The weather has been bad, as it usually is this time of year, and I've had some work responsibilities that kept me in port.
The trip this weekend almost didn't happen as well. I had been watching the weather forecasts all week and they were looking pretty good. Right up until Friday evening when the forecast for Saturday bumped from 20 knots to 30 knots. In the winter my rule of thumb is 20 knots I will go, 25 knots I will take good look and possibly go, but 30 knots, I don't go.
Saturday morning when I got up it was calm, even though the forecast still said "increasing to 30 knots" in the morning. I made the snap decision to go, and I think I got my gear and food together in record time.
In the above photo you can see the trolling poles of a small troller that sank at its moorings in the harbor. I read about it in the paper a few days ago. They put a boom of absorbent material around it to try to corral any fuel or oil that may escape. I don't recall if the article said why it sank, or why the owner had not had it raised or at least moved by now.
This is the "fast ferry" Fairweather sitting at the Alaska Marine Highway System dock near my harbor. The idea behind the "fast ferries" was to provide a way for people to be able to get themselves and their vehicles from Juneau to Ketchikan, or vice versa, on the same calendar day. They had two of these fast ferries, and one would run between Juneau and Petersburg while the other would run between Petersburg and Ketchikan. I haven't heard much about them recently but when they first started up they had tons of problems with the vessels. They have huge jet drives which were always sucking up logs and other debris. And they had trouble with the engines, generators, etc.
This is the "Arctic Prowler," a 136' commercial fishing vessel built completely right here in our shipyard. They had quite a ceremony about it a week or so ago, complete with tours. I wish I could have gone on the tour, but I had other commitments. She was commissioned by a Petersburg based fishing company that has other "Prowler" vessels. She is a pretty impressive vessel to be sure.
I dropped my shrimp pots in Clover Pass at a spot where I have always done well in the past, particularly in the fall and winter when there aren't many other boats out.
I also dropped my "personal use halibut skate." The ADF&G (Alaska Department of Fish and Game) allows someone with a sport fishing license to drop a 2 hook halibut skate. That is a long line with a small anchor at the bottom, and two baited halibut hooks, and of course a float at the top. I have set this many times but have yet to catch a halibut. But it is easy to set and easy to pull, and it can be fishing while I am hiking.
I got to the Naha dock at about 12:30 PM. There were 2 small runabout type boats tied up but they were on the inside of the float so I could tie up in my preferred spot.
I had a quick lunch and then geared up for a hike up the trail. I had originally hoped to hike all the way up to Orton Ranch, but due to my later than expected start this morning I just did not have enough daylight for that. I judged that it would be dark in the woods at about 5 PM, so I just hiked until about 3:15 PM and then turned back. It gets dark in the woods a little earlier than on the water.
This is the picnic shelter that we visit frequently with the grand kids. The USFS maintains it and I see that since I was here last they replaced the roof with new cedar shingles. Looks nice. I have toyed with the thought of bringing an air mattress and a sleeping bag and spending the night under this shelter, but then I think about the absolutely wonderful bunk on the boat with the memory foam on top of the mattress, the flannel sheets and the goose down quilt, and that settles the matter. I'm not 17 anymore.
The above 2 pictures probably only have meaning for those that have been to the Naha, but I cannot resist including them. The Naha River does not technically start right there at salt water near the dock. The salt water enters Roosevelt Lagoon first, which is a mixture of fresh and salt water, depending on the stage of the tide. There is a "rapids" or "raceway" where the water runs into, and out of, the lagoon and into the ocean. This day when I came by the incoming tide (salt water) was apparently battling with the outgoing fresh water, creating quite a rough area. To put these pictures into perspective one has to realize that this spot is almost always as placid as a mill pond, so these waves were truly impressive to me.
I apologize if the above photo is too nasty for some, but I include it to make a point. This time of year the only Pink salmon left are usually in this condition. They don't smell too good either, putting off an ammonia like stench.
But my point is, as contradictory as it may seem, this is the goal of all self respecting Pink salmon. They are hatched and born in the river and head out to the open sea for 2 years. While they are out there they must avoid all natural predators such as seals, sea lions, Killer whales, etc. as well as all human predators, such as commercial fishing boats (trawlers, seiners, gill netters, trollers). They must also avoid sports fishermen. And when they return to the rivers of their origin after 2 years, they spawn and contribute to the continuation of the species. So, this poor guy succeeded, and was not eaten by a bear or an eagle or even a sea gull at the end. Way to go guy!
Unfortunately some people have dogs that instinctively must roll in dead salmon. Makes for an aromatic night's sleep or boat ride home. When I used to bring my dogs here in the early fall I would bring dog shampoo as well.
Here is Faraway at her second home at the Naha dock. One of the small boats had left by the time I got back from my hike. I apologize for the lack of photos from the hike, but it was pouring down rain most of the time and therefore difficult to shoot pictures.
I spent a quiet night aboard. I played some guitar and then later watched a movie on my iPad.
I love to lay in that wonderful bunk and listen to the rain hitting the foredeck when I go to sleep.
In the morning I just had a quick breakfast and pulled out almost right away.
I only got 1 picture on the way back. I came across a small group of sea lions and one of them must have recognized my boat since I come this way so often. He waved to me, so of course I waved back.
My shrimp pots were empty, but I could tell that someone else had pulled them. I have a certain specific way of rigging them and I can tell when someone else pulls them. That's a problem here sometimes. Oh well, maybe next time.
My personal use halibut skate was devoid of halibut as well, yielding only 1 starfish.
I made my way back to town arriving in the stall just about 12:30 PM, in time for lunch,
Total trip mileage was 42 nm (nautical miles).
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