Day 27-Auke Bay

Not too much planned today other than the usual tasks when in port.  Shower, shave, laundry, grocery shopping, and boat chores.

Auke Bay doesn’t have much in the way of services for boaters, which is surprising given the consistent flurry of activity at the marinas in town.  Thankfully there is a laundromat in town, so I don’t have to lug my laundry on the bus all the way to Juneau.  While waiting for my laundry to finish this morning I discovered a delicious waffle and coffee restaurant in the same strip mall.  Add in free wifi, and it was a great place to kill a few hours.

On my way back down to the boat I stopped in the harbormasters office to ask where to find silicone sealant to repair the leaking window.  There isn’t any place in Auke Bay to get such things, but the lady gave me a recommendation for a store in Juneau.  Another cruiser overheard the conversation, though, and kindly brought me back to his boat and gave me a tube of silicone sealant from his huge stock of spare parts.  I think the window is now leak free, although rain in the coming days will surely test my repair.

A rare sun break and chance to see the mountains behind Auke Bay

Ben is flying back to Seattle today, and I needed to do grocery shopping which requires a bus ride in the same direction as the airport.  So in the early afternoon Ben and I took the bus to our respective destinations.  For him, the airport, and for me, the local supermarket, a Wal-Mart Supercenter.  While at Wal-Mart I picked up a rubber doormat to keep wet shoes on when entering the cabin (otherwise the carpet never dries) and a miniature, battery operated vacuum to keep things clean.  It should be easier than wiping everything down with paper towels.

Hunky Dory, the one from Pennsylvania, pulled into the marina today.  Dick was picking up his friend who had flown back to Pennsylvania last week for a funeral.  They’re heading down Admiralty Island and then towards the outside of Chichagof.  We may cross paths somewhere in the next three weeks or so.

I’m off to Gustavus tomorrow, and then into Glacier Bay on the 29^th for a week.  My intrepid grandmother (staying in a hotel) and twin brother (staying on the boat) are joining me there next week for a few days.  There probably won’t be many posts on here until the middle of next week.