Ketchikan, whales and eagles

Ketchikan Cuise Terminal

We made good time to Ketchikan from Prince Rupert, last landfall we made in Canada.

Paul Salopek and John Stanmeyer joined us on the trip back to the US. They will have stories to share of that I am sure. I mean, how often does one witness a bubble-net feeding within yards of one's boat. I wish I had been quicker with the camera.

The trip was otherwise uneventful. CBP Roam made entry back to the US easy. We didn't have to pull into a customs dock for an inspection however, there is aways the risk that despite completing the form on line honestly that you may be inspected.

We pulled into the fuel dock to fill up. Rule number one, if there is fuel available, fill up before taking a berth in the marina. While we were in the process of fueling some anxious less than polite fisher person made a comment, on VHF, about how the "Yachties were messing them up." A local pleasure craft pulled away from the fuel pier before we were filled. But as you know the job is not done until the paper work, in this case the bill was paid. Again this fisher person bowed his boat toward us and the pier and asked fuel pier staff how much longer we would be... I shouted back that the bill has to be paid, when I really wanted to say, we have mechanical problems and are waiting for Boat US to tow us to a yard.... but I just couldn't bring myself to do it but the thought did pass my mind.

After we finished fueling, we were directed to a pier with 30 amps of power by Ports and Harbor. There are a mix of fishing vessel of various conditions or states of disrepair and neglect and "pleasure craft" of all types again in various conditions. The bulletin board outside the Harbormaster's office has a number of delinquency letters for a couple dozen fishing vessels. I do hope that this is an indication that the fishing season has not yet started and that once the hauls come in the arrears bill will be paid.

We ate at a restaurant that serves Mexican and Italian fare. The food was good, the portions LARGE and the price is fair, I guess. We didn't pay, Lynne bought us our meals, he didn't have to but we graciously accepted his offer. The restaurant has a "roman motif" and is on the waterfront with outdoor dining available. The restaurant was about 5 k steps away from where we moored in Bar Harbor.

On the way back to the we were treated to a flock of fledgling/yearling bald eagles feasting on some carcass at the base of the boat launch. After taking a bunch of snaps of eagles, I headed back to the boat and met Clark, a local boater and owner of a beautiful sail boat. He wished us well on our journey and suggested a route to the La Conte Glacier, the southern most tidewater glacier in North America. Will we go? Ed and I will discuss it and see if it feasible and something we can't pass up.

Lynne leaves tomorrow. We bid him fare well and are thankful for his help and knowlege of the area. Caleb will be joining us in two days and then Barbara will join us on the 18th. The rest of the flotilla may arrive in Ketchikan by the 18th, we hope sooner so we can join them in dinner. We are then headed north for two more legs of the IPBA ICR Predicted Log and eventual cruise to Wrangell and the final leg of the Predicted Log competition.

Lynne Hemmert

Paul and John departed to continue their journeys. Once again it was a pleasure and an honor. I'll be looking in on them on line from time to time.