It's Happening!

It's on. It's happening, the string of tickets is now complete to get us from Hobart to Reykjavik and back. 

And A Wild Time Was Had By All Part I.

As soon as I saw that Fi was running a trip around Maria in November Lynne and I were in, she even planned to have the wind follow us all the way around. How could we not take up an offer of easy downwind paddling, good company and the magnificent Maria Island. 

During the week before the trip there were an ever increasing number of emails zipping backward and forward between the ever dwindling number of paddlers interested in the trip. The forecast was for wind, lots of it and it was putting people off. A circumnavigation seemed unlikely but so too did the crossing of Mercury Passage on Saturday morning. 

Despite the forecast of 25+knots increasing as the day went on, six paddlers arrived on the beach at Rheban all peering hopefully out to sea to determine whether the conditions were ok. They were! 

The philosophy of having an optimistic view of the forecast and turning up on the beach to check it out in real time rather than just believing the forecast and turning over and going back to sleep paid off - again. 

In addition to Fi's plans of a tailwind all the way around the island, she had hatched other entertainment, which I thought particularly unfair as she has more hair than all the other paddlers on the trip put together!

The kayaks were barely afloat and with all sails up we zipped easily across Mercury Passage with the promised tailwind.

After pootling along the coast south from Return Point we turned into Shoal Bay for lunch at Encampment Cove. With perfect timing just as we were changing out of wet kayaking gear a Maria Island Walks group arrived at the same spot for the same reason. I'm still pondering whether the sight of half a dozen semi naked kayakers added or detracted from their lunch or even their holiday of a lifetime.

We all agreed it would be nice to camp a few kilometers away on neck between North and South Maria so we had plenty of time not only for lunch but a nice long walk over to the convict ruins and around the coast of Point Lesueur.

With perfect timing again, just we were all in a state of semi undress putting on our wet gear a family arrived on their bikes to watch.

By this time the wind had really picked up so it was a very fast sail over the neck.....

....where all present were initiated into the Mallaig Sea Kayak club's tradition of a wee dram before the drudgery of carrying gear and boats up the beach.

The tradition was met with hearty approval by all members of the expedition and yes I know, I must get a proper hip flask.

Sunday dawned and so did 40+knots of wind, it was obvious that we were not going anywhere on the water today. Not daunted, but for the seas around us which seemed to have turned white and very lumpy, we set off to walk to Haunted Cove.

Looking SSW towards Vischer Island and The Forestier Peninsular.

Monday's forecast was still quite windy but dropping, which gave us the opportunity to continue with the original circumnavigation plans, after all why waste the day heading straight back to Rheban it's not as if anyone had to go to work or anything.

Launching into Reidle Bay through the small surf went smoothly, mostly, then the sails went up and we shot at increasing speed across the bay, bows pointing straight at Little Raggedy Head. The SW wind then followed us around the impressive granite cliffs and boulders of the south east coast to past Mistaken Cape, all in glorious sunshine. The seas were big and bouncy, today's sea, the swell from yesterday and all the rebound from the cliffs creating messy uncomfortable conditions for a few kilometres.

Once around Mistaken Cape the sea was mirror calm and very summery all of sudden in the hot sun. Bishop and Clarke looms large over this interesting piece of coastline where the granite suddenly gives way to dolerite and above both is a layer of sandstone. There are also many sea caves and hollows in the cliffs, beaten out by the North Easterly seas and swells. We cruised along chatting and exploring until the need for lunch and a rest at Darlington upped the pace a bit.

After all the indecision about the weather in the week leading up to the trip, our day around North Maria continued perfectly in the afternoon with a gentle South Easterly breeze whisking us back across Mercury Passage to Rheban and the very last of the whisky.

What a brilliant (long) weekend, thanks to Fi for arranging the weather and everyone else for the great company.

Homer to Seward

Arriving in Homer, we wheeled the kayak a few hundred metres to the campsite below.

It was an expensive campsite for a patch of gravel but handy for our departure the next day even at low tide. 

The bush and trees behind the beaches were often too thick and uneven to pitch a tent so many nights were spend on the level areas of beach above the high tide mark. 

One of the very few days we were blown off the water, the wind didn't drop so we ended up camping here. 

Using the extension antenna for the VHF handheld, this enabled us to receive the weather broadcasts in areas with poor reception. 

Lunch spot looking back at the Chugach Islands. The day had started overcast and cold but cleared slowly through the morning to hot sun and clear skies. 

Just some of the 2000x50x20metre high pile of driftwood at Isthmus Beach, Gore Point, Kenai Fjords. Enough timber to keep Hobart warm for a winter or two!

Baby sea otters cannot dive so they are left bobbing about on the surface while their Mothers are feeding. 

The black patch on the snow drift in the far left of the picture is a Black Bear. It was a hot day so what does a hot bear do? Roll around on a snow patch.

Our first 'iceberg', well bergy bit. 

Tough paddling conditions in Northwestern Fjord, Kenai Fjord National Park. 

Approaching the tidewater glaciers at the head of Northwestern Fjord.

This tidewater face is slightly left of centre in the picture above, the tourist boat gives you some idea of the scale.

Thick ice and hot sun. 

Leaving our campsite at the head of Northwestern Fjord. The surging waves from ice falling from the glaciers had washed all these bergy bits up on the beach blocking our exit. Lynne is pushing them out of the way.

In the more popular areas of the Kenai Fjord National Park the campsites were equipped with bear proof food lockers making food storage so much easier as we didn't have to fiddle about hanging it all up in a tree. 

'Mt Perry' Perry Is, Prince William Sound.

Sitka to Juneau

Packing a couple of weeks food the morning we left Sitka.

We had a great sail north from Sitka as the rain became heavier. Sheltering in bushes at lunchtime at the mouth of Neva Strait.

It was still pouring with rain at the end of day so this Forestry Service Emergency Shelter was a wonderful find. 

Someone had fixed a big tarp across the open wall making it very cosy inside. 

It didn't take long to get the billy on and make ourselves at home. Thanks to Louisa for crocheting the warmest hats in the world. 

We had the stove glowing red in no time at all. 

The next day along the Khaz Peninsular was the wildest of the whole trip, the swell and wind were up and provided a bit of excitement getting in behind Klokachef Island for some shelter.

In the shelter of Klokachef Island we met the first kayakers of the trip. The fella in the green jacket who came down to meet us when we landed was from Darwin. They were paddling from Sitka to Juneau too but having a day off due to the weather. 

Humpback whale a boat length ahead of us. 

Every day we saw dozens and dozens of sea otters. They were very wary though so it was hard to get close enough to get a decent picture. 

White Sulphur Hot Springs. Lynne in the tub rinsing all her kayaking gear.

Fantastic newly built cabin for the hot springs.

An outside hot pool too. 

Lisianski Strait. Repairing our mast steps in the hot sun. The resin was going off too quickly.



Wet mornings we got up and put our drysuits on straight away, dry, warm and cosy for breakfast.

Cross Sound the next day, it was hard to believe we had been baking in the sun the day before. 

A quick cuppa having stopped to put on another layer of thermals under my drysuit. It was a cold wet day, all day. 

Icy Strait campsite near Point Adolphus. We sat under the tarp through the evening as whales, dolphins, otters and seals paraded past only a few hundred meters offshore. 

The evening light looking across Icy Strait towards Glacier Bay.

Stellar Sea Lions hanging out in Saginaw Channel near Point Retreat on the day we reached Auke Bay, Juneau.

Another wet lunch stop, it wasn't all blue skies and sun.

Paddling into the Auke Bay ferry terminal for our ferry to Homer.