Captain’s Log: Seymour Canal to Gambier Bay along Stephens Passage

May 6-9

Hi All,

Monday May 6: Windfall Harbor….arghhhhh…..still raining…..sometimes pretty hard:(((( But, wildlife galore…we saw 5 more Brown bears, 8 total in Windfall….one clamming for hours, one just plopped down and took a nap in the rain, many eating grass (their salad). Sitka deer….~15-20, Kathy read where they love old growth forests and we think that is what is here….evidently the forests are so thick that not much snow reaches the ground allowing various plants to survive in the winter providing food for the deer et al….amazing!!! Crab trap – zilch…whaaaaaaaa….not sure why….we have seen 3 large commercial crab trap storages….maybe 300 traps each stacked up in the trees….hmmm, tried again but in another spot!! Eagle: Kathy saw an adult Eagle swoop down and snag a small Murrelet duck…then a few minutes later a juvenile Eagle swooped down and snagged another Murrelet…as in the adult teaching the kid how to hunt, then a few minutes later a gull was harassin
g the adult Eagle to let the duck go…and the Eagle did and the duck swam/paddles away….who knew a gull could do that to an Eagle….what a show of nature….of course, I was napping:)))

Tuesday May 7: Woke up to more rain….ugh…here is the NOAA forecast: “A weather front will stall along the eastern gulf coast Monday night and weaken Tuesday. A stronger weather front will reach
the central gulf Tuesday night and stall and weaken over the northeast gulf Wednesday. A ridge of high pressure will persist over the Inner Channels.”

All those stalled fronts…yep, that’s over us….ugh!!

We left the calm and protected Windfall Harbor around 9:30am for Mole Harbor, about 18nm away….first checked the crab pot….zilch again….hmmm….we have surmised that the bottom is too silty….we don’t think the anchor even was set, just sank into the silt….and the crab trap was sucked in deep and took some pulling to free…..I probably set the pots too close to the mudflats and need to be some distance away!!!

The calm anchorage fooled us….while the forecast called for 20 kts on the nose, the anchorage was flat calm….as soon as we entered Seymour Canal we had 10-15kts with 1-2′ chop….not too bad but the visibility was 1-3nm….pretty grey, dismal day….but, we did see 2 whales as we approached Mole Harbor:)))

Mole Harbor was a bust….first the rain/low clouds kept critter viewing to a minimum but we found 15-20kt winds in the anchorage….more than in the Canal….WTH….must be acceleration caused by the mountains. It was so blustery we didn’t even lower the dinghy or set a crab pot….very disappointing:((((

Wednesday May 8: We both were woken up early from a 2′ swell coming into the anchorage from the ENE….WTH…forecast was for everything to come from the south, must be wraparounds….the swell was hitting our stern and making quite a racket….ok, enough, we left by 8am…..still dismal weather….drizzly, low clouds, some rain, visibility <1nm…..6th day in a row now…..whaaaaaaaa!!

Snug Cove in Gambier Bay, May 8-9: Wow, what a difference….flat calm the 1st day….beautiful bay although we have yet to see anything above 500′ due to mist and low clouds!! I have run out of fresh fish so had to resort to using a can of tuna and hot dogs in the crab trap…..got nothing after a few hours but eventually caught some small flounder and used them. Woke up on the 9th to just a hint of sun, no rain, and beautiful reflections on the calm waters….and by the afternoon bright sun….and it got hot….really, in the 60’s….Kathy was barefoot and I had on a t-shirt…whoa!!! Bears: We finally saw 2 bears….in the distance and grazing in a green meadow….yep, the grass is turning green. Lot’s of ducks doing their mating….even saw a big Loon eating a small flounder….really….cut it with its beak until it could swallow!!! Crabs: caught 4 keepers and 4 undersized the 1st day….the hot dogs were definitely chewed on…maybe 40% left of 2 dogs….and the crab lu
ved the fresh flounder I finally managed to catch. 2nd Day: 2 close to 7″, 1, 6.5″…. wow and 2 small ones and a female King crab….7 total keepers for the two days!!!

I just finished reading “Across the Shaman’s River” by Dan Henry. It was recommended by Sherry in Skagway. The book is an historical account of the Chilkat-Chilkoot Tlingit struggles with the “white” man’s invasion and John Muir’s journey from racism to respect for these indigenous people. It was John Muir’s “We are all Brothers” speech/discussion given over 4-5 days in the fall of 1879 that eventually opened up this territory and peace between the “Indians” and the “White” men. It is well written and I also highly recommend!!

Tragedy: Well….we knew bear hunting season was open in May, maybe again in fall….and maybe 60 Browns are killed in SE Alaska….not sure of that # but read it somewhere. Elsa had told us the bears have learned not to come to the shorelines in the hunting season and Kathy read this fact as well. We unfortunately saw it for real…..three hunters came into Snug Cove on a small skiff….went ashore and seemed to scout the area for a few hours….a beautiful male Brown bear came out into a meadow and grazed for a few hours….the hunters seemed nonchalant, in fact we thought maybe they were bird watching….eventually they got back in their boat and slowly approached the bear….got out of the boat and started to walk towards him maybe 1/2 mile away, still being nonchalant and seemingly watching the many birds…..the bear became alert and took an aggressive stanch….eventually the bear relaxed and started to slowly amble away….then it started to run and climb a short knol
l and bam, bam…we heard two shots….and the bear came tumbling down the small slope. We shouted out with all our might what horrible people they were but the tragedy was done. They took a few hours to skin and behead the bear….just left a huge white carcass. I do not have anything against hunting but to kill a defenseless bear running away….well, just do not see the sport in that…really…just for a trophy….what in God’s name gives man the right to kill a defenseless animal for a trophy….just because it is legal does not make it right or moral…

A quote from John Muir: “Only white men kill animals for fun”…..he was berating a Tlingit for killing indiscriminately a seagull….the Tlingit said it was the white man who taught him to kill for fun…..arghhhhhhh!!!!

Kathy has sworn that if we are in the position again she will take the dinghy and scare the bear away…..Amen….you go girl!!!!!

The Plan: We left Snug Cove on Friday, May 10 for Cannery Cove in Prybus Bay. We will stay their 2 nights then over to Sandborn Canal in Port Houghton for 2 nights. Then maybe 1 more night somewhere or we might just move on into Petersburg to meet up with Mark & Roseanne on mv Koinonia and to get ready for Craig & Jeanette!! So into Petersburg May 14 or 15th!!

Critter Stats:
Dungeness crab: 20 total; 7 large ones in Snug Cove!!
Prawns: 6 Spotted; 2 more in Snug Cove
Whales: 42 total; 39 Humpbacks; 3 Orcas
Salmon: 0
Bears: 11 Browns; saw 2 more in Snug Harbor; one killed by a hunter….that POS
Wolves: 5
Otters: 700+, ~50% with pups; note…have not seen any since Glacier Bay….curious
Mountain Goats: total 42
Dall’s Sheep: 3
Moose: 1
Alaskan Husky sled dogs: 60
Stellar Sea Lions: ~450;

Hope all is well!!

John
Mystic Moon
Sung Cove, Gambier Bay Alaska
GO MYSTIC GO!!

Position: 57 50’09.23 N, 134 17’39.26 W
Course: Stopped.
Position: 19-05-06 07:43:29 -0800
http://maps.google.com/maps?&llW.8359,-134.2942&qW.8359,-134.2942&z=16
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Position: 57 18’20.12 N,  134 09’16.93 W
Course: Stopped.
Position: 19-05-10 16:58:02 -0800
http://maps.google.com/maps?&ll=57.30559,-134.1547&q=57.30559,-134.1547&z=16
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