Downeast in Southeast Alaska

Leave Codville Lagoon 7:45a
Arrive Shearwater 12:30p
52 8.84:-128 5.21

What VHF channel does BC broadcast commercial fish openings? We certainly didn't hear any announcements on the weather channels. Of course, all the fishing boats in the lagoon's cove last night may as well have been a neon sign. When we popped out of the lagoon, the gill net fleet was jostling for position and stringing out their nets in Fisher Channel (hmmm ... not someone's name after all, perhaps?). We could have hung a left into Lama Passage on the south side of Denny Island, but it was choked with fog. So we ran the gauntlet up Fisher, jogging up the middle, then towards the west shore, then the east, back to the middle. I'd clear one buoy/net/boat trio while Harry glassed ahead looking for which side of the bright orange buoy the next net lay. It was a minefield of bright orange buoys, there were dozens of boats, and all of them were changing up their speed and direction. A few miles up, we found ourselves amidst seiners. Holy cow! They must be scooping up sockeye and chums at the same time.

We left them behind when we took the off ramp to Gunboat Passage, a twisty, narrow, scenic (and fog-free) route into Shearwater on the north side of Denny Island. Fortunately, we made a reservation for overnight moorage early this morning. We thought it was busy when we came through here on the way down, but it's super busy now. We hailed the harbormaster from around the corner, and he told us where to tie up. When we got here, the whole dock was full. We hailed again. He needed to check on when a boat planned to depart. I took a lap around the breakwater, and then we tied to one of the broken docks strung between barges to make the breakwater. Another boat had done the same thing. Then harbor crew skiffed over and evicted us both within minutes. More pacing outside the breakwater, until the harbormaster said everyone was waiting for the store to open at 1:00p, and they wouldn't budge without their groceries, check-out time be damned. (The store gets its stock by barge, and has to wait for the boat to come in. And, it's the only place to provision for 100 miles. So there you go.). He said he'd put us into a temporary spot, but we'd have to move later. As we were heading to that spot, one boat left, and he changed us to that one just as I was about to pass it. I put on the brakes, dodged the sea bus full of passengers, made a T-bone approach, and pivoted in because Harry rocks the breast line fandango. I really think he should try his hand at calf roping.

So, that was 45 minutes of tooling around after we'd arrived. Figuring everyone was gonna sweep the store at 1:00, Harry and I dashed to the laundry and showers instead. Score!

We had hoped to explore the islands on the outside coast after Shearwater (Aristazabal, Princess Royal, Campania, Pitt), but the long term forecast is for high winds out there for several days beginning Wednesday. Drats! We'll stick to the more prudent inside route for now. We might pop out through Meyers Passage if the forecast changes. Otherwise, we'll head up to Bishop and maybe Weewanie hot springs. We got a start on routing north of here on the inside this afternoon (after having spent a few hours yesterday plotting the outside): Refuge Cove, Goat Cove, Khutze Inlet, then the hot springs. We'll probably be off grid for a week or so, but will be checking the sat phone more regularly. We probably won't stop at Prince Rupert (no point in provisioning so close to the border), but we'll seek permission to set in Foggy Bay and then clear through at Ketchikan the next day. That is where, by the way, one can get a proper amber beer.