Day 18 June 8, 2008
We are currently safely tided up in the Thomas Basin Boat Harbour in Ketchikan, Alaska. We are all so glad we had weather to push forward to safely get across the 2 bigger crossings. We plan on staying here for 2-3 nights to be able to be tourist, laundry and reprovisioning. We will have internet and cell phones and love to hear how your summer is.
It took us 16 full days to get to Prince Rupert (40-60 miles per day) We had the weather with us so we took advantage and kept going. We have mainly motored since the wind is never pointed where you want to go, to be able to sail. We usually have the sails up for stability while motoring across bigger water.
We had a great crossing around Cape Caution and it usually takes a sailboat 2 days to cross the Dixon Entrance further north into Ketchikan since we only so around 6 knots per hour and it is approx 90 miles from Prince Rupert to Ketchikan, so the only place US Customs allows you to stop over is Foggy Bay about 50 miles from Prince Rupert.
We are currently safely tided up in the Thomas Basin Boat Harbour in Ketchikan, Alaska. We are all so glad we had weather to push forward to safely get across the 2 bigger crossings. We plan on staying here for 2-3 nights to be able to be tourist, laundry and reprovisioning. We will have internet and cell phones and love to hear how your summer is.
It took us 16 full days to get to Prince Rupert (40-60 miles per day) We had the weather with us so we took advantage and kept going. We have mainly motored since the wind is never pointed where you want to go, to be able to sail. We usually have the sails up for stability while motoring across bigger water.
We had a great crossing around Cape Caution and it usually takes a sailboat 2 days to cross the Dixon Entrance further north into Ketchikan since we only so around 6 knots per hour and it is approx 90 miles from Prince Rupert to Ketchikan, so the only place US Customs allows you to stop over is Foggy Bay about 50 miles from Prince Rupert.
We had a great crossing the 1st day to Foggy Bay with calm seas, small swells from the ocean and blue skies, just beautiful.
Then the 2nd day arrived, we noted the seas were bigger than the day before but knowing we were closer to the ocean – 3ft at 6:30am (should have been a sign) we continued on with light rain sprinkles and spotted 2 humpbacks at the opening of Foggy Bay as we departed. This picture was taken early in our departure before the high winds started but the swells were 3 feet.
The winds continued to build, as did the seas but we were fine. 15knots gusting to 30+ with the wind behind us and a following sea. As the wind and waves built the boat began to surf down the faces of the swells, the hull making a hissing sound going through the waves that was unbelievable. We were on a very broad reach almost a run, with main sail only, which I should have reefed, but I was having too much fun. As we came down the face of one particular large roller the boat slid a bit to the side and I wasn’t quite quick enough correcting and the wind slipped behind the sail and she tried to jib but the preventer stopped the boom, however the 22 year old main sail ripped across the lower panel from just below the first reef point to half way across the bottom. The sound of the sail tearing was also unbelievable. I announced to Daleen “we blew the main, in amazement”. Then we went into action. I called Daleen to the cockpit and she took over the wheel, turning the Omega into the wind and waves, while I reefed the main down to the second reef point, where it should have been in the first place (says Daleen) and it will remain there for the remainder of our trip. The boat will sail very well on the reef point and supply us with the stability under rough seas. We also have our head sail which is exciting to sail. (We had had the main sail checked over 2-3 years ago and they serviced it and said it still had 85% left in her so we believed she was fine but she crossed the Dixon Entrance and made it to Alaska!!!)
We both have tall tales to tell of our Dixon Entrance crossing. Saoirse and Code Blue following us and we all made it into Ketchikan safely. They, of course, made it across with only tall tales to tell. The trip was 6 hours long and the rough seas were probably about 4 ½ hours of the time. Goodness, we have places hurting that we didn’t know we had muscles to hurt.
The 6 of us had drinks on the Omega. Daleen opened the bar at 2pm after we cleared customs and handed out drinks as one by one the fellow boaters came over to the Omega after they each cleared US Customs. We ate some cinnamon crumble at 3:30 since breakfast hours before at 6am, along with our drinks and then decided around 4:15 it was time to go OUT for dinner. The ladies didn’t want to cook after a day like today and gosh we were in Ketchikan! One of the guys, Steve, (Code Blue) that we met along the way that is also headed to Glacier Bay with his wife Judy, during the timeframe we are, checked out some places to eat and things to do and we all headed to a Chinese restaurant a couple blocks away. Delicious… We were back on the Omega at 6:30 and ready for bed and asleep by 9pm.
What a day!!
Then the 2nd day arrived, we noted the seas were bigger than the day before but knowing we were closer to the ocean – 3ft at 6:30am (should have been a sign) we continued on with light rain sprinkles and spotted 2 humpbacks at the opening of Foggy Bay as we departed. This picture was taken early in our departure before the high winds started but the swells were 3 feet.
The winds continued to build, as did the seas but we were fine. 15knots gusting to 30+ with the wind behind us and a following sea. As the wind and waves built the boat began to surf down the faces of the swells, the hull making a hissing sound going through the waves that was unbelievable. We were on a very broad reach almost a run, with main sail only, which I should have reefed, but I was having too much fun. As we came down the face of one particular large roller the boat slid a bit to the side and I wasn’t quite quick enough correcting and the wind slipped behind the sail and she tried to jib but the preventer stopped the boom, however the 22 year old main sail ripped across the lower panel from just below the first reef point to half way across the bottom. The sound of the sail tearing was also unbelievable. I announced to Daleen “we blew the main, in amazement”. Then we went into action. I called Daleen to the cockpit and she took over the wheel, turning the Omega into the wind and waves, while I reefed the main down to the second reef point, where it should have been in the first place (says Daleen) and it will remain there for the remainder of our trip. The boat will sail very well on the reef point and supply us with the stability under rough seas. We also have our head sail which is exciting to sail. (We had had the main sail checked over 2-3 years ago and they serviced it and said it still had 85% left in her so we believed she was fine but she crossed the Dixon Entrance and made it to Alaska!!!)
We both have tall tales to tell of our Dixon Entrance crossing. Saoirse and Code Blue following us and we all made it into Ketchikan safely. They, of course, made it across with only tall tales to tell. The trip was 6 hours long and the rough seas were probably about 4 ½ hours of the time. Goodness, we have places hurting that we didn’t know we had muscles to hurt.
The 6 of us had drinks on the Omega. Daleen opened the bar at 2pm after we cleared customs and handed out drinks as one by one the fellow boaters came over to the Omega after they each cleared US Customs. We ate some cinnamon crumble at 3:30 since breakfast hours before at 6am, along with our drinks and then decided around 4:15 it was time to go OUT for dinner. The ladies didn’t want to cook after a day like today and gosh we were in Ketchikan! One of the guys, Steve, (Code Blue) that we met along the way that is also headed to Glacier Bay with his wife Judy, during the timeframe we are, checked out some places to eat and things to do and we all headed to a Chinese restaurant a couple blocks away. Delicious… We were back on the Omega at 6:30 and ready for bed and asleep by 9pm.
What a day!!
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