Hobart, Tracy Arm and Taku Harbor

We had one more chance to see a calving glacier if we could get the 25 miles up Tracy Arm to the Sawyer Glacier.  That would require more fuel than we could carry.  It is about 125 nm from Petersburg to our next fueling point at Auke Bay just beyond Juneau.  Add in 50 miles for Tracy Arm and we’d need fuel for 175nm.  Our tanks hold 40 gallons and we carry another 20 in Jerry Jugs.  So, if we leave Petersburg full; and, we get 3 MPG, we have a range of 180 miles.  Perhaps, we could extend our range if we traveled at 6 knots instead of 12.  We’d not tested that. 

The Coast Guard recommends that you keep 1/3 of your fuel in reserve for contingencies.  Without a new supply, we’d use nearly all the fuel on board if we went to the Sawyer Glacier.  With all that in mind, we headed up Frederick Sound into Stephens Passage.  We endured a hard rain and wind for the last 15 miles before we tied up at the small well protected public dock in Hobart Bay. 

A fisherman, his family and his crew lived in the only house just off the dock.  His 40 foot fishing boat was tied to the dock.  Shortly, he came out onto the beach and hailed me.  “Hello, my name’s Jim, what’s yours?” he shouted.

“Hi, George,” I said.

He asked, “Could you tell me the time?”

“Nine fifteen,” I answered.  He went away for about 15 minutes before returning.

“George, it’s Jim.  Could you give me a weather report?” he wanted to know.

“I’ll listen.  Come back in ten minutes,” I offered.  Later, he appeared and I gave him the weather report.

“George, can you listen again and tell me what the report is for Five Fingers Lighthouse?” he asked.

I shouted across the water, “I’ll have to listen again.  Give me ten minutes.”

In a while, I again shouted across, “It’s blowing a gale - thirty five knots with occasional gusts to 42.”

“I don’t think I’m going to set any pots today.  Thanks George,” he volunteered.

“Jim, I see you have some gas drums on your boat.  Will you sell me 15 gallons?”

“How much will you pay?”

“Five dollars a gallon,” I offered.

“OK,” he agreed.

We poured 15 gallons from our jugs into the tanks and Jim filled them with gas.  We now had a 15 gallon reserve.  Tracy Arm - here we come.

It continued to rain hard all morning.  I rigged my little Honda 1000 generator under a tub and enjoyed a warm cabin thanks to our new heater. 

Later in the afternoon the wind is down and the rain is pouring when we hear a knock on the hull.  It is Jim’s crew sent to find out if we could spare Jim some wine.  Apparently, he still tasted gas from having provided the suction to get the siphon going.  I didn’t ask what he’d pay.  I gave him a bottle.

Late in the day Tonie O came in, took a nap, and headed out again.  Conditions were now calm and the rain had stopped.

Just outside the harbor next morning, we watched a pod of whales fishing.  At times, we could see and hear the breath of 5 or 6 whales at once.  I took photographs; but, with lack of light and the movement of waves they are not worth viewing.  I did include two photos just to help us remember the occasion.

We didn’t get to the face of the Sawyer Glacier.  The small cruise ship you see had just plowed through bergy-bits leaving in its wake too many bits still large enough to damage our propeller.  We were a long way from help if we lost our means of propulsion.  We turned back and threaded our way out and on to Taku Harbor.