North to Alaska: Fiords

Up and out of Fury Cove into the fog, mist and rain. This is the second day of rain and if is getting old already. Tugs tow barges along the Fitzhugh Sound; airplanes fly the channels under the weather. The wind is fickle and we mostly motor toward Shearwater. The town's new T1 phone line does not work right yet so there isn’t any internet service today. An excellent dinner at the restaurant; clean showers and bathroom facilities; a marine chandlery that was going to come in handy. It has been raining for a few days … it seams like forever. Desert Wind has started to seep water from several deck fittings; Stan is spreading life caulk everywhere.

So we thought we left Shearwater after fueling up to head up the fiords. The alternator on Desert Wind quit putting out amps an hour out; the armada turned around and we headed back for a repair. Low and behold, the chandlery had a new alternator in stock; Stan and Rich made the change out in short order. Motoring out through the shallows, our destination is Goat Cove; we are running about four hours late. The BC ferry preceded us up the channel, heading west; the mega yacht, Archimedes caught up and passed us; I bet they can take a shower anytime they want.

We turned north up Finlayson Channel; the channel is twenty two miles long and between a half to two miles wide; the mountains run strait up from the water’s edge to several hundred feet, and are covered completely with pines; snow is still on the north facing slopes; fog rises from the forest like so many camp fires; no people hear. At the water’s edge, the mountains go strait down, two thousand feet below sea level; the water is crystal clear. Our first whale sighting … hump backs and orcas; they are breaching and spouting around us.

As we reach Goat Cove we spot a fish farm at the entrance; lots of controversy about Atlantic salmon, parasites and the ecology. The cove runs so deep through a narrow gap that we could wait out a hurricane in here. Erebus drops anchor near a water fall and Shonto and Desert Wind raft up. It has been a long day that started with maintenance uncertainties; time for gin and tonic with a wine chaser. This gin is Canadian customs water… life is good.