Downeast in Southeast Alaska

Leave Khutze Inlet 8:30a
Arrive Bishop Bay
53 28.04:-128 50.28
31.5 miles

We left Chapter 45 in Khutze for another day. The Nordic that anchored there too picked up before we ventured topside this morning. A fishing boat was headed north outside the inlet. We didn't see either of them again. The only other traffic was an American cruiser headed south, and until just a few minutes ago, there were no AIS signals in Bishop Bay. So, we were pretty hopeful about our chances of picking up one of the two moorings in the bay. Now, however, there's a 66' sailboat stationary in there (and who knows how many non-AIS boats). We're going to take our chances. If the moorings are full, it's too deep to anchor, so we can either double back and head to Home Bay (20 miles SW from Bishop) or Kitsaway Anchorage (21 miles N).

Either way, it's a beautiful day to be on the water. Lots of water falls and tremendous avalanche chutes spilling down mountains, each one dipping a shoulder into the reaches. If it weren't for the rainforest, I would think we're in Yosemite.

The SV Maple Leaf, a beautiful schooner reminiscent of Prudence, was on the move - we were going to cross wakes at the entrance to Bishop Bay. Our hopes for a bath soared, and our stoic brace for a ten hour day dissipated. We hailed her and asked if there were any mooring buoys available when she left the springs. It would be an eight mile round trip if we had to get a visual and were turned away. But - at least one was free! We found three free; there was a new one not mentioned in the guides or shown on the charts. Two small boats had vacated their buoys and tied up to the dock. They turned out to be two of the boats that were hunkering out the storm in Rescue Bay, which we saw again traveling together and checking out the extensive ruins at Swanson Bay.

We made for the dock in the inflatable, just as soon as we could launch the inflatable and pack our hot springs gear (a selection of shower gear and going-to-shore gear). Another cruiser appeared out of nowhere, tried to tie up at the dock (the smaller boats pointed to the sign prohibiting - in a polite, Canadian way - boats over 30'), then made for a mooring buoy, and was quickly deploying their own rigid bottom inflatable. We were determined, and got to the dock first, only because the other guy was more interested in a whale out in the middle of the bay. We chatted with the people on the two small boats, and quickly figured out that we had watched the Ranger put in at Poet McNeill from the other side of the windows at Gus's Bar & Grill. That was his maiden launch.

One of the guys remarked how pretty the Cimarron looks, and I swooned. Then he said, "but how about those Hunters, eh?" Wise ass.

The hot springs are fabulous - neither too hot nor too cool; a lower pool for washing in. A squall came through while we soaked, and we watched the Cimarron sail around her mooring with some trepidation from the springs, but she was fine. There are a whole lot of logs circling around the boat (some 60' long, complete with root wads). Before long, the sun came out, and we enjoyed a warm, calm, (clean) evening.

It's beautiful in here. Gonna have to do something about the forest of bull kelp that has wrapped itself around the rudder. Maybe tomorrow.