Wrangell

We have discovered a nice small town America!  This is a small community with friendly folks who are willing to give you directions with a smile.  Downtown is closed on Sunday the way it used to be in America.  This is a fishing town that is trying to attract ship work.  They have a new ship yard with huge lifts.  The main goal is the tug market.

Today the salmon nets go out at noon for 6 days.  There are all kinds of characters.  Fisherman are a hardy bunch.  Most are friendly and willing to talk to people like Kay and I, cruisers.  They also educate us on how to recognize nets in the water.

Kay dragged me 1.5 miles to the Petroglyph beach.  No one knows how old or who made these but they are very cool.  See the pictures.

Tomorrow with the tide we will be heading to Petersburg, through the Wrangle Narrows.  We will revisit Wrangell........

Totems everywhere.  I love history and these are great.

Front Street

Side walk downtown

Library

Bird on a fire weed

Posing just for Kay

Trading Post

Bay outside of Wrangell

This is made from wood!!!!

Riverboat.  Small in this bay isn't it?

You can run your boat up on these at high tide and when the tide goes out, you can work on your hull

 

A "Big House" down at the harbor

Old totem under protective cover

Chapter 22 Santa Anna to Wrangell

This maybe a short run of about 40 miles, but it was an exciting navigational run.  We entered Zimovia Straits at low tide.  By the time we hit the middle of the channel we were at slack tide and in a mess of crab traps.  You have to navigate the middle of this passage exactly or you will end up on the rocks.  I am told there are a few "cruisers" who end up on the rocks every year.  So long as you trust your electronics and the charts the course is good.  The problem we had were crab pots in the main channel.  Got us very close to the rocks a few times and when we hit the critical hard left turn and then hard right turn we met a blow boat.  We pass within a foot of each other in order to stay in the channel.

The rest of the trip to Wrangell was smooth.  We also hit the tidal wall just outside of Wrangell where the blue sea met the glacial run off.  It was a cool thing to see. So I guess I also entered into "official" retirement.  As we approached Wrangell, I was trying to get the harbor master to respond to my hails on VHF channel 16.  After several tries, I called the harbor office.  The recording stated their harbor master listens to channel 16 until 11pm.  The offices where open 8-4 Monday to Friday.  I called a second time with no results.  Then it dawned on me.  Hey dumby it was Saturday!!!!  They are closed!!!  I finally got the harbor master and we would be at the main dock, port tie.

When we got within the harbor, the harbor master called and told me to change to stbd tie.  As Kay and I were hurrying to switch lines and fenders a fishing boat passed us and took our spot!  What the heck?  The harbor master was not happy, but found us a spot at the end of the dock, so things worked out.

The end of Santa Anna Cove.  No Bears

Sunset over Santa Anna Inlet

Love the reflection here

 

It would seem there was some type of machinery here at one time.  Steam Log donkey?

Looking out of Santa Anna Inlet.  The reason we stayed for 2 days

Getting ready to do some rock bass fishing.  She kicked my butt....

Shrimp pot, soaked for 10 hours and one star fish.... no shrimp

Little salt and pepper?

Leaving Santa Anna



Shows the high tide.  20 feet plus

This is called Conspicuous Rock.  No kidding that is what is on the charts!  Below shows why.

Entering Zimovia Straits

Crab Traps everywhere

Right turn if you go straight you are grounded

Narrow Chanel

Stay within the markers or you are on rocks

We made it

Village Islands

Center Channel rock

Net dock

Safe and sound in Wrangell Harbor