June 10, 2013 - Etolin Island to Snow Passage to Summer Strait to Wrangle Narrows to Petersburg! 26 Nautical Miles

Our weather window has been fantastic!  All the way through Snow Passage and Summer Strait it was beautiful.  Once we turned into Wrangle Narrows we encountered two Humpback Whales feeding along the edges of the channel.  Daniel videoed them breaching and slapping their huge fins.

Our engine stalled and we immediately switched fuel tanks. Apparently our diesel had some water or debris in it.

This shot of Wrangle Narrows was taken from the air.  The passage is 22 miles long and has 65 markers for the many hazards and narrow points.  The town of Petersburg lies at it's northern end at Frederick Sound.

Boats of all sizes pass through.  Cruise ships are too large so they must use the "Outside Waters" for safe passage.

  

As Daniel navigates the complicated waterway, we notice an Alaskan State Ferry approaching from the stern.

He calls on the VHF Radio and confirms that he will pass us on our starboard .

We go to Port as far as we can and he passes without incident.  The called us on the VHF and thanks us.

We head into his wake!

We have a very difficult time docking fighting the extreme current coming off of Wrangle Narrows into the Petersburg Harbor.  Daniel jumped on the dock and attempted to pull the boat closer to the dock when the current caught the keel and he went in the icy water.  He immediately grabbed the dock and was able to make sling out of the line he had in his hand.  Lou maneuvered the boat carefully as not to come close to the dock possibly hitting Daniel.  Three people on the dock came to Daniel's aid and along with the sling he made it safely on the dock.

This very nice Norwegian Man helped Daniel and said with a bit of an accent:"Oh we all have to fall in the water sometime, I have been in many times!"  Petersburg is primarily a Norwegian community.

This Baranof Island Hefeweizen tasted really good !

We saw this wounded adolescent Bald Eagle.  Looks like a broken wing.  We told two local men and they said they would call someone to help.

This is where Wrangle Narrows empties into Frederick Sound. Petersburg is located at this junction.

The "Devil's Thumb" looms in the distance. Elevation: 9,077 ft