Tag Archives | Selene

2016-19 Sitka to Petersburg via Cape Ommaney, Eastern Baranof, Kake and Stephens Passage

By on July 17, 2016 in Wild Blue

Petersburg, Wrangell and East Baranof Island

By on July 17, 2016 in Spirit
June 29, 2016

Slack tide was predicted for 0900, so at 0730, under sunny skies, we pulled the anchor from the mud in Takatz Bay and headed out in Chatham Strait.  There we were greeted by dense fog lying against the shore.  We made a radar approach to our favorite spot where there was already one charter boat anchored.  Moving a short distance away we pulled the Grady White alongside and anchored Spirit in 220 feet of water, Miriam almost instantly hooked into a quillback rockfish and a few minutes later Patrick felt a sharp tug on his line and the line spooled off the reel.  After 20 minutes of gaining and losing ground on the line, with the rod bent almost double at times, Patrick brought a nice halibut to the surface.  Deciding to keep it, knowing it was near the maximum size we wanted, we harpooned it.  The halibut did not like that at all and ran back down, taking the harpoon line right out of Miriam’s hands.  After a few more minutes we brought the halibut back to the surface, retrieved the harpoon tether and lashed it to the stern, then putting in a second harpoon for good measure.  No sooner did we get the second harpoon dart in the fish the hook came out of the halibut’s lip, so we were very fortunate.  Slitting the gills and letting the fish bleed out for a while we finally dragged the halibut on board and measured it at 58 inches.  The tables indicate that is about a 90 pound halibut.

Deciding we had no freezer space for another fish, we pulled the anchor shortly after 1000 and headed across Chatham Strait towards Petersburg.  Stopping at Pinta Rocks we investigated a possible anchorage, but decided that with the prediction of westerly winds and thunderstorms in the afternoon, combined with a hard bottom might provide poor holding for the anchor, we continued to Portage Bay, a familiar stop.  We had several hours to get there, so the halibut was fileted and packaged, taking all the rest of our freezer space.July 2, 2016 – Petersburg to Wrangell

Portage Bay should really be called Portage River, since the currents the entire length of the long bay run at up to two knots. Fortunately, the bottom has very good holding and setting the anchor is easy.  We anchored Spirit at 1745 as light rain began.

June 30, 2016

Realizing we could make morning slack current at North Wrangell Narrows, we departed Portage Bay under cloudy skies with some rain showers at 0745 and headed to Petersburg where we hope to offload our freezers into Petersburg Community Cold Storage, as we did last year.  They will hold the fish until we return to Anacortes and then ship by Alaska Air to Seattle.

Naturally, we arrived in a rain storm, which only got worse later in the afternoon as Patrick walked to the Cummins engine dealer for a new coalescing filter on the Walker Airsep.  No filters were available in Petersburg, so a call to Seattle got one on the way via priority mail from Fisheries Supply.

The rain continued on and off the rest of the day as we arranged for fish storage, boxes and shipping.

July 1, 2016

Rain, heavy at times, as the fish was delivered to the cold storage facility.  The forecast is rain for the next week, but fortunately little wind.  We intended to have pizza for dinner, but Papa Bear’s pizza was closed for the next 4 days, so we cooked a pan of lasagna and shared it with Roger and Arlene from the Krogen 55 Kama Hele Kai.

July 2, 2016 – Petersburg to Wrangell
Departing Petersburg’s North Harbor at 1100 we headed south for the 40 nautical mile trip to Wrangell.  No matter when you leave, you will have adverse currents part of the way.  Minimizing the currents in Wrangell Narrows means fighting the ebb tide from the south entrance to the narrows the 20 nautical miles to Wrangell.  We finally arrived at 1645 and took the next to last spot in Heritage Harbor.

Purse Seine Nets – Wrangell

Seiner in Wrangell Narrows working nets

July 3, 2016 – Wrangell

The morning was spent changing the generator oil and filter at 2538 hours, then halibut fishing in the afternoon.  The halibut were good at removing the herring from the hook and leaving the salmon bellies.  No halibut chose to hook up.  That evening we hosted the crew of Tranquility for dinner, serving a miso glazed halibut with baby bok choy and mushroom risotto.

July 4, 2016 – Wrangell

Celebrated the 4th by going to the parade, then lunch at the Stikine Inn before touring the booths at the street fair.  Returning to the Stikine Inn later in the evening with the crew on Tranquility we enjoyed drinks and appetizers before returning to Heritage Basin and taking the tender out in front of Wrangell Harbor for fireworks, which did not start until 1115 PM.

Wrangell Parade 1

Tossing free candy for the kids

The horses were the final part of the parade

Walking back to Heritage Basin with the sunset

Sunset on the 4th
July 5, 2016 – Wrangell

Patrick fished, with no luck.  A few strikes but nothing on board.

July 6, 2016 – Wrangell to Petersburg

Departing Wrangell at 0835 we travelled the 40 nautical miles to Petersburg and entered a harbor with lots of empty slips for the day, due to a purse seiner opening on Thursday.  We were assigned stall 536 on D Dock in South Harbor, close to the ramp.  After picking up Walker Airsep parts and fresh groceries we had dinner at Papa Bear’s Pizza.  We found out that although Petersburg had fireworks on the 4th, the rest of the activities including the parade and carnival were cancelled due to a multiple fatality car accident near South Harbor.  We could see the accident site from our slip and the police were still investigating it 2 days later.

July 7, 2016 – Petersburg to Cannery Cove

After fueling the Grady White we left at 0835 to take advantage of the last of the ebb tide going north in Wrangell Narrows and immediately ran into dense fog.  With both radars running we headed out at slow speed and had one close encounter with a gillnetter, who guided us around the end of his net.  By Cape Strait the fog had lifted and we sighted a number of humpback whales as we set a direct course for Pybus Bay, Cannery Cove.

Entering Pybus Bay we had to slow down and alter course for a pod of Orca crossing our path.

There were already three yachts in Cannery Cove when we arrived, including the 167 foot yacht, DoubleHaven.  By the time the sun had set we had eight yachts anchored in the calm bay with the spectacular hills as a backdrop.  Three sailing vessels had followed us through the fog from Petersburg and were glad we had suggested the destination due to the scenery and whales.

Ocras near Pybus Bay – 1

Orcas -2

Orcas – 3
Cannery Cove on a sunny day

July 8, 2016 – Cannery Cove to Patterson Bay and Port Walker

Knowing we had a long run ahead of us we pulled the anchor at 0635 under sunny skies and headed out of Cannery Cove into Frederick Sound, past Kingsmill Point and into Chatham Strait.  We were getting a modest boost from the ebb tide as we set a direct course for Mist Cove, our fishing destination for the day.  We were surprised at how far south into Chatham the cell phone reception lasted, nearly to Gut Bay from the middle of the channel.

Sea Otter at Kingsmill Point

Arriving at Mist Cove the calm winds increased locally due to the tide rips, but we put the tender astern on a short tie and began fishing anyway.  Fishing was difficult due to the amount of kelp and seaweed in the water.  After losing two fish, probably due to dull hooks, we finally landed a nice Coho salmon and called it a day about 1600.  Heading into Patterson Inlet, the 5-10 knot southerly breeze funneled through the narrow opening at the end to more than 15 knots.  The wind would not have been an issue except for the masses of jellyfish infesting the inlet.  The last time we anchored here we clogged the generator sea strainer with jellyfish and shut the generator down.  The wind, combined with the jellyfish made us decide to find another anchorage for the evening.

The rockslide in Patterson Inlet has not changed much in three years
Lions Mane Jellyfish

Since we were fishing further south in the morning anyway we headed for Port Walter and anchored in Denmark Cove in 75 feet of water over a hard bottom shortly before 1900.  After cleaning the Coho we grilled burgers for dinner and then enjoyed some HGTV for an hour while we ate.  The Satellite TV has been working better after changing the tracking frequencies, but is still dependent on boat orientation and the height of the hills where we moor or anchor.  We had covered 81 nautical miles and have now travelled 1900 nautical miles since Anacortes.

July 9, 2016 – Port Walker to Gut Bay

We kept a close watch on the anchor all night due to the uncertain holding on the hard bottom, but we were set well, even with the substantial current flowing in and out of the inner basin.  This bay also had a lot of jellyfish, but not nearly as many as in Patterson Bay.  The wind also does not funnel in the same way, so it was a more comfortable night at anchor, hearing the anchor chain dragging across the hard bottom as the wind and currents shifted.  The weather was not as nice, with moderate fog in Chatham Strait.

At 0805 we pulled the anchor and travelled the short distance south to Point Armstrong, where we hoped to pick up a King Salmon like we did in 2011.  No such luck this time, but we did land three Coho Salmon, one 31 inches long and weighing 13 pounds, which would have been a legal King.  The fish were at 50-70 feet and were caught on both red and green flashers with herring.  We called it a good fishing morning at 1130 and set a course for Gut Bay, our destination for the evening.

The visibility had improved at our location, but as we headed north the fog was till thick in many of the inlets, including Patterson Bay, and yet we could see to Kuiu Island on the other side of Chatham, a distance of more than 12 nautical miles.

Arriving at our not so secret location for Coho, the wind had piped up to 17-20 knots making fishing difficult.  After two passes, and getting increasingly worried about drifting into shore we pulled in the lines and headed into Gut Bay.  The bay has been partially surveyed in 2013 since our first visit and the charts are now more accurate, but still blank close to the head of the bay.  As we approached the anchorage at the head of the bay in front of the river, the winds again increased and after anchoring in 125 feet of water watched the winds gust to 23 knots.  Patrick took the Grady White and surveyed the bottom closer to the river mouth and after looking at the wind, we moved Spirit closer, into 80 feet of water, and re-anchored.  The wind continued to gust to more than 20 knots as we cleaned and fileted the three Coho into 14 meal sized portions which went into the freezer.

We hoped that the wind would abate when the sun went down, but no luck.  Even at 2330 the wind was still gusting to over 15 knots and steady at 8-10 knots.  However, the anchor is securely set and we can sleep well this evening.

July 10, 2016 – Gut Bay to Red Bluff Bay

Sometime overnight night the wind died and we awoke to a calm anchorage.  Heading out fishing at 0710 we had the lines in the water shortly after 0800 and the first Coho on board at 0815.  At 0845 we hooked up again, only this time it was a 17-pound King salmon.  We had a few more strikes, but no more fish, so at 1015, with the ebb tide at maximum current we quit and headed to Red Bluff Bay, just a few miles away.  Red Bluff Bay anchorage was a minefield of commercial crab pots and all the good spots were full of pots.  Two other yachts were anchored, so we headed out into the middle in 90 feet of water, setting the anchor hard since winds to 20 knots were predicted for the evening.

The morning catch was fileted and frozen into another 14 meal sized packages, each about 1 pound.

By evening two other vessels had arrived, so now there were five of us anchored in the bay.  We decided that shrimp primavera sounded good for dinner, so vegetables were sautéed and linguini boiled as we enjoyed a pasta dinner in the now peaceful waters of Red Bluff Bay.  We continued to watch episodes from “Victory at Sea” as the sun went down, now much earlier than one month ago, and finally shut off the lights at 1030PM, with the bay now mostly dark.

July 11, 2016

Light rain greeted us as we pulled the anchor from the mud in Red Bluff Bay at 0835 and headed back out into Chatham Strait.  After a calm transit we turned the corner into Warm Springs Bay and headed for the public dock at Baranof Hot Springs.  We were too late for the inside dock, just a few minutes behind a 100-foot charter boat from Juneau, but managed to squeeze into a spot on the outside, narrowly beating another charter boat racing into the bay about ½ mile behind us.  After settling in, we headed out in the tender and landed a 25-pound halibut and a rockfish, which were fileted after dinner.

July 12, 2016

Patrick fished the morning high slack tide and returned with two large quillback rockfish.  As boats left we moved Spirit to the end of the dock and turned around to port side against the dock to make departure the next morning easier.  Evening high slack tide produced 3 more rockfish, but no halibut.

July 13, 2016

The rain started sometime overnight, so we just remained at the dock and did not fish, but did enjoy the hot springs.

July 14, 2016

After a morning soak in the public hot spring baths we cast off the lines at 0855 to catch the morning high slack tide on our way to Cannery Cove in Pybus Bay.  Anchoring Spirit in 220 feet of water we began fishing and by 1030 had 5 large rockfish and 2 halibut on board.  The current had started to ebb so we pulled the anchor and headed across Chatham Strait past Point Gardner and into Frederick Sound.  Frederick Sound was full of humpback whales feeding and one even breached totally out of the water.  There were at least 100 whales and we had to keep slowing down and steering around them, since they seemed oblivious to our presence.  Shortly after 1600 we anchored in Cannery Cove next to several mega yachts and enjoyed the last of the sunny skies as we cleaned and processed the morning catch.

Hympback Whales in Frederick Sound

Our “Neighbor” in Cannery Cove

July 15, 2016

Knowing we had 55 nautical miles to Petersburg and wanting to make Wrangell Narrows before the current was too adverse, we raised the anchor at 0620 and headed out of Cannery Cove.  The whales were just as numerous as the previous day, feeding near the surface, which was almost a mirror since there was no wind or waves.

As we approached Petersburg we met a flotilla of Jeanneau sailboats cruising with Jim Rard from Anacortes.  Leading the 11 boats was our previous Jeanneau 49, back from a five-year cruise to Australia from Anacortes and now named “Dilligaf”.  We chatted on the VHF radio as we headed into Petersburg and they all headed to Hobart Bay.  We had last been aboard Dilligaf for coffee the morning it departed for the South Pacific.

The former “Spirit”, now “Dilligaf”

Arriving in Petersburg at 1330 we purchased some more insulated shipping containers for our fish and arranged to add them to the ones already in storage.  The frozen fish will remain in Petersburg until we return in September and then will ship to Seattle as air freight on Alaska Airlines.

We have now covered 2100 nautical miles, with about 1200 nautical miles left on this year’s journey.

2016-18: Thursday, June 30 2016 Sunset In Sitka

By on June 30, 2016 in Wild Blue

2016-18: Thursday, June 30 2016  Sunset In SitkaSunset over Eliason Harbor

Sitka to Petersburg – Part 1

By on June 28, 2016 in Spirit
June 14-15, 2016

Sitka, no fishing

June 16, 2016

At 0805 we cast off the lines and headed for Kalinin Bay, just 25 nautical miles away.  We were anchored by 1136.

June 17, 2016

Fished twice, once in the morning catching a 33 inch King Salmon and once in the afternoon with a 34 inch King Salmon.


June 18, 2016

Fished for Halibut, but only donated snacks to the fish.

June 19, 2016

Hoisting the anchor from the sticky mud in Kalinin Bay we departed for the final time in 2016 and headed back to Sitka for fuel and fresh produce before departing the Sitka area for the season.

Memorial Crosses in Olga Strait

The wrecked tug continues to rust away near Olga Strait
June 21, 2016

At 0740 we cast off the lines for the last time in Sitka and headed back through Sergius Narrows.  We headed up Hoonah Sound and anchored in Douglass Bay.  Prawn pots were set and we enjoyed a calm evening as the only boat in the bay.  An evening check of the pots provided our limit of prawns.

June 22, 2016

The morning pull of the prawn pots again gave us our daily limit of prawns.  After processing the prawns we pulled the anchor at 0820 and headed back down Hoonah Sound into Peril Strait and out into Chatham Strait.  Heading north we entered Tenakee Inlet and tied up at the transient float in Tenakee Springs at 1645 after a 62 nautical mile day.  Patrick immediately set out our two crab traps in Kadashan Bay.

A section of Tenakee Springs

Tenakee Springs Yard Art

Baranof guarding the Tenakee Liquor Store

Well stocked general store Tenakee Springs

June 23, 2016

The morning check of the crab pots gave us our limit of three each.  We cooked them and had crab that evening.  The wind came up in the late afternoon and the breakwater provides no protection from westerly winds.  Mooring lines were doubled up and the Grady White was moved to a protected slip.  The stern was towards the wind and waves and we had waves coming over the transom platform until the winds died after dark.


June 24, 2016

The crab pots in Kadashan Bay had our limits once again and after bringing the crabs back to the boat we went to “The Bakery” for breakfast.  We left Tenakee Springs at 1050 and headed for Hoonah.  Both Chatham Strait and Icy Strait were calm and by 1635 we were moored at the transient pier in Hoonah Harbor after a 45 nautical mile transit.  There is water on the pier, but no power.

Pod of Humpbacks,Basket Bay

The most whales we have seen all season
June 25, 2016

A Holland America cruise ship was at Icy Strait Point Cannery, so the area was open to all.  We caught a shuttle bus and rode the two miles from Hoonah Harbor to the cannery, which has a museum, shops and several restaurants, as well as a six cable 1330 foot elevation change zip line.  The entire place is well done and seemed to be well received by the cruise ship passengers.
Icy Strait Pont Cannery

Well laid out exhibits

Museum has some interesting old sewing machines

Salon processing equipment in the cannery, this cuts the fish into segments

This machine puts the salmon into the cans and puts the lids on
The top of the zip line was in the fog and rain, but the viewing area provided a good view of the final few hundred feet.  Returning to town we looked at the cedar dugout canoes being built by the Alaska Natives for a new longhouse dedication in August in Glacier Bay and then had halibut and chips at the “Chipperfish”.  The afternoon was spent changing the main engine oil at 3402 hours.   Walking back into town to the Hoonah Trading Company for a few supplies, we stopped at the Hoonah Brewing Company, which was under construction last year.  Now open, they brew several craft beers and have a Thai food truck next door run by the owner’s wife to supply Thai snacks.  Dinner was a strange halibut pizza at the Icy Strait Lodge, which is about ¾ mile from the harbor.

Native dugout canoes under construction

Eagle surveying Hoonah Harbor

Native Graveyard on Pitt Island, Hoonah

June 26, 2016

We decided to investigate Neka Bay and left the harbor at 0900 for the short 8 nautical mile trip down Port Frederick.  The bay was full of commercial crab pots leaving little room to anchor.  Patrick tried to fish from the Grady White, but had to return an undersized ling cod before returning to Spirit as the rain and wind returned.  The wind finally calmed and we spent a peaceful evening at anchor with one other boat about ½ mile away.

Chimney Rock at Neka Bay
June 27, 2016

Even with the calm night, we did not sleep well for some reason and departed early, at 0635 under cloudy skies and calm winds.  As we retraced our path down Icy Strait to Chatham Strait the skies cleared and we had an uneventful trip into Pavlof Bay, a new stop for us.  Anchoring deep in the bay in 45 feet of water behind “Abysinnia”, a small cruise ship, we readied the Grady White for fishing. 
Putting poles out from the stern of Spirit netted us two large Quillback Rockfish, great for fish tacos.  Initially the winds and seas were a little choppy for the Grady White in Chatham, so after waiting for high slack tide, Patrick returned to North Passage Point and returned with a 40 inch, 30 pound halibut, caught on salmon trolling gear.  Since Patrick was alone, he gaffed the fish and flung it into the bow of the tender and bled it quickly before returning to Spirit.  After a dinner of Pork Chops and stuffing we cleaned the fish and now have nearly full freezers.  By 10:30 PM there were seven boats anchored in Pavlof Bay.

June 28, 2016

By the time we got up, most of the vessels had already departed.  We left shortly before 0900.  As we departed we remarked on the red/brown sand beaches from iron in the soil and wished we had investigated the waterfall, which seemed to be an attraction for the guests on the Wilderness Explorer which was anchored about 2 miles further up Freshwater Bay.

Waterfall in Pavlof Harbor

Brown/Red sand beaches in Pavlof Harbor
Chatham Strait was calm and nearly deserted as we headed south for Takatz Bay.  Unlike the day before we did not even see any whales or porpoises.



2016-17 A Counterclockwise Circumnavigation of Chigagof Island

By on June 26, 2016 in Wild Blue

Tuesday, June 14, 2016: The Boat People as CrewOver the years the Wild Blue has hosted many a crew, most of whom seldom if ever get on the water. They’ve learned while crewing and do excellent work for little or no boating experience. On the flip side,…

Sitka Interlude

By on June 15, 2016 in Spirit

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Awaiting parts for the watermaker and the failed seawater washdown pump we decided to just enjoy the Sitka Summer Music Festival for a few days.  Wednesdays are performances in local cafes and restaurants and this evening’s concert was in the Westmark Hotel.  Arriving early, and with reservations we had a good table to view and hear the Cypress String Quartet play another of the 16 Beethoven String Quartets.  By the beginning of the performance the place was packed and we invited a single lady, Dorothy Weicker, to move her table closer so we could talk.  The music was great but the food service was slow and the food was mediocre at best.  Patrick sent his entrée back, it was cold and tasteless by the time it arrived.  The kitchen staff managed to ruin a piece of halibut and the concert was over before the food arrived after a wait of 1 ½ hours.

Thursday, June 2, 2016

We decided to pass on the noontime Bach’s Lunch concert, especially since the rain had returned.  The day was spent doing laundry and pre-plumbing the hoses for the new washdown pump to improve maintenance and access.

Eliason Harbor is a working port full of photo opportunities.
The mountains provide a dramatic backdrop to Eliason Harbor
Purse Seiners getting nets ready

This longliner was built in 1913 and has had only four owners
The cormorants seem unafraid of us in the calm harbor water.
Friday, June 3, 2016

The watermaker motor contactor arrived and was installed, with success.  The old part, when removed, was partially melted and it looked like a loose connection had caused arcing and failure.
The rain continued heavy and we were drenched by the time we walked to the Sitka Performing Arts Center for the evening concert.  The music was great, but by the time we left, the rain was even harder as we walked the mile back to the boat.

Saturday, June 4, 2016

We decided to go fishing at Biorka Island today to test out our gear and left at the late hour of 0807.  We managed to get one King salmon before returning to the dock at 1515.

Sunday, June 5, 2016

Spirit departed the dock in Eliason Harbor at 0445 with two members of the Cypress String Quartet as guests.  Tom Stone is one of the Violinists and Ethan Filner is the Violist.  Arriving at Biorka Island at 0635 the lines were soon in the water and by 0830 we had 4 King Salmon on board, 2 each for Tom and Ethan.  We lost several more for us, and had to return to the dock before noon so they could practice for the evening concert at St. Peters by the Sea Episcopal Church at 1730.

St. Peter’s by the sea
Monday, June 6, 2016

The washdown pump had arrived, so it was installed and tested.  The rain continues.

New wash down pump installation
Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Another early departure for Biorka Island, we were underway by 0455.  Fishing was slow in 3-5 foot swells, and we only managed to catch one Coho Salmon, early this year.  Nonetheless, it was a nice fish.  Returning to the dock at 1235 we picked up the repaired navigation computer and attended the free concert at Stevenson Hall.  Since we were taking Cecily Ward, the First Violinist in the Cypress String Quartet and her husband Mark Wilshire fishing the next morning, we opted out of the late evening concert.

Rainbow over Sentinel Rock, Sitka Sound
Wednesday, June 8, 2106


Our guests arrived on time and Spirit pulled away from the dock at 0515 for Biorka Island.  There was still a sizeable swell off of the island, but we put the lines in by 0700 and by 0900 we had landed 8 King Salmon, 2 each for all of us, as well as a lone Coho Salmon.  We were back to the dock by 1205 and the fish were sent to the processor.  Since arriving at Kalinin Bay Spirit has landed a total of 16 King and 2 Coho Salmon.  We have a total of 6 more King Salmon between our two licenses, so we will continue to go to Biorka Island to fish.

The evening concert was another café event, this time at” The Mean Queen”, a pizza and salad operation that has been open for only six months.  It is owned jointly by the Owner of the Channel Club and Mary, who had been our server several times in the past at the Channel Club.  The pizzas were great and the music was even better, since they played to a standing room only audience and we were at a table right next to the quartet.  Mary even gave us a ride back to the harbor after the place calmed down following the performance.

Evening Performance at The Mean Queen
Thursday, June 9, 2016

Another day at the dock, doing laundry, cleaning the boat and picking up our processed fish to put in our own freezers on board.  We need to start eating the food we brought from Anacortes so we will have room for more fish, a good problem to have.  We can offload the fish when we get to Petersburg and have it shipped from there when we return to Anacortes and Bellevue in September.

Dinner was at Ludvig’s Bistro, where the only table we could get was not available until 8:30 PM.  The food was good, worth the long wait since we did not get seated until just before 9 PM.

Celebrating 44 years of marriage at Ludvig’s Bistro
Friday, June 10, 2016

Another 0500 departure from the dock with Spirit, heading back to Biorka Island.  The day was a bust, with lost gear, small fish we released and nothing to show for a full day as we returned to the dock.  After leftovers from Ludvig’s for dinner we headed to the Sitka Music Festival concert at the Performing Arts Center where we listened to two more of the Beethoven String Quartets.

Saturday, June 11, 2016

Several members of the Cypress String Quartet, along with Zuill Bailey, the artistic director of the music festival and also a world class Cellist in his own right, his two sons and his manager from El Paso joined us as we headed out for another day of fishing before the final concert of the quartet in the evening.  Fishing was slow, with only one King Salmon brought on board.

The concert that evening was bittersweet.  The music was good, but the realization that this was the final public concert of the Cypress String Quartet after 20 years and three trips to Sitka made it also poignant.  We have taken them fishing all three years they performed in Sitka and have grown to appreciate their artistic talent (15 CD’s and performances all over the world).  They have commissioned 30 pieces over the years and they performed one of those on Friday night.  Getting to know them personally has also been special as well.

Cypress String Quartet beginning their last public performance

We did a group photo at the end of the concert with everyone who had gone fishing with us.
Sunday, June 12, 2016

No fishing today, so we went to the Mean Queen for Sunday Brunch, which is pizza and salad, washed down with Bloody Marys.  We walked back to the boat in the rain and took a nap!  The rain quit and the sunset was spectacular over the harbor.

We are moored right next to Sunset

The view from our cockpit

At 13:30 PM the sun is just setting down the main dock
Monday, June 13, 2016

Spirit left Eliason Harbor at 0500 for fishing via the Western Channel.  As we headed out the swells increased and we altered course for Biorka Island.  Alex Benson from Wild Blue joined us.  The lines went in the water shortly after 0700 and after three hours we had two king salmon and two coho salmon in the ice chest, along with a large black rockfish.  The wind and swell increased and at noon we turned back to the harbor, arriving at 1345.  The fish were sent to the processor and after cleaning the boat we relaxed in the now sunny skies and watched another great sunset.

Since the sun was out, we managed to get a few random photos around town.
Russian Bishop’s Residence, now a National Park Site

A piece of Herring Rock, sacred to the Alaskan Natives

Sculpture at the Alaska Pioneer’s Home

Part of the rebuilt St, Michael’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral

Sitka Blarney Stone

Baranof Island Brewing tap room

2016-16 Redfish Bay, Whale Bay, Sitka

By on June 12, 2016 in Wild Blue

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

On Wednesday 7AM we pulled the hook and headed deep into the head of Redfish Bay to retrieve our crap traps.  Our hopes of dining on fresh crab evaporated when we noticed a pair of sea otters lounging in the back bay.  The otters have steadily reduced the SE Alaska crab population over the years such that when you see one, you can be assured there are no crabs remaining in the area.

Redfish Bay looking one mile inside to 1st Narrows.  2nd Narrows and
the Head are not visible at 3 miles from the mouth.

After pulling the empties and exiting the Bay, we turned towards Whale Bay, our favorite King salmon fishing zone. During our smooth cruise northward, we passed the yachts Canadian Mist and Shearwater headed southward.  During brief VHF conversations we learned that Whale Bay hadn’t yielded any Kings for them.

We entered the Bay with lowered expectations, dragging hootchies along the North side. Soon we were elated to land our first King of the season.  The Bay was generous to the Wild Blue and after four Kings in two hours we anchored in Kritoi for lunch and a nap.  At the evening slack tide, we netted two more kings completing the daily limit for our three guests.

Next it was up Small Arm for the nicest anchorage in the Bay.  Alex marinated King fillets in soy and lemon juice with crushed garlic, salt, pepper, lemon olive oil, wine and capers then slowly barbecued them on ocean soaked cedar planks. The entrée was served on the plank with rice and peas and was tasty enough to delight the pallet of the most discriminating epicurean.  “Hunt for the Red October” was screened for and enjoyed by Shawn.

Roger knows how to pose for a fishing photo: wear the Wild Blue
boat cap, look serious, and s-t-r-e-t-c-h that fish!
Shawn is learning from Roger.
Four of the six fish landed on Wednesday which are 29 to 32 inches long.
Fresh King salmon fillets on cedar planks in the BBQ.

Thursday and Friday, June 9-10, 2016

Thursday’s fishing the northern side of the Whale Bay entrance and the Krishka Island’s NW corner yielded just four kings. That’s pretty good and there is still Friday.

Anytime while trolling for salmon near the bottom, sometimes “by-catch” such as small fish go for the bait or lure action.  These so-called “shakers” usually don’t even wiggle the rod.  They reduce fishing time because they’re large enough so that target fish, the King salmon, will not go after them.  A good fisherman periodically reels in to check his bait and only then are the small fish are revealed.  The fish is then quickly unhooked and returned to the sea.  Many are the bottom fish which take a couple minutes to recover and swim back down into the deep. Just seconds after being sighted while still at the surface, most are talon-fetched for the an eagle’s dinner.

Such was the case today for Shawn as he quickly reeled in a small rock cod.  As the flasher and hooked fish broke the surface 2-feet of the boat’s stern, unbeknownst to Shawn, a hungry eagle sighted it.  Before Shawn could remove the rod from the holder, the bird grabbed the still-hooked fish and flew.  There was a slight pause, then a loud crack as the eagle powered off breaking the fishing rod in half!

Eagle dive-bombed rock fish still on the hook.  Instead
of the line breaking, the rod broke!

After dinner, continuing in tour patriotic movie theme, we enjoyed “The Patriot”.

Friday mid-morning after four hours of hootchie dragging, we reeled’em in and headed away from the Bay for Bjorka Island.  Due to the low tide on the inside route at Second Narrows, we took the outside route which featured a light breeze and low swell.  By 11 AM we again started trolling but without action.  After 2 hours we called it a day and headed to town.  Sitka Harbors found the Wild Blue moorage at familiar Eliason Harbor where we cleaned up for the evening concert at the Sitka Classicial Music Festival.

Each June for the last five years or so, Alex, Pat and crews have enjoyed the sounds of the Sitka Music Festival.  Tonight’s performance features the world renown Cypress Spring Quartet of San Francisco.  This classical music group has practiced and performed throughout the world for the past 20 years, recording 16 albums.  Amongst their numerous accolades, they also have been heard on the Netflix original series House of Cards. They play exceptional music instruments including violins by Antonio Stradivari (1681), and Carlo Bergonzi (1733), and a cello by Hiermonyous Amati II (1701).  This is their final year together and tonight’s performance is 3rd to last as the Quartet.

Over the past four summers or so,  Patrick and Miriam of the Selene 55 Spirit and Alex on Wild Blue have hosted the Cypress Spring Quartet and friends for fishing excursions out of Sitka.  They’ve done well landing their daily limits of King salmon.

On stage at the Sitka Classical Music Festival
CecilyWard, violin, Tom Stone, violin, Jennifer Kloetzel, cello, Ethan Filner, viola
The Sitka Fishing Musicians: Cypress Quartet, Zuill Bailey-Music Director,
friends and kids with Patrick and Miriam of the yacht Spirit and
Alex of the yacht Wild Blue.

Going Furthur Review

By on June 9, 2016 in Furthur

GOING FURTHUR DOCUMENTARY

Review by Brian Calvert, “The Captain”



The task; Bring fifty-year-old legends to life, reincarnate tales that formed our lives and our culture. Then bring it to the present; with two and a half months, 15,000 miles and countless unique and interesting personal encounters. All while describing what was indescribable, defining that which had no definition and bringing forth emotions only those who were there could have had, all in one movie.  Given the pace today, do it all in less time than the four hour Woodstock documentary keeping that documentary as the gold standard.  That is the challenge that Lotus Eaters took on the day I met them, the first day of the epic fifty-year anniversary Furthur voyage.  I am happy to say they exceeded my already very high expectations, they nailed it!

The story starts at the beginning, the genesis of our culture. The cosmic gathering of characters that rose out of the primal ooze to take the first psychedelic flowered powered steps to the future.

For those of us who know the story, like a minister knows the story of Adam and Eve, it is a trip back to heavenly times. For those younger or not familiar with the history, those with no idea why they go to festivals, wear Tie Dye or drive a VW bus, the documentary reads like Hippy 101. This story has to be told from the beginning and they do. The cast of hippy icons is complete; from Ken Keesey to the original Merry Pranksters to Wavy Gravy. Each one an apostille ladling us challises of wisdom from the eternal psychedelic fountain. 

Flash forward fifty years and the story flows unbroken. The players are new Merry Pranksters and the bus rebuilt but the bus is still “the bus”.  As in days of old, “the bus came by and I got on and that is where it all began”.  The movie covers the new Pranksters as they come and go, an intrinsically unique and bizarre group crossing all ages and walks of life. The movie captures this array of idiosyncratic souls completely. Watching it, I was back on the bus.



For the young, this movie is not a beginning and an end, it is a beginning and a beginning. Take it in, learn, free yourself and go on your own Furthur ride.



For us “old hippies” the movie will cast you back in time. Going Furthur is a portal to happy days when life was uncomplicated and we thrived on raw idealism and unbridled adventure. Somewhere in the fields of Hula Hoop twirling scantily clad glittered festival goers you will see your fist hippy love, the one whose memory gives your heart a glow to this day. That alone is worth the price of admission.  More significantly it will show you all was not in vain, the spirit lives on in the young. Watching this movie will inspire you to go forth and connect with the young, dance with them, rap with them, even learn to Hula Hoop with them again. So watch Going Furthur, let it lift your heart and drink from the fountain!



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Going Furthur Review

By on June 9, 2016 in Furthur


GOING FURTHUR DOCUMENTARY Review by Brian Calvert, “The Captain”   The task; Bring fifty-year-old legends to life, reincarnate tales that formed our lives and our culture. Then bring it to the present; with two and a half months, 15,000 miles and countless unique and interesting personal encounters. All while describing what was indescribable, defining that which had no definition and bringing forth emotions only those who were there could have had, all in one movie.  Given the pace today, d…

2016-15 Craig to Redfish Bay

By on June 7, 2016 in Wild Blue

Monday, June 6, 2016The permanent slip owner didn’t show and we departed at 4 AM.  We pulled our crab traps located just north of Craig off the fish processing plant to find 10 good looking ones.  When it comes to crabbing, there’s just no ge…