Highlights: Wet and cold! Canon Rebel camera gets soaked and quits, and Webasto diesel heater goes out too. No matter: the views are still stupendous!
An auspicious start to the day: our challenging stern-tie anchoring in the corner of the head of West Arm Anchorage proves less hospitable than our initial assessment. The view below, in just 3.6 feet of water is not what you want to wake up to...
Fortunately, Seaquel draws just 2'4", but still this is too close for comfort so it is time to move and re-anchor...
Despite a cold, wet morning, the view up the arm when walking Moxie remains absolutely breathtaking, like we arrived in a fantasy land. (And you can see how close we are to actual "land" at low tide on this stern tie...)
Once re-anchored, this is a much better way to start a layover day. No 5AM "anchors up" call (and getting Moxie to shore even earlier). Instead, a leisurely breakfast of homemade French toast & bacon (bits, from Costco, highly recommended as a new-found boating provision essential)!
Seaquel now on anchor on the opposite side of West Arm Anchorage, in about 70' depth with a stern tie to shore. Northern Phalarope, background, is one of four boats anchored without stern ties, but their presence and amount of scope each boat required occupied much of the bay's head to allow swing room, so our flotilla chose to maintain stern ties closer to the sides...
A little rain does not deter Glen from his favorite pastime of fishing and crabbing. Mostly, we have caught and feasted upon Dungeness Crab, but here Glen catches a prized Tanner Crab...
The Tanner Crab is quite distinct with its very long legs and pinkish hue. Also, Glen reports that it tasted fabulous!
Our Webasto diesel heater stopped working (something that Journey and Beyond would also experience on subsequent days). We believe bad fuel procured by all three boats was the culprit, although the Volvo D3 proved sufficiently stout that none of us experienced any issues with the engine. Fortunately, we had plenty of warm blankets, plus we could still operate the stove which would immediately heat up our small cabin. A bigger challenge was drying raingear, but we brought multiple sets, plus once underway we could use the engine heat when underway to dry them out...
Mist and low clouds move throughout the steep canyons, such that the views were ever-changing...
Stern tie off of Seaquel. And more rain...
Heavy rain (Journey and Beyond also on their stern ties)…
Pam & Ollie, and Glen, ready to explore the far reaches of Fords Terror (in the rain)…
Peggy is smiling because this is why you invest in good raingear for Alaska...
Having porpoise swim past your dinghy is a thrill, regardless of the rain...
This may be the last picture I took with my Canon Rebel T6S camera. Everything got so wet on our day of exploration, and the views so inviting to continue to shoot pictures despite the rain, that eventually my camera only responded with an "error" message...
Fortunately, Glen was generous to offer me the use of his Nikon for the duration of the trip, knowing that I would shoot hundreds of pictures for every one he may take! Tomorrow is our last day in Fords Terror, and it turns out we have the most unusual of pictures to take upcoming...
~Mark
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