Wonderful old boats

There is always something new to discover about boats.

While driving through Fisherman's Terminal parking lot I spotted these very interesting old boats. A passerby told me that they had been salvaged. What stories these boats could tell!

Visiting a friend on her tugboat I noticed this very interesting little boat. I was told it was a bridge boat. These boats would be used to create a bridge that would float, built by linking boats with the first and last being anchored to the shores. The "house" portion on this boat would have been built later.

4 Gals on a Boat
Summer 2010 would prove to be a very memorable one. On July 6 I flew to Juneau, Alaska to join Andrea on Schocking, her 45’ well appointed WestBay cruiser. Two other gals would make our 4. Becky had been on the boat with Andrea since it left its homeport of Seattle at the end of May. Andrea participated in the 2020 Alaska - 1000 Cruise, a predicted log race. I met up with Rozlynne at the Seattle airport and we became acquainted on the flight to Juneau. Becky I would meet when we got to Juneau. Other friends of Andrea had joined Andrea along the way and spent different “legs” of the trip with her. My leg would be Juneau up Lynn Canal to Skagway, the furthest Northern point of the Inner Passage of Alaska, on to the Villages of Haines and Hoonah and ending with Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. The one thousand miles of protected, scenic waterways from Olympia, Washington to Skagway, Alaska make up the “Inside Passage” and are considered the best cruising waters in the world. I found out why!!
Not only was I cruising the best waters in the world but I was also learning vast information about boating. My husband, Jim, and I purchased Priority, our 40’ Transworld aft cabin cruiser in the Fall of 2009, deciding to leave our life on land and move aboard surprising a lot of friends as we had no prior boating experience. We set about learning everything we needed to know. Between terrific classes offered by the Seattle Power and Sail Squadron, reading many books and spending weekends learning about Priority’s systems we made great progress with our boating knowledge and along the way made some wonderful new friends. We met Andrea in the classes and Andrea, a skilled Boat Upholsterer and Canvas Maker, transformed our boat’s galley and salon settee. With Andrea’s invitation to join her on her boat in Alaska came the opportunity to gain “hands on” experience on a trip to a destination few boaters experience. Days were filled with first experiences and jam packed with learning opportunities in every aspect of boating.
There were unanticipated delightful opportunities. I could not begin to write about them all. I learned how to “set a crab pot”. We were not successful but buying Dungeness Crabs, that had been living in the waters just hours before, off a fishing boat made up for the disappointment of not catching our own. I had never been on a Fishing Charter trip, catching Dolly Varden and Salmon and cooking them for dinner made a new fish lover out of me. Four women bringing their collective cooking experiences together to produce exceptional meals while looking out at the scenery from the boat salon is a hard dining experience to beat. I have never had a finer meal at any restaurant. Oh, I can not forget. Oh, how could I ever forget learning to play Mexican Train, a domino game.
I got to know 3 amazing, intelligent, beautiful, successful, fun women. I am so glad our lives crossed in this way. We got to laugh and discuss major life issues, maybe even solved a couple of lifes conumdrums ( I love that word, been looking for a place to use it). Well, maybe we didn’t solve any major life issues but we sure have a lot of opinions. Reaching mid life for women does that, gives women a lot of opinions that is. And it gives women a lot of history to go back and mull over. Our conversations brought back memories….most good ones, that I had not thought about for years. It was fun!
I read somewhere that “Leave your life for a day, a week, a month. It will be there when you get back.” I loved getting away but now as I write this onboard my flight from Juneau back to Seattle, I am anxious to get back to my life. Have you seen the Utube piece where the little girl is standing in front of the mirror saying “I like my….and goes on and on, swaying back and forth, listing the things she likes? It is delightful! Would love to know how to find it again if anyone knows. That is how I feel. I like my life!
I am looking out the window as the plane prepares to leave. I look over at small airplanes lined up in their spots. Looks like a parking lot. Juneau has no roads connecting it to other cities. When the plane takes off I see why. The high insurmountable mountains rise behind the flat spaces that the city of Juneau occupies with the waters of The Inner Passage on the other side. I see Mendenhall Glacier, the first glacier I had ever seen. The clouds block my view. Goodbye Alaska!

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink....

Luckily that saying does not hold true on The Schocking. With its Water Maker we never go with water. This admired equipment on a boat, maybe even coveted by some, takes in the seawater and after purifying it through many filters it is stored as fresh, safe drinking water as well as the source for water for the most delightful hot showers, taken while looking out the porthole at the view!!

ON THE GRID

Early on we noticed on the map, near the Harbor in Hoonah it was noted “on the grid”. We finally figured it out when we came across this very interesting and simple way to haul out a boat. The grid was a series of I beams almost at high tide. To haul out a boat the Captain waits at high tide positioning his boat over “the grid” and as the waters recede with the tide the boat is left “on the grid”, haul out accomplished. We talked to one boat owner, working quickly painting the bottom of his boat, hoping to finish his task before the tide changed and the boat would again be floating on the water.

A Most Unique Fueling Dock

A very unusual fueling dock at Hoonah provided the most amusing fueling experience one could ever expect to happen. Fueling up a boat is one of those maintenance necessities that must be completed but never would it be said to be a fun time in boating. Diesel fuel by its very properties does not have a pleasant odor and you hope that it does not end up on your hands or clothing.
There can be a wait, like we experienced today, of a couple of boats in front of you. As we watched the boat before us complete his fueling operation we see a bucket being lowered the approximate 50 feet from the top to the bottom. That’s when we realized that the attendant was at the top and we would be at the bottom. We pulled up readied for fueling and he lowered the very long hose. To fuel both tanks, Andrea merely opens the windows on the boat and passes the hose through the cabin. The sight of this brought howls of laughter and we continued to chuckle as the hose went back up to the top and the bucket for payment came back down. Beside the bucket we noticed an old barnacle encrusted ladder going up the 50 feet distance to the top. The thought of climbing that ladder to run in for a candy bar, a bag of chips or a drink, something you would easily consider doing when stopping to gas up, brought more chuckles from the 4 Gals on a Boat.
Today we needed to pump 190 gallons of fuel into the tanks. (For a fun math problem the price of the diesel fuel was $3.39 a gallon) The Shocking holds 450 gallons of fuel. (another fun math problem).
Send money to the attention of the USCG designated MARSEC Fuel Facility, they are holding us ransom until we can pay!!

Swab the deck Matey! or A woman's work is never done!

Life on the boat for the 4 Gals is not all eating fresh crab and salmon out of the sea, basking in the sun on the upper fly bridge, enjoying morning coffee while taking in the scenery, there is work to be done. Least I leave you with the impression that this is a luxury cruise (actually it is so much better but for the purpose of this piece) it is a working boat. Maintaining a boat takes knowledge and a vigilance to the systems to keep everything working, so we can keep moving. I have come to admire Andrea’s ever present attention to the details and knowledge required of a boat to keep the engines and systems working but also to keep all aboard The Shocking safe.

Wednesday, July 21
It’s a Beautiful morning.
I awake at 5:00 AM. I know my stay in Alaska will shortly come to an end and I want to soak in this wonderful magical place. The boat anchored near us is Tiger Lily. I almost expect Captain Hook to come out of the morning fog into sight in Neverland. Bringing my hot tea up to the pilothouse for a better vantage point, I look out at the still waters white in some areas reflecting the fog and dark green in other areas as the tall mountains with their forests of pines are reflected. I spot a movement in the water and I am rewarded with the sight of 2 Harbor Porpoises announcing themselves by offering a brief glimpse of their small triangular dorsal fin cutting slowly through the water’s surface when they come up to catch a breath.

Tuesday, July 20
Cruising Glacier Bay

I have now been on the boat for 2 marvelous weeks.

Having decided that no one, upon awakening in the morning, is jumping out of bed ready to bake we decide to bake while cruising to our next anchorage cove. We are retracing our route so know we can enjoy the scenery again but will not miss new sights. An apple pie, gluten free muffins and sourdough blueberry muffins are our baked treats selected. Prior to my introduction to boating I would never have thought it possible to accomplish baking while underway. Andrea and Rozlynne take on the duties of Captain and Navigator while Becky and I go to the galley.
Becky decides that we will enjoy Brie in Brioche on the boat as an appetizer. Completing the days menu decisions we select Orzo Risotto with Chicken Thighs and chocolate brownie pudding for dessert for our evening meal.
Back in Skagway we decided to rent a car and found out that the rental company was named Sourdough. We remember the significance of sourdough during the Kondike Gold Rush and Andrea remembers it vividly as a part of her childhood growing up on Douglas Island, part of Juneau, Alaska. Becky bought a sourdough starter packet and cookbook “Simply Sourdough: The Alaska Way” in Skagway. The treasured starters were passed from person to person and sometimes even from one generation to the next. The sourdough provided the primary method of leavening bread. Sourdough works when its yeast gives off carbon dioxide, creating tiny bubbles in the dough causing it to rise. The yeast feeds on the sugar in the dough and converts it to lactic acid, the source of the sour flavor. The cookbook is filled with tempting recipes, among them Sourdough pancakes, sourdough blintzes, sourdough scones, sourdough focaccia bread, sourdough carrot cake just to name a few of the recipes that had us salivating. We are only limited by the number of eggs and the butter we have onboard. A challenge I am sure we can overcome with our creativity!
The apple pie baking in the galley kitchen begins to fill the boat with its mouth watering aroma. Lunch of apple pie is sounding real good!!!
Becky makes a trip to the Reading Room taking along the “San Juan Classic Cookbook“. She returns to the galley adding Gingered Carrot Salad. Noted on the recipe is “the ginger adds a surprising flavor to this tasty year round salad”. Becky says “I just did not want anything to spoil!” Oh, how I wish she needed to spend more time in the Reading Room! On another visit, Becky emerges from below (remember we are on a boat) and announces the multigrain garlic bread form the other evening are now going to become croutons. We envision these on top of French Onion soup for a future meal.
We stop to enjoy the scenery of Skag Cove. A quiet small cove but deep waters, the depth finder says 210 feet. I am reminded of a description in a travel book that said Glacier Bay scenery is so hopelessly beyond description. I have long ago run out of superlatives, a thesaurus would come in handy. The air has a cold crisp smell! The pines along the shore as well as the towering granite cliffs above are reflected in the beautiful green waters below.
Back to the last recipe of the day, blueberry muffins using the sourdough starter for the first time. I would love to be able to use the wild blueberries that can be found along the trails in Barrett Cove but we will have to use the frozen blueberries in our freezer.

Sourdough Blueberry Muffins
1 cup sourdough starter
½ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup water
1 egg
½ cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (see note)
In a large bowl, stir together starter, oil, water, egg and brown sugar. Sift in flour, salt and baking soda: stir until combined - do not over mix. Gently fold in blueberries. Spoon batter into greased or paper-lined muffin tins, filling cups 22/3 full. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Makes about 12 large.
Note: If using froze berries, do not thaw before folding in

We finish in the kitchen just as we come to Marble Island and the spectacle of the Stellar Sea Lions before us. Their deep gutteral sounds could be heard as we watched them plop in the water, climb out again, and go to sleep on the rock. We spot a humpback whale spouting and can hear his sounds as if in a duet with the Stellar Sea Lions.
Continuing on we approach Sturgis Island and Puffin Island getting closer to our anchorage spot for the evening at North Sandy Cove. We are looking forward to taking the dinghy down again to explore this new area. Andrea and I sit on the upper fly bridge in awe of the vast wilderness around us, thinking that we will probably never again be in such a large unspoiled natural environment. We silently observe around us.
We come to our evening anchorage in North Sandy Cove. One other boat is already anchored, the Tiger Lily. As we come around the bend into this quiet moorage spot we see an area between the two islands that open up to frame more of the wonderful scenery of Glacial Bay. It is so quiet we feel like we have to whisper. We will enjoy the dinner we have planned. Yummy!!