Alaska is a land of contrasts: one moment you can be pounded with bullet size rain drops, the next moment the clouds lift and the sun reveals glorious landscapes with snow capped mountains gleaming in the sun. There can be a whisper of a breeze then a gust of wind can blow 25 knots with swells hitting you broadside causing your stowed belongings to be regurgitated from their places and you are once again at the mercy of the elements.
An anchorage can lure you in, promising safe harbor. You rely on sophisticated navigation equipment to guide you through rock strewn narrow passages and you find your hiding place for the night. Just as you have a sense of safety while exiting on the very same path you entered on, a horrifying grinding sound seizes the boat threatening to devour her keel. You are jolted back to a sailing ship of the 1700's when linesmen would "Heave the Lead" meaning dropping a line off the bow marked with led balls placed in increments to measure the depth and when it was shallow it was too late ! Such a thing happened to us in Foggy Bay. An uncharted rock bit the keel on the very same path we had traveled before reminding us the safety we felt was only an illusion and at the whim of what lies beneath.
There are times you must return to land and in that transition you can be ripped from the ground on which you stand and pulled into the swift current by the line you have in your hand. It is as if the ocean decides if it is time for you to be released from your origins and you must struggle between life and death to obey. It is the price one pays to venture out in this watery world. A world that humans need so much to survive in. A hostel world that is so intriguing and inviting and full of beauty that we are willing to live on the edge of danger to be part of again. We came from the ocean and for some, we must return.
M. Aubert
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| When the swells of Dixon Entrance hit us broadside for a part of the journey, cupboard doors would fly open and things flew out as if being ejected like a cannon. |
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| The refrigerator looks like a washing machine! |
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| We were relieved when we turned into Foggy Bay. We had been pounded by wind and swell since we left Prince Rupert. |
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| The entrance in the back is a "Rock Pile"and narrow. |
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| We came very close to the shore avoiding the rocks in the passage.. |
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| Louie went forward to launch the anchor. |
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| This is what an Angel looks like underwater. Once in Ketchikan we called Diver Greg to analyze the size of the bite taken out of the keel. After examining our fear, he popped out of the water and said: "This boat is built like a tank! It did just what a boat should do under the circumstances. It went up and over whatever it was! It knocked the paint off the bottom of the keel but. . . . "NO HARM DONE !" Diver: $150.00 Peace of Mind: $$ PRICELESS $$ |
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