It is the jumping off point to US waters, and home.
Here is the route for the day:
Here is a map snippet that shows more detail of the approaches to Prince Rupert:
After a brief shore excursion for Bina we pulled anchor at about 8:15 AM.
It was rainy and cold, just like home.
As soon as we got out into Grenville Channel we hit strong opposing currents.
This is always frustrating under any conditions, but seemed to hurt a bit more today as we were approaching Prince Rupert, and we had almost 60 nm to go.
I was also a little more cognizant of the fuel level on this run because I had deliberately not gotten fuel in Hartley Bay. Last year some local residents were very rude to us and I really didn't want to stop there again this year.
At one point the engines were turning 2200 RPM and we were making barely 5.6 knots.
Under normal conditions I would expect to be running about 10 - 11 knots at that RPM.
The farther along we got the less impact the current had, so the situation got better as the tide turned.
At one point I called a tug and barge that was ahead of us and asked him if he knew when the adverse currents would abate. He said he wasn't even paying attention to it. I guess when you run a tug and barge all day and all night in all kinds of conditions you get used to just taking whatever comes.
By 1 PM we were making 11 knots at 2200 RPM, just where we should be.
We got into Prince Rupert about 3:30 PM and immediately went to the fuel dock.
We had to wait awhile for room at the dock but eventually got in there and fueled up for the final run to Ketchikan.
After getting fuel I called the PRRYC (Prince Rupert Rowing and Yacht Club) harbor attendant and got my slip assignment.
We pulled away from the fuel dock and headed towards the assigned slip.
Now, I want to make it clear that in this next narrative I am not trying to place blame on the harbor attendant, since the person piloting a boat always takes responsibility for where it goes. But I do think that her actions contributed in some way to the events that occurred.
While on the way to our assigned slip she suddenly came over the radio and started yelling directions to go to a different slip. I quickly changed course to head for the new slip, and just then the wind picked up and started gusting. As we rounded a corner we clipped the anchor of a sailboat that was backed into the corner slip. This is the first time I have ever hit another boat while maneuvering within a harbor.
Lisa was down below, ready to get the lines, and she heard the hit on the other side but did not see it.
She yelled out "What was that?"
I said, "We hit another boat!"
After we got safely tied into our slip, two men from the sail boat came over and we started inspecting their boat. This process took a long time. They said that once before they had gotten hit and had prematurely and inaccurately told the owners of the other boat that there was no damage. And they had discovered damage later on. So this time they wanted to be certain.
Eventually they decided that I had bent a railing on their anchor pulpit.
So we measured the distance off the water of the minor bend in their railing and then went over to my boat to see if it would match up with any damage there.
It was immediately clear that nothing on my boat matched up with that bend in their railing, so they reluctantly (it seemed to me) agreed that there was no damage to their boat.
On our boat there was a small crease in a vertical railing, and that was it.
Here is the sail boat whose anchor we clipped:
And here is the minor damage on our boat:
 |
| Big freighter passes by the yacht club |
 |
| Faraway in her slip at the yacht club |
 |
| A handy lunch table |
 |
| Prince Rupert Rowing and Yacht Club |
This is the "old" yacht club building.
They told me that after this cruising season they are tearing it down in order to build a new one.
The yacht club is within easy walking distance of the downtown area, so it was pretty easy to walk into town and get groceries, and stretch our legs in the process.
In order to get back to Alaska we needed to make one more open ocean crossing, Dixon Entrance.
On the advice of our weather router we sat here in Prince Rupert for 3 nights.
Unfortunately there was an issue with the shore power on the floats and we lost power after the first day. After that we had to run the generator from time to time, and rely on the new inverter.
They didn't offer to refund any of the fees we paid for moorage.
One of the things we did while waiting for our weather window was to study Venn Passage.
Venn Passage is a "short cut" out of Prince Rupert that negates the need to go south around Digby Island, and then north to Dixon Entrance.
The passage is strewn with hazards, but there are adequate charts available, and boats of all types use it frequently.
On our south bound trip last year I chickened out and did the extra 15 miles, but this year I wanted to go through Venn Passage.
I studied the charts intensely and even bought a paper chart.
The tides were favorable, with a high tide right around the time we were scheduled to make our transit through the passage.
Nothing left to do here but wait for the weather.
No comments:
Post a Comment