Ginny and I have been happily married for 50 years , have 2 sons and 6 grandchildren. We have been avid boaters since the mid 1970's. We have sailed in various parts of the world making 'bareboat' charter trips in the Washington and Canadian San Juans and Gulf Islands, Maine,the British Virgins, South Pacific's Moorea and Tuamoto's and New Zealand. We owned and raced a J-24, Laser, and cruised a Newport 30 before buying a long range trawler in 2003 and cruising the waters of the Pacific Northwest and the 'Inside Passage' of British Columbia to SE Alaska for the last 10 years. After first owning a 2000 Selene 47, and 2002 Selene 50 (both named 'Ina Marie', we now, in the 'bell lap' of our boating days, own, operate and thoroughly enjoy 'Ginny C' , our 2007 Selene 42.
August 4, The Challenges of Rocky Pass in Keku Straight
August 4, The Challenges of Rocky Pass in Keku Straight
We wake up to the first day of rain since leaving Ketchikan 10 days ago. Amazing. After leaving Port Protection and running about 15nm, as we enter Rocky Pass it is ‘all hands on deck’ for the the 12 nm as we navigate the famous Rocky Pass. We will need to be on constant watch for rocks, depths, course changes and identification of over 36 numbered red and green navigation aids. Our plan is to stop for the night at a ‘wide spot in the road’ about half way thru after negotiating one of the two major challenges of it called ‘Devils Elbow’ and before transiting the other ‘The Summit’. It sounds a bit scary but it really turns out to be fun as we stay super focused from one nav aid to the next. Since it is raining quite hard after successfully ‘conquering’ Devils Elbow’ we decide to move on thru all of it the same day. Once getting thru the ‘Summit’ we move on another 6 nm and settle in for the night in Steadman cove in Big John Bay, hoping to finally get crab in this reportedly good spot. Steadman has an oyster farm in it so not the most scenic place we have been, but it is raining hard so it matters little. good time to set the traps and put our heads into a good book. Once again the damn ‘endangered’ millions of sea otters have cleaned out this formerly fantastic crabbing cove.
Red Bluff Bay, Bears, and Beautiful Ell Cove and Baby Bear Cove
The weather is clearing as we exit Steadman Cove into Kiui Passage, Frederic Sound and across mid Chatham Straight for our 42nm run into Red Bluff Bay on Baronoff Island. These large bodies of water are smooth and flat... the clouds are rising and Baronoffs huge mountain range and glaciers are beginning to break out of the clouds.
Red Bluff Bay is more spectacular the even the books describe it. We are in awe as we approach and enter thru its 3 small islets at its mouth. We drop a prawn trap as soon as we enter and cruise on up its 3 mile length where we will anchor for the night at its head. This huge fjord is surrounded by mountains cirques and cliffs 6,000 feet up on all sides. As we approach the west end a spectacular water fall drws our attention with it roaring waters. The depth at its entry point into the bay is over 200 feet so I ease the boat in close enuff to have its mist spray over the bow of the boat. We have this entire bay to share with just one other boat, a chartered 125 foot Christianson, made in Vancouver , Washington. The customers are a group of Russians and the boat hes come all the way from Newport Beach, Ca. A third joins us just before dark. All clouds completely depart about 8 pm. We spot a huge Grizzley Bear in the meadow at the end of the bay and we jump in the dingy to approach and watch it as it wades and fishes for the next 45 minutes before heading off into the woods. What a day this has been!!!
August 6, 2013, Red Bluff Bay to Ell Cove via Baronoff Hot Springs
We awaken to totally clear skies with some of the most amazing mountain and glacier views I Have ever seen. As we pull our agin empty crab traps a young Brown/Grizzly bear wanders down the beach. We follow him at a safe distance in the tender as he ambles along the shore line looking for a fish to grab. After about ten minutes he is right off Ginny C’s anchor spot.but meanders into the woods before Dave and I can wake up the girls to watch him.
We pull anchor and head out stopping to get the prawn trap and a poor pull of only 11 prawns. Ginny surmises we should be in a hole shown on the charts about 200 yards away. I take the boat over that spot and see a ‘cloud’ of prawns on the bottom with my fish finder. She is dead right.
The forecast is for light winds in Chatham Straight so we decide to tow the tender for our 12 nm run to Baronoff Bay and Hot Springs. As soon as we exit we find ourselves into 2 foot swells and 15 knot winds gusting to 18. We run for about a mile before realizing we can not continue to tow. We try to raise the dinghy in this rough water and almost lose it in the effort due to a rigging failure.
we secure it to the side of the big boat and limp back into Red Bluff Bay’s calm water where we can hoist it safely.
We proceed on to the hot springs and find room on the dock to leave the boat for our 1/2 mile hike to the springs. There is a huge waterfall right in front of the dock creating a current against wind resulting in a tricky landing effort. Getting off was even more difficult exacerbated by having to clear the sterns of two huge yachts rafted together right behind us.
The hot springs were spectacular, located next to a roaring river. There were three pools, the first one almost too hot to enter and each of the other two gradually cooler. We enjoyed handfuls of wild blue berries we picked and eaten during our walk to and from the pools.
From here it was off to tiny Ell Cove for a peaceful evening and night. We ate 1/2 of the fantastic Salmon the fisherman had given Dave D at Port Protection.
August 7, 2013, Ell Cove to Baby Bear Cove.
Today is a cruising day of 47nm to Baby Bear Cove where we will spend the night waiting for the right time to transit Sergius Narrows in order to cruise on in to Sitka the next day. This 300 yard narrows is treacherous not only for its strong currents, but also the relatively high traffic volume which congregates to go thru it at slack water. The window is about 1 hour on either side of slack although many of the local fishing fleet will take it longer when they can run thru going with the current. It is impossible to go thru against the strong currents between periods of slack water.
As we depart Ell Cove about 6am we spot a big Grizzley sow with two small cubs on the low tide beach. Unfortunately, we ca not get pictures because as soon as she hears or sees us she heads for the woods and they romp on behind her. It is a beautiful day again, few clouds in the sky, giving us fab views of Baronoff’s rugged high mountains as we proceed up Chatham Channel and on into and up Peril Straight and on into Baby Bear cove. We arrive about 1:30, drop the Kayaks and two crab traps. The weather is changing and we will see rain tomorrow during our 30nm run to Sitka.
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