SV Panta Rhei Retirement Trip

Vessel Name: Panta Rhei
Vessel Make/Model: Able Apogee 50
Hailing Port: Seattle
Crew: Larry and Karen
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18 September 2017 | Seattle
23 August 2017 | Prince Rupert
15 August 2017 | Anan Bear Observatory
19 July 2017 | Petersburg, AK
17 June 2017 | Hoonah, AK
03 June 2017 | Seward AK
03 June 2017 | Denali
25 April 2017 | Seward AK
23 March 2017 | Seward, AK
11 March 2017 | Seward, AK
23 January 2017 | Seward AK
06 December 2016 | Seward AK
12 November 2016 | Seward Alaska
14 October 2016 | Valdez, AK
21 September 2016
05 August 2016 | Seward, AK
26 July 2016 | Whittier, AK
19 July 2016 | Valdez, Alaska
05 July 2016 | Seward, Alaska
Recent Blog Posts
18 September 2017 | Seattle

We are back in Seattle

It feels like home. Of course we are not in Silshole. Maybe we will be, someday, but there is a list and we are on it. In the meantime we are at Bainbridge Island Marina.

23 August 2017 | Prince Rupert

The dinghy holds air again

It wasn't very nice of the bear to tear the fabric across a seam. We were worried that we couldn't patch it but tried anyway. The glue had a job to do and it did it!

15 August 2017 | Anan Bear Observatory

A Grizzly Bear damaged our dinghy

We were visiting the Anan Bear Observatory south of Wrangell. It is one of the best places to visit in all of SE Alaska BECAUSE it has bears. But (as we learned) there is a dark side to this bear concentration. And of course, there is a story to tell.

19 July 2017 | Petersburg, AK

Moving On

"No matter where you go, there you are" (unknown reference). By now we have been there and done that. Most recently that included Cannery Cove on Admiralty Island. The photo shows the quiet grandeur of the setting with Ron and Suzie's boat SV Tango in the foreground. It has been like that for the last [...]

17 June 2017 | Hoonah, AK

We are in Hoonah, SE Alaska now

We got something resembling a high pressure ridge so we moved expeditously across the Gulf of Alaska. The crossing took three days and weather stayed as forecast. That was a very good thing. The weather changes in the far north far more rapidly and dramatically than we ever experienced in the more southern [...]

03 June 2017 | Seward AK

Crossing the Gulf of Alaska

We are still in Seward, AK. Now that spring has come, why not start south?

How will this story end?

02 July 2016 | Red Fox Bay on Afognak Island, Alaska
Larry
We left beautiful Geographic Harbor at 6:20 am and arrived Red Fox Bay (58d27.041mN 152d36.238mW) on Afognak Island (Island north of Kodiak) at 5:00 pm.

We had way too strong tail winds more than half the way. We were making over 8.5 knots most of the time and we really don't like that. The seas became large and steep since it was wind against current (remember yesterday's current? Still there!) But, we were taking those seas running downwind. There is no way we could have turned around and made any headway. We could have turned off the engine but when the wind went over 40 knots we just decided to ride it out.

Trouble is the boat speeds up on steep swells and overruns the propellor, making it shake like a wet dog on a beach. And we are living inside that "wet dog". What to do? That is always the question. This time we had the staysail ready. We probably should have raised it, slowed down and stood a patient watch. But we just kept motoring along thinking, this will end soon. We hope it ends well.

We are all alone here. We saw no other boats on the entire trip. It was overcast and misty with light rain from time to time. It's the kind of day they set the stage with in horror movies just before the music goes suddenly loud and you jump out of your seat.

The Captain's guide says Red Fox is an all weather anchorage. We sure hope that is true because coming up on the turn into the bay it is blowing 40 knots apparent and we are running downwind at 11 knots. You can add those two together to get the true wind. How is this story going to end???? Credit here, the seas had subsided. That was a good sign.

Well, you may have guessed, it ends in an email and a post to the blog. We found what the book promised. We were plenty worried that it couldn't deliver but here we sit with 12 knots of wind in the middle of a tiny little bay at the end of the inlet that appears made for us. A perfect fit. There are a few differences: Kodiak Island has pine trees! Geographic Harbor had scrub alder brush. You could think you were in the Pacific Northwest
here.

Karen is cooking the salmon fillet with carrots and broccoli. The engine is off. Quiet. The heater is running. We will take hot showers tonight. Nirvana.

I hope tomorrow is a little easier. If it is not, we will be here a little longer!

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