Downeast in Southeast Alaska

Leave John Henry 7:40a for fuel dock 7:45a
Left fuel dock 8:15a
Arrive anchorage behind Cochrane Islands off Malaspina Inlet 3:50p

50 2.53:-124 46.67

A pleasant morning up Malaspina Strait. With SW winds 15-20 kts on our quarter, it was pretty rolly until we turned up, giving us following seas. The cloud cover this morning was a relief! Still lots of boats, all on the same lay line as us. Several of them were still insisting on occupying the same place in space at the same time as us, even though they were the ones overtaking.

The wind died, and the clouds cleared, streaming sunlight on the Sunshine Coast. The max current in Malaspina Strait is one knot, and somehow, we got that one knot boost all day on the ebb. We arrived at Copeland Islands Marine Park early - around 2:30, but all the little one-boat anchorages already sported 2 or more. So we kept going, past the islands (very pretty), around the Malaspina Peninsula, and into the Malaspina Inlet, where we had a few more options. Although I much prefer knowing where we're going, and I prefer to study the layout of wherever that is, sometimes just going with the flow is where the adventure lies. We shot across a bar doing nearly nine kts over ground - really kind of like a rocket. The islands blurred by, shedding the colors of the rainbow as we shot past at warp speed. I wished I had goggles. My vision was blurred by goggleless tears (or maybe an errant bug). Viola! Our first alternate had only one boat - and no houses. We set anchor in the nameless anchorage behind the Cochrane Islands nose against the current, and I let the river do the setting for me. I didn't even need reverse thrust. Harry signaled our set. I had already commenced beer-thirty.

We took Neka to the bouldery beach, thinking she'd get the rips now that a leash is no longer needed, but between the boulders and the deer flies, she actually hopped into the beached inflatable, begging to be taken back to the boat. After barbecuing up some burgers, she lept into the inflatable because a harbor seal had the nerve to raise its head. Now she's stuck there until after the dinner dishes are done. I think I heard a seal snicker.

This is, by the way, the first cove we've come to that throws an echo. I videoed Harry yelling "duck butt", capturing the echo, and sent it to Peg Leg Greg. He only thought he was rid of our antics.