Day 18 – Prince Rupert to Ketchikan

Airship Goes to Alaska – Day 18

(Hi from Ketchikan…we made it!)

The alarm went off at 4am this morning in Prince Rupert and we got up and checked the weather for Dixon Entrance again. It was the same forecast. Waves less than a meter. Wind something something no big deal, and then by tomorrow afternoon it was supposed to pick up (both wind and waves) so our decision to do the whole trip today was still a good plan.

Mark and Margaret delivered briefings (and cinnamon rolls and chocolate covered espresso beans–so sweet!) and off we went!

Passing the Hai Qing from Hong Kong in the harbor on our way across to Venn Passage:

Working our way through Venn Passage:

Green Island Lighthouse (the most northerly lighthouse in British Columbia, built in 1905):

That thing that looks like a zip line running down to the rocks and the sea is actually how they get supplies from boats up to the lighthouse. Imagine hanging out there unloading stuff in that water by those rocks. Nope.

Entering Dixon Entrance:

We saw some dolphins or porpoises (it was still kinda dark) and then a humpback right off our nose:

Our crossing was not bad at all. A little chop early, and then some smallish swells on the beam. Just like we'd planned.

We arrived in Ketchikan after a 10 hour cruise (it didn't seem that long!). Here's Thelonius with a cruise ship backdrop:

We all stopped at the fuel dock and fueled up and cleared customs at the same time. Convenient, and painless (and even fun…our customs guy was really nice, and funny…in a dry way).

Here we are in our new spot at Bar Harbor North:

Today was gray all day with a little bit of drizzle as we arrived in Ketchikan. We got checked in and then walked up to Safeway to get some provisions.

We met tonight for dinner at some nearby pub up the street at the Best Western (not fancy, but good), and then tomorrow night we'll head to the chandlery to spend some boat dollars, then probably to Totem Bight State Park, later on to a funky pub down near Creek Street, and then we'll meet for our "farewell dinner" (sniff sniff) at the Cape Fox Lodge.

The cruise ship schedule for tomorrow in Ketchikan is thick with 8,300 cruise shippers on four boats. Two of the boats leave at 1pm, and two of them leave at 6pm (which is, not coincidentally, when most of the shops close). I think on Friday there will only be 6,400 cruise shippers in town. Oh well…we've been in the BC boonies for a couple weeks, so it's kinda fun to get to civilization (and then some) for a few days before heading back out. 

The clouds cleared this evening and the light was gorgeous on our marina neighbors:

Here's today's track (83 nautical miles, 10 hours 35 minutes):