California sun.
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| Jay always chefs a tasty BBQ. |
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| Jay prepped tomato and Mozzerella with fresh basil, BBQ prawns and veggies. Yum! |
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| Ms. Micky, the namesake of Jay and Micky’s new 33-foot North River. We plan to rendezvous in Sitka this summer. |
Our prepping includes provisioning at TJ’s for frozen goods, Costco for engine oil, auto parts store for ISO 32 hydraulic fluid, North Harbor Diesel for Cummins special coolant, and Starbucks for wifi. Boat tasks include oil and filter changes, canvass top assembly, and power panel back-light replacement.
Pat is not aboard just yet. She flies in with our guests, Judge Sid and Ginny Findley on Saturday. Wild Blue is missing the Selene Rendezvous this year, however Alex plans to take in the Saturday seminars by traveling to Roche Harbor.
We’re looking forward to another great cruise. If all goes well we shove off early Sunday morning toward Vancouver. Here’s this year’s itinerary.
2016 WILD BLUE ALASKA CRUISE ITINERARY
Leg #1A SUN-APR 24 ANACORTES, WA TO SUN-MAY 1 PORT MCNEILL, BC. Northbound BC cruising starting from Anacortes to Vancouver, Comox, Broughton Islands and Port McNeil – 8 days: To boat fly www.AlaskaAir.com to Seattle. From boat fly www.PacificCoastal.com from Port McNeill to Vancouver then home. Crew with Alex & Pat: Sid and Virginia Findley.
Leg #1B MON-MAY 2 PORT MCNEILL,BC TO TUE, MAY 12 KETCHIKAN, AK. Port McNeill, Queen Charlotte Strait anchorages, Shearwater, Kynock Inlet/Culpepper Lagoon, Hartley Bay, Prince Rupert, Dundas Island, Misty Fiords, and Ketchikan – 11 days: To boat fly www.AlaskaAir.com to Seattle. From boat fly www.AlaskaAir.com from Ketchikan to home. Crew with Alex & Pat: Roger and Maureen Larsen.
Leg #2 THU-JUN 2 KETCHIKAN, AK TO SUN-JUN 12 SITKA, AK. Cruising from Ketchikan to Sitka with King Salmon fishing and crabbing, anchoring at night. Ketchikan, Nina Cove, Jackson Island, Craig, St Joseph Island, Port MacArthur, Port Walter, Patterson Bay, Hanus Bay to Sitka – 11 days: Fly www.AlaskaAir.com to Ketchikan. Fly www.AlaskaAir.com from Sitka to home. Crew with Alex only: Roger Larsen, Sid Findley and Sean McNamera.
Leg #3 TUE-JUN 14 SITKA, AK TO FRI-JUN 24 SITKA, AK. Local Sitka cruising with King Salmon fishing, anchoring at night. Cruising and fishing on Baranof Island’s South coast including Whale Bay, Sandy Bay, Bryon Bay and Redfish Bay. Rendezvous with new the brand new Ms. Micky operated by Jay & Micky Field – 11 days: Fly www.AlaskaAir.com to Sitka round trip. Crew with Alex & Pat: Dick Squire, Denny and Lori Haythorn
Leg #4 SUN-JUN 26 SITKA, AK TO WED-JUL 6 SITKA, AK. Local Sitka cruising with King Salmon fishing, anchoring at night. Cruising and fishing on Baranof Island’s South coast including Whale Bay, Sandy Bay, Bryon Bay and Redfish Bay – 11 days: Fly www.AlaskaAir.com to Sitka round trip. Crew with Alex only: Willie Benedetti, Joe Cebe, Mike Celentano, Brian Jorgensen.
Leg #5 FRI-JUL 8 SITKA, AK TO MON-JUL18 PETERSBURG, AK. Cruising from Sitka to Kake, AK with salmon and halibut fishing, crabbing and prawning, anchoring at night. Parts of this route will be in open ocean, cruising Baranof Island’s South coast including Bryon Bay and Redfish Bay, around Cape Ommaney, up Chatham Strait, fishing east Baranof coast including Port Walter, Deep Cove-Patterson Bay, Gut Bay, Red Bluff Bay, arriving at Petersburg. – 11 days: Fly www.AlaskaAir.com to Sitka. Fly www.AlaskaAir.com from Petersburg, then www.AlaskaAir.com to home. Crew with Alex only, Pat joins on 7/14 at Kake: Gerard and Peggy Ages, Drake Ages, and Hans Tanner.
Leg #6 TUE-JUL 19 PETERSBURG, AK TO WED-JUL 27 CRAIG, AK. Southbound cruising via Rocky Pass and El Capitan Passage with visits to Big John Bay, 3-Mile Arm, Port Beauclerc, Louise Cove, El Capitan cave tour, Sarkar Cove, Singa Island, Warm Chuck Bay and Craig. – 9 days: Fly www.AlaskaAir.com to Ketchikan, then www.flyalaskaseaplanes.com to Kake. Fly www.IslandAirX.com from Klawock to Ketchikan then www.AlaskaAir.com to home. Crew with Alex & Pat: Vince & Marianne Fonte, Chuck and Carolyn French.
Leg #7 FRI-JUL 29 CRAIG, AK TO FRI-AUG 5 KETCHIKAN, AK. Southbound cruising from Craig, AK along the southwest side of Prince of Wales Island crossing Dixon Entrance to Prince Rupert, BC with visits to Hole in the Wall, Soda Bay, Coco Harbor, Rose Inlet, Kaigani Harbor, Hessa Inlet and Ketchikan – 8 days: Fly www.AlaskaAir.com to Ketchikan then www.IslandAirX.com to Craig (Klawock). Fly www.AlaskaAir.com from Ketchikan to home. Crew with Alex only: Vince Fonte, Marvin Dee and Lee Hollister.
A Treasure!
Today, Dee Dee found a coral fan washed up on the beach. She was most pleased with herself.Dylan joined the investigation and they both pretty much forgot about the bumper.Then Dylan did what any self respecting Lab would do. Destroyed it…
Exuma Land and Sea Park
After many moths of travel and waiting out weather at marinas, we have reached the Exuma Islands, this years destination. This chain of islands starts about thirty miles south of Nassau. The mostly uninhabited series of Cays (pronounced Keys by locals) runs north to south. Boats can travel both sides of the Cays. There […]
April 19 – John’s Island
Church Creek – Anchorage
“My day is done, and I am like a boat drawn on the beach, listening to the dance-music of the tide in the evening.” ―Rabindranath Tagore
FPB 78-1: Workshop And Swim Step Bulk Storage And Structure
When you design a structural system, there are many considerations, among which is storage. In the case of the workshop/crew …Read More
Balancing alternator outputs
In our charging configuration, we parallel the house and start alternators to charge the house battery bank. Each alternator has its own individual Balmar Max Charge MC-624 regulator and we’ve been asked a few times if we balance the outputs using a product such as the Balmar Centerfielder. This is one of those issues where…
Where’d It Go!?!?
Sometimes their enthusiasm overtakes their abilities…(Look closely at the bottom.)
