Friday Funny 01-05/2024 (part 2 cruising 2023)

 

First post of the New Year, and it even happens after posting last Friday! It's a minor miracle.

In our last episode.... don't you hate it when streaming services won't let you fast forward through the recap, and intro?  I'll just say, we ended up at the southern tip of Baranof Island in Port Alexander.

The sun was shining, the boat was tied to the dock with all the commercial fishermen, and we took a couple of days to sight-see. (Side eye from the fisher folk- crazy stick boat.) Actually, they were all quite nice, I bet they don't get many cruisers stop in, the only amenity is water on the dock, no cell signal, no wifi, no dock power, and no stores. This community used to be booming with fish processors, but has significantly reduced since it's hey-day. 

Entering PA, as the locals call it.

Beach across from the dock, children were playing in the water when we arrived.

Look carefully, you can see the 'stick boat". 😀

Since there isn't any cell service here, they have a "phone booth" at the top of the ramp. It has an old style phone, and a number list tacked on the wall. No long distance allowed, it's programmed for local calls only. 

Who remembers using one of these?

The walk through the woods, on a well maintained board walk, revealed, a schoolhouse, a store, a fire department, a museum, homes set into the hillside, a post office, and a couple of Starlink installations.

School, electricity acquired by generator power

Closed

Museum, open by appointment.

The home at the top has quite a view!

The next stop is Port Armstrong, which contains a salmon hatchery, salmon scientists, a fish processor, and at the head of the bay a salmon spawning stream. We knew this would be a great place to see bears. It was!

We passed all this to get to the anchorage.

We hadn't been there 5 minutes, when we saw brown bears on the beach feasting on salmon.

We saw mothers, with cubs, older males, and younger, 3-4 year olds on their own. We even heard an altercation going on in the woods, and watched as a mother set her 3 year old free to take care of himself. After the mom left, and the newly fledged adult wandered off, we could hear him whining, and crying for about a half hour. Circle of life..... you're on your own now kid. 

The bears would roam the beach at low tide, watching for any salmon that had been left behind by the tides. We also watched as they plucked salmon from the spawning stream, we always make sure we are anchored far enough away from animal habitat, no interference on our part with their daily routines.

Onward to Port Walter. There were several scenic places deep inside the bay, with waterfalls, and a historic saltery. Best laid plans.

Scenic spot

We wanted to anchor so that we could see the saltery, and the falls, while avoiding the old pilings, and setting the anchor so that within the swing room, we wouldn't end up too shallow, or too deep. It was kind of a challenge in this particular bay. The cruising guide says not to anchor here, but Bill is kind of a rebel, and we do things like that all the time. Safely of course, King of Safety and all...

We have complete confidence in our spade anchor, and have never had it drag after setting it properly, and have had only a couple of times we couldn't set. (For landlubbers- set- have anchor dig in to hold.) 

This day, we couldn't get it to hold no matter what, we tried four times, and finally Bill said he was going to bring it all the way up, and that the windlass (windlass - a machine that is used on ships to let out, or heave up equipment, such as an anchor. Imagine trying to lift 200feet of chain, and a 100lb anchor by hand!) Anyway, the windlass seemed to need some higher rpms, and he directed me to increase the rpms on the diesel engine to give the windlass more umph. Here's what we brought up out of the depths.

We brought up an errant tree, water-logged no less! Bill uses a long boat hook to untangle the tree from the anchor and chain, and shove it off, back into it's watery home.

We didn't want to hook it again, so we motored back up the channel to a small bight behind some islands to anchor, and avoid the upcoming winds.

It's not near as scenic, but we're safe, and the anchor set well. 

I think part 3 will be next week!

Hope everyone had wonderful holidays, and all the best to you in the coming new year.

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

Friday Funny 8-26/2022 (New Friends, Fun Times)

 

We've met quite a few international cruisers this summer, people from Australia, Whitehorse Canada, the Netherlands, and Germany. It's been fun to chat, get to know them, and answer questions about boating in SE Alaska. 

Our new friends from Germany on SY Flora fly their drone frequently, and have opened up a new perspective on Denali Rose. They have given us photos from the different anchorages we shared with them. 

Taku Harbor, Stephens Passage. We usually tie up to a state float, and Gus enjoys some off boat run time.

Pleasant Harbor, Seymour Canal. This was at low tide, which shows the mudflats, and why you should not try to enter this anchorage in any other way than the north opening.

Windham Harbor, Seymour Canal. We met up with Flora, Adventures, and Havfruen in this anchorage, good fun with friends! We were remarking that we knew everyone anchored there, very unusual.

We lent them our kayaks one day, as it would be a new experience for one, though very familiar with a standup paddle board. 

If you'd like to read an interesting blog, check them out, it's in German, but you can use the English button at the top, or Google Translate.  SY Flora

Also, all photo credits go to Ralf, except for the one in the kayak.

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

Immersing ourselves in new [to us...] cultures...

One of the reasons many of us have adopted this cruising lifestyle is to travel; to visit lands and cultures we either have never experienced, or wish to learn more about.

There are often some minor barriers to admission; things we don't know or are unfamiliar with, like language, dress, customs, and cultural mores...

We never want to offend anyone, nor be perceived as the 'Ugly Americans'... 

I personally enjoy asking what must be mundane questions, but one has to start somewhere... 

This is akin to our being occasionally asked if we live in an igloo, have a dog team, where to exchange currency [this from fellow citizens- and yes, I can handle that for you...] or insistence that shipping to Alaska from the lower 48 US states is international... [A testament of our public education system perhaps?]

Regardless, I always enjoy being immersed in a culture- especially one that is new to me. I have found that is the best way for me to absorb some the cultural nuances and bits of language. But it rarely sticks for long- especially if we are just passing through- but I can't stay isolated just because I am embarrassed by my own ignorance...

Another example: I have lived and boated in Mexico several times, the most recent being many years ago. I was fluent in Spanish then, but languages don't stay that way [for me...] without continued use. 

Keeping with my desire for immersion, when I have an opportunity to converse in Spanish I jump right in. I try speaking without thinking it through in English first [i.e., translating; it is said you know a language when you think in the language you are speaking- or attempting to speak in...] This can lead to some funny situations...

I remember being in Mexico joining friends for dinner in very nice restaurant- after a few years of absence from the country [and the language...] I intended to order camarones a la diabla [Shrimp of the She-Devil (chipotle sauce) which was not on the menu... To die for! (Or die of...)]

At this point my tongue was well lubricated through my reacquaintance with the local beverages, and running about half a step ahead of the brain which was driving it...

What I actually ordered was a few demonic trucks [camiones.] And I knew this as soon as it escaped my lips. Hysterical laughter ensued; mine and theirs.

My second attempt would have required a waiter [camarero...] to volunteer to be diced and sautéed in the chipotle sauce...  Now they think I'm a stand-up comedian... A round from the house!

My friends are getting pretty hungry at this point, and some food in me might help ensure we receive something familiar for desert...

Of course I hit the target on my third try [as if they didn't already know...] and we [especially the wait staff] continued to chuckle our way into dinner... 

It was great fun and a marvelous learning opportunity at the cost of some humility; a small price to pay indeed.

C'est la vie! [...or should I say que será, será...]

And I can assure you boaters that- unlike unfamiliar cultures-  unknown waters do not compel in me that same desire for immersion...

Friday Funny 12-24/2021 (Let's Talk Some More About the Weather)

 

Here's Gus's version: 

This is a La Niña year, and we have lots of snow, and colder than normal temperatures. YAY, not. 

The view out of the pilothouse window

Opening the back cockpit curtain, the snow greeted me.

Looking forward through the forward dodger window in the cockpit.

Whoever is singing, "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas", needs to knock it off.

I cleaned off the handrails, because we have twinkle lights attached, and I wanted to be able to see them.

If you are a friend of ours, with a boat that is over-wintering in Wrangell, here is your boat. 😀

Quiet Chaos

Mucho Gusto

Orca's Mist

Raven's Dance

It seems this year has been all about weather, prior to all of this snow, we had a huge windstorm, that snapped trees, and power poles. We were without power in the marina for about 8 hours, but some folks on the island didn't get theirs back for two days. The city found out that they didn't have back up generators for the water supply filters, and the airport went dark.

Here's a photo of one of the snapped power poles. 

The internet, and cell service went out as well, and you could only use cash/check at the stores. 1960s anyone?

Denali Rose was fine, of course, our heat is diesel, and we could always use our generator to recharge the battery bank, we're used to living off of the grid. 

As the holidays approach, Bill, Gus, and I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

PS, please don't sing any song with the words, white Christmas, and please don't ask Mother Nature, "what's next?"

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

Friday Funny 12-10/2021 (Or is it Monday Musings?)

 

Monday is an anniversary, (milestone?)  It marks four years since I fell down the stairs at the Presbyterian church in Wrangell, and broke my left leg in 4 places between the knee, and ankle. 

I will never be the same. This is mainly because I have a titanium rod in place and screws on either end to hold it there. 

But I have some other effects as well. I'm very careful on stairs, and I get nervous when I don't have a railing to hold. I can feel some of the hardware through the skin at my ankle, so I protect that area from being bumped, ouch, and I don't run, hop, skip, jump, because it's too jarring to my leg. 

I'm very grateful to the evacuation service, DAN, EMTs, doctors, nurses, friends, and family that took part in my care. It's because of them that I am whole today, it's been a long haul recovery. I shudder to think about how that fall could have been so much worse, and I try not to contemplate the possibilities. 

I'll wear my commemorative hoodie to mark the day.

If you want to know the details, this is where the adventure begins in a previous blog post about how it all went down. See what I did there? 😁There's a link at the end of each post to lead you to the next episode.

Friday wasn't Funny

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