Friday Funny 08-28/2020 (Random Doings)

Bill informed me today that it had been a month since I last posted on our blog. My only excuse is: Life. It happens.

Or coffee, or wine, or therapy.....

We've been in, and out of Wrangell several times. We go out for a week or so at a time, and then come back to our slip to offload trash, get mail, and replenish fresh food. 

One of our favorite anchorages is Madan Bay, and we were headed there to wait out some high winds. When we rounded the corner, we saw someone had taken our favorite spot, then we saw the name on the boat, Clementine. They are Heritage Harbor neighbors, and became bay neighbors. We shared some meals, adult beverages, and got to know each other better. Fun surprises.

Since we only have one cat now, and two shark beds, I left one in our cabin, and moved the other one to the cockpit. Gus appears to approve. I thought he might like to be in it while we are underway, but so far he only sits on the cushions, and uses the shark when we're at the dock, or anchor.

We met up with a sister ship- a Nauticat 43 in Anita Bay this past week. Donn was bringing his boat up to Wrangell to place it in his new permanent slip in Heritage Harbor. Raven's Dance is now just across from us. Nauticats Unite, or is that Nauticats Untie? Who else would like to join us?

Raven's Dance in Anita Bay.

I texted this photo of the new neighbor to the owners of Pacifier, they exclaimed, " We match!" Coincidently, the owner of Pacifer used to own a Nauticat. 😁

We're thinking of heading north to commune with the whales, so we won't be back for awhile. And by communing, I mean idle, or anchor, and let them surface, spout, breach, and sing, while we watch from a respectable distance. We're not all about chasing, or interfering with the wildlife. Don't get me started..... I have things I'd say to those whale-watching tour day boats. 

SE Alaska hasn't had many tourists this year, and no cruise ships, so other than a few other personal boats, the only other craft out there is the commercial fishing fleet. While I do have empathy for those who make their living from tourism, (I used to be one of them), we are enjoying SE waters with very few other boats. 

SCREECH.... Hold the presses! After we left the dock:

Gus did get in his shark underway, unfortunately we were transiting in 15- gusting to 25 knots of wind against tide, and current, and he got seasick. It was his worst bout, and now who knows if he'll try it again. I should have gotten the Bonine in him sooner, bad cat Mom. 

Gus is relaxing after his harrowing day.

Also, we didn't go to our favorite whale watching site, we went in another direction, still headed north, but by a different path. Since we don't have a schedule, we're taking our time ducking out of the low weather systems that the Gulf of AK has been throwing at SE Alaska all summer, for the foreseeable future, fall, and the upcoming winter.

Ray Troll says it best: 

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10157829726619039&set=a.434607509038

Check out his website, https://www.trollart.com/, I enjoy his artwork.  

Tidbit: AC electrical consumption when living aboard at the dock...

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

noun; small and [possibly] particularly interesting item 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 different approach/ solution/ product/ or additional useful information to share...  

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...

Sometimes these Tidbits originate from a topic of discussion on one of the forums we participate in, and this happens to be one: Link to original forum post [9-Nov-2015]

Note: The original blog post [below] has been inducted into Tidbits since it qualifies, but was published 3 years before we initiated the Tidbit series...

Since we are asked this question often, it made sense to post a more detailed response.

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

Original Question from Cruiser's Forum:

Quote: Originally Posted by AFKASAP  Hi, What size is your boat? What significant appliances do you have running? Is it winter or summer where you are? How much electricity do you use per day [kWh/24 hr day] while living aboard (Longterm, not weekenders). I am talking about comfortable living... I'm assuming you are asking only about shore power AC consumption when at a dock full time. Here is our off-the- dock consumption reply from Nov-2015, and here is an updated version published Feb-2019 We are not often at the dock full time, but sometimes spend weeks at a time during inclement weather in winter. I generated some numbers by dividing my average electric meter bills by the KWH rates, so the are just estimates, and will be on the high side since I'm not subtracting fees and taxes also included on the bill. Our worse-case usage is when we run electric heating at the dock in winter. In winter [currently laying latitude 56° N in Wrangell, Alaska, with average temps around freezing] we average about 36 kWh/24 hr day. Note: Our AC electrical consumption [when using our electric vs. diesel heat on shorepower]  can temporarily spike 2x or 3x during cooler weather spells [e.g., at 10° F (-12° C) and colder we can easily consume 100 kWh/day.] On our 3 cabin, 2 head 43ft pilothouse ketch with 2 adults this includes running the heating side of one or more of the 3 air conditioners [maintaining an ambient temp of 20° C; 68° F] clothes washer/dryer, multiple laptop computers, water heater, battery charger, etc. Everything for creature comfort. [We've already proved in times past we can live without all the comforts... now-a-days we have nothing to prove...] This is facilitated with a 50A 220V AC shore power source. [We only use the 30A 110V AC shorepower cord in summer- mainly for hot water and battery charging/equalization during brief stays in a marina.] Away from shore power our AC electrical consumption goes down because we use a diesel fired heating system. I don't have direct comparison figures for AC consumption when away from shore power, but can say we get by in winter running our 10kw generator for about 6-12 hours/week [depending upon solar and wind generator contributions] to keep our 900AH 12V DC (nominal) battery bank happy, run the 12VDC watermaker, make hot water, and wash/dry loads of laundry, etc. It might also be interesting for all of us to compare what we pay per kWh. [We have our own electric meters at our slips here... i.e., electricity is not included with slip fees, but water is...] Following are our hydro-power rates [US$] for Wrangell, Alaska: Residential: Base monthly rate $8.00 0-300 KWH $.126 per kWh 300 -1200 KWH $.102 per kWh >1200 KWH $.08 per kWh ________________________

Spring is arriving...finally

So spring is happening finally. The driveway no longer has an ice lens on it, and what we like to call Lake Wakefield is starting to spread. This happens until the culvert under the driveway thaws and drains all of the water away.

Looking up the driveway.

Lake Wakefield under the MacGregor on it's trailer.

BUT, one of the best parts of spring is at the UAF farm, the baby boos. Well, technically they are baby reindeer, since the domesticated form of caribou is reindeer, but who doesn't like to say "baby boos". The enclosures had a sign up that said; these pens hold females that are first time mothers, please be respectful. There were about 5 pens, each with 4-5 adult reindeer and their babies. It doesn't get much cuter. You can also participate in naming them.

There is a 2nd fence you don't see in these photos- for humans. That is why we cannot get close enough to take pictures through the openings in the wire fence...

Hey Mom, is this how it's done?

You can see one reindeer with it's antlers still on, she appeared to be kind of cranky. Watch this video of her chasing everyone else, including the other babies. If you look closely at the end, you will see a very tiny baby in the background, that one is hers, and was probably close to newborn. A reason to be cranky....

Boat Solarium

Those of you in warm climates may not be able to relate, but ask me how I feel about our boat's solarium... [pilot house...] I am sitting here finishing my morning coffee, listening to water drip on the deck from the frost melting in the rigging... Just another sunny autumn day in Wrangell Alaska... [See our How's the Climate post...]

​

How's the Climate? [In Wrangell, Alaska...]

The following post was converted to a permanent and maintained page in our 
Stuff we have and use [and do...] sidebar on 19-Apr-2016.


Please go to that permanent page for up-to-date information.

_____________________________________________________________

Original Post:

Since we chose Wrangell Alaska as our home port, we are often asked by friends and family what the climate is like here. Generally, this is couched as concern for whether we like rain, since Southeast Alaska is part of the Pacific temperate rainforest... [We are asked lots of other questions about Alaska too...]

We are offered all kinds of feedback about how much it rains. Of course, before making a decision to migrate from the arctic to the rainforest, we did a bit of research, and found a great website for providing a lay overview to help answer such questions about climates:

Weatherspark.com (The nerdier amongst you may prefer www.climate.gov)

You can discover what we did and gain some additional insight about the climate-side of our choice by comparing other SE Alaska cities with Wrangell. (e.g., Ketchikan and Juneau)

Planning a visit and wonder how much you will need your heater? Explore the Heating Degree Days data for the area(s) you plan to visit. [The higher the number, the more you will run your heater...]

Was your climate a deciding factor for you? To put is all in perspective, look-up your climate data and compare that with your personal impressions... How objective were you?

And what about our water temperatures?

For current conditions and marine forecast, visit our Weather page.

Average Weather For Wrangell, Alaska, USA

Location

This report describes the typical weather at the Wrangell Airport (Wrangell, Alaska, United States) weather station over the course of an average year. It is based on the historical records from 1985 to 2012. Earlier records are either unavailable or unreliable.

Wrangell, Alaska has a humid continental climate with warm summers and no dry season. The area within 25 miles of this station is covered by forests (51%), tundra (25%), and oceans and seas (25%).

Temperature

Over the course of a year, the temperature typically varies from 29°F to 64°F and is rarely below 15°F or above 71°F.

Daily High and Low Temperature

The daily average low (blue) and high (red) temperature with percentile bands (inner band from 25th to 75th percentile, outer band from 10th to 90th percentile).

The warm season lasts from May 26 to September 9 with an average daily high temperature above 58°F. The hottest day of the year is August 6, with an average high of 64°F and low of 52°F.

The cold season lasts from November 13 to March 14 with an average daily high temperature below 41°F. The coldest day of the year is January 6, with an average low of 29°F and high of 35°F.

Fraction of Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands

The average fraction of time spent in various temperature bands: frigid (below 15°F), freezing (15°F to32°F), cold (32°F to 50°F), cool (50°F to 65°F), comfortable (65°F to 75°F), warm (75°F to 85°F), hot (85°F to 100°F) and sweltering (above 100°F).

Sun

The length of the day varies significantly over the course of the year. The shortest day is December 21with 6:51 hours of daylight; the longest day is June 20 with 17:43 hours of daylight.

Daily Hours of Daylight and Twilight

The number of hours during which the Sun is visible (black line), with various degrees of daylight, twilight, and night, indicated by the color bands. From bottom (most yellow) to top (most gray): full daylight, solar twilight (Sun is visible but less than 6° from the horizon), civil twilight (Sun is not visible but is less than 6° below the horizon), nautical twilight (Sun is between 6° and 12° below the horizon), astronomical twilight (Sun is between 12° and 18° below the horizon), and full night.

The earliest sunrise is at 3:58am on June 14 and the latest sunset is at 9:44pm on June 27. The latest sunrise is at 8:25am on December 26 and the earliest sunset is at 3:10pm on December 15.

Daylight savings time (DST) is observed in this location during 2012, starting in the spring on March 11and ending in the fall on November 4.

Daily Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight and Daylight Savings Time

The solar day over the course of the year 2012 . From bottom to top, the black lines are the previous solar midnight, sunrise, solar noon, sunset, and the next solar midnight. The day, twilights (solar, civil, nautical, and astronomical), and night are indicated by the color bands from yellow to gray. The transitions to and from daylight savings time are indicated by the "DST" labels.

Clouds

The median cloud cover is 98% (overcast) and does not vary substantially over the course of the year.

Median Cloud Cover

The median daily cloud cover (black line) with percentile bands (inner band from 40th to 60th percentile, outer band from 25th to 75th percentile).

On May 12, the clearest day of the year, the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 25% of the time, and overcast or mostly cloudy 57% of the time.

On October 16, the cloudiest day of the year, the sky is overcast, mostly cloudy, or partly cloudy 74% of the time, and clear or mostly clear 10% of the time.

Cloud Cover Types

The fraction of time spent in each of the five sky cover categories. From top (most blue) to bottom (most gray), the categories are clear, mostly clear, partly cloudy, mostly cloudy, and overcast. Pink indicates missing data. Outside of the United States clear skies are often reported ambiguously, leading them to be lumped in with the missing data.

Precipitation

The probability that precipitation will be observed at this location varies throughout the year. Precipitation is most likely around October 18, occurring in 28% of days. Precipitation is least likely around July 27, occurring in 16% of days.

Probability of Precipitation at Some Point in the Day

The fraction of days in which various types of precipitation are observed. If more than one type of precipitation is reported in a given day, the more severe precipitation is counted. For example, if light rain is observed in the same day as a thunderstorm, that day counts towards the thunderstorm totals. The order of severity is from the top down in this graph, with the most severe at the bottom.

Over the entire year, the most common forms of precipitation are light rain, moderate rain, drizzle, and light snow.

Light rain is the most severe precipitation observed during 52% of those days with precipitation. It is most likely around October 10, when it is observed during 16% of all days.

Moderate rain is the most severe precipitation observed during 19% of those days with precipitation. It is most likely around September 26, when it is observed during 7% of all days.

Drizzle is the most severe precipitation observed during 12% of those days with precipitation. It is most likely around November 9, when it is observed during 4% of all days.

Light snow is the most severe precipitation observed during 10% of those days with precipitation. It is most likely around January 8, when it is observed during 6% of all days.

Types of Precipitation Throughout the Year

Relative frequency of various types of precipitation over the course of a typical year.

During the warm season, which lasts from May 26 to September 9, there is a 18% average chance that precipitation will be observed at some point during a given day. When precipitation does occur it is most often in the form of light rain (61% of days with precipitation have at worst light rain), moderate rain (20%), and drizzle (17%).

During the cold season, which lasts from November 13 to March 14, there is a 23% average chance that precipitation will be observed at some point during a given day. When precipitation does occur it is most often in the form of light rain (41% of days with precipitation have at worst light rain), light snow (22%), moderate rain (16%), and moderate snow (13%).

Warm Season Precipitation

Cold Season Precipitation

Relative frequency of various types of precipitation during the warm and cold seasons respectively.

Snow

The likelihood of snow falling is highest around January 8, occurring in 10% of days.

Probability of Snow Fall Being Reported in a Given Day

Probability that snow will be reported at least once in a given day. The season is defined as the period during which the probability is greater than one third the maximum probability.

Either snow rarely accumulates at this location or snow depth measurements are unavailable or unreliable.

Humidity

The relative humidity typically ranges from 54% (mildly humid) to 95% (very humid) over the course of the year, rarely dropping below 32% (comfortable) and reaching as high as 100% (very humid).

The air is driest around May 1, at which time the relative humidity drops below 66% (mildly humid) three days out of four; it is most humid around September 22, exceeding 92% (very humid) three days out of four.

Relative Humidity

The average daily high (blue) and low (brown) relative humidity with percentile bands (inner bands from 25th to 75th percentile, outer bands from 10th to 90th percentile).

Dew Point

Dew point is often a better measure of how comfortable a person will find the weather than relative humidity because it more directly relates to whether perspiration will evaporate from the skin, thereby cooling the body. Lower dew points feel drier and higher dew points feel more humid.

Over the course of a year, the dew point typically varies from 22°F (dry) to 54°F (very comfortable) and is rarely below 4°F (dry) or above 57°F (comfortable).

The time of the year between June 27 and September 10 is the most comfortable, with dew points that are neither too dry nor too muggy.

Dew Point

The daily average low (blue) and high (red) dew point with percentile bands (inner band from 25th to 75th percentile, outer band from 10th to 90th percentile).

Wind

Over the course of the year typical wind speeds vary from 0 mph to 15 mph (calm to moderate breeze), rarely exceeding 24 mph (strong breeze).

The highest average wind speed of 9 mph (gentle breeze) occurs around December 27, at which time the average daily maximum wind speed is 15 mph (moderate breeze).

The lowest average wind speed of 4 mph (light breeze) occurs around July 22, at which time the average daily maximum wind speed is 9 mph (gentle breeze).

Wind Speed

The average daily minimum (red), maximum (green), and average (black) wind speed with percentile bands (inner band from 25th to 75th percentile, outer band from 10th to 90th percentile).

The wind is most often out of the south east (20% of the time) and east (19% of the time). The wind is least often out of the north east (2% of the time), south west (4% of the time), and south (5% of the time).

Wind Directions Over the Entire Year

The fraction of time spent with the wind blowing from the various directions over the entire year. Values do not sum to 100% because the wind direction is undefined when the wind speed is zero.

Fraction of Time Spent with Various Wind Directions

The fraction of time spent with the wind blowing from the various directions on a daily basis. Stacked values do not always sum to 100% because the wind direction is undefined when the wind speed is zero.