Sailing SE Alaska

July 12, 2012 Magoun Islands to Kalinin Bay

     Left our little bay in the Magoun Islands this morning on the ebb tide as we resumed North. I was on helm as Kelsey kept watch on our chart and warned me where the submerged rocks and shallow shoals were. Pete wants us to rely on the charts but he kept an eye on his GPS as we traveled and would warn us if we got too close to anything dangerous. He showed me how to watch for signs of shallow water such as a greenish water color and kelp beds.
     Still no wind, so we are motoring and Neva Strait has a very narrow channel so impractical to sail anyway. As we made our way through Neva Strait, spotted two grizzly bears eating grass on the shore just South of St John the Baptist Bay, a sea lion watched us go by and four eagles soared on an updraft.
    Not long after Neva Strait’s channel opened up into Salisbury Sound, the hydrofoil ferry Fairweather passed us going South on its way to Sitka--I’m glad we were out of the narrow part of the strait by then.
   Now we could see Chichagof Island ahead and the high, dramatic mountains on the Khaz Peninsula. Up until this point we had been by Baranof Island (which is where Sitka is), Kruzof Island and the Magoun Islands but this was our first actually sight of Chichagof Island. Our circumnavigation had officially began. As we entered Salisbury Sound and headed West, looking toward the Northeast, I could see the Western entrance of Peril Strait, which is where we will exit as we complete our circumnavigation four weeks from now.
     Entering Salisbury Sound, we got our first ocean swell which was a gentle roll and we could see waves breaking on the shore for the first time. We continued West through Salisbury Sound and then turned South and hugging the West shore, we carefully entered Kalinin Bay (the N. end of Kruzof Island) and anchored for the night. A front is moving in with 25+ knots of wind so we are stopping here for the night instead of running North up Khaz Peninsula--with a system moving in, we don’t want to get caught out in the ocean as there are no anchorages until we get past the Khaz Peninsula.
     Kalinin Bay is a sweet, little, protected bay surrounded by mountain peaks with good anchorage. (Don’t believe the Douglas guide which calls it smelly) Pete and Kelsey saw ten grizzlies feeding on the grass last time they were here so we are hoping to see some. Only a fishing boat and us are here. Pete and Kelsey tell me there is a trail here where you can hike West over the low mountain and onto a white sand beach on the West Coast of Kruzof.
       Beautiful, gorgeous, wild country and I feel so blessed to experience this. Privateer feels so solid and capable and I feel in good hands under Pete’s tutelage and guidance--not to mention Kelsey is an amazing cook--I have never eaten so well.