Capt. Linda Lewis - www.privateboatinginstruction.com and Capt. David Parker
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19 – New Guests at Auke Bay Juneau (July 23, 2011)
We are back in Auke Bay, but with a very short turnaround. I’ll only be able to send out two installments tonight of the five that will tell you about this leg of our trip.
We welcomed granddaughters Melissa (15) and Cassie (13) onboard here in Auke Bay. I had not been able to get another 60-day notice permit into Glacier Bay National Park, so I decided to try the 48-hour ‘Short-term’ permit. We were fortunate and got one so we were able to take the girls in to see the glaciers.
So you’ll see some familiar sights in the coming installments, but also some new ones: a Reid Inlet hike for instance.
The first two installments are ready tonight, but I will have to send the next ones as I complete them and can find a cell connection.
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We provisioned up in Auke Bay, Juneau and met our next guests on the boat.
Our granddaughters, Melissa (15) and Cassie (13) have been on our boat every summer since they were very small and they love it. (They are the daughters of Linda’s oldest daughter, Laura, and they live near Peoria, Illinois.)
But this is their first time in Southeast Alaska and the excitement was running high.
We’re going back to Glacier Bay National Park. Just a few weeks ago, M/V Royal Sounder entered the park with a 60-days pre-visit (Long-Term) permit. I couldn’t get a permit for this visit, so I called 48 hours before the day we hoped to go in and took my chances. We got a permit on the first try! This Short-Term permit process has worked for almost everyone I’ve talked with. (The only boats that didn’t get in were a group of five who needed all-or-none entry.)
Before we left Auke Bay we had fun watching all the action around us. I like the sense of humor in this boat name.
Our friends on the kayak charter vessel Abyssinia left with a new group of very happy guests.
All is not fun and games, however. This vessel kept its VERY loud generator on the entire day, every day. Dave is giving it the eye as he comes by. He set some shrimp pots but... he is coming back empty handed.
Some people were working hard. These Gill Netters are hand repairing their net.
I decided to donate our smallest life jacket to the Kids Don’t Float wall . It’s the blue one on the left that 5 y/o Rissa used. (I checked again a few days ago and it was gone… gone… As in, it must have been a really good fit for some little person.)
There are lots of fishing vessels in this harbor. And a few sailboats. We particularly enjoyed watching a very skookum 20’ sailboat SAIL out of the harbor, play for awhile, then SAIL back in (no motor on the boat). Now any real sailor knows this is something every good sailor should be able to do. But Auke Bay is a VERY busy place.
All vessels yielded as they were supposed to and these guys on S/V Kathleen knew exactly what they were doing.
As the teens would say: “Sweet.” OK. Enough watching the local activity. We’re ready to leave.
We need to fuel up before departure. So this is our first stop.
Finally! They’re riding in the spot they like best on the boat. And they’re both old enough now to wear inflatables. Happy girls.
Cassie likes to be at the helm. OK photo op. But eyes back on the water.
Our first stop was Swanson Harbor. It’s a convenient location and there are two public floats. When you enter the harbor, you might be mis-led by the sets of poles off in the distance. Those indicate the Couverden Channel - which dries a low water.
What you are looking for is off to the right.
It’s nice open moorage. That means you pull in anywhere; no fee; no power; no water.
The docks gave the girls an opportunity to try out their crabbing and fishing skills.
All right. Now to the fishing review.
Wait! What about that crab pot? Time to check it.
What is that?! We think it was a Tanner Crab. And here’s an anemone that Cassie actually hooked.
All that hard work required a rest period. With only thumbs in action. Then back to the fishing work.
Wow. A fish. Yes, it went back in. A little Flemising practice in between fishing and crabbing.
Back in its goes. What about the pot at the other end? Ohh. A find.
Let’s touch it.
One last special moment at Swanson. This gentleman was trying to fix something in his dinghy. He is wielding a fly swatter against the crowd of deer flies. The last time I saw him was in Hoonah a few years ago when he was getting ready to go off blueberry hunting with his wife. On that occasion he was wielding a large-caliber rifle. Whatever it takes. It’s Alaska.
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