Roche Harbor to Friday Harbor - Back in the USA (26NM)

Lesson of the day…never assume. We made the assumption (using an out of date Waggoner guide from 2023 and a Google Search referencing Waggoner’s guide!) that we could check back to the U.S. using the CBP app at Roche Harbor - NO! You can not and the U.S. customs officer on the other end of our video chat gave us VERY stern warning, letting us know that we were in violation of the U.S. entrance rules. With the warning letter in Larry’s in box were, thankfully, allowed to re-enter the U.S.

We enjoyed charming Roche Harbor for the evening and then made another overnight stop in Friday Harbor, as we have not visited these two sweet towns for over two years (on the original Independence). Great little towns that are thoroughly enjoyable.

Entering Roche Harbor on a lovely sunny afternoon

Back to the U.S. of A. but don’t make our mistake…you have to go to Friday Harbor to officially re-enter the U.S. from Canada

Snack time for this Harbor Seal that has learned how to ‘work’ the fish cleaning station

The historic Hotel De Haro was built by resort founder, John S. McMillin, in 1886 and named after the Captain Lopez de Haro who discovered and founded the San Juan Islands in 1787. The bricks on the road in front of the hotel are from the Kilns used to process local limestone into quicklime.

Several cryptic signs like these lead you on your hike above town to the John McMillin Mausoleum

Evidently, an eccentric individual, John McMillin built (started in 1930 & completed in 1936 for $30,000) this mausoleum as a memorial for his family, and for the things he believed. From the plaque at site, the mausoleum “incorporates symbols from Masonry, the Bible, and the Sigma Chi fraternity, all of which were important to him. He also incorporated his own views of family unity. The structure is approached by two sets of stairs, representing the steps within the Masonic Order. The stairs on the east side of the mausoleum stand for the spiritual life of man. The winding in the path symbolizes that the future cannot be seen. The stairs were built in sets of three, five and seven. This represents the three stages of life (youth, manhood, age), the five orders of architecture (Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, Composite), the five senses, and the seven liberal arts and sciences (grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy)…..

…..the columns were created to be the same size as those in King Solomon’s temple. The broken column represents the broken column of life - that man dies before his work is completed. The center of the mausoleum boasts a round table of limestone and concrete surrounded by six stone and concrete chairs. The chair bases are crypts for the ashes of the family, while the whole represents the reunion after death.

Charming homes in the harbor looking a bit like Fall is on the way

The trees are changing colors, the harbinger of Fall

The Colors Ceremony is a Roche Harbor tradition dating from 1957. Each evening, during the summer months - 10 minutes prior to sunset, dock staffers lower five flags; the Roche burgee, Washington state, Canada, Great Britain and the United States flags. A cannon shot is fired right before the American flag is lowered, followed by the playing of Taps. Each flag is lowered while their according countries anthems are played. It is a wonderful evening ritual enjoyed by all.

Sunset over the harbor

Night views of Roche Harbor

Fare the well Roche

Enjoying a cold one at San Juan Island Brewery on Thursday on Friday Harbor….suely not too many of these beautiful days left in the season.

Cheers to a great summer!

Captain's Post #28 - An Observation, Two A's and Lots of Bees....a Reflection.

Written and photographed by Larry McCullough

Jamie and I are now in Brentwood Bay, a tranquil setting that is just a short walk to the world famous Butchart Gardens. Being a tranquil setting and having the terrible habit of waking up early, way too early this morning at 3:45, it gives me time to reflect which for the most part is good.

The Butchart Gardens were truly beautiful and a must see if in the Victoria area, Vancouver Island has much to offer over it’s 12,000 plus square miles. I must say that I enjoyed the experience tremendously but what fascinated me the most were the bees! Little pilots, or captains if you will, buzzing around a harbor trying to navigate their way into a tiny slip to find sustenance, pollen,  much like us. We have navigated into the thousands of marinas throughout North America to find sustenance, usually beer!

Maybe not thousands, but there have been many. Laying there in bed this morning thinking about this leg of our 8 year journey brought many thoughts. Definitely a major check mark on the Bucket List. Over 20,000 miles by sea, rivers and lakes. A circumnavigation of North America, not quite, but in my mind, and as you get older that is what matters more, a true accomplishment. From as far south as Honduras on the East Coast as far north as Lake Superior. Thousands of miles of rivers and canals, 220 miles of the Hudson, the Illinois, the Ten-Tom, the Erie Canal, the memories, the stress.  The West Coast: from Bahia de la Concepcion hundreds of miles up the Sea of Cortez around Cabo San Lucas all the way to Glacier Bay and as far north as Skagway in Alaska.

So many miles, so much scenery, so much stress. I was recently reminded of the stress by a digital add in Passagemaker magazine for “Trawlerfest” in Baltimore. The picture was of me, well the back of my head, as I was driving Independence toward the fixed bridge south of Chicago that is only 19.5 feet high (Independence was 25 feet in height but 18 with a hinge in the radar arch). The original picture was used in an article that had other pictures that Jamie took of me, one which has been used several times shows my face with a very stressful look on it as we slip underneath one of the very low clearance bridges leaving Chicago and I am looking at the next one that looks like it even has less clearance.

Stress…yes, the 20,000 plus miles have had its fair share of stress. Low bridges, shallow water, waves (not splashes) coming over the bow (of both boats) headed straight at me sitting at the helm. Not to be forgotten was the nasty storm that grounded several boats in the Bahamas that woke me in the middle of the night. The anchor dragged as the boat turned 180 degrees before it caught. Yes stress, but it was worth it. If it was easy everybody would have done it. But as I reflect it was worth it. Even the harrowing experiences added so much to memories, we survived, we did what we were supposed to do, it made the beer taste so much better once the boat was tied up or at anchor.  When we were in Baha, Nordhavn sent a great guy, Doug and his lovely wife Laura, to do a 10 minute video biography on us. In the outtake at the end of the video I am talking about the stress of our travels and the anchor alarm goes off, a loud “whoop-whoop-whoop”, it’s hilarious and unscripted, as is life, as is boating!

I reflect often, but it is the reflection that I must admit truly does bother me, the mirror reflection. That expression, as I am approaching the bridges outside of Chicago, now seems to be burned into my face. Not the rugged tanned look of an old salty sailor, but of a guy who has gotten older with stress thrown in. But what the hell, I am turning 68 in a few weeks and in a few months I’ll attend my 50th High School Reunion. I am older and it beats the alternative. The important part - Jamie does not appear to be getting ready to leave me, well most of the time, so looks don’t matter as much.

Going back to the title, I have covered the Bees, and the Reflection, now the A’s and a bit more observation. Independence and Independence II cannot be any more different. Jamie and I both loved Independence, it took us over 16,000 Nautical Miles and was a big comfortable safe ocean going boat. What we did on that boat would be impossible to do on our new boat. From Honduras non stop to Florida, almost 4 straight days in open ocean through the Caribbean Sea around Cuba to Key West. The Great Lakes, the Hudson, the Mississippi, truly a great boat. No way could we have done with the Nordhavn, what we did this spring and summer with the Life Proof. It would have been so much more of “here or there”.

The reactions we get with the Life Proof have surprised me tremendously. I did not expect the attention it has received. The most frequent comment is “it’s beautiful!” - I did not expect that. I thought maybe “Bad Ass” which it does receive, but infrequently. The motors draw people, especially the men. Some are in awe, some infer that I have, how shall I say this, manly issues. I started to think it was a Socioeconomic issue, in other words the hoity toity snobs put their nose up at it. But that was not it either. Living in California I have learned “to each their own”, whatever, I don’t care. I spend a lot of time talking to people about the boat, what it has allowed us to do and how very safe the the boat is. I would say that 60% of the comments are very favorable, 20% just favorable, 10% just curios, 10% disdain.

As with the Nordhavn, the Life Proof has had issues. We had originally planned on putting it on a trailer to be trucked to Florida to do the Great Loop again but we have had to change those plans. Our boat is the first model where the cabin was extended towards the bow eliminating a cockpit area which accommodated a standard “windlass” anchoring system where our model uses a drum. The drum binds, in other words, it does not load properly like a fishing reel going back and forth. Life Proof has been very good about this and will work on it over the winter to insure that a safe, easily retrievable alternative is installed. Additional life issues have us changing our plans too, as Jamie’s Mom is in need of more care.

Lots of thought and reflections in this post. When we are done with our travels we plan on having Jamie’s Blog printed into a book, as at times it is kind of like a diary, hopefully not like a Fauci diary though!

Captain's Post #27 - They are so confused! What a disappointment! Holy Sh…! (50NM)

By Larry McCullough

No, this is not some political rant! I wasn’t sure what title to use, so I used all three.

Moby’s Pub

Jamie and I took off from Vancouver on our way to Salt Spring, a nice little town, might as well talk about the middle title, “What a disappointment” first. We walk around the town and are on the hunt for a place that has “Dive Bar” in their name, it wasn’t a Dive Bar, believe me I know what  a Dive Bar is, it was a small café. We did find a nice pub right here in our marina though, “Moby’s Pub”.

Ok, back to the boat trip and the title “They are so confused!”. Again, not a political rant, don’t get me started, this is about the seas. I checked Windy the day before and when I woke up. The forecast was for seas of 1 foot every 3 seconds near Vancouver and then up 2 feet every 3 seconds when we were in the Strait of Georgia, the large body of water between Vancouver the City and Vancouver Island which is about 18 miles wide. When we left Vancouver and went under Lion’s Gate Bridge we could see a very dark sky in the distance with occasional lightning strikes, not good. We also started going northwest into some 2 to 3 foot waves that were about 4 seconds apart. We went in this direction for about 6 miles then turned southwest and we were now taking them on the starboard beam (right side of boat). Now for the confusion, the storm was kicking up some pretty good westerly wind waves along with the northerly swells that were coming straight down the Strait creating a confused sea.

Hmmm…looking a little nasty out there

Beating the storm

Closing in behind us

The Captain approved ‘ShockWave’ seat (picture from a prior days transit).

Now this is totally counter intuitive but our new Life Proof 35 is so much better in these conditions than our prior Independence. Maybe better is not the best description, maybe pleasurable, no not pleasurable, it sucked, but … how about not as bad. The old Independence had stabilizers, little wings that came out of the boat below the water line that would move to counter the wave action. Our new boat has me at the helm steering all over the place trying to ride the waves instead of fighting them. A fellow boater described the action to me as being similar to skiing moguls, I liked that description and got his approval to use it. The boat has what is called a “Shockwave” seat, I go up and down with the boat and attached to the seat is an armrest which at the end of it has the throttle control. This allows me to control the throttle with out jerking it and makes for a smoother ride especially when I need to pull back on the throttle so we do not do a belly flop of the backside of a wave.

The ferry can really kick up a ton of debris…watch-out!

The water was so rough it was hard to see any debris, total concentration on both Jamie’s and my part to avoid hitting anything, which fortunately we did not hit anything and I did not see any debris until…

“Holy Shi..” we make it across the Straits and are out of the rough water and are finally able to take a breath…not for long. We are now at “Active Pass” to get past the outer islands to make our way to Salt Spring. We are cruising along at about 10 MPH and a ferry cuts across the channel in front of us to enter the loading area on the island, behind the area is a rather large area that has fairly flat water but with the tides turning it looks like the water is boiling, short little 3 inch waves all over. Suddenly hidden in those tiny little waves is an 8 foot long log, maybe 2 foot in circumference, barely visible, “Holy Sh..”, I pull up on the throttles, turn to port and watch the log go along the side of the boat right outside my window. As it gets to midship I turn hard right to kick the stern of the boat away from it to protect the propellers! Sorry, no time for pictures.

After all that I did not need a disappointment!

Dramatic morning sky

Gibsons to Vancouver, B.C., Canada (25NM)

Continued luck with the weather. We pull into Vancouver in about an hour plus, as we stopped to fish, but they weren’t biting. Speaking of ‘fishing’, Larry’s buddy Dean (and his crew) just happened to fly into Vancouver today for their annual fishing trip. They visit us on the boat for a beverage and we have a great time catching up. The following day we visit some of my Vancouver relatives and enjoy a little family time.

Beautiful views leaving Gibsons with just a tiny wind chop

Flat-calm entering English Bay, Vancouver with Lion’s Bridge and Stanley Park coming up.

A little Life Proof tender with its’ Yacht in Vancouver, Coal Harbour. We talked to these guys (the crew on the tender) in Prince Rupert. The engineer was waiting on a new generator for the ship.

A cold, local Red Truck beer enjoyed at the Harbour Air Bar with a view of the Vancouver skyline and the seaplane operation

Dean and his fishing buddies (Mike in background) stop by the boat for a beer.

Couldn’t resist…the boat name is hysterical…Larry pointed it out to me…

A little ‘Bird Bingo’ after dinner with the Vancouver Fam.

All the Harbour Air seaplanes tucked in for the night

A spectacular walk home with a fabulous sunset and warm temperatures

Independence II looking pretty with her party lights on

Powell River to Princess Louisa Sound to Gibsons, B.C., Canada (158NM)

Our luck is standing with the weather and we have smooth cruising to Princess Louisa Sound (named after the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria) from Powell River. We make the 65 NM run in a little over two hours stopping only to remove a flat piece of milled wood (about 10” x 6”) that had become lodged between the transom and the port engine. I had looked back to check if any boats were creeping up on us (unlikely!) and was shocked to see a huge fountain of water gushing up and over the engine. There were no alarms from the Merc system and when Larry stopped the boat and raised the engines the piece of wood came floating out. The props looked perfect and when we turned the engines back on all was fine. Phew!

Larry’s timing to Malibu Rapids is perfect for running it at slack. He makes our securite call over the VHF to announce our entry into the rapids alerting oncoming traffic to hold until we are through. It was a bit more of a struggle to find room at the dock but some boaters are friendly and help wedge us in. We hike up the Trappers Cabin Trail for two hours and then come back for a swim at the base of Chatterbox Falls. A super day at this remarkable spot.

Rounding the corner up Princess Louisa Inlet to Malibu Falls

Chatterbox Falls at Princess Louisa Marine Provincial Park

Independence II tucked in on the shore side of the dock…lucky to get a spot!

Up we go to Trapper’s Cabin. An unmaintained trail with downed trees every few steps…thank goodness for walking sticks. The Cabin is not there anymore, just the old foundation.

Going down. At least this tree was not in the way like the last 30!

This dog decided he really wanted one of my walking sticks. The owner had to convince him that the old lady really needed her stick more than he did.

Time for a swim near the Chatterbox Falls

The dock can fit a great deal more boats than you think it would…especially, if people are courteous and tighten the spacing between their boats.

A second dinner out of Larry’s Chinook salmon…so tasty.

As we exit Malibu Rapids we let the sailboat behind us know that his compass was installed incorrectly giving a sideways (and very incorrect) orientation to his AIS representation. It looks like he is about to run aground!

Departing Princess Louisa Inlet for Gibsons

Gibsons Marina on a fine and sunny afternoon

The charming town viewed from the Public Docks

Music in the town park this evening

‘Ancestral Spirit’ carved by artist Jody Broomfield of the Squamish Nation. Features traditional Coast Salish designs.

The BeachCombers was a hit CBC comedy-drama series set and filmed in Gibsons, B.C. from 1972 to 1990. It put Gibsons ‘on the map’ as a quintessential symbol of West Coast life (Info from Google).

Molly’s Reach was made famous, as this is where the characters of The BeachCombers gathered for coffee…their pastries and muffins are great!

The back wall at Molly’s Reach Cafe is dedicated to the characters that brought fame to Gibsons

Molly’s Reach Cafe serves a mean Avocado Toast!

The boat ‘Persephone’ from the series BeachCombers, is lovingly displayed in a public park across from Molly’s Reach Cafe.

This is George W. Gibson (1829-1913). The namesake of the town (1886). George was the first European settler to arrive and build a permanent home. He also served as the area’s first postmaster and built the local wharf.

Port McNeill to Campbell River, Cortes Island, Dent Island, Toba Wilderness & Powell River, B.C., Canada (248NM)

The weather held until our departure from Campbell River. As we approach the skinny entry to Cortes Lagoon a massive squall releases a deluge of water creating a white-out situation with strong wind gusts. We decide to wait out the weather before entering the narrow passage way to Cortes Marina. With that bit of weather behind us, all of our other transits were smooth. Dent Island was a pleasant stop with friendly folks at the dock and a spectacular hour long show by a trio of Pacific White-Sided Dolphins. Our second attempt at fishing was while leaving Dent and now Larry can say he caught a fish!

The big squall approaches across from Campbell River

With improved visibility we enter the skinny passage way to Cortes Lagoon

Rainbow after the storm at Cortes Marina

A little reggae music at the Cortes Marina Gazebo

Great light at the dock after the bad weather passes

Departing Cortes Island in nice conditions

The approach to Dent Island

Independence II at the dock at Dent

The back side of the rapids at sunset

A beer with our fancy bar snacks

The best view from a gym ever

You have to time your entry to Dent, as there are a few sporty areas with rapids. Waiting until slack to exit or enter. Therefore, the docks will empty and fill at these times.

This place is truly special. The views are amazing where ever you look.

We ask one of the employees about hiking and the bears. They let us know that trial dogs are available. You just go by the ‘Estero’ cottage and shout for Daisy and Dixie and they will escort you on your hike.

Post hike hot tub with an impressive view

We had the most amazing experience right by the dock at Dent. A mother Pacific White-Sided Dolphin, her baby and a third dolphin spent at least an hour fishing in the rapids.

Departing Dent with one of their local Bald Eagles soaring above. They currently have three nesting pairs around the island.

Yahoo! A gorgeous Chinook Salmon…good job Larry!!!

Smoke from the inland fires on our way to Toba Wilderness, Desolation Sound

Desolation Sound waterfalls

Massive granite mountains create a dramatic view in Desolation Sound

De Havilland Beavers run by Kenmore Air will fly you into Toba Wilderness Marina

A stop in Powell River or P. River

You know you’re in a fishing town when you see this…

If your in Powell River go to the Little Curry Hut. So good!

Coconut Chicken Curry…incredibly good.

We were so excited to see an Orca pod today. They were a bit far away and moving fast but we got a shot or two. I will also put the video on Instagram independenceii_lifeproof

Ketchikan, AK to Prince Rupert, Bishop Bay, Shearwater & Port McNeill, B.C., Canada (448NM)

Leaving Ketchikan for Prince Rupert on a sunny day. Crossing Dixon Entrance and the Main Channel with just a bit of chop and a little confused water - bumpy, but the boat can handle it and the Captain is great with the throttle. We are back in Canada and will continue to make our journey Southward over the next few weeks.

Splashing through the Main Channel toward the Dixon Entrance Southbound toward Prince Rupert

Green Island Lighthouse off of Dundas Island

Taking the shortcut to Prince Rupert…glad our transducer is working and our chart plotter…shallow and tricky at times.

The Prince Rupert Rowing and Yacht Club. Perhaps Cow Bay would have been better…this marina is VERY unprotected, especially by the fuel dock.

Great food at Smiles Cafe. The owner, Mai, is an amazing women who came to Canada in a tiny boat from Vietnam when she was 20. She has worked and then owned this restaurant with her husband for over 40 years. They are now, sadly, selling…but we are excited for the next phase of their lives.

In the Grenville Channel, near the South end of Pitt Island, we come across four or so feeding Humpback Whales. It was amazing to sit and watch them dive/feed over and over again. I will be putting video of this and other whale encounters on Instagram -independenceii_lifeproof - soon.

We spend a night at the tiny and busy dock at Bishop Bay. The locals have done a great job of collecting the hot water from the hot springs above. The local fisherman come in and hang out and drink beer and leave a lure with their boat name on it. Thank goodness for the fast flow of water in the pool that allows it to clears quickly. We also were in early before I saw all the patrons parade by later in the evening…enough said…

Sunrise behind us as we head to Shearwater

Dramatic looking weather ahead, but it turns our to just be fog and rain.

We were so fortunate to come upon a young (small) Humpback Whale bubble feeding. You can see the ring he is blowing below the water to corral the fish or krill. I did not get a still of him coming up but I will put the video on Instagram - independenceii_lifeproof

Down again to bubble and scoop

Shearwater looking fine with its cool new seaplane weathervane. Larry has been looking at the weather forecasts for transiting Cape Caution (open ocean area on the way to Port McNeill) and he really nailed our schedule. We only have to be in Shearwater one night as we have a weather ‘GO’ for tomorrow!

Look how calm it is around Cape Caution! You would have no idea that we are in the open ocean and no longer protected by the Inside Passage.

Four hours from Shearwater to Point McNeill. The conditions were great but the debris in the water is truly frightening…be careful out there my fellow cruisers. We are met at the Port McNeill fuel dock by this sweet crew member…love how the paws fit perfectly over the rail.

Happy to see the Big Burl is getting a new home after the 2023 fire that charred the stately burl. Evidently, the fire was started by some ‘mensa candidate’ extinguishing their cigarette on the burl.

Captain's Post #26 - Engine Failure!!! Mx Hold

By Larry McCullough

Fifty miles to the destination, on one engine, in bad weather conditions?!? That is not good…

I was reading a story in the Wall Street Journal recently and it was about a entrepreneur who was selling some houses in California. He was counting on some new billionaire to buy his multi million dollar houses with their newly printed money from selling stock. The gentleman said, in reference to buying and renovating houses - it’s like buying a yacht…the first year is spent finding the problems and fixing them. Well, I am hoping it doesn’t take a year.

The weather forecast for leaving Wrangell was calling for the waves to build in the late morning to an uncomfortable chop in the open waters in Ernest Sound and Clarence Strait on the approach to Ketchikan. Keith and Chris were probably thinking I was being overly cautious about the conditions until the night before when we were at a local pub and some people were talking about the water conditions, “You wouldn’t have wanted to be out there then”. This made me feel better.

Back to the problems. When there is a bit of a chop, I must say, this boat eats it up. For a 35 foot boat , it weighs a lot, 18,000 pounds. Here in Ketchikan I have had conversations with a captain that has been taking people on his boat, a 30 footer, and he says it weighs 8,000 pounds. Life Proof builds boats for the Coast Guard and military therefore they have to be able to take a beating and handle the waves. BUT, you have to be moving. With about 48 miles into our 98 mile cruise to Ketchikan from Wrangell an alarm went off, “STBD Engine, Steering is limited…blah blah blah”. This is not good, the voltage on the starboard engine is dropping, I quickly learn that when it goes below 10.9 volts the engine shuts down. When the engine shuts down the other engine gets very grumpy and worries that the lower units might touch each other (on these outboard engines the entire motor does not move, just the lower unit, that is how it steers and allows the motors to be mounted very close to each other). When this happens I need to raise the troubled engine out of the water and then the other engine will respond, but it didn’t respond and the boat was starting to wallow in the water. I was only able to get the boat going at a maximum speed of 8 mph, distance 49.7 with the seas worsening, not good, over 6 hours at this speed to Ketchikan - did Chris take his Ginger pills this morning?!?

One of my options on the Garmin engine screens shows the electrical gauges for the boat. I turn that on and I think…what if I hit the parallel switch, which ties all the batteries together? I call the project manager of the build of our boat at Life Proof and leave a message describing what happened and hang up. He texted me back (the younger generation!), and tells me to trim/raise the starboard engine upwards. He also tells me I can parallel the batteries, I contemplate the instructions and realize I don’t want to puke while digging around to find the switches he is referring to. I reboot the electronics and hit the parallel switch that is next to the helm and I learn quickly, for safety reasons, I will have to do this about every four minutes on our way back to Ketchikan. All the batteries are not connected together, so that in case you are anchored and you use all your “house” batteries, you can start the boat in the morning as the engine batteries are separate.

I am able to get the boat going and we are flying across the top of the chop at between 35 and 40 mph, we can beat the incoming weather I am thinking. I am also getting my squats in as I have to bend down and hit the “parallel” switch every 4 minutes. I am also noticing that the house batteries and the port engine batteries are being drawn down, this can not go on for a long time.

We make it into the Ketchikan marina before the afternoon winds make the conditions worse, which therefore did not make Chris’s condition worse. Plug the boat into shore-power and off to show them the town.

The next morning I am texting again with the Life Proof project manager and he is trying to guide me through various ways of finding the problem using my volt meter, testing many, but not all, (remember that for later) fuses. I did find one fuse that was related to the engine that was blown but I learn later that was not the problem. I turn on the motor and it looks fine, 14.1 volts, I fixed it! Nope…

The boys leave and the Admiral, Jamie, returns. We had read and heard about what a beautiful cruise it is around the island, Revillagigedo, that Ketchikan is on. The Misty Fjord National Wilderness is part of this beautiful area. We decide we are going to do the trip over several days, we untie the lines and start our latest journey. We don’t get far, the voltage on the starboard motor starts to drop just like before. I later learn that the reason why it was higher when I tested it earlier was because the boat was plugged into shore-power and the battery charger was keeping the volts up.

Big problems call for big (and NYC priced) donuts!

Back to the dock and another plea to Life Proof. The next morning was Monday, Jamie  and I walked the short distance to the local Mercury dealer, BUT FIRST, Jamie had the great idea to get donuts. We show up with 2 boxes of donuts from Jellyfish Donuts (they even have a maple bacon donut which we included) and were greeted with smiles and laughter but more importantly a promise that a tech would show up later in the day to check things out. The CEO from Life Proof calls me, just after the donut delivery, and on the line is there tech guy who is planning on flying to Ketchikan later in the day with a new alternator but first, they walk me through checking the electrical components that are connected to the motor but not attached to it, like the Project Manager did. With some additional phone calls it was thought best to see what the local Mercury tech comes up with. At 6 pm the tech shows up and determines that the alternator is not putting out power, needs a new one.

Boat yoga, AKA boat maintenance, never easy for tall guys. Checking the electrical that runs to the engines.

Mercury jumps on it and a new one is “overnighted”, which means up here a two day delivery. Thursday the alternator is delivered for a Friday installation. Jamie and I start making plans to get cruising again. The tech arrives, takes off the top cover of the engine and then what is called the “cowling”, the lower cover that goes around the engine that requires several bolts to removed with an extension. The cowling weighs about 40 pounds. The alternator is installed and it is still showing that it is not putting out volts!!! I asked, did you check the fuses? “They look fine” was the reply. These fuses are only accessible with the cowling off and are behind a plastic cover. The tech puts the cover back on and goes back to his shop.

Day one of attempting to isolate the problem with the engine

At this point, all signs point to the alternator

I have more texts with Life Proof and I am questioned, did he test the fuse. I didn’t know, he said they looked fine. I called him later and he said he did not test them. Jamie and I are getting a bit stir crazy, Ketchikan is a great little town but we have had enough, how long are we going to be stuck here? As a reminder, this is the same place the inverter stopped working.

I (Jamie) am picking out my plot at the local cemetery….as it looks like I will die in Ketchikan before the boat gets fixed!!!

I show up at the Mercury dealers shop at their opening at 9:00AM on Saturday, hoping the tech would come or I was going to attempt to take the cowling off and test the fuses myself. He said he would be at the boat at 11:30AM. He shows up, pulls the cowling, “tests” the fuse with a voltmeter and sure enough it was blown. The alternator was fine all along. We are off to Misty Fjords to one of the most beautiful spots on our entire trip the next day.

This blown fuse was the problem the whole time!!!

Success!!! Maintaining 14 volts at the alternator with shore power off. We are out of here!!!

Captain's Post #25 - No Girls Allowed...(523NM)

By Larry McCullough (and photos too)

Jamie is back on the boat and life can get back to normal and I can try to get healthy again. Jamie left to go home for her Mom’s 96th birthday on July 3rd, Happy Birthday Betty! That meant that I needed some crew to help with the boat as Independence II was scheduled for Juneau to Skagway, back to Juneau, south to Petersburg, Le Conte Glacier, Wrangell and finally Ketchikan.

Arrival at Skagway Harbor

Maybe it was because Jamie left but the weather got gloomy, the sun literally did not return until the evening Jame flew into Ketchikan. Two of my Mountain Biking friends flew up to take Jamie’s spot, yes it takes two to replace Jamie. Keith and I have been friends since High School and Chris and I met on a scuba diving trip to Honduras in the early 90s (that is when I bought the map of the Bay Islands that was mentioned in the Honduras post). They replaced Jamie for about 10 days, there was two of them but it seemed like the drinking was a lot more than twice as much. I am getting old!

As mentioned, the weather sucked. Our schedules had to change to avoid large seas due to the wind. It is a long haul from Skagway to Juneau, not surprisingly it is about the same distance as Juneau to Skagway, but the weather can make things so much worse. The wind gets funneled in through the long straightaway called the Lynn Canal, around 70 miles. Going to Skagway we had the wind and waves at our stern which made for a very tolerable ride, BUT, as they say what goes up must come down. Did I ever mention that boating can be stressful? All I could think was, we are going to get hammered if we have to go back to Juneau in these conditions. We had two days in Skagway and luckily, thankfully, the wind and seas calmed down for our return. I had the boys up and ready at 6:00 AM and we had some nice conditions with some clearing that showed some spectacular vistas.

A bit about Skagway, a fun town where the streets become deserted once the cruise ships leave. A must, and I repeat a must, is the train ride to the White Pass Summit, a bit pricey at $150 but well worth it and beats walking. The views were magnificent and the narrator gave very good descriptions of the work involved to build the line and you actually get glimpses of the trail that the gold prospectors used. Not only did they have to climb the 3,000 feet to the summit, but once there, they had another 500 miles to go to find the gold. Did I mention that each prospector had to bring with them 1 ton of supplies or they would not be allowed to pass! We are such wimps these days.

Speaking of wimps, I was starting to feel like one with all the hydrating that was taking place (never while driving the boat). In Skagway we went into the Skagway Brewing Company for a manly beer and were greeted by the maître d “that it might be a little noisy tonight, it is Tranny Bingo Night”! No, that has nothing to do with the train ride we took up the White Pass Summit, it has to do with transvestites playing bingo who sometimes get very excited. No matter where you go you can always find a little bit of home (being a 5th generation San Franciscan). We had a couple of Spruce Tip beers, literally made fresh from the tips of new Spruce trees and dinner there, I remember both were pretty good but I can’t remember what the food was. I do remember that when I hear the word bingo it will never be the same.  After dinner it was off to the local’s bar, The Happy Ending Bar, and I kid you not, inside the Morning Wood Hotel, how could we possibly miss that! They had some big screen TV’s and much to my surprise, again, a bit of home, a PBS station looping the guy that shows you how to paint, Rob Ross, I must say a bit addicting. This turned into our bigger night in Skagway because I did not want to wake up with the Irish flu and pound into the waves to make it back to Juneau.

The next day was taking it easy and walking up to the town cemetery and the beautiful waterfall behind it and visiting the National Park Service Museum and the town’s museum. A quiet day was appreciated because of the following day’s schedule which started a bit earlier than planned. Having three old men on the boat meant the head was being used frequently throughout the night. The urge struck Chris at 3:45 and with the sun starting to shine and me misreading my watch, I thought great, let’s get going. Which we did within an hour. I am glad we did because we got going before the winds picked up, although we did have a several mile run where the incoming wind mixed with an outgoing tide creating some significant chop.

We arrived in downtown Juneau Haris Harbor around 10:00 AM, 116 miles. The parade was going on but all I wanted to see was the back of my eyelids. More bars, more rain, but one real nice guy who gave us about a 2lb chunk of fresh salmon. For the most part, people in Alaska have been great, one day crabs another salmon.

I am stressing again, more bad weather. I wake the crew up early again when I get a fresh weather report early in the morning, bad weather a day early, can not take the chance of getting hammered on the 127 miles to Petersburg. I am getting it hammered into my head that saying you are going to be in a certain place on a certain day can not be done, so we get there a day early and the boys don’t get to see Mendenhall Glacier and more bars.

More bad weather on the horizon, I just want to get to Ketchikan. I had told the crew we were going to the Le Conte Glacier, I now am telling them we can’t because of the weather. I see the disappointment and decide to go to Le Conte on the way to Wrangell, which worked out great. At Le Conte there are some Jet Skiers, about 8, I yell over to them how about you take a picture of us and we will get one of your group. Dominic, a great guy who happens to be the guide, comes over and I get his phone number and text him shots and he does the same.

A night in Wrangell then another 98 miles to Ketchikan. On the way, 49.7 miles from Ketchikan,  a warning appears on the engine screen at the helm, “Critical Fault, return to dealer immediately”. Oh shit. Stay tuned.

The Skagway train to the summit…a must, incredible views!

One must stay warm

Waterfall above the Skagway Cemetery

The scenery between Skagway and Juneau….

A perfect day for a cruise to Juneau

Keith and Chris needed to get warm again

LeConte Glacier (picture taken by jet skiers on their was to Juneau)

Nice photo of the Captain and crew

The Petroglyph Beach at Wrangell

“An ancient Tlingit rock carving located at Petroglyph Beach State Historic Site. 3,000 - 8,000 years old - making them some of the oldest surviving indigenous artwork in Southeast Alaska. This design is of a stylized human or community face, a prominent motif found among the 40+ carvings scattered across the shoreline.” info from Google

The last contestant to finish the R2AK (Race to Alaska) arrives in Ketchikan. Nathaniel Greene was the last to cross the finish line on July 8th, 2026, with a time of 21 days, 6 hours and 22 minutes. The race starts at Port Townsend and finishes at Ketchikan (750 miles). r2ak.com

Glacier Bay to Hoonah, AK (77NM)

After our amazing morning watching the wildlife on South Marble Island we departed Glacier Bay for a speedy little cruise across to Hoonah. Hoonah is a sleepy little Tlingit town on Chichagof Island in the Inside Passage. Thankfully the cruise ship terminal is about a mile from town and the world’s longest zip line and other attractions generally keeps the tourist in that area leaving the local dive bars to Larry and me.

Pulling into Hoonah on a gray afternoon

The Tlingit Cemetery at the breakwater arm of Hoonah

Seriously?!? Of all the boats….it couldn’t have been a yacht in South of France?

Keepin’ it real

An impressive veterans memorial in the center of this tiny town

Evidently, it is time to go to work

When in Rome…

Ketchikan to Glacier Bay, AK - via Wrangell, Petersburg & Juneau (561NM)

We are very happy to report that we successfully made the journey to Glacier Bay! A life-long dream come true…to travel to Glacier Bay National Park aboard our own boat. This journey was made even more memorable, as we were joined by our friends from the Bay Area, Michelle and Paul Mourani. They met us in Ketchikan and we had a great time being their water-taxi to Wrangell, Petersburg, Juneau and Glacier Bay. They brought us fabulous weather, which made our time on the water with them very enjoyable. Hopefully, the images below will help tell the story of our time together…

Paul and Michelle walking up the boardwalk to the Eagle’s Nest at Cape Fox Lodge, Ketchikan

Creek Street boardwalk

A beer with a view from the Eagle’s Nest

Looking down on Creek Street Ketchikan

Ketchikan Creek…no salmon yet

It may be second growth (all of Ketchikan has been logged) but it is still very dramatic

Rhonda Green’s sculpture on the Ketchikan Schoenbar Trail, titled “Yaakw Haash át wulihaash a d’ein Óoxjaa/Canoe Drifting in the Wind”

Corey (and Lexus) at the Totem Bar introduce us to a new black cherry brand for MIchelle’s Old Fashions

Paul makin’ friends in Ketchikan

Stan Honeys’ dog, Scout, finds a nice spot to curl up while we have cocktails on the back deck of Independence II

Wrangell, AK

An aerial view of Wrangell gives you an idea of the effect of the Glacier melt on the surrounding waters

Kadashan Totem Poles in Totem Park

Walkin’ the streets of Wrangell

Iggy of Wrangell, AK

The everlasting sunsets of Wrangell

The sun, still trying to set

Petersburg, AK

Winding through The Narrows on our way towards Petersburg

Exiting The Narrows, back up to speed

Petersburg (on our starboard side) will have to wait…

…until we see the LeConte Glacier and its’icebergs

The Captain inspecting an iceberg at close range

The view from a Life Proof cabin is spectacular with all of it’s skylights

The LeConte Glacier (according to Google) is the southernmost tidewater glacier (meaning it’s terminus meets the sea) in North America. It flows from the Stikine Icefield into LeConte Bay and is approximately 21 miles long and 1 mile wide.

Iceberg hunters

Time for business

All the necessary tools

Perfect LeConte glacial cocktails…(secret ingredients; a dash of ancient bacteria and a splash of heavy metals)

The sun trying to set over Petersburg North Harbor

Juneau, AK

Aurora Harbor in Juneau has beautiful new docks that still smell of fresh pressure treated lumber…however they only have one toilet and one shower for the thousands of boats they have at their harbor(s).

Mendenhall Glacier, a short cab ride from the harbor

Robert Mills a Tlingit artist created this 20 foot aluminum sculpture titled Yaadachoon and represents a Tlingit canoe along the seawalk at Overstreet Park

The Totem Pole Trail on the Juneau waterfront will eventually have 30 totem poles all carved from red cedar trees

Tahku, the Alaska Whale Sculpture of a life-scale bronze Humpback Whale breaching, commemorates the 50th anniversary of Alaska Statehood 1959 - 2009. Sculptor & Designer R.T. Wallen

The monsters are still out there. It seems like 3 at all times in Juneau harbor.

Bittersweet…such a nice time at The Juneau Yacht Club with Commodore Chris Roust and his wife Gail (and granddaughter Ada) but having lost our very good friend Wyman Harris that day was heartbreaking. We made sure to dedicate this SFYC flag in his name and in his honor, as we do not know two people more in love with Alaska then Gay and Wyman Harris, who spent 11 summers cruising these waterways. Thank you Michelle for arranging such a memorable night at JYC.

The Juneau Yacht Club was so fabulous we had to get their burgee to fly on our boat. Commodore Chris Roust let me know that bears on Admiralty Island (across the river) share DNA with polar bears…justifying their mascot!

Glacier Bay National Park, AK

Hard to believe this clear day would become so foggy that we had to activate our fog horn and use our radar to get into Bartlett Cove, Glacier Bay

The happy Captain and crew made it to Glacier Bay!!!

We sadly part from Paul and Michelle, as they will stay at the lodge while we anchor out for the next few nights. They have an all day excursion on the Bearnoff Winds boat tour tomorrow and then fly home.

Yes, my obligatory totem picture

We complete our mandatory 3 hour orientation (for private boaters) in just an hour. Yipee! Now we are free to enjoy our park.

The first day in the park was lovely weather after the fog. We anchored at Berg Bay later in the afternoon and the the wind picked up in the evening and rain set in for our second day

Our first night at anchor in Berg Bay

Second day arrives a bit moody on Glacier Bay. Heading up the Tarr Inlet.

Dramatic icebergs that have been around awhile and show their wear

Margerie Glacier at Tarr Inlet

Glacier Bay may feel remote but you are never really alone

Black bears joined us for happy hour, munching seafood from the shoreline

Larry BBQs Ahi at our second anchorage in North Sandy Cove…good thing those bears where a long way off

Our third day is amazing as we have better weather and spend hours taking photos of the wild life around South Marble Island. The Steller sea lions are the largest of the eared seals - males can weigh over 2,500 pounds. Puffins the foreground.

I do love these Puffins

A young Humpback whale feeding on the back side of South Marble Island. He has a seal behind him scooping up his scraps.

Time to check out of Glacier Bay - we radio in our departure on KWM20 as we exit Icy Strait

We're Back...

Back in Ketchikan and making ready for our friends to visit. We will take them from Ketchikan to Glacier Bay (via Wrangell, Petersburg and Juneau). We are just a water taxi for them, as they will be staying at hotels in each location. It is a pretty agressive schedule and hopefully we can make the, approximately, 350 NM by Friday the 26th. That is the date of our reservation at Bartlett Cove for the mandatory Glacier Bay orientation for independent boaters (and backcountry campers). These sessions last three hours and cover park rules, wildlife regulations, weather safety and low-impact practices (leave no trace). So, wish us good luck and enjoy some random pics from Ketchikan.

Keep your fingers crossed…a lot of miles to go in a short period of time

The little car ferry takes you to and from the airport

The little ferry is dwarfed by the passing cruise ship

The parade of cruise ships is endless. Views from our marina Bar Harbor North.

How you work on your boat in Alaska…wait for the low tide…

…when it comes in, it’s time to quit.

Bill (Benson’s Dad) and Larry chat about the listing issue on the JOMA. She took on too much water to clean out her fish hold and started to heal over pretty badly.

The Tlingit Sun Raven Totem Pole in Saxman Totem Park, carved by Israel Shotridge

Our new marina at Ketchikan…can you spot the boat?

Captain's Post #24 - The Other Woman

By Larry McCullough

Yes, the other woman! Since Jamie is the editor you can probably guess that she approved of this post, or at least put up with it like she puts up with me. Boats are always referred to as females, thus the other woman. Like all relationships, not just with woman, things are not perfect all the time. There is a give and a take, you let things slide a bit and when you wake up in the morning, you try not to dwell on the negative. The main thing is you try to workout the problem and move on, not that Jamie and I have ever had any problems.

Such is the relationship with a boat. You think human relationships are tough, nothing compared to a boat. With the human you can just try to forget about it and move on, not with a boat, for some reason a boat problem hangs on. Yes, you are probably guessing correctly that we are having some problems with the boat. As I brought them to the attention of Life Proof I started off the email “This is not a bitch session, I realize that bringing a thousand (or more) piece puzzle together, and turning them into a boat, is going to have some problems”. I meant that. But as in a relationship with a real woman, as opposed to a boat, it is what happens next, how is the other woman reacting, or in this case specifically how is the manufacturer reacting.

I must say Life Proof has been very responsive to our problems. Most recently, as Jamie has previously posted, we are in Ketchikan Alaska and I am very glad that we are here now. The first morning here I got up around 5:00AM as usual and hit the coffee maker button. The pot brewed then shortly after the 120 electrical power went out! I tried diagnosing the problem, checking connections, the electrical panel: input output. Panic starts to set in, the coffee has been brewed, but with the power off it will quickly get cold in the 50 degree temperature of the boat…and then Jamie will get up without a hot cup (not really a cup, 16 ounces x 2) and there will be hell to pay. What do I do, I can’t figure out the problem, leave a note and go hide, put out an extra biscotti and hope that calms her down! I man up, and try to solve the problem…beyond my pay grade.

I email Life Proof with the Subject Line  “Inverter Problem”, to distinguish from our other topics, more on that later. Within a few minutes, as I am typing up another email with all of the symptoms and diagnostic items I have done, my phone rings and it is Michael the project manager for the boat. I had emailed him and the CEO Micah (who we had originated our deal with at Life Proof). Michael gave me some ideas, I tried them or said I had already tried them. Micah, the CEO, emailed me pictures of the inverter that had the reset button circled along with another switch circled, I had already tried that! I mentioned that we could not go further north without the inverter working, they knew that.

The next morning I receive an email from Michael and he has arranged for a local company to handle a service call. Great, I am relieved, no date is discussed, no name of a company. As I mentioned, we were in Ketchikan, a city with a fair amount of marine services due to the large fishing industry. This could be a good place to take care of the small oil leak in the Mercury outboard. I contact Mercury and they mention a local company who can handle a service call, great, I can take care of the inverter and oil leak. We had decided to fly home for 8 days and we left our keys to the boat with Bill, Benson’s owner (the dog giving me a hug that Jamie posted), in case one of the techs can come by to do the work.

While Jamie and I are home, we both are getting slammed with various things and I am getting a bit worried. I look to buy an inverter and bring it up to Ketchikan, then I get an email from Michael at Life Proof, the inverter company screwed up scheduling and now Life Proof is flying up a “Senior Tech” with a new inverter to install it!!! What a relief. I can finally feel better about going back to Ketchikan and being on the other woman, better rephrase that, getting back to the boat.

Jamie and I arrive back to Ketchikan Monday night and meet Mike, the Life Proof tech, at the restaurant in our hotel for breakfast (we got a hotel because we were getting in late and the boat was torn apart to make it easier if a technician came aboard). We jump in his rental car and I help him drag his tools and the new inverter to the boat. Mike checks things out and then switches out the inverter, it still does not work! If you have ever seen the guts of a boat it is like veins in a body, wires everywhere especially, no surprise, behind the electrical panel. Mike starts checking all the connections with a voltmeter and voilà, a loose wire running from the inverter to the electrical panel was the problem, that was it one little wire. I had asked Mike prior to him starting to work if he would mind if I hovered over him so that I could learn more about the boat, in exchange I was his “bitch” grabbing tools, telling him which lights the inverter had on, etc.. While Mike was here he also fixed the bow thruster which still worked but the joy stick at both controls had stopped. I was so grateful that Life Proof sent Mike, if it was just an inverter tech he/she/they/them would have said “it’s not the inverter, bye”.

While Mike was on board, and I was hovering, I think I learned quite a bit about Mike. More than a great guy with a great family but what a life. He has traveled the world working on boats for owners who are the who's who of the technology world. Before that he was a special effects technician for movies. Mikes not a big Tequila guy but he felt obliged to toast the boat working properly, see photo below.

Just a sip to toast a working inverter…thank you Milke!

As in life, as with the other woman, when there is a problem both parties must work to solve the problem as opposed to just complaining. Owning a boat is taking care of one problem after another and it is nice to be working with Life Proof who has been very good at helping taking care of those problems. With the engine leak, thankfully it is a minor one, Friday will be two weeks since the local Mercury Technician said that he believes he had diagnosed the problem and will have ordered the parts and we would not have a delay in resuming our trip. We have guests arriving on Saturday, we will be like their Uber driver taking them from hotel to hotel, and plan to leave Monday, we have to because we have a reservation for Glacier Bay on June 26 with some miles to go. Mercury Platinum Protection, today being Thursday - I am getting worried again!

Prince Rupert to Ketchikan, Alaska USA (105NM)...WE MADE IT!!!

Well, that was not an easy transit. The weather looked great and we left early to beat the wind but not early enough. The wind from the North met the mixing tides and caused a very sporty ride through the Dixon Entrance, so much so that I didn’t dare take any photos! But, we are very happy to have accomplished this major life achievement. After a two-year postponement we are thrilled to have brought our own boat to Alaska. I know there is a Captain’s Post in the near future. In the meantime, here a few snaps…

My camera lens is not large enough to get all FOUR of the cruise ships at dock. They arrive in the morning and are all gone by 10:00PM. That can be an influx of 16,000 tourist landing on the tiny town per day. The town has approximately 8,000 residents, with the wider city population being 13,500. The locals can get very frustrated with this invasion, I do not blame them, over 1.5 million cruise passengers visit Ketchikan between April and October.

Another hulking monster…look at how the yachts are dwarfed by the size of that ship

Salmon education

Ketchikan Creek is a salmon-spawning stream running directly through downtown. We hope to catch the salmon run on our return in September.

Creek Street historic boardwalk from the 1900’s

Need to get some fresh salmon

Gorgeous day to be a tourist on Creek Street. I can only imagine how this really looked in the 1900’s as the town’s Prohibition-era red-light district.

Dolly’s House is a 1900s bordello and now a museum…Love the sign!

Love that quote Dolly!

My favorite bar…the Sourdough Bar. We asked the bartender about the name and she told us that, that is the name of the folks around Ketchikan as they are “sour on the land but not enough dough to leave”…

The seaplane business is booming here in Ketchikan

This place is fantastic, great view (of seaplanes!), great beer and great food

Like the BPL sign (Bush Pilot’s Lounge). Nice place to celebrate our arrival.

Yep, great view

Larry makes new friends on the dock. This is Benson and he gives great hugs. Benson’s parents are Bill and Carol and they are equally fabulous.

We made it to Alaska!!! Now we have to fly home for a minute…time to take a ferry to the airport. See you soon…

Hartley Bay to Prince Rupert, B.C., Canada (89NM)

An uneventful and smooth ride to Prince Rupert (I really like it when I can say that). Prince Rupert is named after Prince Rupert of the Rhine. A 17th-century royal (English-German), military commander, scientist and the first Governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company (Fur Trading, etc. with early quasi-governmental powers which transitioned into a department store in the 20th century). The city earned its name in 1906 through a nationwide naming contest held by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. The city must be doing quite well as it is the deepest natural harbor on the continent. Before you cruise by the massive shipping terminal area, you see a huge Liquid Natural Gas operation being built. The facility will have a production of up to 21 million tons of LNG per year. Word is that they have sealed a deal with Germany. The project is slated to be completed by 2028/2029.

You know you are near Prince Rupert when you start seeing these guys

The massive LNG plant nearing completion

This fishing boat cut us off, but we didn’t mind as it was named ‘Tequila’

The railway leading to and from the shipping terminal

Massive deep-water port allows for massive ships with massive quantities of goods

Coal heading to China

The Prince Rupert harbor dwarfed by the massive Cruise Ships…a constant sight in the summer months

Independence II gets a bath

Lookin’ sharp after her bath

A busy commercial marina…

Skies clear in time for a walk-about

The Prince Rupert Courthouse built in 1921

The historic railway building…

…now a brewery

Beers to go for our new friends on their yacht ‘Ascente’

Dean and his partner Shelley run a charter business on this gorgeous 112 foot yacht ‘Ascente’ www.yachtcharterfleet.com

Ascente at sunset

Our last night in Canada, so I must have a Caeser (Vodka, Clamato juice, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce, rimmed with celery salt)….my Canadian family would be proud!

Departing Prince Rupert

Bottleneck Anchorage to Hartley Bay, B.C., Canada (69NM)

A cool morning with whisps of fog great us at our anchorage in Bottleneck. We pull anchor and head out of the tiny opening for another day of ‘log-watching’. Thankfully, today is clear and mostly flat with few obstacles. The temptation to gaze at the cascading waterfalls is overwhelming so we slow down and take a peek into the old Butedale ‘Ghost Town’ (more later). By early afternoon we pull into Hartley Bay and attempt to radio for a spot in the marina. We finally dock at the municipal pier and Larry runs up to find the harbor office. Note-to-self, there is no office and the town folk just tell you where to dock. The entire marina is filled with fishing and commercial boats of every size and the docks are filled with their contents; coolers, old batteries, nets of every shape and size, jerry cans, cords, lines, fenders, kayaks and paddles. We shove our way into a spot and head to shore to explore the township of Hartley Bay.

The little ‘Ghost Town’ of Butedale beckons us for a closer look. Butedale is located on Princess Royal Island and was founded in 1911 by John Wallace. According to the Google search, it evolved into a thriving salmon (and Halibut) cannery, ice manufacturing center and logging camp. It housed over 400 summer residents before shutting down in the 1970’s.

Some of the company buildings still stand and look as if they may still be used. This is one of the only privately owned land plots on Princess Royal Island.

The town had a brilliant, self-contained power system. A pipeline was built to channel water from Butedale Lake above these falls and down to a hydro plant, providing natural electricity and (according to Google) some of the best block ice on the coast.

Entering Hartley Bay, like most of this area, only accessible by boat or seaplane. Described on Google as ‘an isolated, off-grid Indigenous community of roughly 170 residents…’

The ‘Where’s Waldo’ version of our boat on the municipal docks of Harley Bay

Modern power lines juxtapose with traditional monument art. The village is home to the Gitga’ata, members of the Tsimshian Nation.

The most unique and enjoyable experience of walking the boardwalks of Hartley Bay

Rush hour on the boardwalk

While investigating the trails we found the Frisbee Golf Course. Larry cleaned my clock and got a hole in one on the 9th basket from 50 yards out!

After golf we continued on the boardwalk through the shady forest near the creek…

…this creek is at the base of the Salmon Hatchery that the town uses to help support itself and the salmon fisheries.

The Salmon Hatchery was started in 1981 to help the depleted salmon fisheries

The salmon smoke house is located, smartly, across from the hatchery

A view of the harbor from the boardwalk

The charming town church

Shearwater/Bella Bella to Bottleneck Anchorage (Via Fiordland Conservancy), B.C., Canada (106NM)

Clouds and a light rain follow us on our cruise to the Fiordland area. The entry to the passage is much like others - marked by massive shear mountains that have the most tenacious trees I have ever seen. There can’t be more than a few feet of soil and yet these mountains are spiked with trees clinging together in great forests. Every once in a while you see huge raw scrapes of rockface where the trees and soil gave way to create massive slides. We cruise by these epic forests while passing waterfalls that wind in ribbons down thousands of feet to the water. Truly spectacular…leading to way too many pictures…

I neglected to mention the large community of ravens on Bella Bella. They are curious and smart and have an amazing array of calls. As we leave Shearwater and Bella Bella, I happened to glance back and find our friend (Edgar?) hitching a ride. He hung out with us for a little while and it looked like he was having fun.

I apologize in advance for the quantity of waterfall photos (but I dare you to not take a boat-load). Thank goodness it wasn’t a blue sky day you would be faced with many more.

The glacial valleys have lakes that store the water for many of these falls

This is a pretty large fishing vessel dwarfed by these immense and shear mountains

More interesting glacial formations ahead

Looking back at the entry of our anchorage at Bottleneck

Morning fog and clouds at the Bottleneck anchorage