Final Thoughts and Numbers
This year seemed like we were actually returning home.
Our goal this year we to go to Sitka. We
had never been there and the navigation was pretty straight forward. We were surprised by the friendly town and
the attitude of the commercial fishermen.
They nicknamed the recreational cruisers as “Yachties.” We were told they were surprised by the
number of Yachties and how early they were showing up in Sitka.
Our biggest disappointment was the salmon
fishing. One of the reasons we went to
Sitka was the Chinook fishing. We were
told it is the King fishing capital of SE Alaska and the shark hole was the place
to be. Kay and I fished hard for two
weeks, as we had freezers to fill. Not a
single salmon bite, not one landed. As
we left the legendary rains came. Up
until then it had been sunny and warm.
We explored old and new places. The south arm of Hoonah Sound was a big
surprise. We spend 4 days there and didn’t
see another boat. We also did not have
any VHF or cell communications. You were
in true wilderness. It kinda of made you
nervous.
We also met up with old friends and made new
friends. The nicest place we stayed was
Taku Harbor just south of Juneau. This
was the playground for the residents of Juneau.
We did skip Juneau as we didn’t want to mess with the crowed docks and
cruise ships.
As always Canada was awesome. We found new anchorages like Bottleneck and
old favorites like Kutze Inlet. Spent a
lot of time in Kutze. Still one of our favorite places. We also hung out in the Gulf islands side and
explored some new spots with our great friends Chris and Bridgette. Winter Cove was awesome. Ganges was crowded and a mess.
The “Gate” crossings (Dixon Entrance, Cape Caution and
Open pacific) was like we have never seen.
Smooth crossings both ways!!! In fact,
we didn’t really have that much bad weather.
As our buddy Ketchikan Al would say “Tea Cup smooth!”
Overall the trip was without any major breakdowns and
ASD operated great. We did have a “smart
start” on the main A/C unit go bad, but we had the forward unit that worked
just fine. Our trip to Seattle to get it
fixed was a mess, especially the Ballard Locks.
Lessons Learned:
·
Never ever approach a nuclear submarine in
the Strait of Juan De Fuca.
·
Know were WG is located. It was amazing how many idiots couldn’t tell
you were it was located and whether it was open or closed. We had no issues.
·
Having Auto Pilot is AWESOME.
·
Kay bought me a “range finder” for
anchoring. One of our new friends Doug
of the “Overdrive” suggested it to us.
This simple tool made crowded anchorages easier.
·
Never be afraid to explore new places. You never know what you might find.
·
Water maker is AWESOME.
·
There are thunderstorms in Alaska
·
We got better skilled using the
radar. Practice using radar as it could
save your life.
Did I say Never ever approach a nuclear submarine in the Strait of Juan De Fuca.
Did I say Never ever approach a nuclear submarine in the Strait of Juan De Fuca.
We already have our winter “to do list” and planning
next year.
Final Numbers:
Fuel Costs:
$7864.44
Fuel used: 2412.6 Gal
Miles Traveled: 3363 miles
Total Engine Hours: 373.7
Average MPG (Generator included): 1.4mpg
Average Fuel Burn (Generator included): 6.45gph
