Outside of Chichagof Island Part 1

Thursday July 12 - Saturday July 14, 2012

Surf in Lisianski Strait

Thursday was a beautiful sunny day.  We got up and checked the weather, tides and charts to see if the outside of Chichagof was doable.  Decided to scrap the internet cafe in Pelican and head out instead, in spite of the predicted 9 foot swells on the outside and an approaching weather front.  We went out Lisianski Strait but used a passage behind rocks and reefs for protection from the swells.  This is the area where Bering’s sister ship lost its two skiffs to the waves and rocks in 1741.  This was one of the areas where there were so many rocks that Urs told me to take the photos!  We went into the first available anchorage, Ilin Bay, just around the corner.  This is an intricate and well protected anchorage, surrounded by virgin forest and high mountains. We could hear the outside surf and see some white water hitting the rocks, through a narrow passage.

Sea Weed around Rocks in Lisianski Strait

Rocky Entrance to Note:  Bell in lower left means shallow depth

Lisianski Passage -- Blue Dots are Waypoints between Rocks  Friday, we headed from Ilin Bay out into fully open water. We motor-sailed in the Gulf of Alaska! The swell was not too bad. Nevertheless, I felt a bit queasy and Magpie was close to tossing her cat treats. The outside portion was only about an hour and then we headed behind rock and reefs again.  <>  Ilin Bay Gulf of Alaska Baker Cove  We anchored in Baker Cove, a beautiful enclosed cove with great bear meadows and untouched wilderness forest surrounding us. High peaks in the distance. The sun came out and we took the dinghy through the surrounding waters. We saw nine different grizzlies today. Quite amazing! Two mothers with two cubs each and three different males. Urs photographed them all – of course! Within our bay there was a male bear and not too far away a mother with two cubs; mom was wary, always on watch and keeping her distance. The male was about the same size as the mother and kept his distance too. In the other bay, we saw a fairly large male. He left as soon as he noticed us. The bears here are very skittish. Grizzly Bear