April 23 – 27
Hi All,
Dave Miller, contractor, came around 7:30am on Saturday, 4/23 and we settled the bill….boating is never cheap and neither is a boatyard, but all in (haulout, contractor, hotel, parts) several BOAT units to fix a bloody cutlass bearing…oweee!!!
We left ~8am to make it through Wrangell Narrows and head for Scenery Cove in Thomas Bay. Wrangell Narrows is somewhat like Rocky Pass, but much deeper, wider and longer. We understand small cruise ships and barges use this pass….but it does have 64 channel markers so it does keep you glued to the helm station watching the channel!! We have had beautiful sunny weather now for about a week, albeit sometimes pretty cold. Well, that has changed, it started raining Saturday morning and is still raining late Wednesday as I write this blog….well, at least the salt has been washed away from Mystic:)))
We had a good run through the Narrows….we did not try to time it as we had a long ways to go…so had 2-3 kts against us for the first 10 nm, then 1-3 kts with us for the last 10 nm!! We whizzed by Petersburg…..no need to stop as K did not need any otter pelts this time….and off we went into Frederick Sound for the last 18nm to Thomas Bay, the Baird Glacier and our anchorage, a very scenic, narrow Scenery Cove….59nm, anchor down, passage beers opened by 3:30pm!! We did see a Minke whale on the way outside Petersburg but no critter sightings in the anchorage:(((
Sunday 4/24: Up and out by 8am for the 53nm run to one of our favorite anchorages, Cannery Cove in Pybus Bay. Of course it’s still raining…ugh…..we are surrounded by beautiful snow capped mountains which we cannot see due to the clouds/rain. We did see one humpback whale briefly. 53nm, anchor down, passage beers opened by 2:30pm!!! I did set 2 crab traps as we have always down quite well here. But, on the way in on the outer banks of Pybus Bay we saw 75+ otters…cute guys all swimming, diving, eating….so far we have not seen any in the inner bays or the anchorage….fingers crossed.
Monday 4/25: Wow….a day off to play…this is only our 2nd play day since we arrived in Sitka 2 weeks ago…yep, livin’ the dream:))) Checked crab traps….1 keeper in 1 trap, nada in 2nd trap but all bait is gone….hmmmm, must be all small. Set 2 prawn traps…found a nice hole in outer bay….we shall see. Got out fishing gear but nada on bottom fish off Mystic:(((. Pretty cold and drizzly today….couldn’t see mountains:(((( Did check crab traps in late afternoon, same result 1 keeper and a bunch of small ones….reset one pot in deeper water with shrimp pellets and cat food!!!
Boat Stuff:
Watermaker: Running low pressure and high 650 ppm on product water….should be 200-400ppm. Did the flow test and sent in to Spectra. Total water flow and product water in spec…..good news. Was instructed to clean the membranes…..will do in next few days!! Maybe the low pressure is due to low salinity in the seawater….hmmmmm????
Update: I installed a manual pressure gauge and it indicates the pressure is 180psi which is normal. We might have a pressure sensor on the watermaker going out. And the ppm is down to 450ppm. Maybe running the watermaker everyday as we are is self cleaning the membranes…we shall see….stay tuned!!
Kabola Defrost Fan for PH windows: running very, very slow. Not sure why and either is Costica, the Kabola tech. It’s in a very tight spot but will have to take it out and investigate. Maybe brushes in the 12 volt motor??
Tuesday 4/26: Up very early to check traps….out by 6:15am….brrrrr…..got to the prawn traps, 2 miles away, forgot the line baskets….duh, smack head several times, mutter as well….back to Mystic….quick check on gas says need more….ah geez, what a morning…..go back to prawn traps…..btw, did I mention how cold it is….misty, 40*F, damp cold…..but, it’s all worth it…..31 BIG Spotted prawns…..gee John why so excited, that’s nice but nothing like the 80 before…..well, I’ll tell you…..I have prawned here for several years and got nothing….in 2019 I got 1 prawn….so 31 seems like a jackpot:))))
But, nada on crabs and bait all gone…..so only 2 in Cannery Cove for the 2 days….very disappointing as we normally limit out (6 per day, 12 total)….hmmmm, have the otters eaten all the big ones????
Out by 8:15am…..towed the dinghy….25nm in Stephen Passage in trawler weenie weather….flat calm…to Upper Basin Good Island Inlet, a new anchorage for us…..DDG….large golden meadow/mud flat with a stream flowing out…..set crab traps…one in 55′, one in 75’….both at bottom of mud flat wall. Saw one humpback whale on passage but no show.
Wednesday 4/27: Fresh prawn dinner last night…..corn, potatoes, prawns…..best ever!!!! We took the day off…well, sort of….it’s a dark, rainy, damp cold kind of day. I read, napped, worked on water maker a bit:)) Checked crab traps this am…..2 keepers….but ~20 small King Crabs….wow….as a nonresident we are not allowed to keep any King crab and these were too small anyway…..they need to be 7″ and these were in the 3-5″ size….juveniles!!! When I pulled up the trap, one had close to 20, it was really heavy and I thought we had the mother lode…then I saw so many crab I was starting to do the happy dance…then realized they were Kings and my happiness crashed:((((
The Plan: Stay in Gambier Bay a few more days (Snug Cove) and do more crabbing and prawning….then continue north to Skagway another 175nm!!
Critter Stats:
Whales: 7 total (6 Humpback, 1 Minke)
– 1 Humpback in Frederick Strait, 1 in Stephen Passage coming into Gambier Bay
– 1 Minke near the islands outside Petersburg
Bears: 1 Brown; 1 Brown in Cannery Cove
Dungeness Crab: 6; Red Bluff 2, Cannery Cove 2, Upper basin Good Island Inlet 2
Prawns: 111 Spotted: 80 Red Bluff, 31 Pybus Bay
Otters: 150; 75 in Rocky Pass, 75 outside Pybus Bay
Hope all is well!!
John
Mystic Moon
Position: 57 25’39.16 N, 133 58’42.01 W
Course: Stopped.
Position: 22-04-28 15:24:15 -0800
http://maps.google.com/maps?&ll=57.42755,-133.9783&q=57.42755,-133.9783&z=16
