#66 - Klemtu to Shearwater

It's about a 5-hour motor to Shearwater. Shearwater has a dock, small store but no good drinking water. Instead, both Z-Worthy and Wild Blue water up at the Klemtu fuel dock. We awaken a fisherman who has tied his boat up there for the night. It takes Wild Blue about an hour to fill her tanks. At last we're on our way about 9AM. Both boats are keeping a sharp lookout for Leah and her kayak. We are hoping to generate two giant boat wakes to help her ride south.

Our Route from Klemtu to Shearwater.

Cruising down Seaforth Channel about six miles out we come across a pretty Nordhavn 55 named Long Ranger. We've seen the Long Ranger in Sitka, Ketchikan and at Boat Bluff Light House connecting the the wifi. We're running side by side, same speed about a quarter-mile apart, following the boat on the AIS transponder, and admiring the nice lines of this older Nordhavn. Suddenly the VHF comes to life “Wild Blue, Wild Blue Long Ranger calling”. Wayne introduces himself to us and we have a nice chat about our summer cruising.

And so it goes all this summer. We've met quite a few boat people from watching them on AIS, or seeing their boats at several stops along the route. So far we've met Mike from Yachette in Sitka, the Grocery Boy crew in Glacier Bay, Jim from Gael Force with Kodiak in several places, Art and Chris from Lucky Pup, Wayne and Laural from Long Ranger, Len and Vera on Chatham II, and Ron and Bonnie on Z-Worthy. Seems like we should have an association of the 2009 Alaska cruising crowd.

At Shearwater the docks are again full with southbound traffic. We side tie to Z-Worthy and get our dose of AC power for the night, and thankful we don't have to load that brown colored water.

There was no sign of Leah and her kayak. She's obviously on a slower pace and a more close-in coastal route. We wish her fair winds, and large, following seas.