When the Fish Hold is Full, Head to Port

57 nm is a long day’s run but the weather looked good and we didn’t really have a choice. Almost as soon as we left Windham Bay and re-entered Stephens Passage we started seeing humpback whales. We were much closer this time but still could not get any acceptable photos so we tried to not be too distracted from our mission at hand and continued north towards Juneau.

There were whales in every direction, first marking their locations with tall water spouts and then their backs would show and then about every third or fourth time one would show their entire tail in the classic fluke shot. Many times we could see whales, porpoises and glaciers at the same time through the binoculars!

On our route we had to motor past the mouth of Tracy Arm which some people say rivals Glacier Bay for glacier viewing and shear beauty. The other thing Tracy Arm does is produce icebergs that often drift out into Stephens Passage and become hazards to navigation. So on this day, another first. Our first iceberg in our own boat! The blue is so amazing and we were able to slip in close for a good look but I wasn’t comfortable getting close enough to grab a chunk. The problem is that most of the iceberg is underwater and you can’t see it very well. This presents a huge hazard to the prop as well as the hull (does HMS TITANIC ring a bell?).

Entering Gasinteau Channel and approaching the bridge between Juneau and Douglass, Ginger called Alaska Seafood Company and arranged to offload the fillets which weighed in at 57 pounds and we called for a slip.

The owner of the seafood company actually picked us up at the marina and drove us to the Alaska Brewing Company to wait while he delivered the meat to his facility and then returned for us. He then drove us to Mendenhall glacier and dropped us there for a visit. The owner’s name is Dick Hand and could not be a nicer person!

So that is how we ended up in Juneau.