Tidbit: Mud on the anchor chain...

This is one of a series of brief, no nonsense posts that we call a Tidbit:

noun; small and [possibly] particularly interesting items of gossip or information...

The purpose is to share succinct posts about lessons learned, or things we use or do that work [or don't...] that are common to most of us boaters. 

The goal is to garner feedback from those of you having first-hand experience with a better approach/ solution/ product...  

We never assume what we are sharing is the ideal or only; it just seems to best suit our needs [and/or habits and/or budget] from our experiences thus far...

                               ➛ ➛ Peruse the right-hand sidebar for the up-to-date list of Tidbits ➛ ➛                               

Many of the places we anchor in SE Alaska have mud bottoms. Often it is glacial ooze— which is really sticky stuff.... 

Following is what we have found to be successful [for the least amount of effort...] for removing mud from our all [galvanized] chain anchor rode before it goes into the anchor locker: [Remember we typically anchor in 50-80 ft depths, so there can be a lot of chain with mud on it...]

1. Gently jerk the chain off the bottom by backing the boat until the chain is taut. This action typically causes most of the mud fall off underwater. 
1. Repeat as necessary as the rode is retrieved...
2. Salt water wash— as rode is hauled in over the bow roller
1. Using either a pressure wand [which last ~2-3 years] or a a salt water rated spray nozzle; both on a short water hose originating in the anchor locker.
2. This keeps the mess off the deck and out of the anchor locker...
3. We are considering installing built-in spray nozzles at the bow roller.
4. We have used a purpose made brush on a pole in times past. We are too lazy for that...
3. Rinse the chain in fresh water after flaking in anchor locker to help improve service life.
1. Our washdown hoses have Y-valves so we can select fresh or raw [salt in our case] water...
4. Washdown Pumps:
1. Minimum pump recommended [from my experience on several boats...]
2. High end pump option
3. Practical Sailor pump evaluation

Do you have a better/easier approach that we can all learn from? [Besides replacing our galvanized chain with stainless, or not anchoring in muddy places...]

Friday Funny 01-25/19 (Who Has a Bald Head?)

Both can be fun to watch.

It doesn't matter how many times I see wildlife, I never get tired of it. At the marina we have eagles living in the woods around us, and they frequent the docks looking for food. We often see them perched in the rigging of commercial fishing boats, and sailboats.

Look for the familiar white head.

These two were on a neighbor's mast, and it didn't end well for the mast.

Broken, and bent.

A neighbor's boat, the Lucy Ann.

Nap time.

On a previous kayaking trip, we were witness to a youngster being fledged. He was having none of it, every time  Mom, and Dad left, he would put up a loud fuss, (day, and night.) Finally, when the parents had had enough, they left, and didn't come back to his rescue. Junior cried for many hours, until the ravens harassed him enough to convince him to get off of his limb, and go start a life of his own. Wild kingdom at it's best, except it was hard to get any sleep, while camping close by in our tent.

No eagle pictured, but this was the cove we were in, Prince William Sound.

We're aware of bird activity when we let Gus and Elsie out to roam the decks of Denali Rose, we want to be careful that the birds of prey don't get their claws into our pets.

According to Alaska Fish and Game, while eagles have been known to try for a cat, it's unlikely that they could take off carrying the weight of more than four or five pounds. (Gus and Elsie weigh about 10-12lbs each.)  If an eagle tried to pick one of them up, they wouldn't get far, but the damage those claws would do, might be fatal anyway.

Seagulls

Raven

The seagulls, ravens, crows, and eagles all compete for the best mast spots, as they sit up high surveying for food in the water.

Dutch Harbor eagles.

Alaska protects, and celebrates their bald eagle population.

Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve

Haines, AK, Bald Eagle Festival

Bill has some eagle stories in his Becoming part of the neighborhood post...

Alaska Raptor Center
They rehabilitate eagles, and other birds of prey, educate, and conduct eagle research. I've visited a couple of times, and if you're in the neighborhood, it's a worth a stop.

As always, we enjoy hearing from you, either here in comments or on our Facebook Denali Rose Sailboat page.

Friday Funny 01-18/19 (Pass the Kleenex Please)

Yes, me, or ... perhaps you.

It starts with a scratchy throat, then the stuffy nose, and coughing, coughing coughing.  I didn't want to eat, I couldn't sleep, nothing got done, including the Friday Funny.

This morning, (strange things do occur), I was the one to get up and make coffee for us. Bill arose from bed, coughing, snorting, and blowing. So you guessed it, now that I am finally on the mend, Bill has got the crud. 

On a recent short errand trip, we learned that this cold is making the rounds in town, and lots of people have it. Yay! The whole town of Wrangell, coughing, snorting, and blowing. Given my recent experiences,  we might need to add an additional barge to take the used Kleenex off of the island.

As always, we enjoy hearing from you, either here in comments or on our Facebook Denali Rose Sailboat page.

Friday Funny 01-11/19 (Rain, Snow, Rain)

Politically correct.

Yes, it's here finally. We had snow, more snow, and cooler temperatures.

Because we're in the southern part of Alaska, I was hoping that we'd just skip it this year, but it's Alaska, and snow is usually inevitable.

Day before yesterday, we had some snowfall, and the previous week of cooler temperatures, it got down to 19F. That's above zero, which is far warmer than what we experienced while living in Fairbanks, in interior Alaska. For instance, today in Anchorage, the temperature will be 0F, and Fairbanks will be -23F. I shouldn't whine, today in Wrangell, it is 34F. I've turned into a major winter wimp.

A couple of days ago.

Last night we got more, about 3-4 inches more.

More snow.

I woke up this morning as the ATV snowplow was running down the docks clearing snow. They clear the main docks, but not the individual fingers.

Denali Rose with her snow hat on.

Isn't this cool? You can see the structure of the boat by the patterns of melt and insulation in the snow.

Denali Rose's forward deck.

Bill went out to shovel, I'm shirking because I'm getting over a minor cold. He also drove to town, and did a grocery, and Post Office stop. The marina folks also plowed the parking lot, and some of the sidewalk.

My car, fortunately I have my studded winter tires on, and can get through that berm the plow made behind it.

The refuse cans, I don't think you'll get to them by using the sidewalk.

It's raining now, and expected to do so for the next couple of days, so the snow will be short-lived.

The musical, "South Pacific"

♬ "I'm gonna wash that snow right outta my life."  🎶

As always, we enjoy hearing from you, either here in comments or on our Facebook Denali Rose Sailboat page.

Friday Funny 01-04/19 (In or Out?)

Le Conte Glacier

Here we are in another New Year, and for Alaskans, this is when we celebrate being voted into the United States as a full fledged member.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALASKA! On Jan. 3, 1959, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a proclamation admitting Alaska to the Union as the 49th and state. (source)

A member in the  Facebook group known as "My Home is Alaska" posted this famous, (at least to us), front page of the Anchorage newspaper of the time. Soon after, the question was  asked, "who the heck were the 20 who voted against Alaskan statehood?" I'm going to call them out right here...  (source)

Arkansas: (maybe they didn't want AK confused with AR, which happens ALL the time.)

  D-Fulbright, James

  D-McClellan, John

Connecticut:

  R-Bush, Prescott

Georgia:

  D-Russell, Richard

  D-Talmadge, Herman

Kansas:

  R Schoeppel, Andrew

Kentucky:

  R-Cooper, John

Louisiana:

  D-Ellender, Allen

Maryland:

  R-Butler, John

Massachusetts:

  R-Saltonstall, Leverett

Mississippi:

  D-Eastland, James

  D-Stennis, John

New Hampshire:

  R-Bridges, Henry

North Carolina:

  D-Ervin Samuel

Oklahoma:

  D-Monroney, Almery

Pennsylvania:

  R-Martin, Edward

South Carolina:

  D-Johnston, Olin

  D-Thurmon, Strom

Virginia:

  D-Byrd, Henry

  D-Robertson, Absalom

Another fun fact, is that Texas didn't even vote, neither Lyndon Johnson, nor Ralph Yarborough voted Yea, or Nay. Alaska and Texas have a sort of rivalry going, probably because we are both large states that produce oil.

Size comparison.

We like this representation of the size comparison to Texas, and well, also to the rest of the US. It beats the maps that show Alaska off the coast of Mexico. "Hmm, why is it so cold in Alaska?" The person who believes this, I would classify as not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Common sarcastic image here.

I can hear you say, "OMG, another history lesson, when will she quit!"

It just dawned on me, when Alaskans are visiting the contiguous 48 states, we say, "we're going outside." Everyone here knows that phrase means you're taking a long drive, or getting on an airplane to travel. It doesn't mean that you're opening the front door, and stepping out. 

Maybe we derived that phrase from this news headline, "WE'RE IN", as in, we're inside the State of Alaska versus, outside the state.

If Alaskans are going to Hawaii, we just say, "Hawaii", we go there frequently. 😁🌞🏄🐠

Alaska Airlines, Spirit of the Islands plane. 

As always, we enjoy hearing from you, either here in comments or on our Facebook Denali Rose Sailboat page.