Highlights: Spectacular morning sun & fog mix, a last look at icebergs, exploring the fascinating length of Sanborn Canal at low tide; then a visit by a pod of Orca Whale frolicking in our cozy cove as daylight fades to night. Amazing!
Just another spectacular Alaska morning...
Early morning departure, leaving other boats behind at Tracy Arm Cove...
Leaving Tracy Arm Cove, small remains of the icebergs are visible but little indication of the extensive, thick pack ice that we experienced less than 24 hours earlier...
Fishing boats and icebergs. In the ensuing days, we will see more of former, and less of the latter...
Thick fog bank - another twist of Alaska weather that we will face much of in our remaining week-and-a-half of Alaska before reaching British Columbia...
Beyond is barely visible in the fog, even just a couple of hundred feet away...
Breaking out of the fog proves to be a temporary and fleeting moment...
More fog just a half-mile ahead, despite brilliant sunshine...
Approaching Cannery Cove. Despite the spectacular backdrop, we were disappointed with this anchorage. Coming from Fords Terror we are spoiled on enjoying truly remote settings, and the presence of some homes nearby and lots of crab pots, along with a rather open, unprotected entrance convinced us to move along to Sanborn Canal as an alternative anchorage that promised a more pristine setting, so we re-set our course making this a longer day at the helm than was our initial plan...
The Ranger Tug 27 "Classic" has the head (bathroom) located at the rear starboard, which can block the view aft. Seaquel added rear-view mirrors alleviating much of this issue, providing good views aft from the helm position...
Approaching Port Houghton and Sanborn Canal...
The turn south into Sanborn Canal which will prove to be worth our effort to back-track here...
As vast as Alaska is, we are constantly surprised to find how "small" this large landscape is as we come across yet another familiar face. "Reflection" is a Nordic Tug 42' that was moored in Cap Sante Marina in Anacortes, adjacent Beyond prior to our trip north. These experienced Alaska cruisers invited Ollie and Mark aboard for a couple of hours of invaluable trip planning tips back in late May. Two months later, we find ourselves anchored in the same cove among thousands of islands and square miles of the vast wilderness of SE Alaska. Go figure...
Peggy exploring the tidal flats along Sanborn Canal...
Ollie and Pam rowing their dinghy up the shallows of Sanborn Canal at low tide...
As usual, much of our activity was being watched by inquisitive, local harbor seal...
Glen motors his dinghy in the deeper section of Sanborn Canal...
Another of familiar face: Barry & Lynne Thompson on Toucan, another Ranger 27, coincidentally also staying in this very remote anchorage of Sanborn Canal. So here we are in the vastness of Alaska, in a cove that even the guidebooks indicate is far off the beaten track, and two of the three other boats we come across here are acquaintances from the past. Go figure...
Sun setting at Sanborn Canal...
And just when you think the day is complete having seen so many sights, a pod of three Orca Whale enter the cove of Sanborn Canal and frolic by the anchored boats...
Remarkably, all of this activity and breaching is within the confines of this relatively small cove. It was as though these Orca chose to put on a private show for the half-dozen boats on anchor. Wow!
Sanborn Canal proved worthy of the extra effort to reach. We only wished we had more time to spend an additional day exploring with our kayaks and dinghys during high tide when one can penetrate further into the length of this canal, as this area is home to much wildlife, including bear, moose, and more (and Orca!).
~Mark
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