Baranof Warm Springs

On our way from Juneau to Baranof our track reached its greatest latitude - 58°25.2’ North.  We put into Angoon to buy fuel.  We knew that it would be days and about 100 miles to the next available fuel.  Our goal for the night was Ell Cove, about 15 miles from Angoon; under good conditions, about an hour’s run.  As the afternoon wore on the wind, which was coming right at us, continued to increase.  The current switched to oppose the wind and it took us five jarring hours to reach Ell Cove. 

At one point, I carefully turned to starboard and headed for Peril Strait.  This put the four foot steep waves on our beam and rolled us wickedly through 60 degrees.  I turned down wind and tried running back toward Angoon.  On this course the boat slewed alarmingly.  I carefully turned 180 degrees to put the wind, the waves and the course to Ell Cove back on the bow.  If I reduced throttle and slowed below three knots the wind and waves made it hard to hold course.  I ended up running with the waves 30 degrees off the bow and tacking toward Ell Cove. 

Life is usually interesting on the remote public docks in Alaska.  Baranof Warm Springs displayed a young family readying their fishing boat, a carver hoping to sell his wares and fishing crews using the hot tubs at the head of the docks.  Penny and I enjoyed it all.  The trail to the hot springs started on a new boardwalk and ended down a steep dirt/roots/mud path next to a roaring cascade.