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CHAPTER To Ketchikan, Metlakatla and Clover Bay To Partage, Hobart and Endicott To Funter, Tenakee and Saltery Bay To Still Bay, Ship Cove and El Capitan To Nichols and across Dixon Entrance Prince Rupert, Captians Cove and Ala Passage To Kwakume, Fury Cove and Blenden Harbour To Port McNeil, Neville and Gowlland To Henry Bay, Northwest Bay, Nanaimo and Pender Harbour
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Woke up to an overcast day with slight drizzle this 18th of JUNE - but our spirits were not dampened. As we pulled anchor at Sanford Bay there all about us were the most colorful and "beautiful beyond description" icebergs, of all different shapes and sizes! Some had an eagle or a family of eagles perched on top – a delight for any photographer. Our day was soon highlighted with so much activity and beautiful sightings that it was hard to keep up with it all. The Lewis" and the Williams" each have two cameras and at times they are all busy. A whale soon appeared on the scene and did a fine show for us. I was so pleased to get a good shot of it "fluking" as it went down for a spell. I forgot to mention that three days ago a group of dolphins rode with us for awhile – and that is always a treat! Even they looked like they were having so much fun. Being on the "Maggie Lou" and so close to the water and what you want to capture on film is sure different than being high up on a cruise ship with swarms of people crowding around. This makes for great picture taking. We are loving every moment of this adventure! It was so much fun to hang around Holkham Bay and Tracy and Endicott Arms for a couple days. Leaving it behind now and just coming into Stephens Passage towards Juneau , Dave slowed down to view a small "bergie" and gave it a little nudge just to be able to say he had run into an iceberg and this did cause Marg some consternation!! A few minutes later just as Dave gave the wheel to Marg they ran over a bunch of seaweed that neither one had seen, and it got sucked up the cooling water intake soon causing the engine to heat up. Dave noticed something was wrong and stopped the engine before any damage was done and once again and with his expertise was able to get us on our way again. Next overnight was at Taku Harbour (south of Taku Inlet) where we tied up at the State maintained small-craft float. This was once the site of a Hudson’s Bay Trading post and the site of a commercial cannery which is now in decay. Remains of piers, boilers, bunkhouses and electrical generators are being overtaken by dense bush. Of special interest is a State of Alaska owned cabin on the beach that is there for anyone who would like to rent it or if no one is there anyone may go in and have a rest and sign the guest book and look around. There are two big bunks with good mattresses, a table and small wood burning stove with a supply of wood, sink, etc. – very homey – and the best part is that it is left unlocked and everything is left so intact!! Even a few staple food supplies. Amazing!! There were positive comments left in the guest book. It seems it is financed by the Fisheries Dept. and partly by monies from fishing licenses. The charge is $25. per night and reserve ahead. Now isn’t that a nice story? We had a nice walk along the beach and after supper discovered our boat had toilet problems. We convinced Dave that we could get by with a bucket even tho’ Carol and Dean invited Norm and I to spend the night with them. What great friends we travel with! Dave got things all back to working order this morning. The sun is shining today as we make our way up Stephens Passage on west side of Douglas Island. We won’t enter JUNEAU from the south through Gastineau Channel as Douglas Bridge does not have enough clearance for us sailboats to go under and moorage below that is very poor. So at the top end of Stephens Passage and Douglas Island we will go into AUKE BAY where we may anchor tonight and hope to find a spot at the float in the morning and have a day or two in Juneau. We likely will bus in or share a taxi. We are looking forward to hearing from home tomorrow as a new great grand-child is scheduled to arrive. (June 20th) Wish we could have been home for this occasion but we know that "Grandma Cheryl" will be on the scene to support Bishop (and Dalan) and everything will be fine. We can see Auke ahead and just stopped to capture the sight of Mendenhall Glacier and the all round beauty of other high, snowy and icy mountains.
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