Distance: 10 miles covered in 2 hours of cruising (after 2 hours of waiting for fog to lift)
Highlights: HEAVY FOG!!! Somehow it is appropriate that on our last and 64th day of this adventure, we still had one significant and final hurdle to cross (or maybe two) in order to get home! We delay our crossing, Mark & Moxie enjoy one last morning "shore duty" and get lots of fabulous pictures of the shifting fog around the tombolo, and we finally get underway. Family is at home to welcome us back, and we get to meet Baby James for the first time!
"Gates" to reaching home: some of the heaviest fog encountered for a crossing (Rosario), and the strongest currents of the entire journey (Deception Pass) running at close to 6 knots outbound as we entered. A wild ride right up to the end, just 10 minutes from docking!
Seaquel on anchor: where did summer go?
Moxie and I head to shore for our final "shore duty', in no hurry as prudence calls for patience to wait out the fog and let the forecasted sun work its magic to burn it off and allow for some degree of visibility for this last crossing...
View to the south of the tombolo to Lopez Pass, which opens to Rosario Strait. This is where we will set our course once we round Rim Island to the west, but currently the visibility is less than a quarter mile. Lopez Island is about a half-mile straight across from the tombolo, but is completely shrouded in fog...
Low tide at the tombolo. Seaquel is barely visible just to the right of the small island...
Ascending the trail at the base of the tombolo and alongside the western side of the bay (that connects to Decatur Island) affords spectacular views. Below, barely visible, is Rim Island that is connected to Decatur Island by the tombolo...
Reaching the ridgetop on this southern point of Decatur Island offers unique views out to Lopez Pass (below, to the left); to Rim Island (below, top); and the tombolo with both south and north-facing beaches. Seaquel's dinghy can be seen beached below...
Moxie loves to explore these trails, and provides Mark with a foreground subject to lend perspective to many pictures...
Yesterday I enjoyed shooting pictures of so many different boats. Today, from this high vantage point, and with the fog lending mysteriousness to the images, I enjoy the challenge of finding unique pictures of just one boat, Seaquel. This Ranger Tug 27 has proven to meet our needs more than ever on this journey up and back to Alaska, especially with the many modifications we made per the earliest posts on this blog. Also, the uniquely "rugged-but-cute" character of the Ranger Tug design makes it very photogenic, and today my camera gets a nice work-out while we wait for the fog to lift...
Despite the gloom of fog, images come alive by contrasting stunning evergreens, the red bark of Madrone trees, and the golden hue of the ridge covered with grasses and moss...
As with Deep Bay at Jedediah Island, another favorite anchorage that we enjoyed the previous two days, the Lopez Pass Tombolo offers remarkable "bird's eye views" due to the towering heights and sheer cliff walls that plunge straight down into the bay. Cautious footing is critical when seeking these dramatic shots...
View to the tombolo, from above the towering evergreen trees, with the beached dinghy far below providing a sense of distance and scale...
Moxie gets a workout running up and down the trails, and chasing sticks...
Wide angle view of the anchorage, with opposing Rim Island barely visible in the fog...
Aerial view of Seaquel from the ridgetop. While Mark and Moxie stretch their legs and give the camera a workout, Peggy and Nicole are cozy inside, playing/listening to the digital piano...
Aerial view of our beached dinghy. Note the different character of the south and north beaches: the south, facing Lopez Pass, are smoothed to a straight line due to the strong currents that rush through this narrow passage four times daily; the north beach is sculpted with lazy curves as a result of much calmer water ebbing in and out (also four times daily)…
Moxie enjoys the "birds eye" view, er, make that a "dog's eye" view...
Who could complain about this "dog's life"? Moxie is on top of the world...
The cliffs are VERY steep...
In photography, the same view can reveal different focal points and moods simply moving back and forth - or using zoom lenses if the next step is too close to the edge of a cliff...
A spectacular setting, with Seaquel framed between two trees somehow clinging for survival onthe cliff's rocky edge. It is amazing that after cruising nearly 3,000 nautical miles and 64 days to Alaska in search of beautiful locations, this remarkable anchorage is just 10 miles from home (just a one-hour cruise under good conditions) ...
Moxie waits patiently while Mark scrambles around looking for unique camera angles along the ridge...
Lopez Pass Tombolo offers multiple trails in every direction. Moxie leads the way toward the outermost, southern tip of Decatur Island so we can re-assess the fog conditions in the pass as well as east across Rosario Strait where we need to cross to reach Deception Pass...
The channel marker just ahead indicates where Lopez Pass flows in/out of Rosario Strait...
Moxie and I have spent about an hour hiking around and burning film (or rather digital memory), but the fog remains persistently thick...
Rosario Strait is a significant 5 mile-wide channel that serves as a primary north-south shipping lane for freighters and tugs between Seattle and Bellingham or Vancouver, B.C. It is no fun to be mid-channel with no visibility, eyes glued to the radar and chartplotter, and ears listening carefully for the sound of a remote foghorn that may be the first indication of nearby danger. We will wait a bit longer...
A small fishing boat heads west from Rosario Strait into Lopez Pass, the first sign of any vessel in the strait all morning. It is just a few hundred feet away, yet barely visible...
Most of these small vessels do not have radar, which means that in thick fog they may have near-zero visibility of seeing that another vessel such as a freighter, a state ferry, or even another pleasure craft may be fast approaching. Running this fast (on a plane) in these conditions is not recommended; and without radar seems reckless...
The sun-bleached shell of a Dungeness Crab adorns the bluff overlooking Lopez Pass...
Moxie again waits patiently as Mark shoots more pictures, before hiking back toward the tombolo...
View of the tombolo looking west to Rim Island, with Lopez Pass to the left, and Lopez Sound to the right...
Back to the tombolo, and we can see that Seaquel remains enshrouded in fog...
We're in no hurry with fog still lingering, so taking the time to sit against a driftwood log and enjoy a few more minutes on the beach gazing out at Seaquel (barely visible in the fog). Thoughts turn to how she has carried our crew through so many adventures and variable weather conditions these past couple of months...
Going on 9 am and Seaquel still shrouded in fog...
At last, the fog shows signs of lifting as the dull gray is replaced by increasing brightness and reflections on the water...
Finally, anchors up at 9:30 am, one of our latest departures of the past couple of months. And look what we found! Imagine the odds of picking up a long-lost "radiant plate" from another vessel's BBQ that was buried in the mud on the sea bottom...
Fog lifting, and signs of blue sky emerging...
We're not alone: another vessel heads out through Lopez Pass...
However, as we exit Lopez Pass to enter Rosario Strait, the fog remains thick...
Visibility is limited to just a few hundred feet. We are committed to cross, but we will be "flying by instruments" relying exclusively on GPS and Radar to determine our location and the presence of other vessels...
Thick, pea soup fog...
We only encountered seven or eight other vessels on our two-hour crossing, mostly on the far eastern side near Deception Pass. Our crossing took longer because we reduced speed to between 5-7 knots as a concession to the extreme limited visibility...
Approaching Rosario Beach (below, left) and Deception Island (below, right), we are nearly home! The waypoint marked "SKIBUMJOE" (lower left) marks the final resting place of my father where we conducted a sea burial of his ashes three years ago. My dad was an inspiration for my love of the outdoors, including skiing, hiking, boating, and extended adventures. In fact, our very first boating trip to the San Juan Islands a quarter-century ago was when we caravanned with our first boat alongside his large trawler. He would be thrilled at what we have accomplished in our journey up the Inside Passage to Alaska and back. Most of our cruising aboard Seaquel begin and end by paying respects to my dad as we pass this waypoint via most of our routes...
Below: my Dad (in checkered shirt) aboard his Taiwanese-built trawler "Northern Lights", on our very first boating trip to the San Juan Islands back in the mid-1980's. Our first vessel "Playpen", a Bayliner 21 Ciera Sunbridge, shown here rafted to the "mothership". We purchased her when we had three young kids (hence the name), even before Nicole was born. I still have distinct memories of this maiden voyage to the islands. Although we had spent time in the San Juan's via ferry, camping at State Parks, etc., this was our first-ever overnight "cruise" and we were smitten. Navigating our own course, and choosing to explore when and where we wanted on our own vessel, was so different and liberating. The roots of our dream to conquer the Inside Passage to Alaska was literally born from this image almost 30 years ago...
Deception Island, which guards the entrance to Deception Pass, finally becomes visible through the fog...
The historic Deception Pass bridge is barely visible as we navigate our final approach in the persistent heavy fog...
Having crossed Rosario Strait, the bridge is now clearly visible as we approach. But it is apparent we will have one very last "gate" to endure to reach home. Due to our delayed start today, currents are running strong against us in this narrow passage under the bridge...
Deception Pass has among the strongest currents of any of the rapids we transited on our route through Canada and Alaska. Since we frequently launch Seaquel at Cornet Bay inside of Deception Pass, we are accustomed to its strong currents and powerful rips and whirlpools. But we happen to be timing this last "gate" poorly, at the peak of an opposing ebb tide...
This is what Deception Pass looks like at peak ebb tide: a swift river! The bad news: our timing is poor and the 6 knots going against us will mean our speed gets knocked in half and our prolonged push through the turbulent water will be strongly felt with Seaquel getting pushed and pulled in all directions, and the rapids will produce heavy spray over her cabin. The good news: going against the current we have more steerage than if we were cruising "downhill" so we have good directional control; and here again is where the benefits of a semi-displacement hull and sufficient top speed pay off. We could not even consider entering this rapid "upstream" if our cruising speed were that of a typical full displacement hull...
Peggy's emotions run the full range: excitement and elation to be almost home; but solemnly prayerful. A "Hail Mary" is said asking to help us safely through this last, final hurdle...
The narrow entrance of Deception Pass often serves as a barrier keeping the fog at bay "outside" to the west while it remains sunny on the "inside". Remarkably, once through the pass and into Cornet Bay, we are greeted by bright blue skies, brilliant sunshine, and perfect visibility! In the span of 10 minutes it is like we left autumn behind and rediscovered summer...
A Bayliner 45' departing Cornet Bay, heading out on the start of an adventure, as we complete our journey...
One last turn, and we are HOME! As we round Ben Ure Island, the dock and launch ramps of Cornet Bay come into view...
Cornet Bay, where we launched Seaquel 64 days ago...
WE ARE SAFELY HOME!!! Seaquel has performed exceptionally on this nearly 3,000 nautical mile journey. This 27' vessel has been our home for over two months, safely navigating hazards ranging from heavy seas, to pea-soup fog, to high winds, to torrential rainfall, to rip tides, to icebergs and even pack ice. She has carried precious cargo of three humans and one energetic dog, and our trust in her capabilities has proven well deserved. We departed so long ago from this very dock, excited and a bit anxious. We return excited and relieved; as well as wiser and richer for our experience and having accomplished an adventure of a lifetime...
Our son-in-law Nick meets us on the dock to transport us by car to our home 5 miles away so we can retrieve our truck and trailer and bring Seaquel home to her garage. The last time we rode in a car was a month ago, in Juneau, Alaska! Seaquel's crew poses for one last picture: Mark, Peggy, Nicole, and Moxie. All smiles: WE DID IT!!!
A few hours ago, with the sun blocked out by heavy fog and cool air streaming directly off the ocean, we donned our souvenir "Alaska" sweatshirts to ward off the chill. Upon passing through Deception Pass and into Cornet Bay, the sun is out, bright and warm, and we are suddenly overdressed!
Meeting Baby James...
Grandparents meet Baby James for the first time (joined by granddaughter Lydia, 4, who demanded to be held too)!
Grandma Peggy waited patiently for 6 weeks for this moment...
Probably even more than boating, Nicole LOVES being an aunt...
James Augustine Steinbrecher, born June 27, 2018. Baby James is our 2nd grandson, along with 5 granddaughters at the time (now 6), for a total of 8 grandchildren...
Love at first sight...
A joyful reunion...
Grandpa Mark finally pries Baby James away from Grandma Peggy for a chance to cherish our new grandson. Daughter Sarah was so gracious and brave to tell us many months ago to not deter from our planned trip to Alaska after she discovered she was pregnant and we would miss James' birth. We are indebted to Sarah to allow us the guilt-free time for this adventure. We did not miss any of Sarah's other pregnancies (three of our granddaughters), and we made it back in time for our other daughter Emily who will be due in a few weeks. So our batting average will be 7 of 8, which is not bad...
Little Captain James! His parents sure know how to dress him for the occasion...
What a great adventure to Alaska. But, oh, so nice to be home!!!
Post Script: stay tuned for one final blog providing an "epilogue" summary of our Alaska adventure, some picture highlights, trip stats (total distance, fuel consumption, etc.), and yet another special reason we are blessed to be home...
~Mark
"Gates" to reaching home: some of the heaviest fog encountered for a crossing (Rosario), and the strongest currents of the entire journey (Deception Pass) running at close to 6 knots outbound as we entered. A wild ride right up to the end, just 10 minutes from docking!
We awake on our last morning to one small problem: as the summer moves toward autumn, lack of wind in the morning can often result in HEAVY FOG. Ugh! Now the early morning calm that yielded mostly glassy seas for the past two months has become our nemesis. Below: view from Seaquel to a small boat that joined us as the only other vessel on anchor at Lopez Pass Tombolo. Center Island which was clearly visible yesterday immediately to our north past this boat has completely disappeared in heavy fog...
Seaquel on anchor: where did summer go?
Moxie and I head to shore for our final "shore duty', in no hurry as prudence calls for patience to wait out the fog and let the forecasted sun work its magic to burn it off and allow for some degree of visibility for this last crossing...
View to the south of the tombolo to Lopez Pass, which opens to Rosario Strait. This is where we will set our course once we round Rim Island to the west, but currently the visibility is less than a quarter mile. Lopez Island is about a half-mile straight across from the tombolo, but is completely shrouded in fog...
Low tide at the tombolo. Seaquel is barely visible just to the right of the small island...
Ascending the trail at the base of the tombolo and alongside the western side of the bay (that connects to Decatur Island) affords spectacular views. Below, barely visible, is Rim Island that is connected to Decatur Island by the tombolo...
Reaching the ridgetop on this southern point of Decatur Island offers unique views out to Lopez Pass (below, to the left); to Rim Island (below, top); and the tombolo with both south and north-facing beaches. Seaquel's dinghy can be seen beached below...
Moxie loves to explore these trails, and provides Mark with a foreground subject to lend perspective to many pictures...
Yesterday I enjoyed shooting pictures of so many different boats. Today, from this high vantage point, and with the fog lending mysteriousness to the images, I enjoy the challenge of finding unique pictures of just one boat, Seaquel. This Ranger Tug 27 has proven to meet our needs more than ever on this journey up and back to Alaska, especially with the many modifications we made per the earliest posts on this blog. Also, the uniquely "rugged-but-cute" character of the Ranger Tug design makes it very photogenic, and today my camera gets a nice work-out while we wait for the fog to lift...
Despite the gloom of fog, images come alive by contrasting stunning evergreens, the red bark of Madrone trees, and the golden hue of the ridge covered with grasses and moss...
As with Deep Bay at Jedediah Island, another favorite anchorage that we enjoyed the previous two days, the Lopez Pass Tombolo offers remarkable "bird's eye views" due to the towering heights and sheer cliff walls that plunge straight down into the bay. Cautious footing is critical when seeking these dramatic shots...
View to the tombolo, from above the towering evergreen trees, with the beached dinghy far below providing a sense of distance and scale...
Moxie gets a workout running up and down the trails, and chasing sticks...
Wide angle view of the anchorage, with opposing Rim Island barely visible in the fog...
Aerial view of Seaquel from the ridgetop. While Mark and Moxie stretch their legs and give the camera a workout, Peggy and Nicole are cozy inside, playing/listening to the digital piano...
Aerial view of our beached dinghy. Note the different character of the south and north beaches: the south, facing Lopez Pass, are smoothed to a straight line due to the strong currents that rush through this narrow passage four times daily; the north beach is sculpted with lazy curves as a result of much calmer water ebbing in and out (also four times daily)…
Moxie enjoys the "birds eye" view, er, make that a "dog's eye" view...
Who could complain about this "dog's life"? Moxie is on top of the world...
The cliffs are VERY steep...
In photography, the same view can reveal different focal points and moods simply moving back and forth - or using zoom lenses if the next step is too close to the edge of a cliff...
A spectacular setting, with Seaquel framed between two trees somehow clinging for survival on
Moxie waits patiently while Mark scrambles around looking for unique camera angles along the ridge...
Lopez Pass Tombolo offers multiple trails in every direction. Moxie leads the way toward the outermost, southern tip of Decatur Island so we can re-assess the fog conditions in the pass as well as east across Rosario Strait where we need to cross to reach Deception Pass...
The channel marker just ahead indicates where Lopez Pass flows in/out of Rosario Strait...
Moxie and I have spent about an hour hiking around and burning film (or rather digital memory), but the fog remains persistently thick...
Rosario Strait is a significant 5 mile-wide channel that serves as a primary north-south shipping lane for freighters and tugs between Seattle and Bellingham or Vancouver, B.C. It is no fun to be mid-channel with no visibility, eyes glued to the radar and chartplotter, and ears listening carefully for the sound of a remote foghorn that may be the first indication of nearby danger. We will wait a bit longer...
A small fishing boat heads west from Rosario Strait into Lopez Pass, the first sign of any vessel in the strait all morning. It is just a few hundred feet away, yet barely visible...
Most of these small vessels do not have radar, which means that in thick fog they may have near-zero visibility of seeing that another vessel such as a freighter, a state ferry, or even another pleasure craft may be fast approaching. Running this fast (on a plane) in these conditions is not recommended; and without radar seems reckless...
The sun-bleached shell of a Dungeness Crab adorns the bluff overlooking Lopez Pass...
Moxie again waits patiently as Mark shoots more pictures, before hiking back toward the tombolo...
View of the tombolo looking west to Rim Island, with Lopez Pass to the left, and Lopez Sound to the right...
Back to the tombolo, and we can see that Seaquel remains enshrouded in fog...
We're in no hurry with fog still lingering, so taking the time to sit against a driftwood log and enjoy a few more minutes on the beach gazing out at Seaquel (barely visible in the fog). Thoughts turn to how she has carried our crew through so many adventures and variable weather conditions these past couple of months...
Going on 9 am and Seaquel still shrouded in fog...
At last, the fog shows signs of lifting as the dull gray is replaced by increasing brightness and reflections on the water...
Finally, anchors up at 9:30 am, one of our latest departures of the past couple of months. And look what we found! Imagine the odds of picking up a long-lost "radiant plate" from another vessel's BBQ that was buried in the mud on the sea bottom...
Fog lifting, and signs of blue sky emerging...
We're not alone: another vessel heads out through Lopez Pass...
However, as we exit Lopez Pass to enter Rosario Strait, the fog remains thick...
Visibility is limited to just a few hundred feet. We are committed to cross, but we will be "flying by instruments" relying exclusively on GPS and Radar to determine our location and the presence of other vessels...
Thick, pea soup fog...
We only encountered seven or eight other vessels on our two-hour crossing, mostly on the far eastern side near Deception Pass. Our crossing took longer because we reduced speed to between 5-7 knots as a concession to the extreme limited visibility...
Approaching Rosario Beach (below, left) and Deception Island (below, right), we are nearly home! The waypoint marked "SKIBUMJOE" (lower left) marks the final resting place of my father where we conducted a sea burial of his ashes three years ago. My dad was an inspiration for my love of the outdoors, including skiing, hiking, boating, and extended adventures. In fact, our very first boating trip to the San Juan Islands a quarter-century ago was when we caravanned with our first boat alongside his large trawler. He would be thrilled at what we have accomplished in our journey up the Inside Passage to Alaska and back. Most of our cruising aboard Seaquel begin and end by paying respects to my dad as we pass this waypoint via most of our routes...
Below: my Dad (in checkered shirt) aboard his Taiwanese-built trawler "Northern Lights", on our very first boating trip to the San Juan Islands back in the mid-1980's. Our first vessel "Playpen", a Bayliner 21 Ciera Sunbridge, shown here rafted to the "mothership". We purchased her when we had three young kids (hence the name), even before Nicole was born. I still have distinct memories of this maiden voyage to the islands. Although we had spent time in the San Juan's via ferry, camping at State Parks, etc., this was our first-ever overnight "cruise" and we were smitten. Navigating our own course, and choosing to explore when and where we wanted on our own vessel, was so different and liberating. The roots of our dream to conquer the Inside Passage to Alaska was literally born from this image almost 30 years ago...
Deception Island, which guards the entrance to Deception Pass, finally becomes visible through the fog...
The historic Deception Pass bridge is barely visible as we navigate our final approach in the persistent heavy fog...
Having crossed Rosario Strait, the bridge is now clearly visible as we approach. But it is apparent we will have one very last "gate" to endure to reach home. Due to our delayed start today, currents are running strong against us in this narrow passage under the bridge...
Deception Pass has among the strongest currents of any of the rapids we transited on our route through Canada and Alaska. Since we frequently launch Seaquel at Cornet Bay inside of Deception Pass, we are accustomed to its strong currents and powerful rips and whirlpools. But we happen to be timing this last "gate" poorly, at the peak of an opposing ebb tide...
Peggy's emotions run the full range: excitement and elation to be almost home; but solemnly prayerful. A "Hail Mary" is said asking to help us safely through this last, final hurdle...
The narrow entrance of Deception Pass often serves as a barrier keeping the fog at bay "outside" to the west while it remains sunny on the "inside". Remarkably, once through the pass and into Cornet Bay, we are greeted by bright blue skies, brilliant sunshine, and perfect visibility! In the span of 10 minutes it is like we left autumn behind and rediscovered summer...
A Bayliner 45' departing Cornet Bay, heading out on the start of an adventure, as we complete our journey...
One last turn, and we are HOME! As we round Ben Ure Island, the dock and launch ramps of Cornet Bay come into view...
Cornet Bay, where we launched Seaquel 64 days ago...
WE ARE SAFELY HOME!!! Seaquel has performed exceptionally on this nearly 3,000 nautical mile journey. This 27' vessel has been our home for over two months, safely navigating hazards ranging from heavy seas, to pea-soup fog, to high winds, to torrential rainfall, to rip tides, to icebergs and even pack ice. She has carried precious cargo of three humans and one energetic dog, and our trust in her capabilities has proven well deserved. We departed so long ago from this very dock, excited and a bit anxious. We return excited and relieved; as well as wiser and richer for our experience and having accomplished an adventure of a lifetime...
Our son-in-law Nick meets us on the dock to transport us by car to our home 5 miles away so we can retrieve our truck and trailer and bring Seaquel home to her garage. The last time we rode in a car was a month ago, in Juneau, Alaska! Seaquel's crew poses for one last picture: Mark, Peggy, Nicole, and Moxie. All smiles: WE DID IT!!!
A few hours ago, with the sun blocked out by heavy fog and cool air streaming directly off the ocean, we donned our souvenir "Alaska" sweatshirts to ward off the chill. Upon passing through Deception Pass and into Cornet Bay, the sun is out, bright and warm, and we are suddenly overdressed!
Meeting Baby James...
Grandparents meet Baby James for the first time (joined by granddaughter Lydia, 4, who demanded to be held too)!
Grandma Peggy waited patiently for 6 weeks for this moment...
Probably even more than boating, Nicole LOVES being an aunt...
James Augustine Steinbrecher, born June 27, 2018. Baby James is our 2nd grandson, along with 5 granddaughters at the time (now 6), for a total of 8 grandchildren...
Love at first sight...
A joyful reunion...
Grandpa Mark finally pries Baby James away from Grandma Peggy for a chance to cherish our new grandson. Daughter Sarah was so gracious and brave to tell us many months ago to not deter from our planned trip to Alaska after she discovered she was pregnant and we would miss James' birth. We are indebted to Sarah to allow us the guilt-free time for this adventure. We did not miss any of Sarah's other pregnancies (three of our granddaughters), and we made it back in time for our other daughter Emily who will be due in a few weeks. So our batting average will be 7 of 8, which is not bad...
Little Captain James! His parents sure know how to dress him for the occasion...
What a great adventure to Alaska. But, oh, so nice to be home!!!
Post Script: stay tuned for one final blog providing an "epilogue" summary of our Alaska adventure, some picture highlights, trip stats (total distance, fuel consumption, etc.), and yet another special reason we are blessed to be home...
~Mark
Mark, I stumbled upon your blog as I was looking at Ranger Tugs. Your journey has been incredible and I wanted to thank you for sharing it online. You helped me understand more fully the adventure of a life time and its been inspiring to me that maybe, just maybe, I would be able to do it too! Thank you. Jim N … Everett Washington
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