SV Panta Rhei Retirement Trip
| Vessel Name: | Panta Rhei |
| Vessel Make/Model: | Able Apogee 50 |
| Hailing Port: | Seattle |
| Crew: | Larry and Karen |
| Social: |
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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?
Things that go bump and swish in the night
It's been a nice night but there are at least a few things to comment about. First of all, you should know that occasionally things go bump in an otherwise quiet ocean. Current speculation is that we hit a turtle. They are everywhere and they are pretty big and (do you believe this?) they are unlighted! Another sound that interrupts otherwise lethargic watches is the swish sound of porpoises breaking the surface of the water and breathing. Then they submerge and swim fast in tracks that are not straight line. You can see their tracks because the entire fish (or fishlike mamal) phosphoresces. Usually there are several at once and sometimes they stay with us most of the night.
Last night we passed a very large vessel, very close ( about 0.7nm which looks pretty close considering that it was at night and it was very large which created a "ring around" on the radar screen). Larry saw the target on radar first thing when he came on watch at 1 am and it was too close for a sleepy captain! Happily, the crew knew all about it. It was going the same direction we were and (as virtually never happens) they were slower than we are. There was some concern because this vessel was VERY large and had no AIS. Current speculation is that this is a Mexican navy boat. It was well lit, so not having an AIS couldn't have been for stealth reasons. More likely it is a very old ship. Apparently ships that pass in the night do not communicate in Mexico. We didn't hear a peep from them on VHF Channel 16 (the hailing channel).
We passed our friends Ron and Heather on SV Sundance and it turns out that we are also in front of Mike and Kate on SV Magdagene. Its amazing but we know most of the boats we encounter here. There will be another party when we all arrive at Hutalco.
The picture is of Karen and Connie at our table overlooking where the cliff divers in Acupulco dive into the water.
