Here be dragons!

Typical scenery when sailing Alaska

s/v GRACE's CREW GOES GLACIAL -- IN ALASKA

How could we resist?   In mid July just when life was feeling a bit static, we received a phone call from a sailing friend, Dan, whom we had originally met in Fiji and have subsequently seen in Vanuatu, New Zealand and Washington.   Dan was with his sailboat in Alaska having sailed her all the way from New Zealand to the Aleutian Islands last year and was between visits from his wife Brenda and regular crew.  

We ate it too!

Digging for geoduck clams

“Would we be interested in coming to Alaska” and helping him deliver his yacht to a place where it would be easy for his family to come an join him two weeks hence?  How can you say “no” to such a chance? 

A tufted puffin

 This is the same Dan who roasted a whole pig for friends and took us "Geoduck clam" digging in spring.

Sally has been crazy about Puffins since we saw some 5 years ago off the western coast of Vancouver Island and Dan promised that she might be able to see some in Alaska.    With long underwear, camera and cooking utensils in hand, we headed off to Alaska. – A place neither of us had visisted.

We made it!

As it was, we only saw a tiny portion of Alaska but we were both impressed with the vast enormity of the place.   We sailed for several days without seeing another human or boat.   We were not only out of Internet and cell range but also out of VHF weather coverage, too.   We have spent a good deal of time far from “civilization” and all that purports to be such, but the sense of scale and emptiness in Alaska was a different experience.

Bears are everywhere

When we went ashore it was not with a local guide to explain the terrain or the plant and animal life - it was just the three of us.   We spoke in loud voices to alert any bears to our presence and a mama bear very considerately growled from its cave to reciprocate.   We took the bear at its first “hello” and were sure to give it its space.

Mountains cry straight into the ocean

We anchored at the base of glaciers, in the lee of Yosemite-like granite cliffs, in the seclusion of hidden lagoons surrounded by rocks and even, once, amidst the spars of a sunken fishing boat.  In Alaska the mountains and the sea typically merge seamlessly without the benefit of an intervening beach.  Instead, the tall peaks slope sharply downwards into the sea while supporting large patches of loose rock, boulders and glacial ice.

Yet another quiet anchorage

Even in summer we found some of this ice, sculpted by waves and the sun, floating in the bays nearby.  On old charts one can see the legend: HC SVNT DRACONES or “Here Be Dragons”.   As we saw pieces of sculpted ice float by we could imagine just what the ancient mariners meant. 

Scuba saviors

 Our few exposures to other people were all memorable: the young couple whom Dan had befriended who came by in Seward and treated us to pounds of halibut and salmon; the young crew of a small boat who came to disentangle the anchor from the (uncharted) sunken fishing boat using their on-board scuba gear and even the Coast Guard who showed up unexpectedly for an inspection of safety gear aboard. 

  

Hot babe from cold climate

Local suppliers of fresh fish

People in Alaska to a man/woman, all proved well spoken, well read, and eager to be helpful to others.  Geoff even got to embrace a local 'celebrity' in Anchorage. Well, perhaps there is one exception...

Excess of halibut in Seward

While the gold fever has long since faded in Alaska, the fervor to catch fish has not.  We were astonished to see how many people flew into and out of Alaska with their elaborate prize tools to catch huge fish.   One man and his son were talking as we were leaving Anchorage airport – they were flying back home with over 800 pounds (362 kilos) of fish that they had caught! When you hear this slaughter it brings to mind a concern about sustainability, but hopefully, most people are sensible fishermen and there will be plenty for everyone.  

tools of the trade

Dan was a patient and generous instructor in the skills needed to catch halibut, rockfish, and salmon.  He has been fishing his whole life for fun, and his son Ben is an expert on all things fish and fishing.  We were the lucky beneficiaries of this know-how.   Geoff was quite successful in catching ‘keepers” using Dan’s equipment and lures and which then gave Sally the delightful task of cooking the freshest seafood ever.  The halibut and salmon effectively jumped from the water into our mouths and melted.

Sally fisher-woman as adult

Sally fisher-woman age 6

Fish for dinner

Over the course of the cruise, we were able to eat halibut multiple ways, rockfish, cod, and even "silver" salmon, which Sally was allowed to reel in. 


While a bit awkward, pin-boning a fish on a moving boat is well worth the effort.  We even got to experiment with cooking and eating the milt of the salmon -- bringing forth a true sense of the pure umami and deliciousness quite like sweetbreads or truffles.   It was luscious, and now we are spoiled and wonder if we will ever get to eat such a fresh delicacy again.   

The most wonderful food is rarely pretty 

Salmon in love

As we went ashore we were walking amongst streams that were filled with salmon – doing what salmon go up river to do – so thickly packed and dense you felt as if you could walk on the water from fish to fish.     No wonder the bears like to come down to the water’s edge to feed – they just have to stand there and watch as their dinner presents itself.

Loons in love

Despite not getting close enough to the puffins to get any remarkable photos, Sally was ecstatic – sitting on the bow of the boat – watching carpets of puffins in the water (both of the Pacific species), seeing flotillas of sea otters, hearing the haunting call and then watching the crazy and beautifully choreographed mating dance of the loons. 

jellyfish or floating fried egg breakfast?

We anchored in the midst of jellyfish habitats – including the “fried egg” jellies that Steve and Pat introduced us to 5 years ago when we first met.     We never get over having dolphins swim with the boat and were happy to greet them as they joined Dan’s boat plowing through the waters.   A floating log we approached turned out to be a tiny piece of a huge humpback whale – which was taking a silent snooze on the water.   He woke up and did a stunning dive to get out of our way.  

A royal wave

Keeping busy

We would not be willing to take a trip like this lightly.   When you are used to sailing your own boat and have your own routines and procedures it is not so easy to “let go”.  This was never a problem with Dan, a world class sailor,  who made a point of ensuring that each of us felt useful on the boat.  Geoff was absorbed in tweaking an already fast boat, helping with a minor sail repair, and Sally was kept busy with provisioning, meal prep and was even allowed to back-seat drive with the navigation.   Not all skippers would have been so generous and accommodating.  There was even enough time for Sally to knit ¼ of the sweater she is arduously trying to master. Thanks Dan and Brenda for making this memorable trip possible.

Seward, Alaska

Night time in Summer

The long summer daylight in Alaska ended up being the only “downside” to our trip and its consequence was totally unexpected: usually the first to fall asleep (by 9pm) we found the perpetual daylight a complete shock to our circadian rhythms and found sleep to be an elusive part of this adventure. 

Otherworldly scenery

There is no computer “app” to substitute for the magic of our experiences in Alaska.   There is neither DVD nor any photo that does justice to the place.   We can only be impressed by the people who live in Alaska year-round and make lives for themselves in that very big, largely empty place.  We are indeed appreciative of this combination sailing, adventure, wildlife, culinary and geological expedition to yet another corner of the globe.    Living on the edge of what is "easy" and "comfortable" is remarkably rewarding and deeply gratifying.   We aim to continue the “Gypsy” life as best we can! 

Pretty profile

Dreams of what's next

Evidence of bears nearby

Aggressive scenery

King Neptune's glitter

Wild World Warrior

Glaciers everywhere

Peace

Fish gills are stunning!

No, we did not eat the eyes. 

Dan sailed from New Zealand to Alaska -- impressive

Otter Family Reunion

Flying with the wind

60 degrees North Latitude

Three Old Salts

FISH AND FOWL (and a photo experiment below)

We have spent the past several months in New Zealand – still living aboard s/v GRACE and enjoying coastal cruising.

Our lives while cruising are filled with a never-ending supply of natural beauty. We see spectacular sunrises and sunsets, water of every color from indigo to turquoise to gray to brown, bird songs of every sort sung to us from the shores, unexpected visits from dolphins, whales or little blue penguins. We find that sitting at a dock for too long makes us “antsy”. Of course, we also have heaving seas, gale force winds, rolly anchorages, and days with little electricity if there is not enough sun to power our solar panels. At anchor, however, we are rarely without entertainment -- even if it is only the daily antics of the yellow-faced Australasian Gannets.

As new Kiwi Residents, we have been lucky to build some extraordinary friendships; we have been included in family gatherings on special days and surrounded by “mates” as our fellow Flying Fifteen sailors envelope us in their worlds.

We continue to be impressed by the strength of our ties to other cruisers (far and near) as well as to other expats from our days abroad, our astoundingly resilient friends in Japan, as well as a few loyal old friends in the US. When an earthquake in Christchurch sends the home of our long-time buddies into disarray, our hearts ache. We no longer find pirate jokes funny after guests we once had aboard sv GRACE (in Vanuatu) had their yacht hijacked and were subsequently killed in the Indian Ocean. When an earthquake of immense magnitude topples a large swath of Japan, and the resultant tsunami actually causes notable damage in New Zealand, we know that we are closely bound by both the forces of nature and of Man.

These past few years we have lost too many friends to the “Grim Reaper”. Hence, we try to make the most of every day we have. We are thankful that Bob, Doris, Chris, Peter, Barbara, Lisa, Mary, and Mark and family are all still around. We hope they know we hold them each in our hearts at all times. To our list of relatives, we also add our friends, both water and land-based.

This time, we will leave our readers with some of our photos from the last few months. This will be an experiment for us. Please click on the link below, then on the yellow box at the left. You should be brought to a 5-minute photo-essay of some of our favorite local sights. Turn on your sound if you wish. Please e-mail us and let us know what you think.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=graceatsea&target=ALBUM&id=5602344900147446385&authkey=Gv1sRgCJClqaugveCKgAE&feat=email