First week, from May 12th

Tuesday May 12^th,

We arrived in Sitka after a long day of flying. We left BHM at 7:00 AM (on May 12^th), and arrived in Sitka at 7:30 PM. For the first time, we saw Sitka from the air, and what a sight! They have had sunshine and 65 degrees for the past 3 weeks, and we never had a single day that nice last summer. We headed out for a walk around Sitka, and then straight for some food and the bed, delaying our first visit to the boat until Wednesday morning (5/13).

Wednesday early we headed by bus to the “haul-out” where Undoc’d spent the winter. Along the way, we picked up our two kayaks that had been shipped from Friday Harbor, WA. We spent a long day doing all of the things that are required to both “de-winterize” and trouble-shoot all of the parts, components, systems, storage, clothing left on board, utensils, cleaning, and most important, trying to find out how to get our boat launched the next day. I checked all of the “thru-hulls” and electricals, and took pictures of the bottom of the boat. There was a huge fishing boat in front of us that had been completely covered with plastic, built within a frame of wood. It looked like an almost permanent home for someone, and I could not imagine how they would be moved. It looked like a small home, and moving it would destroy the frame and cover. They assured me that it could (and would) be done, but I was still skeptical.

They said to wait until about 10:00 on Thursday the 14^th for the launching, and we did. Sure enough, they lifted the boat in front without any problem, move it, and then grabbed us for a launch. Christy and I both rode in the boat for the over-land action, and were ready to go through the checklist and start Undoc’d when in the water. It was smoother than we imagined, we tested the engine and thrusters, backed out, and headed toward Sitka. This was about a 4 mile journey, and we did that at near idle speeds, testing only up to 1200 RPM. I had forgotten how fuel efficient we are at that slow speed. We were getting nearly 8 mph and burning only 7 gph at 1200 RPM. The marina “Old Thomsen Dock Harbor” had allowed us to dock at the primo location close to the office, with good electrical and water, and only a 5 minute walk to town.

Now that we were in the water, we could truly check our components for the first time. We expected that several things would suffer the agonies of a long winter in Sitka, and have worried much about this for the past 8 months. We were not disappointed! First, the crane (davit) that is used to launch the dinghy blew a fuse. We replaced it, and it blew again. Not knowing what to do next, we called the manufacturer (Kurt Dilworth is “the man”) and he had the component (Steelhead Marine) call me. He decided that the hydraulic motor had failed and would ship a replacement for a Saturday the 16^th delivery. That seemed overly ambitious, but we’ll see.

Then we found that the sump for the gray water didn’t work. That is a real “deal-killer” since you cannot function without that. All shower and sink water from the staterooms must be pumped out, since they are below the water-line. Kurt said to cut the float switch detector from it’s wires, and intentionally short them to see if the motor would run. We did, and it did, and that meant that the motor was OK, we just needed to install another float switch. I headed to town, bought a new one, and installed it. Everything worked fine. Next problem was found to be the bilge pump in the main hull (engine room). It would not come on, and the float switch lever was “stuck” and wouldn’t move. I bought another one, and that solved that.

Friday the 15^th was “provisioning” day. Getting groceries for a couple of weeks while underway is a significant event. We spent $400 and are certain that we don’t have enough yet. I heard from the Davit maker that the new motor would arrive early on Saturday morning, so I began the dismantling of the old one, taking pictures, making notes, and diagramming the schematics so I would be ready.

Early Saturady, the pump motor arrived, and it took about an hour to install it. What a thrill to see the crane work properly again after connecting 4 high-pressure hoses, and about 8 electricals to the unit. Feeling now ready to depart Sitka, Christy and I headed out to hike the 6 mile trail loop in the forest, and along Indian River. Not a cloud in the sky, and the temp about 65 degrees….what a day! Christy then cooked an incredible meal of chili appetizer, then corn on the cob, spinach, broccoli, with cornbread…what a treat. We are exhausted, but ready to head out tomorrow.

I forgot to describe unpacking, assembling, and inflating the new kayaks. What a product they are. Hobie makes several versions of inflatables with a drive for pedaling. Very ingenious mechanics, with cruising speeds of 8kts without paddling….even faster with paddling added. They were inflated and placed on the upper deck, secured and are ready for use. Many things are yet to be tried, such as the dinghy, but that can wait. We are headed south!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

We were anxious to get started, but needed to wait until after 9:00 in order to take advantage of the currents thru Sergious Narrows. They can approach 8kts, and are routinely 6-7 kts, and you had better plan to have the current pushing you! I got our flag on the stern, and an Alaska flag for our burgee on the bow, pre-flighted the engine, gen-set, retracted the power cord, and then headed to the marine supply store to check for tide and current charts. Christy prepared a huge pot of Risotto and Caprese salad for our dinner later on, and toasted a pan of pine nuts. We had no idea where we would get to, but we were ready to eat already. The smell of the Risotto was incredible, and of course, we had to taste it.

The day was overcast and rainy, with the temp around 55 degrees….not the best day to be in Sitka, but a good day to be underway. Even though our trip is to head south, we must first head north and then east. The reason is the inside passage is a maze of waterways, and everyone wants to avoid getting “outside” in the Pacific. Outside is the most direct way to get south, but there are risks involved, so we head north.

We covered around 50 nm before we decided to anchor for the night. We were near the mouth of Peril Strait, which merges with Chatham Strait, and turns south. This spot is called Honus Bay, and is where we anchored last summer with Greg and Jan Brown on our way to Sitka

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This is the chart-plotter....and below is the same spot viewing a 3-D topography of the bottom:

Pretty cool stuff

Christy did a masterful job at the controls while I lowered the anchor with the windlass. We were in 20 kt winds, so it wasn’t easy keeping Undoc’d pointed into the wind. We were in 20 ft of water, and let out 100 ft of chain. Next stop was an incredible supper!

Everything seems to be working, including the float switch I replaced, and the crane hydraulic motor. Christy washed a load of clothes, dryed them, and all while playing 5 hands of gin. It’s great having all of the amenities of home while “roughing it”. We are planning on watching a DVD tonight, but not sure what yet. The satellite receiver will not get anything until we are further south, typically below 55 degrees of north latitude, so no TV yet. Tomorrow will be better weather, and we are excited to get to Warm Springs. They are really spectacular, they say, since in addition to the warm baths, there are several 200 ft waterfalls that cascade into the cove. That will be only 30 miles from here, so we are not sure whether we will press on further, or stay there tomorrow night.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Well, what a difference a night makes. We awoke to a crystal clear sky, and sun shinning brightly! The winds were 20 kts all night, and the waves were slapping against the hull. We raised anchor and immediately were headed toward Warm Springs. The east coast of Baranof Island is famous for the severe cliffs and waterfalls. We caught the ebb tide just right and had another knot of push helping along. Sunglasses were a must. We could see on the AIS (coded signal sent out by larger boats) that a National Geographic boat was ahead at the Kasnyku Falls, so we headed toward them, and it was amazing. Huge falls cascading into Chatham Strait, that we could motor right up to. Then it was onward. Christy saw commotion in the water ahead, and as we approached, there were 20 or so Dall Porpoises playing. They gathered on both sides of our bow, and Christy got a great video of them playing in our wake. Then we saw our first whales, a pod doing their bubble-feeding, but they were too far off to get pictures.

We turned into Warm Springs, and were greeted by a massive fall smack in the middle of the village. The boardwalk trail went up above the village, and to the lake, but was covered with snow yet to melt. We docked at their public pier which was perfect, and Christy talked to two fishermen just tying up their small boat. One had just purchased one of the homes, and was excited about spending the winter there next year. He said it snowed 27 feet last year! Two large boats were coming in, so we headed out again.

We had to cross Chatham Strait, and there were 3 to 4 foot rollers out there. For the first time, we speeded up to shorten the time for crossing, and then headed east through Fredrick Sound. The fishermen suggested our next anchoring should be at Portage Bay, so off we went. Our first great friends from last year, Lee and Diane Simpson, had wintered their boat, Sonata, in Petersburg. Since that was our destination for tomorrow, I decided to call them on the cell. Lee answered and much to our surprise was still in Petersburg. He said he’ll have dinner ready for us Tuesday night! Lee is the former raisin farmer turned boat builder who personally built his 60 foot, 60 ton steel hulled Sonata. He has a grand piano and a fireplace in his salon, and electronics that remotely monitor and transmit via the web all of his environmental data. If he travels south for the winter, he can always look at the status of his boat on the internet. Can’t wait to see them.

We arrived at Portage Bay at 5:00 after a 70 mile day….too long. We had decided earlier that the weather looked good enough to take advantage of it, and cross Fredrick Sound. We have quite the spot for anchoring, and Christy has put together another incredible meal. This time it was fresh corn, broccoli, sweet potatoes, huge salad, and cornbread. We’re starting on shrimp, salmon, and halibut tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Early start to get to Petersburg early enough to get a run in. House battery-bank drifts down at about 2% per hour, which is only 12 amp-hours. The generator restores the overnight losses in less than 30 minutes. We were given a good slip at the dock in downtown Petersburg. The first thing we did was go for a run….it’s been too long, and we’re not gonna “do without” this trip! The sun is blazing away, and the temp is warm. Everyone here is excited because of it.

We see Jade Princess (from NC) and Sonata (Lee & Diane) across the way, and will have dinner with Lee tonight.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Great dinner last night with Lee and Diane. Huge steaks, but better conversation. He has offered, and we have accepted, to head out tomorrow, Thursday for a fishing, crabbing, and prawning clinic. We will cruise 2.5 hours north to Thomas Inlet, where the halibut, prawns, crabs and salmon thrive. He has all of the equipment, and is certain that he can educate me in the methods and strategies involved. What fun that is going to be. This is the filling of a huge gap in knowledge for me. Can’t wait!