July 17, 2018 - Day 46: Wrangell to Santa Ana Cove

Distance: 35 miles covered in 5 hours

Highlights: Discover a gem of a cove resplendent with multiple waterfalls and a picturesque river flowing into its head, ruins from a settlement from days gone by, and a fabulous sunset complete with a magical rainbow...

Another low tide at a marina, this time at Wrangell, prior to departure for Santa Ana Cove...

The large yacht moored across from us last night leaves early...


Heading out of the marina into open water.  Especially when we leave a marina, and are heading to an unknown destination, there is always a sense of anticipation and excitement about what the day will bring and where we will find secure anchorage...

More fishing boats...

More fog...

More mist...

Santa Ana Cove: we found mirror-like water in this nicely protected anchorage...

We also found remains from a long-ago settlement...

Moxie wonders what that rusting remains of an old boiler may be...

Moxie climbs one of a number of hidden waterfalls near the end of this picturesque cove...

View from the far end of Santa Ana Cove, looking north toward the opening...

Beyond on anchor in Santa Ana Cove...

Looking for another waterfall to explore...

Our flotilla represented 3 of the 4 boats anchored in the cove...

Glen exploring the beautiful river flowing into the head of Santa Ana Cove...

Seaquel anchored near the head of the cove, adjacent the river...

Sunset at scintillating Santa Ana Cove...

Words are simply not adequate...

Through 46 days I have been sharing the sights we have seen in this spectacular wilderness. But the magic is more multi-dimensional than can be captured just in pictures.  There is also the smell of the fresh salt air, breathing such clean are day after day, or fascinating aromas of a beach at low tide revealing a world that was hidden just hours before.  But those olfactory senses cannot be shared via a blog.  However, I can share some of the sounds, which can be amazing as well.  Here is a short video capturing what it is like to sit on anchor in an otherwise silent, remote anchorage after sunset, listening to multiple waterfalls as well as the adjacent river that envelop Seaquel in a symphony of relaxing sounds...

Just another day in Alaska!  We had never heard of Santa Ana Cove, it was not on our route-planning agenda, but based on where we were, where we were going, and the weather and water conditions we fell upon it.  This would be yet another anchorage that deserved another day to explore, but we have our ambition set on the famed Misty Fjord so we will pull up anchors at first light...

~Mark