Sailing Vessel Chessie

Alaska August 2005 / Log Archive

8/16/05 Ketchikan was a good port stop. Susan Werner, who had the trip up from Prince Rupert and visited the fiord region North of PR with us inlcuding Alice Arm, flew back to San Diego. Karen's sister, Judy, and her husband Tom joined us for the trip North through the Behm Canal, around Revillagigedo Island, and through Misty Fiord National Monuement to depart in Prince Rupert.

Ketchikan is on the southeast side of Revillagigedo Island on the Tongass Narrows. The circumnavigation of Revillagigedo through the Behm Canal to the North and then down through Misty Fiords and back up to Ketchikan is roughly 115 miles. And all of it has some of the best salmon and halibut fishing in the world.

First, a word or two about Ketchikan. With the possible exception of the local watering holes, a really good diner and a truly bizarre laundromat, Ketchikan has the feel of a place designed by and for the cruise ships. "T" shirts, jewellery, faux native art, real native art, and every manner of Alaskan logo trinket abound. It is not unusal to see four or five large cruise ships in port. When they are not there which does happen, the place the feels likea ghost town, going from 25,000 to 300 at the raising of a gangway.

We berthed in the commercial or public docks which is much more common in Northern British Columbia and Alaska than it is further south. During the "high season" ...July-August...it is not uncommon to see pleasure boats, power or sail, rafted alongside a 65' purse seiner or long liner. And the relationships twixt the commercial fisherman and the "yachties" is, in most cases, very cordial and positive. We've had a number of tours of commercial boats ...some pretty scary...and a number of excellent fishing tips (and instruction) from commercial fisherman. Some of our best crabbing has been at the commercial docks. In Ketchikan Jonathan, a commercial fisherman who we'd struck up an acquaintanship with, gave us a garbage bag full of large dungeness crab...about eight or nine...each 8-8 1/2 inches across.

Departing Ketchikan in the driving rain we headed for Naha Bay, about 40 miles north at the beginning of the Behm Canal. There's a 3 miles boardwalk hiking trail there and a great "reversing falls." If you take your dinghy into Roosevelt Lagoon at high (or low) slack water, you'd better be prepared for a quick look around ...5-10 minutes max...or you'll be stuck in the lagoon until the next slack water...about 5 hours. We elected to do the hike only which was great. Lots of blueberries and we ran into friends of Bruce & Joan Kessler (SWYC). It's a small boating world even up here in the tundra. Naha Bay is one of the migrating stops for the somewhat rare and endangered Trumpeteer Swan ... we didn't get a look...a bit on the early side.

An interesting seamanship/navigation sidelight from our Naha Bay stop. We anchored in about 105' in a small cove just around the corner from the primary inlet and reversing falls in front of a salmon stream runoff. While the crew was off in the dinghy, I was going to busy myself with a little (probably non-productive) casting. In the process I set the rod down, looked over the side and saw...bottom...no, not really clear water (which it was) but bottom ... about 5 feet away. The outflow from the stream had "grown" over the years since the 1988 survey and was about 60 yards from where the (otherwise execllent) Canadian chart said it should be. I moved.

Underway the next morning for Yes Bay we enjoyed some of the best salmon fishing of the trip. Coho's and an occassional King and one pink.

Yes Bay is a very upscale fishing lodging with skiffs and accomodations for about 40. Great dining room (great chef) and very nice facilities.
Normally packed during the season, there were only two other guests. We had the place to ourselves. Due to scheduling anomolies and a few cancellations probably due to the continuing unseasonable rain, the place was nearly deserted. The staff was delighted to see us. A reaffirmation that people were still out there and were still going to come there. We understand that the following week was again sheculed at 100%.

Continuing northeast through Bell Narrows, which marks the end of legal salmon fishing until you're once again south and out of Misty Fiords, we turn south and stop at the two most spectacular fiords: Walker Cove and Punchbowl. Shear black granit cliff faces, hundreds of waterfalls, 150' cedar trees hanging onto shear drops, and very deep water. We were fortunate that in both fiords we were the only boat and moored to U.S. Forest Service bouy's in very deep water. No sand line here. The pictures, which will be on the site shortly, will speak for themselves.

Carrying on south from Misty Fiords, we anchor for the night at Carp Island, which has a reputation for great crabbing. Shortly after we anchor an Alaskan Fish and Game trawler (about 125') pulls in and anchors just astern. We are playing all by the rules...all our traps are legal...all our catch is properly bagged and labled...all our fish logs are up to date. But it's a little bit like having the CHP follow you on the on ramp. And, of course, when we go to bring up the crab trap it is fouled ...which it does with some frequency...in the anchor chain. (The best way to do this is to put it on a float which you can then tend from the dinghy...means you have to put the dinghy in the water, etc.etc....sometimes you get rewarded for being lazy.) Away, there is about an eleven inch Turner crab in the trap and he is going to use this entanglement with the anchor chain as an escape route. Not so fast buster. We did save crab and trap...and provided some entertainment for Fish and Game.

The next morning it's off to Foggy Bay, the overnight stop before heading across the Dixon Entrance, through the Venn Passage and into Prince Rupert. Foggy Bay is just that. It's also a very tight and very secure anchorage once you're in. Like a lot of places up here you need to be very conscious of the chart, the state of the current and tide and also keep you eyes open. Friends who have a Director 65' cut the corner a bit close and removed their port stabilizer (with roughly a depth of just under 6 feet) when they left Foggy just ahead of us. Fortunately, it was just the stabilizer and no flodding resulted.

Dixon Entrance, which can be nasty, is flat and Gary and Sandy Barnett (SANSTOY) overtake us mid-channel also on the way to Prince Rupert.
We have mentioned the water hazards up here before. Logs, escaped from cutting sites and from logginf tows. Logs...trees...which die a natural death and float down the various waterways orthose that commit suicide and throw themselves from great heights ino the inlets. Some become "deadheads" which float vertically or on the near verticak and are a real hazard for props and hulls. Travelling at night is, for most boaters, not a realtistic option. Crossing the Dixon Entrance this day we see the grand daddy of water hazards: a sixty foot cedar...4-5 foot diameter, complete with root ball. Certainly could make someone's day.

Our second visit to Prince Rupert is a bit of a homecoming. We see boaters we've met there before and the Prince Rupert Rowing and Yacht Club Staff is great. Prince Rupert has a little of the cruise ship business, one at a time and fortunately it is not in. It's a great place to provision.

We'll be off early in morning - fog permitting - for our run across the Queen Charlottes and down through the Johnstone Strait and Discovery Passage to the San Juans and Victoria.

All the best -

Richard & Karen