Home on Day 87

"ASANTE!" - is an african word expressing Thanks. We have so many reasons to be saying Asante!, as we have done throughout our journey. We are first of all grateful for the privilege of being able to vacation in this style --- we named our boat 'Asante' to keep us always in the spirit of gratitude for the many blessings we are enjoying. We are SO VERY thankful for safety, good weather, calm seas and good health, and for the dear friends we met along the way. We are also saying thank you to the many who have kept in touch with us during our absence from home, who have followed this Blog, have sent us notes, and who have prayed for our safety.

It is Sunday noon and we've just arrived in our welcoming boat shed at Burrard Yacht Club. We knew we were nearing the city as we enjoyed the familiar sites of Howe Sound, and the noticeable increase in boat traffic in this waters.
We're now packing up the clutter, a quick washdown, and then the reunion with dear family this afternoon.

'Asante~' from Dan and Mimi

Week Twelve - Desolation Sound

Our final week in more southerly coastal waters was wonderful. The hot August weather certainly enhanced the beauty of these familiar spots. At Blind Channel we enjoyed meeting Colyn & Connie for a hike in the forest, and ice creams on this very civilized patio -- a very pretty spot and a wonderful bavarian dinner in the restaurant on the marina.

We spent two nights at anchor among the tiny islets of Copeland Islands Marine Park along the channel north of Lund. It is very picturesque so we took the dinghy for some exploration; and a picture of how we enjoy our suppers on the aft deck.

The town of Westview was a good 'city' interlude, with Hugh's 'OVADUE" tied alongside. A good time was had by all.

Dock Parties

The pictures show some of the magnificent scenery as we got back into protected waters, after a long foggy passage through Queen Charlotte Sound and around Cape Caution. We celebrated when we had cleared that stretch of 'open seas' and from now on we will enjoy the scenic channels between the area called The Broughton Islands and Vancouver.
Our stop near Hakai Pass gave us time to hike across the land to the beach on the west coast. We were the only ones there, so we could let Kaiser run without his leash and he was like a young puppy running around the beach.

We've enjoyed social times at Shawl Bay Marina, where every night is Happy Hour among all the boaters and mornings are Pancake Breakfast served up by the dock owners.
We managed a rigorous hike through the woods at Echo Bay, as well, on our way to visit Billy Proctor's Museum, a very worthwhile effort. At Echo Bay the boats pack in for the popular Saturday night Pig Roast. This weekend we were there for the Nascar Veggie Races! Unfortunately, Team Zucchini would have done better on an oval track! Oh well; dinner was great and we've enjoyed all the socializing and great new friends.
Today we are at Lagoon Cove, where we visited on our way north in May, and we'll continue to move south from here. Tonight we'll have dinner at Blind Channel with Colyn & Connie.

Week Ten - to Ocean Falls

The most exciting thing about this week is the Sunshine! Wow, are we rejoicing in it! We have been through intense rainy storms and are now on our fourth dry day, and loving it. (can you tell?)
We have anchored in the most magnificent fjordland parks in B.C., and are today in the ghost town of Ocean Falls; a sad story of a thriving industrial city purchased by the government and then abandoned. All the buildings and landscape are fallen in neglect and disrepair. However, the beauty of nature and the friendly welcome on the lovely docks is worth the trip to the head of this Inlet. You can hear the roar of the giant water falls that spill out below the monstrous dam - see the mid part of the photo.
After this we will be out of range of most communication for the next three days, as we continue south to wait for good sea conditions for crossing the last large body of open seas waterway and into more protected areas - on our way home!

Meyers Chuck, Ketchikan, Prince Rupert

Our trip from Anan Bear Reserve to Ketchikan was a pleasure of typical Alaskan sites: fishboats that generously share their catch with us, and are friendly and kind at the docks; humpback whales that visit our bow and make us stop to watch them; totem poles in Ketchikan,and the small friendly docks of villages like Meyers Chuck.
We enjoyed a hot sunny day in Ketchikan, our final Alaskan port of call. Also thankful to get a brief opening of clear seas to make a ten-hour dash to Prince Rupert before the big storm hit the coast.

We are enjoying being on Canadian soil again! Familiar shopping for the provisions to get us closer to home, and dear friends to share good visits and good meals here. We both got caught up with long-overdue hair appointments -- but poor Kaiser has yet to find a groomer along the way, and is getting woolly all over.
On Sunday afternoon we were fascinated with a visit to the North Pacific Fish Cannery south of Port Edward, that is now converted to a fish cannery village museum. When I worked in Prince Rupert in 1962, I visited this village which was an active community of 1000 people; all the buildings built on stilts at the edge of the sea. It is sad to see it abandoned but we were pleased that it is being used now to 'tell the story' of an industry that is dwindling.
As soon as the storm passes, we will be heading out of Prince Rupert, hopefully Tuesday. Thanks to many who are sending a comment or an email. We love hearing from you, and envy your summer weather. It is cold, windy and rainy here today.

Week Nine - Sitka to Ketchikan

What a wonderful week we have had with Hugh and Barbara on board with us! We have enjoyed quite a number of the 'typical alaska' sights, including the cool, rainy weather. Several days have been heavily socked in with pelting rain and low clouds. However, as I've said before, this seems to settle the water and gives us pleasant cruising conditions.

We have eaten seafood everyday! from our own catch of halibut, as well as the generous gifts of crab and salmon from neighbouring boats. So healthy! and SO GOOD.

As we work our way south, we returned to Wrangell and repeated our Breakaway Adventure tour into LeConte Glacier. This time we were fortunate to be able to get a lot closer to the glacier face; sometimes if felt too close for comfort as the calving cliffs of ice crashed into the inlet waters creating large swells that rocked our little boat. I'm including a picture of an accompanying tour boat to show what it takes to manuevre through the floes to get closer to the Face. Very interesting and thrilling.

After Wrangell, we anchored in Anan Bay so that we could tour the Bear Reserve Conservatory Park. We were escorted by rangers and a guide, note his rifle close at hand, along a half-mile boardwalk to a secure observation deck where the bears roamed freely around us. From there we could watch the roaring river that teemed thick with salmon heading upstream, and bears 'scampering' around the boulders to little eddies where they scoop up the salmon and chew them up recklessly. Quite a sight, so close at hand. We were able to get into a photography 'blind' hanging right above the river for some very exciting viewing.

A mother sow 'Virginia' took her baby twins down to the river for lunch; you can see them returning up the fallen tree with the salmon in her mouth. It was all routine for them, but an exciting day for us.

We are now in Ketchikan harbour, a nice touristy little city and our last stop in the USA. We arrived at noon on Thursday, and enjoyed a rare warm sunny day. Hugh and Barbara will depart from here this evening, and we hope the now stormy sea abates before Saturday morning so we can start working our way into Canadian waters, and Prince Rupert on Sunday.

We feel now like these two months have gone by so fast; we are grateful for good health, good cruising, and SO MUCH wonderful adventure.

Week Eight

Sitka and Baranof Hot Springs