Please join us on MV Pairadice : MISTY FIORDS

Friday, July 28th Day 106 Ketchikan, AK South Bar Harbor Marina

Plans changed this morning when we listened to the weather on the VHF during breakfast. Winds were projected to pick up beyond 20 knots. We put a plan in place to leave for Misty Fiords this afternoon. The weather was more favorable today for going through Behm Canal. Kay and I toted the wagons to the market for a huge purchase of last minute provisions. Tom and I got are steps in fast tracking to the US Forest Service for Misty Fiords maps on our way to the airport ferry terminal to swoop up our guests. My friend, Julie, was visiting Pairadice for a week and Alaskan Sea-Duction had Tom's daughter, Sam, aboard. WhooHoo! We planned a circumnavigation of Revillagigedo Island. And it was raining again....

Alaskan Sea-Duction and Pairadice moored in Ketchikan.

We have great respect for the USCG!

Tom and I met Julie and Sam at Ketchikan airport and we taxied back to South Bar Marina in the rain. Once down on the docks back at the boats, we gave the guests the 5 cent tour, readied the boats and headed out from our moorage at South Bar Harbor.

Jules getting some nav time in reviewing the maps of
Misty Fiords and Revillagigedo Island. She has shown an interest in
upgrading her shipboard qualifications from Swab to Deckhand.

Ketchikan to Shoal Pass Bay was 40nm, a 6 hour. I put out some apples, cheese, salami and crackers in the pilot house for our afternoon snack. Once at anchor, I got busy, with Julie’s help, making a simple taco dinner. We enjoyed dinner on our own and sacked out at our first anchorage.

Entering Shoalwater Pass between
Winstanley Island and Misty Fiords.

Our first nights anchorage while exploring Misty Fiords.

Saturday, July 29th Day 107 Smeaton Bay Cruise - Wilson Arm

We woke to a black bear on the shore which is always a special treat.

John took us past the Eddystone, a giant granite rock the jets up 90* seemingly from no where. It was a bit unfortunate that our cruise through Wilson Arm was on a very foggy and rainy day but it did have a charm of it's own. Wilson Arm is the first of three fiords in Misty Fiords National monument.

The Eddystone in Misty Fiords (on a rainy day).

At anchor in Shoalwater Pass

For Julie’s first cruise I planned crab boil for dinner on our first night at anchor at Shoalwater Pass Bay off Misty Fiords. After an amazing visit and meal, we enjoyed a Sting concert dance party in the salon. What a blast!

Sunday, July 30th Day 108

We cruised Rudyered Bay (upper arm) and Punchbowl Cove

The fog was thick all day.

Countless waterfalls, everywhere!

The crew on Alaskan Sea-Duction: Tom, Sam and Kay

We woke to dense fog and it rained all day but not enough to mask the beauty of the fiords.

Upon finishing our sight seeing cruise, we retreated back to our previous anchorage at Shoal Pass Bay, this time rafting with Alaskan Sea-Duction (ASD) which always makes the socializing more fun and easy. Kay and I had a plan in place to have a halibut dinner party on ASD. She made her Halibut Olympia and we grilled halibut with butter, lemon and our famous Everglades rub. We had quite the smorgasbord with appetizers, rice, potatoes, dessert, the whole works. A great time was had by all!

Monday, July 31tst Day 109 Shoal Pass Bay to Fitzgibbon Cove

The skies cleared as we passed back by the landmark New Eddystone.

Same scenery with different weather, truly magical!

Todays journey took us on an even more scenic cruise through Walker Cove on our way to our next anchorage in Fitzgibbon Cove. The sun showed off it's full face. The day was spectacular!

John and Julie on the fly bridge.

Looking aft from the flybridge.

These Dahl porpoise cruised with the boat for a while.

Off the bow...

...and the starboard.

Once the hook was set at our anchorage, we launched the dinghies. John and Julie set two crab pots, after they were in place John headed out to set a shrimp pot.

While that was going on, I marinated a tri tip for dinner and saw to the other fixings. Fitzgibbon Cove was breathtaking! We had a great meal with a wonderful view of the sunset

Tuesday, August 1st Day 110 Fitzgibbon Cove to Klu Bay / Shrimp Bay

Up at 8am. Pulling pots the crab traps came back first, we had six males, tossed back 2 small guys. Tom and Sam retrieved his shrimp pot and had only the 3 prawns. We

made our way to Spacious Bay and found it to be an unfavorable for anchorage for the southerly winds we were experiencing. We quickly ditched that plan and headed across Behm Canal checking out Klu Bay and Shrimp Bay on Revillagigedo Island.

We really liked both shrimp Bay and Klu Bay. We opted to anchor in
Klu Bay which was a bit deeper in and more protected.

As it turned out our friends Dean and Teresa, on Salt Heart,
a Selene 62", were anchored in Klu Bay as well.
That afternoon they came over in their dinghy inviting us for happy hour.
The Selene Family is pretty tight!

Heading over to Salt Heart.

During our visit, someone realized there was a bear with her cub on the shore.
Everyone made a mad dash for cameras and life jackets, boarding the two
dinghies to check out the bears a bit closer.

Slowly closing in on the bears.

They could care less about our presence. We watched them for quite a while.

Look at Dean's mac daddy camera.

Heading back to the boats.

Pairadice illuminated by the setting sun.

Our beautiful anchorage in Klu Bay, north Revillagigedo Island.
Tomorrow we made our way back to Ketchikan.

Wednesday, August 2nd Day 111 Klu Bay and Shrimp Bay to Ketchikan

Arriving at Ketchikan our initial slip assignment was incorrect, rerouted to row 11 with slips right next to each other. No big deal. And it was actually a newer and nicer section of the South Bar Marina.

Julie graduated from Swabbie to Deckhand III

On to the hospital for some medical attention for my wound.

One week ago this was a blister...

Julie and I walked to the Emergency room at the hospital. There are no Urgent Cares or the like in Ketchikan. Four providers concluded it was a Staph and/or MRSA infection, with cellulitus in the anckle and foot. RX Keflex 500, Bactrim DS 800, for 10 days... yuck!

Thursday, August 3rd Day 112 Downtown Ketchikan playing tourista.

Historic Creek Street

Dolly's House is the one on the right.

We took the Dollar Bus downtown to show our guests around. First stop was Dolly's House, a former brothel on Creek Street. We took the tour and learned a lot about what went on in the 50's. Dolly was the Madam, she housed the seamstresses, who were secretly "call girls". She was very proud of her success and her "state of the art" high end furnishings.