Prince Rupert to Ketchikan

Alaska Panhandle Maze

Prince Rupert

 

"I'm a goin' fishin',

Yes I'm goin' fishin'

And my baby's going' fishin' too.

You can bet your life,

Your sweet little wife 

is gonna catch more fishies than you."

Taj Mahal

North Pacific Fish Cannery

 Prince Rupert, strangely enough, was named after Count Palatine of the Rhine, a German prince and nephew of King Charles the second of England. What he has to do with a fishing town in Northern BC no one will ever know! Chantey is enjoying a brief respite from the high seas here at the Prince Rupert Yacht and Rowing Club. A cruise ship was in the harbour as we strolled down the recently spiffed up boardwalk along the waterfront. Second mate John is homeward bound tomorrow on the Spirit of the North so we quaffed a pint and some fish n' chippies with our OCC cruise in company at the Breakers Pub. Back to just the two of us, we will be off on our next leg of the journey to Ketchikan. A 5am start as high winds are expected in the strait in the afternoon.
To our great delight we have had a week of glorious sunshine in Alaska! We crossed the border and check in by phone without incident thanks to our new Nexus cards.South Bar Harbour was a hive of activity between the fish boats and float planes. But the scene that awaited us in town was a sight to behold with no less than five cruise ships docked at this small town harbour! The old town is quite cute with the wooden boardwalks and colourful saloons and shops on stilts. Creek Street boasts the only historic red light district on the coast. A boardwalk trail connects the old brothel area to the ubiquitous array of silversmiths, gold jewelry and fur shops, as up to 10,000 tourists a day descend on this once sleepy village. By late afternoon everyone scurries aboard and they're off and the town is once again a peaceful haven of solitude.

Cruise ships in Ketchikan

Ketchikan Yacht Club docks

says it all

Georgie goes for a bus ride!

Creek Street Ketchikan
Described as a tiny 'salt-stained' fishing settlement on an isolated inlet halfway to Wrangell, Meyer's Chuck was an oasis of calm after bustling Ketchikan. The main street is a grassy path lined with rustic cottages and huts decorated with old farm implements and fishing paraphernalia. The dock holds half a dozen mostly fish boats, one of which side swiped us late in the night as he docked, giving us quite a jolt! A few chips off the gel coat but luckily no major damage to report.

Chantey V at Myers Chuck dock

Book nook and DVD exchange

    As dusk settled a happy hour was planned aboard SV Nimue with our OCC friends Michael and Anne, and Steve and Vicky on Tango, and later dinner at a waterfront diner nearby. Next stop...Meyers Creek.

     First light and we edged off the dock on route to Anan Bay and the bear observatory. This is one of the few places you can observe black and brown bears feeding freely on Chum salmon in the falls from behind a sheltered bear blind. 

A half mile boardwalk follows the shoreline to a covered platform where one has a birds eye view of these big teddy bears feasting on salmon. Unfortunately for us we were too early for the salmon run, and no beasts appeared, but we thoroughly enjoyed the forest trail and the stunning vista over Anan Falls. Just to be on the safe side I had my can of WD 40 handy in case wee Georgie was selected for an afternoon appetizer! This is only a day anchorage with sketchy holding so we spent the night at the lovely mountain fiord of Berg Bay nearby.

Close encounters at Anan Falls

Anan lagoon

Anan Falls

Bear aware - WD 40 to the rescue!