Serendipity



Entering Foggy Bay

We departed Ketchikan on Revillagigedo Island at 1:40pm and made our way southeast along Revillagigedo Channel, arriving at Foggy Bay on the Alaskan mainland around 7pm.  Foggy Bay is the designated anchorage for boaters to overnight before clearing customs at Prince Rupert in British Columbia to the south, or at Ketchikan in Alaska to the north.  

Foggy Bay

Mindful that Foggy Bay is entered through a narrow passage lined with numerous rocks and reefs, we slowly made our way through this intricate passage.  

Departing Foggy Bay at low tide

Although Foggy Bay is tricky to enter, the bay is relatively sheltered from winds and the mud bottom provides good holding for anchoring.  The following morning we continued our journey southward into “Dixon Entrance,” the open body of water between U.S. Alaska and B.C. Canada.  We passed Cape Fox on the Alaskan side of the border, the site of an abandoned Tlingit village mentioned in the previous blog post.  Now in Canadian waters, we set our clocks forward one hour - from Alaska Time to Pacific Time.  We could see Dundas Island in the distance where we would turn southeast into Chatham Sound.  From Chatham Sound the next challenge was winding through Venn Passage, locally called Metlakatla Bay, a series of twists and turns with multiple navigation buoys and range markers.  Having been through the passage on other occasions, the course now seems familiar and routine.  

Cow Bay Marina at Prince Rupert, B.C.

Venn Passage brought us into Prince Rupert Harbour where we stopped at the Lightering Customs Dock and cleared customs by telephone.  Now it was just a matter of choosing a moorage facility and calling for available space.  We wanted to check out the new marina that just opened this year, named Cow Bay Marina.  Space was available and we were impressed with the all-new wooden docks and nice shower and laundry facilities, a much needed and welcomed addition for Prince Rupert.  The new docks are located near the grocery store and other shopping which made it convenient to pick up needed supplies.  Another nice benefit are the security gates which are locked at night; guests of the marina are provided keys during their stay.  

Got d' Fever at the new Cow Bay Marina Docks

The only down side are the waves that sometimes make their way into the marina.  Although a “no wake” sign is posted near the breakwater entrance, some boaters still speed past the marina creating a wave that rolls the docks and subsequently the boats – boaters should fender well when tied to the docks.  As we pulled into our assigned slip, I immediately recognized a familiar boat, the Teka III owned by friends Mary and Denis Umstot. We had met them for the first time several years ago in Comox, B.C. and had also visited with them at Fishermen’s Wharf in Seattle where they keep their vessel.   Mary and Denis are world cruisers, having made several ocean crossings and are well known for updating and editing the popular book for boaters plying the oceans entitled “Voyaging Under Power” along with Mary’s fascinating book entitled “Voyaging to the Mediterranean Under Power.”  

The Famous Teka III at Prince Rupert

We were excited to see them again and stopped by their boat to say hello.  After a short visit, they invited us to come later that evening and join them for dinner.  We brought a hearty dish to share and some wine for the evening which turned out to be mutually invigorating.  We of course shared boating stories and the challenge of laying plans for the future.  Like us, they had been to Alaska several times and having cruised long distances for many years, they were looking for something new and different.  

Mary and Denis Umstot

We too were looking for something new and mentioned that we were thinking about selling Got d' Fever and buying a barge in Europe to cruise the canals.  They perked up and thought that was a great idea; they had been on a two-week barge trip in France some time ago and absolutely loved it; they had wanted to spend more time on the canals.  We told them about a new book we were reading entitled “Carefree on the European Canals” by Michael Walsh.  The book is a helpful reference not only for the canals of France and the Netherlands, but also covers the process of choosing and purchasing a barge.  The enthusiasm began to build and the four of us were soon looking online at various barges for sale.  We were inspiring each other to think seriously about this possible new adventure; “we will encourage each other along, let's keep in touch” was the theme of the night.  Getting together seemed to be a serendipitous event.  Who knows, maybe we will be “buddy boats” in the Netherlands sometime in the near future.