What a beautiful day!
I woke up to perfect blue skies and calm winds. After filling up the water tank, grabbing a
few groceries, and buying a bit of gas, I was heading out of Petersburg around
10 AM.
Thomas Bay is only about 15 nm away from Petersburg, but it
is a world apart. Baird Glacier sweeps
from the peaks nearly to the bay and a beautiful, sandy beach stands at the
entrance, protecting the bay from the sometimes-turbulent waters of Frederick
Sound.
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| Frederick Sound couldn't have been nicer today |
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| More of Frederick Sound |
I first anchored just inside the entrance, in a small nook
with just enough space for a single small boat.
Some small waves made their way in, making it a bit rolly for an
overnight spot, but since I was just rowing to shore and hanging out on the
beach, it didn’t matter. With
temperatures in the 70’s and beautiful scenery, I walked barefoot (can’t do
that much in Alaska!) along the beach.
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| Sandy beach...at least at low tide |
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| There's still a bit of sand at high tide it looks like |
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| Temporary anchorage |
After an hour or so I set off to find a better overnight
spot. The Douglass guide suggested a
spot on the south end of Ruth Island, so I headed in that direction. The east side of Ruth Island is shallow, but
no problem for a C-Dory. On a 4 foot
tide I had 7 or 8 feet below me the whole time.
Ruth Island Anchorage was okay. The views of the mountains from outside the
anchorage were better, but there wasn’t any evidence of human activity from
inside the anchorage and it was well protected.
A lagoon at the head of the cove was fun to explore by kayak. The downside of anchorages recommended in the
Douglass guide is that every cruiser knows about them, and they are generally
more crowded as a result. Certainly true
here; there were three other boats around.
The afternoon was spent lounging in the sun, kayaking, and
reading and then an early night to make up for lost sleep in Petersburg.
No real plans for tomorrow.
I’ll wake up and see what I want to do, which is kind of nice for a
change!
19.9 nm today and 2,053.3 total
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