Monday 27 Jun 22 to Tuesday 28 Jun 22 - Flynn Cove & Glacier Bay Arrival

Wed Jun 29 2022

We departed the float at Hoonah about 0900 and meandered gently towards the fuel dock, finding it completely cluttered with vessels large and small. After idling and drifting for about 15 minutes we elected to drop the hook and shut down. We hailed a nearby fishing boat that had already been waiting for a bit and noted we’d happily wait our turn. Isabel whipped up a tasty breakfast and we used our time productively until there was finally room for us at the inn. There was a price break if one purchased more than 100 gallons, so 120 gallons of diesel later we were in for a fuel bill of a bit over $800. That’s some pricey diesel!

Departing the dock we motored on out into the bay and proceeded North past the cruise ship terminal out into the Icy Strait, turned to port and about 30 minutes later we were maneuvering for a good anchor spot in Flynn Cove. It was a pretty place and Isabel felt there would be halibut, so out the frozen herring came and soon the halibut rig was set just off the bottom. Might as well fish, never know what might happen. We got on with our route planning for our entry into Glacier Park and darned if the halibut rod started twitching. Isabel reeled in the lure to investigate then reported that we had a nice sized halibut on the hook. She handed me the gaff and pretty soon the fish was on deck and dispatched. This halibut was a good bit smaller than the last one, perhaps 16 - 18 pounds, but as our filleting table is more suitable for a large trout is was still challenging to butcher. We ended up with 4 large fillets and a bunch of small bits perfect for breading and frying.

Then we ate smoked pork chops for supper. There’s been a lot of fish and crab in our diet lately and a pork chop just seemed like the right thing to do on Monday evening. Besides, we weren’t planning to catch a fish when the chops exited the freezer. It was early to bed and early to rise and this morning we had the anchor coming up well before 0500, and began our journey to a waypoint just a bit west of Gustavus. It was a bit lumpy out in the Icy Strait but the tide was with us, and we arrived at the Bartlett Cove Visitor’s Center float around 0730, having made our mandatory VHF calls along the way. In nothing flat we were tied up, and after a light breakfast we wandered up to the National Park Service office to say hello. We had gotten authorization for a visit from June 28th to July 2nd, but when I asked if we could stay for the maximum 7 day limit the ranger checked the reservation schedule and revised our authorization. Awesome! We may or may not want the whole time, but it’s nice to have the option.

We walked about a mile around the area to check out the lodge and the Tlingit long house, discovering the complete skeleton of a female humpback whale named “Snowy” on display. Seems that Snowy had been visiting Glacier Bay since the 70’s, but was hit and killed by a cruise ship a few years ago. Snowy was a big girl.

With the tide running in, we motored North towards the Northwest area of the park, enjoying a stern tidal current of up to 4 knots at times. We passed Fingers Bay, our first anchorage pick and continued another 14 miles or so to Blue Mouse Cove. Gotta use that tidal current when it’s working for you. Anchoring there we found poor holding with a thin sand over rocky bottom, but enough chain out and we’ve stayed put all day. There’s no wind in the forecast so we should be OK overnight.

This morning the port engine alternator didn’t come to the party, so after some initial troubleshooting I elected to run the generator while underway to get the house batteries and engine start battery topped up. The house and engine start battery system is tied together with a diode isolator so that the house battery bank can charge the engine start battery, but the house battery loads cannot deplete the engine start battery. Seems to work, too. After a good nap I pulled the port engine alternator off and gave it a thorough examination, and finding nothing amiss reinstalled it, but only after ringing the wiring to the alternator, and pressing a button on an isolator device that must protect the engine electrical system from a dead short in the alternator. Don’t ask me why I needed to do that.

Anyway, firing up the port engine revealed the squawk was cleared, and adding the starboard engine produced normal indications, so Isabel pronounced me “very clever”. After celebrating with a Michelada made from a Hinano beer mixed with spicy V-8 juice, she fried us up all the little halibut bits and served it with a nice Asian slaw. Protein and veggies, what’s not to like?

It’s been a beautiful day here in Glacier Bay National Park, with sunny blue skies and temperatures up into the low 70’s. It’s nice to be barefoot with shorts and a t-shirt, but unfortunately the horse flies seem to come out when the local temps start to tickle 70 F. They’re obnoxious little creatures and like to bite us, occasionally drawing blood. It doesn’t hurt a lot and neither of us seem to react with such things as welts, but still they are a source of great irritation and it’s too warm to keep the boat shut up. Oh yeah, and we don’t have screens for the larger hatches and doors either.

I have a new hobby! Once we accumulate the requisite number of horse flies inside the cabin, out comes my secret weapon, the vacuum cleaner and I hoover those evil little buggers right up. The vacuum has a clear housing so one can inspect the previously hoovered contents and it’s rather satisfying to see the little turds crawling around in their new prison. Die you gravy sucking pigs.