To Prince Rupert

We had one last long day to enter BC waters, and with mostly decent wind we made Prince Rupert by nightfall. Where we would take the boat out for the drive home. Actually we hoisted the boat in Port Edward, but we stopped in Prince Rupert first to clear customs, visit the town, and move the truck and trailer to Port Edward.

The morning did not exactly start off with great wind. Some motoring to start the day. This could not be more different than our Dixon Entrance crossing during the race!

Passing Cape Fox. We got there right as the gillnetters must have had an open fishing window, because just as we approached they all ran out their nets and we had a bit of a gauntlet to run to avoid them.

Back on more open water.

But a northerly filled in, and we got to tick off pleasant miles under spinnaker. 

Linda enjoying the return of more fantastic warm weather, and great sailing.

View of the freighter docks when approaching Prince Rupert.

The city of Prince Rupert.

Sunset which checking in at the customs docks.

The pleasant sunken garden near the courthouse.

Old wooden fishing boat at Port Edward. 

The boat finally hauled, here is the first look at the impact point from the 3:45 AM bad log hit while surfing/broad reaching at 7 knots. The hull obviously flexed a bit/compressed the core.

Here is the back of the lifting keel, where it was compressed against the hull, which cracked and delaminated the trailing edge.

Another view of the keel trailing edge.

Some questionable docks. 

Back near Prince Rupert, a tidal grid, for working on boats.

Next - we will catch a ferry to Haida Gwaii.

Misty Fiords National Monument

The next day we crossed Behm Canal, past New Eddystone Rock, and entered Rudyerd Bay. Famous for its 3,000' granite cliffs, and Punchbowl Cove.

From the southwest, with Rudyerd Bay fjord centered in the picture across the canal.

Passing to the south.

The view from the southest. The rock is a basalt pillar, quite steep.

Looking back towards where we spend the night. Nice sailing conditions, a fairly quick crossing. Barefoot, single-baselayer temperatures with clear blue skies are not typical in Misty Fiords!

First good view into the fjord of Rudyerd Bay, and the cliff above Punchbowl Cove.

These fjords really feel like a flooded Yosemite Valley, except with rain forest foliage.

Calm conditions resulted in motoring to tour the fjord.

The downside of the dry, warm weather is that the typical waterfalls are not present.

The past glaciers did some serious carving up in that cirque in the past.

The water is impressively deep even when right next to the walls. Usually maxing out our depthmeter, which quits at 600 feet.

Anchored for the night in Punchbowl Cove. With (fancy) company this time.

The evening light on the cliff.

This young Brown bear was a regular visitor to the shoreline, flipping over rocks until he gets too hot, then cooling off in the water.

The next day, entering Walker Cove, the next fjord up the canal to the north.

That evening the more typical weather moved in. From that nights anchorage.

Low clouds give a dramatic feel.

But the night's rain was enough to restart the waterfalls for the next morning.

So we were happy to experience Mist Fiords both with the atypical sunny conditions, and the normal weather.

The waterfalls were huge, right into the saltwater.

Back out in Behm Canal, for the true return trip, passing by the now-familiar New Eddystone Rock. And now wearing more typical SE Alaska cruising clothing.

Heading to re-enter the east side of Dixon Entrance.

Last night in Alaska, spent in Foggy Bay. Back to British Columbia tomorrow.

Post-race cruising in Alaska - Departing Ketchikan

After spending a few days in Ketchikan relaxing, Linda and Ben left for Prince Rupert where the truck and trailer had been kindly delivered by Ben's parents. But first, a diversion into beautiful Misty Fiords National Monument. Which is only accessible by water or air. One nice part of our cruising was the frequency of sighting whales, or at the very lease whale spouts. Usually grey or humpback whales.

Leaving the 'crowds' of Ketchikan (depending on whether cruise ships are docked).

Typical shipping traffic to a boat-based city on an Island.

This spec that we approached....

...turned out to be a deer in the process of switching islands! It was doing just fine, finishing what was nearly a mile swim.

A dramatic sky for the departure.

And calm conditions.

First view of New Eddystone Rock, named by Captain Vancouver's crew since it reminded them of the Eddystone rock lighthouse in England.

Impressive cumulonimbus clouds that formed. 

But then broke up

A mooring ball with impressive growth...its own ecosystem.

The view across Behm Canal towards New Eddystone Rock from the mooring.

Beautiful evening sky.

Nice sunset.

Relaxing for the evening, the second night out from Ketchikan.