#2013-16 Hamilton Cove on Kuiu Island via Rocky Pass

We needed to be off the anchor and underway by 7am in order to make high tide and slack current in the center of Rocky Pass. The Pass is a 15 mile winding natural water way with numerous obstructions. It is lined by some 40 navigation aids, or marks, signing the correct route.

As we begin to cross Sumner Strait in order to enter Rocky Pass, a dense fog clutters the view. We hope no cruise ships are passing this morning on this ship route.  With the fog horn blasting, the radar guides us.  Soon the fog lifts just as we enter the Pass.

The fog lifts just as we enter Rocky Pass.

We concentrate on following the navigational signs and make our way up to Devils Elbow near the center of the Pass. For some reason the current is still running pretty good there, so we disengage the autopilot to steer by hand.

At last we pop out the north side of the Pass and wind our way through the various tiny islands off larger Kuiu Island, finally anchoring the very pretty Hamilton Cove. Surprisingly we have 3 bars on the cell phones from the nearby village of Kake, AK, as the ping sound of emails arriving mixes with nature's sounds.

Kuiu Island has many smaller islands and islets along it's east coast.
This one might look like a Russian submarine in lower light!

This week's crew is John Atiya from San Luis Obispo California.  John is an old friend, real estate broker, and tennis partner. He has crewed on the Wild Blue previously and is anxious to catch and cook some fish. So John begins fishing here while Alex prepares some white king salmon. purchased in Ketchikan, for the barbeque.

John Atiya from SLO Town is this weeks Wild Blue crew.