Whack-a-Mole Game



Leonard installing Engine Room Blower 

As we prepared to depart Ketchikan, Leonard commented that the trip so far has been like a “Whack-a-Mole” game.  You take care of one maintenance item and another one pops up and then another as you try to whack them back down.  So far we have fixed the holding tank pump, sender-sensor unit, a small fuel leak, and most recently, replaced the engine room blowers which help dissipate heat in the engine room.  

Engine Room Blower

When we first arrived at Ketchikan, our noses detected something that smelled like burnt insulation.  The motor on one of the blowers had failed.  It seems that engine room blowers go out about every 2,000 hours of use, so it was time to replace both blowers.  

Installing the Engine Room Blower

The units were ordered and shipped by Fisheries Supply in Seattle and we received the shipment in two days.  With these maintenance items checked off the list it was time to top off the tanks with fuel at Petro Marine located just south of downtown Ketchikan.  

Boarded by the Coast Guard

As we started to motor back north to our slip, a Coast Guard skiff with four guys came along side and wanted to board us for a safety inspection.  Of course their blue lights were flashing and this occurred in front of downtown and near the cruise ships where all of the tourists probably thought we had done something wrong and were being arrested – an exciting free show for the tourists.  

Inspection Completed

We were soon on our way after receiving paperwork indicating that we had passed inspection and had all of our safety equipment onboard.  The coast guard guys were very cordial and it was actually a fun encounter.  Once inspected by the Coast Guard, the documentation is good for one year, eliminating further inspections for the remainder of that year.  

Goodbye Ketchikan

We departed Ketchikan the following morning at 9:30am and continued northwest up Tongass Narrows crossing Behm Canal, then entered Clarence Strait; the seas were relatively calm with a 1-2ft chop – destination Thorne Bay on Prince of Wales Island with an ETA of 1pm.