5/28 – 6/2
Hi All,
I just finished Diana Gabaldon’s” latest Outlander book….”Go Tell the Bees That I AM Gone”!!! To refresh myself since it has been many years since I read the series I reread the 7th book, “Written in My Own Heart’s Blood”. Oh wow, what a great story and I’m glad I reread #7 as #8 is a continuation of all those stories. We started reading this series with a group of cruiser friends while scuba diving the winter in West End Roatan in 2010….good times for sure!!!
We left Pavlof for Crab Bay in Tenakee Inlet ~8:30am….but wait the anchor shackle is all fouled up and won’t pull all the way into its set position…this has happened once before….we were towing the dinghy so I just took the dinghy under the bow pulpit, Kathy lowered the anchor into the dinghy and voila, the shackle unfouled with no strain on it…yea!!!
It has now been almost 2 week with no internet….yes, so peaceful:))))….but we are starting to get itchy for news (like how are the Warriors and Giants doing….you know, the important stuff:))) and gathering all the pesky emails on AOL…but, no joy….evidently Tenakee Springs is not broadcasting for Verizon users….ugh….so it will be another 2 weeks before we get any internet when we go back to Sitka on ~6/13.
Crab Bay is another DDG anchorage….big meadow/mudflat going back maybe 1 mile. We had 13 bear sightings with one another very amorous couple:))) But, it did not live up to its name….Zero, Nada, crabs….well, 2 females with eggs….whaaaaaaa….in 2019 we almost limited out….in most cases the bait wasn’t even chewed on….what is going on….have these bays been over crabbed by locals/commercial???
May 30-31: We made the 27nm run to the end of Tenakee Inlet, something we have always wanted to do….very remote, no other boats, DDG inlet….can’t call it a fiord as mountains too small…in the 1-3’k range, but all snow covered. Some evidence of logging in the past….nothing recent…but a lot of tree kill….global warming again….yellow cedars are dying from lack of snowfall in the winter to protect their shallow roots from the harsh temps….ugh!!! We saw 4 bears on the way into the anchorage!!! We also did something different…we dropped prawn pots off the big boat…one in 550′ and one in 350’….I added another 200′ of line to one pot so have 650′ of line now. We shall see if deeper is better:)))) We dropped about 15nm from the anchorage….just too far to backtrack in the dinghy…..that will give ~48 hour soak so that will be about 2x what we have been doing….fingers crossed!!!
This is another DDG anchorage….1.5 mile long meadow with huge mudflat….almost too big as any critter sightings need binoculars….nevertheless we anchored close to the mudflat at low tide….maybe 1/4 mile away…some eagles, blue herons, different ducks, mom seal with a pup….got some good closeup pics!!! And, bear sightings…another very amorous couple….that’s now 5 couples we have seen….going to be lots of cubs next year!!!
AND DRUM ROLL PLEASE…..WE HAVE CRABS!!!! Finally after being shutout the last 10-12 days we have our limit….6 large Dungeness….several 7-8″, one over 10″…..YES!!!! Fresh crab for dinner!!!! Caught those the 1st morning, an 18 hour soak, 2nd morning after 23 hour soak got 3 more big ones…now that is more like it!!!
Weather….well, hot…but no complaints….no clouds, little breeze….50’s at night, 70’s during the day but in the sun it’s HOT….record temps in Juneau and up near Haines….will last a few more days….!!!!
NOAA forecast: “Hot and dry conditions after nearly a week of no rain has elevated the fire danger to significant levels. Fine fuels are likely dry and temperatures will be reaching 80 degrees or higher on Thursday and again on Friday. A fire weather watch has been issued for Hoonah, Tenakee Springs, Elfin Cove, Pelican,and the Juneau Borough.”…..arghhhhhh!!!
June 1-2: Well, pulling prawn pots from Mystic was a big NO GO…yikes….we did the MOB routine and were able to pick up the buoys, no issue, but Mystic is just not maneuverable enough and the line kept wanting to go under the boat and at one point the puller was straining too much. So, we gave up, jumped in the dinghy and pulled the 2nd one no issue….this was the 550′ one….just 2 small prawns….ugh….the trap landed in mud….now John-boy and the dinghy are covered w/mud….just got to laugh!!! We went to anchor in Long Bay and I went out in the dinghy and pulled up the 1st pot….no issues…got 8 monster size prawns….wish there had been a lot more…ugh!!!!
6/2: HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATHY: well…she says…made it another year…but not a zero or five so no big deal….what do you want to do today our son David texts….well, I suppose the usual, watch for bears, check crab pots, cook and pick crab:))) Just another day in paradise I suppose!!! But we did celebrate with a nice steak dinner….Costco prime baby….and champagne for Kathy and a New Zealand 2012 Craggy Range Aroha…yummers!!!!
The Plan: Heading to Kelp Bay and then probably back into Peril Strait!!
Critter Stats:
Whales: 29 Total (26 Humpback, 2 Minke, 1 Stejneger’s)
– 2 Humpback off East Point as enter Tenakee Inlet
– 1 Humpback coming back from Upper Tenakee Inlet by Seal Bay…came up 100 yards off bow…yikes
Bears: 63: (49 Brown, 14 Blacks)
– 49 Brown; 2 Brown Snug Cove; 3 Coots Cove in Funter Bay; 1 in Salt Lake Bay, 2 in Bells Island/port Frederick; 3 Russell Is; 4 Browns as entered Dundas; 1 in Upper Middle Arm Dundas; 2 Browns N. Chatham before Freshwater; 1 Brown along Tenakee inlet, sitting in front of a remote house; 13 in Crab Bay, 4 along Tenakee inlet, 6 Upper inlet anchorage; 1 on the way out of Upper Inlet, 6 in Long Bay
– 14 Blacks: 2 on north side Geikie Inlet as entered and 3 at Shag Cove, 1 as entered Dundas, 8 at Dundas anchorage
Dungeness Crab: 20; Red Bluff 2, Cannery Cove 2, Upper basin Good Island Inlet 3; Snug Cove 1; Crab Cove/Funter 2 (given to us by locals:))), 1 in Eight Fathom Port Frederick; 0 Swanson Harbor; 1 Pavlof; 0 Crab Bay; 9 in Upper Inlet Tenakee; 0 Long Bay
Prawns: 143 Spotted: 80 Red Bluff, 31 Pybus Bay; 19 Gambier Bay; 5 in Port Frederick; 0 Pavlof; 13 Upper Tenakee Inlet, near Long Bay
Otters: 325; 75 in Rocky Pass, 75 outside Pybus Bay; 20 coming into Bartlett Cove; 5 South Sandy cove; 5 Russell; 75+ Geikie Inlet; 50+ as left Glacier Bay; 25+ in Dundas Bay; 10+ Icy Strait; 5+ Swanson Harbor
Mountain Goats: 20+
Hope all is well!!
John
Mystic Moon
Position: 57 46’00.16 N, 135 10’57.89 W
Course: Stopped.
Position: 22-06-03 10:36:32 -0800
http://maps.google.com/maps?&ll=57.76671,-135.1827&q=57.76671,-135.1827&z=16
