#21 - Prince of Wales Island: Hole-in-the-Wall to Craig, AK.

We slept late. It was a short 2-hour motor to Craig, Alaska, and no need to leave our calm anchorage too early. Finally around 11AM we reluctantly exited paradise and rode the current up to Craig, a small Alaskan fishing town.

Our Route to Craig

Both commercial and sports fishing dominate the economy here. The area surrounding Craig contain numerous sports fishing “lodges”. The lodges consist a number of small well-equipped boats, fishing guides, food and beverage service, and sleeping accommodations. People travel from the far corners of the world to experience great Alaskan fishing offered around Craig. Monster halibut and giant salmon attract them, and superior lodging amenities keep them coming back.

About an hour before arriving, we called the Harbormaster who assigned us the same moorage location as last year, right next to Baron Hilton's yacht Silverado. Maybe they read our Blog about the dock party we had for Paris (Hilton) last year? Who knows. Anyway, we tied up next to Silverado which was being detail-prepped for important visitors.

The 120-foot Silverado is Baron Hilton's private yacht.

We cleaned up a little better than usual, then headed for dinner at Shelter Cove fishing lodge. We never tire of the wonderful fresh Alaskan seafood, and the lodge chef knows his fish. After a great dinner the checf came around to chat us up, and we learned how the soft economic times has impacted the fish lodging industry. A few lodges have shutdown for lack of bookings. This coincides with our seeing fewer cruising boats this year, compared to last.

This eagle is patiently waiting for a fisherman to finish cleaning his fish, and toss the carcass overboard, so he can enjoy his dinner.