June 29th t Deep Bay to Sitka
Departure 5:30 foggy
June 29th -July 2nd Sitka
We needed to time our passage through Sergius Narrows today.
David calculated a low slack tide at 6:30 so it was going to be an early
departure. Before leaving Deep Bay we retrieved our crab at 4:00 am, hauled up
the dinghy, tied it down and covered it all while half asleep.
We set out in the fog and then idled at the entrance of the
bay listening to radio calls from boats entering the narrows. The visibility
was not good, and this was going to be our first trip through the narrows. We discussed whether or not to go for it or wait until noon and hit the high
slack. We both agreed that waiting in hopes that the fog would lift was the wiser decision.
Anchored near the entrance to the bay, we had given
ourselves time to tidy up the boat and take a rest before setting out again.
Just before hauling up the anchor to begin our journey, we noticed a small
fishing boat jetting into the bay. The next thing we hear is, “Where’s Angels
Camp. I can’t find it!”. Looking out the door, we were surprised to see our
friends Mike Fullaway and Dave Sidle along side us. They decided to leave Sitka
that morning and look for us as well as do some fishing.
They took off in Dave's boat, “Reel Time”, in a flash. We figured we would
be "leap frogging" with them on our way to Sitka as we slowly made our way and
they went from fishing spot to fishing spot.
It was going to take us 5 hours to get to Sitka. It had taken them only
an hour and 45 minutes to get to us! We
are used to speed boats screaming past
us most likely enjoying the sight of us rocking in their wake.
It was a dreary ride with rain and low clouds. The
visibility was better than this morning but still challenging. David does
engine checks every hour and when he does, I am at the helm. I was looking out
at a bank of fog and started to see what looked like a huge storm cloud within the
wall of fog. Grabbed my binoculars and discovered the big “storm” was a cruise
ship! I started to change course to
starboard and then he turned in the same direction. I quickly turned to port
aiming between him and another boat that had suddenly appeared out of the fog at
an intersection of strait and passage.
Had I thought to check my AIS screen, I
probably would have discovered the big boat heading our way, but I was keeping my
focus straight ahead. Far too much
excitement for me that day!
After just entering another marked area of the strait, we
heard a radio call from a ferry reporting that it was entering Limestone
Narrows. We quickly checked our chart and plotter searching for the location. We soon found out exactly where it was when
the ferry appeared at the curve of the narrows just ahead of us! Both pilots did just what
needed to be done to pass each other safely. Several passengers on the ferry
were waving to us as they closely passed us by.
Four and a half hours later, Dave and Mike swung to our side
and became our pilot boat for the rest of our journey past Sitka Harbor and to
Thimbleberry Bay where we found a great dock to call home for a few days. We
were greeted warmly by Diane and Becky and all came aboard for margaritas to
celebrate our arrival and connection with friends. We all feasted on a tri-tip
that David had been roasting along the way as well as fresh crab. So enjoyed
the comfort of Dave and Becky’s lovely home (and dock) by the bay.
Dave Sidle won my heart right off the bat with the cleats on
his dock. I have been wrestling with those bull rails every time we docked. Cleats
are so much easier and faster.
The next day David whipped up some crab omelets and cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Becky took Diane and I to downtown to poke through the shops and drove the 14 miles of paved road to show us the sights. The men tried their hand at fishing. They only pulled up ugly rock fish that Dave called “bald eagle food”. Those fish that did not survive being hooked were dropped into the water and the men got quite the show of eagles swooping down to snatch the floating fish within yards of the boat.
Becky is having a “fish tail” fabric designed and printed by
one of her neighbors for her kitchen window. We stopped by the artist's home, and watched as she worked to capture the texture and color from a photo of a king salmon caught by Dave for the fabric design. It was fascinating to watch the artist use her computer program to change and intensify
colors as Diane and Becky watched and narrowed down the selections for the
final result.
We all jumped into the Sidle’s car and took a trip to the
Bear Fortress where injured and orphaned bears are cared for and protected. It
was such a delight to watch the bears playing in the water and waving their
paws for food thrown to them by the guides. There was also a mass of bald
eagles and ravens attempting to steal food from the bears. One of the bears got
a bit frisky and the ladies got quite the show!
That evening we sampled more of Dave’s own wine and Becky prepared some delicious halibut. Great company and conversation topped off the evening.
Dave Sidle was kind enough to take Dave and I out fishing
the next morning. I was full of that child-like excitement. On my very first
drop of the hook within seconds, I had a fish. I pulled up 5 rock fish that were not keepers. One of them did not survive the hook, and we got an eagle show just
off our stern as it gracefully and strategically circled and scooped up the
fish. What a thrill to see that!
We did what is called “Mooching”. You drop your bait, hit
bottom and then slowly reel back in. I never quite got the technique of pulling
up on the reel once you feel the tug to try to “hook” the fish. I fed bait to
lots of escape artists. Dave Sidle was a very patient teacher never giving up on
me. It was the final drop that I eventually got a decent catch. It was the
smallest but the prettiest of the lot. My
husband did quite well bagging a black bass and ling cod. Dave filleted it all
for us and vacuum packed it as well. We will be enjoying our Sitka fish for the
rest of our trip. I am so grateful to Dave for taking the time to show us what Alaskan fishing is all about and for being so encouraging.
July 2nd
Today we will be celebrating Dave Sidle’s birthday. The men
took off for town running errands mainly for our boat. We all met at the
Bayview for lunch and scarfed down fries with blue cheese and bacon. Add bacon
to anything, and I am there.
Afterward, we all went to the Sitka National
Historical Park and watched a film about the Tlingit culture. We then walked
through a small museum with native artifacts and authentic totem poles. There
are several more totem poles lining a one-mile trial. Many are replicas carved
in the 1930’s.
The ladies split from the guys and returned to downtown to
make last minute purchases we had contemplated for days. Becky drove me to the
Orion Hardware Store to look at the XTRATUF boots, which are the "State Shoe". I found some red, white, and
blue rubber ankle boots just in time for July 4th! While making my purchase, I was surprise to
find that the sales woman was openly packing a Tiffany Blue pistol. Seeing
the gun strapped to her side was one thing, but finding out that guns come in
pastel colors, now that was a revelation!
Becky and Diane had baked a birthday cake, and we all
gathered to serenade David on his 60th trip around the sun. Then we
were off to dinner at Westmark. But before that, we made a stop at the Pioneer
Bar where they still smoke inside and had a beer while walking from wall to
wall taking in hundreds of old black and white photos. Many of them were pictures
of boats in situations that would make your heart stop. Even in a bar, you never
want to order, “boat on the rocks, please”.
The night before, we watched a movie called, “The Proposal”
at the Sidle’s. It starred Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds and was supposed to
be filmed in Sitka. Becky told us that the producer of the film pulled out of
Sitka when the mayor at the time insisted the production company pay the room
tax for their accommodations. Apparently,
all the background shots of snowcapped mountains, etc, were “green screened” in after filming in New
England.
I am mentioning this film mainly to introduce you to a
character named, Ramon, who works at the Westmark. The producer was so taken by
his personality that he had a character written into the script much like the
real Ramon. It was a kick to meet the inspiration for the flamboyant and “over
the top” movie character.
It was such a treat and an honor to be included in the
birthday celebration and to spend another memorable evening of great food, tasty wine, Peneleton Whiskey, 7-layer chocolate cake, and lots of laughs.
We couldn’t slip out of Sitka without one more repair
needed. David had to make a dash back into town late that afternoon for a sump
pump replacement. Poor guy. Not a fun job.
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