#51 - Tracy Arm to Entrance Island

We pulled the crab traps, which were empty, and our anchor, which was still attached to the chain, and steered for the exit to Tracy Arm, planning on a boost from the ebbing tide. We hadn't been moving but a few minutes when we heard “Wild Blue, Wild Blue this is cruise ship ZuidenDam calling” on the VHF 16. Obviously our AIS transponder was showing up on ZuidenDam's chart plotter. The 900-foot long ZuidenDam was 20 minutes away from entering Tracy Arm and wanted us to be clear by then. The ship's captain also wanted a port-to-port passing at Harbor Island, so that meant we would be need to give him lots of room for his turn. We obliged, and thanked him for the call, happy to not be surprised by the mammoth ship's sudden course change.

Our original plan was to cruise about four hours up to Cape Fanshaw, anchoring for the night in Cleveland Passage behind Whitney Island. Last year our crew hooked a gigantic halibut on the island's east end which we were unable to land. We thought we'd try our luck again, but then located inviting Hobart Bay just ahead, and altered course for Entrance Island. This calm anchorage included a dock which was deserted.

Our route to Entrance Island in Hobart Bay

On our way Chuck tried to stare down this eagle. He lost.

Greater Hobart Bay is a logging area. The dock at Entrance Island cove is totally protected, is state maintained and a large house is located just ashore. Although it looked to be recently occupied, we investigated and found the house eerily vacant. Flotsam and jetsam such as floats, traps, nets, life rings, etc, had been collected and used as landscape decoration. The site was the perfect setting for a Stephen King novel.

All alone at the Entrance Island cove dock.

Anyone whose been around Vince knows of his talent for creating tasty pasta dishes. We've already enjoyed his fresh Alaska prawns and linguini, as well as his pasta carbonara. Wonderful! Today, Vince labored all afternoon to create meatballs and sauce using his Italian mother's recipe. Pat created a fresh Alaskan salad and the dinner was complimented by a bottle of Opus One, thanks to Dick Squire's shopping spree in Sitka. Fantastic!

Thanks Dick for this fine bottle of vino.

Tomorrow we moor at Petersburg, Alaska, a small fishing village known as the “Halibut Capital of the World”.