Prince Rupert to Foggy Bay

We set out early for a long trip from Prince Rupert to Foggy Bay. Things got off to an easy start, but sadly, that all changed very soon. Chef and I were really caught off guard when the seas turned very rough very quickly. The swells were estimated to be five feet. The tough part was not the big up and down waves, but the waves that would hit from the side of the boat rolling us back and forth.

Our boat wasn’t ready for the swells, and we didn’t have things secured. Chef was encouraged to lie down and she glued herself to the couch. I was feeling okay, so when the entire contents of the galley (the kitchen) went flying, I jumped in to help clean up and stow stuff away. I think that is what did me in. Not long after that, I was sitting on the steps, trying to watch the horizon and feeling my body getting sicker and sicker. I grabbed a bowl and ran up the stairs to the flybridge so that I wouldn’t have to get sick in front of everyone.

Just after we’d set off, I’d taken some ginger pills with a glass of water. That was the only thing I had in my stomach, and I’m glad, because later that was all that was sloshing around in my little puke bucket. Chef was also pretty green, but managed to keep her pills down. At one point she even managed to fall asleep in the really rough seas. Her sleep ended when a heavy brass lamp fell over and landed on her head. She had a bump the size of an egg on her noggin.

The First Mate has a sailor’s constitution, so she was tending to us. Eventually, the seas grew a bit calmer and the First Mate encouraged us to lie down and sleep. That was the best thing I could have heard. I was feeling so horrible and tired. It only took me a few minutes to fall asleep, and I stayed that way until we arrived at our anchorage.

The anchorage was small and very cute. It felt a little less hospitable than the other places we had been. As if entering into Alaska had made the land a little more rugged. We set our clocks back an hour to Alaskan time and contacted customs to let them know that we had arrived in American Waters.

Chef was scheduled to lead a cooking class that day, but no one was in the mood after the rough crossing. We postponed. The fleet was so quiet that day. Normally, there is a great deal of chatter, and people from one boat will visit another boat. Usually, you’ll find a dinghy or kayak in the water. On this day, all was quiet.

At one point Buck and I set out in the dinghy to deliver gifts to each of the boats. That has become one of my favorite parts of the trip. It is so nice to get to see each person and get a quick check in on their day and their spirits.

Chef had been given dingy driving lessons recently. So that night, we agreed to take the dog to shore in the dinghy. We had a hard time starting the dinghy up, but the Captain came out and got it started. We cruised the short distance to the shore, being sure to pull up the engine in the shallows so that the propeller wouldn’t hit the rocks. We landed gracefully and managed to get to shore without getting wet. We walked the dog which was unwilling to perform. We didn’t wander too far for fear of bears and the signs indicating “Trap Line”, meaning there were live animal traps nearby. Finally, we decided that the dog was done and we loaded her back in the dingy to return to the boat. We tried to start the engine, but it wouldn’t turn over. We repeated carefully the steps as outlined by Captain, but no luck. Finally, we had to call on the radio for help. We were so embarrassed because the entire fleet could hear our plight. We were saved by Larry who (much to our embarrassment) had to tow us back to the boat. It turns out it was a battery rather than an operator issue. But we figure that is the last time we’ll be driving a dinghy.

That night was an early night. Everyone was tired and all the lights were out on the boats very early. A few of the staff members got together and we watched “A Fish Called Wanda” in Sanctuary’s very comfortable salon. As usual, we shared some great laughs before heading off to bed.