Alyeska 2007

A note to our readers.....

May 29, 2007

We are safely tied up to our home port dock in Ketchikan! During the last week we have been unable to post to our blog due to problems the site is having with mobile posting..... So now that we have internet access we have posted the entries created over the last week or so.  If you are interested, be sure to look back over the month as some have been inserted on the correct dates.  Also as a reminder you can "click" on any picture to display a larger version.  Happy reading!

Dave and Carol

Alaska, USA

May 28, 2007

 
It is appropriate that on this Memorial Day, we returned to US waters this morning. We arrived in Alaska at 11:30 AM, and are glad to be back! We want to take a moment to remember and honor all those who have served this great country so well over the years, and who have protected our freedoms and ability to remain the greatest country in the world. This includes the Captain of Alyeska, Air Force Capt. (now US Coast Guard Captain) David Good.

Check out the hat!

Eagle Convention

May 28, 2007

 
As we left

Prince   Rupert

this morning and exited Venn Passage, we came upon a flock (herd?) of eagles sitting on a net repair float. It is very unusual to see eagles this far away from shore, out in the open water. I guess they were waiting on the fisherman to return with the catch of the day. They certainly don't appear to be endangered up here.

Nobeltec

May 28, 2007

 
The long cruising days leaves one with plenty of time to work (read that play) on various projects. The latest version of Nobeltec has the ability to customize the display in new ways. This shot is of a screen created a few days ago and currently being used.

 On the left panel, the yellow symbol with the dashed pointer is the ARPA target of Wilhelmina (in the lead as usual) as we make our approach into

Prince Rupert

Luxury Moorage

May 26, 2007

 We had the best moorage spot in

British Columbia

tonight - rafted alongside Wilhelmina in Patterson Inlet. This was a first for us - we don't normally raft with another boat, especially one as nice as Wilhelmina. We had a lovely evening going from boat to boat, and enjoyed steaks on the aft deck of Wilhelmina. Lenni especially enjoyed it, since she had two boats to run around on.

Lots of Screens

May 25, 2007

 

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND BOYS IS THE PRICE OF THEIR TOYS!!!!

Boarded!!

May 24, 2007

While underway in Fitzhugh Sound this morning, we encountered the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) - not the horse variety but the boat guys. As we were motoring along, their boat circled around us, and they asked permission to come aboard. Before we could get the boat slowed down, one of the officers had jumped aboard our aft deck from their boat. They performed a routine inspection for customs and documentation, and were very professional and courteous. After they finished the inspection, their boat pulled up alongside us, and the officer jumped back on his boat.

Reflections

May 22, 2007

We completed our crossing of Queen Charlotte Sound and made it to the calmer waters of the Inside Passage, to our favorite anchorage of Fury Cove. We will take a few days off to rest and renew. The past week of cruising the demanding outer passage has brought to mind two thoughts. The beauty and ruggedness of the west coast presented many challenges and demands for perseverance. The weather and seas were a constant force to be reckoned with, yet always, as needed, there were places of safe harbor and respite. While observing this rugged coastline, it became clear that God had designed it much as life itself. No matter what the trials or struggles we may face, He will always provide a place of shelter from the storms.
Secondly, dogs are unconditional love personified! No matter what we throw at Lenni, no matter how rough the journey, she hangs in there and just loves us. She is such a trooper and reminds us daily of the blessing she is to us.

The End of the Rainbow

May 20, 2007

We are continuing our trip around the northwest end of Vancouver Island today and the weather is improving. It rained hard overnight but this morning the sun came out for a little while. We saw two beautiful rainbows over the Pacific, and Wilhelmina motored right into one of them. It always give us comfort to see the rainbows at the end of a hard trip. By tomorrow, we will have completed our west coast passage and will move to the secure waters of the inside passage. We are all looking forward to that "pot of gold" at the end of the rainbow!

Oh Hail

It rained hard this afternoon in our anchorage and we saw something one rarely sees in this part of the world - HAIL. It poured rain, and we also had lightening and thunder for a brief period. The boat was covered in pea sized hail pellets after the storm.