I stand on the side of our boat, looking down into the water. A flash of silver catches my eye, and then is gone before I can focus on it. Another flash, and another. These are herring, fish related to sardines, but very much out of the can. The water is pulsing with these silver-sided fish! Sometimes while kayaking, we drift through schools of them swimming together. They turn this way and that in seemingly choreographed movement. Any small motion or shadow of my paddle will cause them to swiftly turn together in a spectacular flash of liquid silver. In the evenings, the herring seem to enjoy jumping clear out of the water. Perhaps it’s to catch a bug, or to escape the jaws of a hungry seal, or maybe just for the joy of leaping. We see these fish in all sizes, from about 3 inches, up to about 10 inches. They are plentiful, and that’s a good thing.

Herrings are near the bottom of the food chain here.  Other fish eat them, seals, sea lions, dolphins, and otters eat them, eagles and ravens snatch them from the water, even humans catch and prepare them for eating:  pickled, packed in sour cream, canned…  And of course, they are a popular bait used by fishermen.

The creatures who are the most organized in hunting herring are the whales. In a spectacular display of team work the whales execute a feat called bubble net feeding. It works like this: The whales swim in a circle around a large school of herring, narrowing the circle, and forcing the fish close together. Then the whales swim straight up through the mass of herring with their mouths wide open, catching bucketloads of fish in their mouths on the way up. Bubble net feeding is really something to behold, unless you’re a herring.

Here’s a question to ponder:  Does the entire ocean ecosystem depend upon herring?  Could any other species of fish serve so many purposes?   Herrings are so plentiful that we may not give them the honor they are due.  I propose a National Herring Day, or perhaps even International.  Just think of the ways we could celebrate!  Who’s with me?

We had always heard that the Fourth was celebrated in a big way in rural Alaska. This description had us leave Petersburg only to return a week later, so as to not miss the fun. It’s a big deal to ‘backtrack’. In fact, I get teased about my tendency to never go back and sometimes even just pulling over is hard when the destination is still ahead. I do ask for directions if it is convenient, well maybe. (This is a topic for another day, read about the rowboats below for an example).

What impresses me about these travels is really a continuation of the Divine timing or serendipity blog. These magic moments continue to follow us. The backstory is that I was becoming increasingly concerned about the alternator on the boat. It has been a trusty little thing that does way more than what it was designed to do. Every morning after the boat has been at anchor all night sucking power from the batteries, this small, almost car sized alternator would attempt to fill ten big batteries. I always check the temperature of things in the engine room and the alternator was doomed to fail at such high heat. I ordered a beefy replacement about a week earlier that was flown into Petersburg. The parts place did a great job putting together everything I needed. The only snafu was that the pulley was wrong and needed to be changed. The helpful Napa guy in Petersburg did this for me free of charge. All of this could be chalked up to ‘life on the boat’, but the fun part was standing in line in the auto parts place. How is this fun, you ask? It was a Divine appointment with a guy who had a bad alternator in his hand. I told him to come see me… I now had a spare alternator that was the exact match for his. After some great conversation about his family and their summer, he gave us halibut and his favorite lure. (Something about ‘teach a man to fish’ and he too will have fish…) He was delighted to have his problem solved too. I had not been good with the fishing thing thus far, so trading spare parts for fish was a gift to us – a joyful thing.

All of this occurred leading up to the Fourth of July. With the boat repairs complete, we were able to fit into the crowded docks and enjoy what really is a two-day series of many events. The adults were acting like kids with a herring toss contest, (No fish were harmed in the process, they were already dead). I asked where the hand sanitizer was and got a funny look and a question in response,“you’re not from here, are you?”

A blindfolded rowboat race was my favorite since this involved a good deal more than rowing skill. The rower is blindfolded, usually the man. The woman gives the directions since she can see and is generally good at this. On the other hand, men aren’t so good at receiving directions. I think you are beginning to get the picture. This is hilarious since many of the directions consist of ‘your left, my right – or is it port and starboard’? In the heat of the race much of the communication is with frantic gestures. All of which goes unseen by the blindfolded rower.

The 3^rd of July had the whole community out on the main street and the day culminated with fireworks. In Alaska the night sky is too light until 11:00 pm. Kids were everywhere. Summer is in session. As a kid, I never got to ride my bike around town at mid-night. All that remained for the actual 4^th was the big parade. It’s a small town, so they go around the block twice.

God bless America.  Home of the brave and the land of the free.  It’s true here in Alaska.

-mike

This is our second time in Alaska.  The first time was during the Covid 19 pandemic in 2021.  Because of health concerns, many safeguards had been put in place:  Facemasks in many locations, no shore stops while transiting Canada, many stores closed until further notice.  We didn’t mind so much, because we actually enjoy isolating, especially on our boat.  We had plenty of the essentials:  food, diesel fuel for the engine and the heater, good books and of course, each other.  The scenery doesn’t care if there’s a pandemic.  It is constant in its beauty year after year.  So is the abundant wildlife.  We had a great trip!

This year, there are some differences.  People are glad to be out again, and they are hungry for nature and adventure just like we are.  We have noticed many more pleasure boats this year, both large and small.  And the cruise ships!  There are many.  They don’t bother us, but it is kind of shocking to see a floating hotel in pristine, isolated places, where usually you feel like you’re alone.  We don’t begrudge people their time on the water.  It’s a wonderful way to travel and much better than watching a travelogue on TV.  It’s also nice to see the stores open, and the local people who make a living from tourism back in business.

In Ketchikan we were amazed to see five cruise ships at the docks, where two years ago there were none. It certainly makes for a hopping place, compared to last time. We had quite a surprise one morning while sleeping in our berth at the downtown dock. We were awakened to the sound of water, which isn’t unusual, but it seemed the volume was TURNED WAY UP. The water sounded like it was rushing through a hole in the boat’s hull. We both leaped out of bed, instantly alert and searching. Down went Mike into the engine room. I began looking into dark corners and feeling for unseen leaks. The sound of water lapping is usually so soothing, but this was terrifying, because we thought we might be experiencing a sinking event! Eventually, after finding nothing amiss on Voyager, we turned our eyes outward to the harbor. A huge cruise ship was docking, using its bow and stern thrusters to bring it slowly to its spot on the dock. Now, Voyager has a bow thruster, which we use sparingly when we need to bring the bow left or right in a tight docking situation. Our little thruster doesn’t compare to the powerful thrusters on the cruise ship, though. These thrusters were moving water through the entire marina. The movement couldn’t be seen on the surface, but you could hear it moving under the boat. It sure gave us our thrill for the day!

It may be hard to believe, but not every day is pleasurable on the boat. It usually has more to do with a person’s attitude than the place or the events or the weather. One morning I woke up and was simply homesick. I was missing my kids and grandkids. I was missing the flowers in my garden and the friends in my neighborhood. I was working myself into a pretty good funk as we were motoring along, when suddenly I was distracted by the sight of torpedoes coming through the water toward our boat! Laying aside my somber mood for just a moment, I stepped out on deck to discover that the torpedoes were dolphins racing to our boat to play in the bow wave. They swam amazingly fast, crisscrossing each other in front of the boat, and sometimes shooting out different directions like fireworks. We were clapping and shouting “woo-hoo! You’re beautiful!” They seemed to enjoy our praise and kept at it for a few minutes, until by some unseen signal, they all took off in unison to parts unknown. I looked around for my funk and just couldn’t find it.

Later on, as I was driving the boat so that Mike could throw a fishing line in the water, we could hear the sound of whales breathing as they swam around our fishing area. We love that sound. The slow, measured whoosh of air from these huge but graceful mammals just instills peacefulness. That is until someone yells, “Fish on!” Two halibut and two rockfish later, we headed back to our anchorage to join friends who had prepared dessert aboard their boat. After some great conversation we called it an evening, and came back to Voyager to finish cleaning up the fishing equipment. I didn’t even bother to look for my funk. I do still miss my loved ones, but I’ve had a change of attitude. Change can be good.

-beth

Have you ever tried to describe a picture or a place to someone, but found that words are inadequate? This is the challenge I run into with this blog. How can I convey the experience of arriving at a spot that is so beautiful it brings a tear to the eye? Especially after a long day of travel in the boat, it is an other-worldly experience to shut off the drone of the engine, and in the silence, fully soak in and appreciate surroundings so lovely you couldn’t have dreamed them up. The gratitude wells up, and the soul is filled. But this isn’t the only delight.

We had a busy and fun start up to our travels this year: First there was a Krogen boat owners’ rendezvous that we attended in Sidney, British Columbia. Krogen owners tend to be very down-to-earth cruising types. Helpful, friendly, full of stories, these people do not fit the stereotype of the snobby yachter. These rendezvous are where we find helpful tips ranging from Krogen idiosyncrasies and modifications, to the best places to catch fish. Particularly helpful is the opportunity to chat and discover who will be traveling in similar areas during the summer months. It is comforting to know who is “out there” with you, in case of emergency. Sidney is a great town with a nice variety of restaurants, and Krogenites are a delight to hang out with, so the rendezvous was an enjoyable way to start the season.

From there we picked up some dear friends who have cruised with us for a week every year since we became boat owners. These friends are not only fun, but they have exhibited courage and good humor, especially during the summer that we were complete rookies! They keep coming back for more, so it must not be too scary. This year we took them to one of our favorite spots in British Columbia, Princess Louisa Inlet. The spectacular granite cliffs rising from the water, rainforest green mosses, and the many rushing waterfalls tumbling into the sheltered fjord make this a truly awe-inspiring place. It was our delight to share it with friends. We did our first bear watching of the season there, as two black bears foraged along the water’s edge at low tide.

After our friends departed, we turned northward with purpose.  This is an Alaska year after all!  It takes a long time to travel the full west coast of British Columbia to reach Alaska, but we didn’t want to shortchange our BC time either.  So instead of just moving north, we zig-zagged from east to west a bit, to take in some places we hadn’t yet seen.  One of the daily stops unexpectedly turned out to be one of “those” places.

Big Frypan Bay is not very big, in fact it is tiny, and a bit shallow too. Voyager just fit, and we did a quick calculation to make sure the low tide wouldn’t leave us high and dry. Everything worked out, and we shut off the engine. The first thing we saw was a mama duck with 3 ducklings. She wanted to get them away from us, so they swam diligently after their mom. They were so tiny, yet they swam with every ounce of speed they could muster. We had a grass covered ledge of rock on one side of the boat, and on the other side, a charming window through rocks and bushes, where we could see through to the bay next to us. The hidey hole was large enough to kayak through. The water was crystal clear, and yet an amazing emerald green. A river otter swimming nearby provided entertainment. What a delight to be tucked into this beautiful place!

We returned to a favorite spot for our 48^th anniversary. Khutze Bay features a green meadow, and a stunning waterfall. We anchored near the base of the waterfall, enjoying the mighty sound, and occasional windborne spray. As we toasted each other happy anniversary, we noticed a grizzly bear on the shore. We sat and watched him just do his bear thing for a couple of hours. He even went swimming! I can’t imagine a better way or place to celebrate. We were delighted again!

One of our zigs led us way off the beaten path, to Fjordland. As the name implies, it is an area with steep, glacier carved granite fjords that twist and turn for miles. If there is heaven on earth, this place is it. Tall, jagged peaks surround the bay, and you can see more peaks behind these mountains and cliffs, seemingly touching the sky. A rushing waterfall and river. A large green meadow with a river winding through it. And my personal favorite: fields of lupine. Many of my friends and former students know me as the “Lupine Lady,” so this place felt like it was a gift just for me.

I am glad for a camera to remind me of all these places where we’ve experienced delight. I know that our boating seasons will not last forever, but we have a boatload of memories to cherish.

-beth