The Alaska Experience…
August 2007
Okay, so I don’t write often. Ade is so thorough in his wonderful Captains Log that I feel no need to reiterate his narrative. My contribution is as ships photographer, that counts doesn’t it?
But friends tell me I have to communicate from the First Mates perspective… so here it is… The Captain is always right. I must obey my captain! If you get that down, you have it made. I’m convinced that is why men go to sea and why they want to do so on their own boat. That my captain is ¾ German only exacerbates the condition. That I am Irish makes it all the more ridiculous. He bought me hearing aids so I couldn’t use the “I didn’t hear you” excuse. It doesn’t matter, now I pretend I forgot to put them in. It’s one of the secrets to a marriage that has lasted…gasp…almost 37 years!
If you won’t tell him, I will tell you that he is actually a benevolent captain!
UNDERWAY
Most decisions are mutual and now that he “knows” this boat he is much more casual about its operation. We share the driving duties, but he still does the docking. With a new harbor almost every night, my confidence level just isn’t there. I will leave slips, position the boat for anchoring, etc., but usually I am the deck hand in port…and that’s okay.
We decide on our itinerary together, and as we’ve been traveling with Dottie and Ken, often times it’s the girls telling the boys the ports we want to visit. We read the cruising guides and consult notes from friends of places they recommend. We plot out a week or so, and then may adjust as the week goes on. We find a place in the vicinity we learned might be even “better” (such a subjective situation) or with the weather forecast, think might be a wiser choice. If we find a place we are really enjoying and have no pressing need to move on, we will stay a day or two. We are in that mode now and I love it. I like flexibility. Sometimes it seems we are just moving too fast, but it’s usually with a greater goal in mind…like getting to “do it all”. Our weather has not been wonderful, nor has it been horrible. It just never really gets hot or dry. If we are sitting in a bay and its just pouring, we don’t feel like getting the dinghy down and slogging ashore to a rapidly disappearing beach. So we do our boat chores, write postcards (or the log), read, cook, listen to music, watch a movie - all really great to do, but you can do that in the next bay, so up comes the anchor and we are off.
ASHORE
When we are in a village of any size we always go ashore and explore - no matter what the weather.
We are walkers and we like to hike the forest paths and mountain trails. At first we were concerned about bears…so we “armed” ourselves with Pepper Spray and wore Bear Bells and walked cautiously through the woods, bracing ourselves for the inevitable bear encounter. We spotted areas they obviously had been, found evidence of their last meal, but never saw them. We saw a few from the boat those first weeks in Alaska, but since then - nada. They are hiding from us. I’m willing to wrap myself in honey to see one at this point.
Whales, dolphins, otters, seals, deer and eagles are abundant and we’ve really enjoyed spotting them, although you will have to take my word for it, as my photographs haven’t captured much. If you look really really really closely and see that puff of spray or shiny black thingy in the water, you can imagine it’s a whale. Whales are both too fast and too slow for me. I spot them, usually when they jump and I’m wildly, happily shouting, “whale, whale” and reaching for my camera. I grab it, finally get it turned on and aim towards the splash and find that it has disappeared. But I am sooo ready now, poised to capture that magic moment when the magnificent creature leaps again, and this time I am sure, just ahead of the boat as we’ve headed in the direction we think they were going…and I wait, and wait - then Ade shouts, “they’re over here” and I scramble over him to see the spouts and then the shiny back and I have my finger ready on the trigger and snap…hoping he is making his turn and will show me his fluke, but I’m too soon…so I’m pressing, urging the camera to get a second shot off as he rears his back and makes that sassy “fluke you” wave… and still I’m pressing the button and finally I hear the shutter…just as the fluke vanishes. All I get is that itsy bitsy speck of tail as he disappears again. Argggg. Repeat. Repeat. This can go on for a long time until Ade says, “can we go now?” I will never be a wild life photographer.
PROVISIONING
Onto more practical things…Provisioning has been pretty easy up here. Because we left the boat for almost three weeks and did not have complete confidence in the shore power on the transient dock in Ketchikan we finished off a lot of the food in the freezer and of course all the fresh items in the fridge. When we came back we had friends with us and were anxious to get back on the water, so we did a quick run through the wonderfully stocked and convenient Safeway near Bar Harbor. I’ve been dreaming of that store ever since. They had all our favorite brands; in the right size packages and flavors…you know how it is. Although we have found everything we need along the way, I would have stashed a few more of the basics in the pantry and freezer, and just needed fresh fruit and veggies along the way.
In Juneau the Safeway is not near Harris Harbor, but a Foodland is just across the street and up a block. It’s not a great store. When we are back in Auke Bay next week we will have a car rental and I will check out the Safeway and revisit the Costco. Note: We returned to Auke Bay and indeed found several great places to shop. We like the Fred Meyers most of all, but the Safeway and Super Bear Market at the Mendenhall Mall are also quite good.
Almost every town has a grocery store of some sort and we’ve never had to go for more than a day without bananas, or fresh lettuce or veggies…or God forbid, wine or beer. We’ve had many pot luck meals with Dottie and Ken, where they caught a fish or crab and we had fresh veggies - or we had the Tri-tip and she had potatoes and made cookies. Really more than the meal basics are having things on hand for the inevitable Happy Hour gatherings when you are at a dock. You don’t want to have just one dish that you always bring. Everyone wants something fresh and different, especially if they’ve been “out” for a while.
We have had a lot more comfort or winter type of food that we imagined, undoubtedly due to the cool wet climate. Soup, potatoes and chili have made it onto the menu many times, and thankfully, they are easy to store and heat up on rainy blowy nights. We’ve also been delighted to find artisan breads from bakeries like LaBrea in many places, sometimes fresh, other times frozen. Most of the stores have an “organic” section with great whole grains and locally grown produce. We’ve eaten very well indeed…as our snug clothing will attest to.
DINING ASHORE
Dining ashore has been more hit or miss. While we all agree that our best meals have been on board with each other or friends, we still like to “go out” when the opportunity is present. We did not find anyplace in BC that was better than OK once we left Vancouver, but then again, it was early in the season and things were just opening up, so we will try again on the way back down. In Ketchikan we like the Bar Harbor and Ocean View for meals, and the skanky Arctic Bar for sipping and enjoying the local color (they will order great fish and chips from the take-out place across the street and the boys say it’s yummy). In Petersberg it was the Beachcomber Restaurant, a few miles out of town, but they send a driver for you. For lunch we found Northern Lights, which was also good. In Juneau we like the Hanger, but there were a few little places in the same building that looked interesting and if we’d had the time probably would have tried. On the advice of frequent charter guests, we tried the Thane Ore House, but found it seriously lacking. Our last night there took us to the Twisted Fish and we had a very nice meal of fresh local halibut and salmon (which are so delicious in Alaska).
We also tried the Glacier Bay Lodge for lunch and it was good, but the dinner was expensive, cold and ordinary. Have an appetizer and a drink and eat on board would be my advice. In cute little places like Hoonah (The Office Bar) and Pelican (Rosie’s) we knew that it was all about the pubs for a beer and maybe an appetizer. In Elfin Cove the little grocery store is wonderful, the pub so-so and we found no real restaurants, although there are several lodges that obviously prepare meals for the high spending clients they serve. It was raining both times we were there, so we were happy to eat onboard.
We went up the Lynn Canal on our own as Dottie and Ken opted to do Sitka before heading home for two weeks for a family reunion. We have not found any other cruising boats, just a few fishermen in delightful Haines and empty local pleasure craft here in Skagway. So…we dine out. In Haines we decided on the Lighthouse for dinner and were pleased with it. A very reasonable wine list, good fresh fish, crisp veggies and a killer view of the harbor and the mountains. For lunch we found Mosey’s, a great little Mexican restaurant in the old fort area that was very popular with the locals. Good, fresh, and spicy. The other place that had been recommended was the Bamboo/Pioneer Bar and I would save it for lunch or happy hour at best. Haines is a GREAT town - I will speak to that later, if I have time…but it is the most livable SE Alaskan town for me…I get why people live there, even in the winter.
We are now in the old gold mining “hell hole of the Pacific” - Skagway, with FOUR cruise ships…11,000 people hit the streets (and water/air, etc) on days like this…wow. We walked thru it as quickly as we could, and at the end of the road found a new place, the Skagway Brewing Company on Broadway - and it’s just great. Wonderful menu, servers, etc…highly recommended. We then enjoyed a wonderful four mile trek in the sunshine back to the waterfalls and old graveyard, by way of the railway yard. Ade loved picking through all of that.
Our last night in Skagway we found the wonderful Stowaway, a restaurant with actual tablecloths, great wine list, and sauces…honest to God sauces to accompany just caught fish - really good.
AND JUST ONE MORE THOUGHT…
But tonight, with the wind now howling at plus 30 knots, and those ships still in port, we will dine aboard with a perfect harbor and mountain view. Lets see, ah, I know - I have a yam from Haines, summer squash from Hoonah, red leaf and romaine lettuce from the great Elfin Cove grocer, frozen halibut from a recent catch and Napa wine. And for dessert, big plump strawberries and sorbet from the Mountain Market health food store in Haines…. yes life aboard is grand!
