We had a fantastic time in Misty Fiords with Jim and Nancy. Our week went waaay too fast! This is what the Travel Alaska website says about the Misty Fjords: “The spectacular Misty Fjords National Monument, lying just 22 miles east of Ketchikan, is known for its steep-walled fjords, coastal cliffs, and 3,000-foot rock walls that rise dramatically from the sea. Taking its name from the almost constant precipitation characteristic of the area, the monument is covered with thick rainforest that grows on nearly vertical slopes from sea level to mountaintops. Dramatic waterfalls plunge into the saltwater through narrow clefts or course over great rounded granite shoulders, fed by lakes, streams, and more than 150 inches of annual rainfall.“
Day 1 – Ketchikan to Shoalwater Pass: We weighed anchor bright and early, fueled up at the South End fuel dock, we also filled the propane there – the cruise was a little spicy until we got into Behm Canal. We spotted quite a few whales on our way into Behm Canal. We fished at Alavara Bay for a bit and then headed to our anchorage at Shoalwater Pass. What a shock when Jim caught a small shark! We looked them up – spiny dogfish. We didn’t keep any as they sound difficult to prepare. It was pretty windy but the anchor was well set. It was an early night as we stayed up too late the night before gabbing.
Day 2 – We woke up to a glorious day of blue skies and sunshine. The cruise up Rudeyard Bay got more and more majestic at every bend. Wow. The wind really funnels down the Bay. Jim and Nancy sat on the bow enjoying the sunshine and views. We considered grabbing the mooring ball at Punchbowl Cove, but we decided to stick to plan A – it would be time to fish by the time we reached Fitzgibbon Cove. Once we were out of the bay and back into the canal it turned into a glassy smooth cruise. The canal turned milky white from sediment flowing in from a river. We anchored in Fitzgibbon Cove, launched the dinghy and went and dropped our prawn trap. (I know! That took us a long time to get a line wet!) We briefly saw a black bear on shore. The only one of the entire trip. We were later joined by a sailboat Eelyos. Jim enjoyed fishing but seems like the fish just weren’t there.
Day 3 – Yes!! We had enough prawns for us to have one each so I made some shrimp and grits for breakfast. Yum! We are heading to Yes Bay today. Once we were out of the section that is closed to Salmon fishing, we spent most of the day trolling as we cruised to our next destination. It was a relaxing day. We fished most of the day. I was pleasantly surprised at the beauty of Yes Bay. Wow. We anchored in the Southwest Basin. We were set well but not necessary as it was like a pond. It’s Jim’s final day of his 3-day fishing license, so the guys headed out to fish and set the prawn trap. We set our trap in the center bay at 173 feet. I thought it would be unlikely that we had any prawns for breakfast. Nancy and I made dinner and watched the closing ceremony of the Olympics. We played some games while we enjoyed the glorious evening.
Day 4 – Success! We had enough prawns for us each to have 2! We had to throw back the largest, they were females with eggs. I made way too many grits the day before so we ate them for breakfast again. The weather says less than 5 knots of wind and 1-foot seas. We headed out and were surprised that we had 15 knots of winds and very spicy seas! It only lasted for about an hour though. We enjoyed flat seas for the rest of the journey. We saw a couple of whales out in Clarence Strait. I think it was sleeping. It was just floating on the surface blowing occasionally. We watched them for a bit and headed in. We got a slip in Thomas Basin.
Day 5 – We sent Jim and Nancy out to explore the town while we got the boat ready for John and Julie. We are all flying home together on Thursday. While we are gone, John and Julie are going to circumnavigate Revilla as well. We all headed up to the Eagles Nest for views and pizza for dinner. We lounged around chatting on the flybridge. It got chilly so the party broke up. John and Julie headed back to their hotel and we played games the rest of the evening.
Day 6 – up and at em early. We took the ferry to the airport. It was pretty confusing, as you pay for your ferry ticket after the ride – at the airport. We were way too early, so played a game of 5 Crowns while we waited. Our flights were on-time and uneventful. There was a glorious storm raging when we arrived, so it was not hot. We have been dreading coming home to hot temps. Luckily, Jim and Nancy live close to where we are staying, so they dropped us off.
We won’t be back onboard until the 22nd. So if you look for Miss Marlie on marinetraffic.com – it will be John and Julie you are tracking.
Talk Soon.
Great pics. Especially the sunset!