Alaska Trip 2025 – Page 6 – Nancy and Rick Unplugged

Blind Channel to Lagoon Cove

June 3,2025 – Tuesday

Thirty minutes of our day were filled with excitement as we approached the entrance to Port Neville. Just as we arrived, more than forty sailboats were making their way out, continuing their journey in the 2025 Van Isle 360 International Yacht Race. This prestigious race, which began on May 31st and will conclude on June 14th, 2025, is a grueling 580-nautical-mile circumnavigation of Vancouver Island. According to their website, the race starts and ends in Nanaimo, with stops in Comox, Campbell River, Telegraph Cove, Port Hardy, Ucluelet, and Victoria. However, due to weather conditions in Johnstone Strait on Tuesday, the fleet made a stopover at Port Neville.

We were quickly immersed in the breathtaking spectacle of the race—awed by the beauty of the boats and the impressive skill of the sailors—while also navigating the challenge of staying clear of their path. With competitors tacking from one side of Johnstone Strait to the other, maneuvering through the water became an exhilarating task. To minimize interference, we chose to hug the mainland side as closely as possible, successfully making it through without incident.

Note: I came across an update on the race’s Facebook page that helps explain why we stayed at Blind Channel Resort for three nights—Johnstone Strait is not a place to challenge when the weather is unfavorable.

Update on competitors – June 3, 2025 (Van Isle 360)

The past three days have seen highly competitive racing, with strong breezes propelling the fleet forward. On Monday, conditions from Deepwater Bay—across from Brown’s Bay Resort—to Kelsey Bay Pier proved especially challenging. Wind against tide created massive standing waves in Race Passage, rivaling the 2015 race’s turbulent waters, when winds sustained at 35 knots for three days straight.

Some competitors opted to sail using only their jibs, while others deployed reefed sail plans. Unfortunately, two boats withdrew from the leg—Maelstrom, skippered by Dan Kaseler from Seattle, exited the race, while Ripple, co-skippered by Christina and Justin Wolfe of Orcas Island, returned to Campbell River to assess damage to its masthead instruments. Shadow II completed the leg and continued to Telegraph Cove for sail repairs. Meanwhile, Sorceress, co-skippered by Andrew and Jim Allan, joined the fleet in Browns Bay after a grueling 20-hour motor from Steveston.

In a planned gesture of camaraderie, the race committee intended to deliver refreshments—including a bottle of Gosling’s Rum, courtesy of a sponsor—to the fleet anchored in Port Neville. However, safety concerns forced them to abandon the effort. A large tug arrived at Kelsey Bay marina with its center window—approximately 15 feet off the deck—completely shattered from a wave crashing over the bow, further emphasizing the severity of the conditions. The refreshments will now be delivered to the competitors in Telegraph Cove.

Blind Channel Resort

Arrived May 31-Depart June 3

After a long and demanding fourteen-hour journey from Comox to Blind Channel Resort, we finally arrived, exhausted but exhilarated. Initially, we had planned to stop in Campbell River, but with no guaranteed moorage for the entire weekend, we opted to continue on rather than risk leaving the security of the marina—especially with a forecast of gale-force winds on Sunday.

To safely navigate Seymour Rapids, we had to pause for a few hours until slack tide, but the wait was well worth it. When we finally reached Blind Channel Resort, we were greeted by breathtaking scenery, its rugged beauty making every mile of the journey worthwhile.

On our way…

Klewnuggit to Coghlan Anchorage

August 5, 2024 – Monday

The beauty and stillness of Klewnuggit Inlet always pull us in and make us want to stay longer, but this morning we continued our trip down Grenville Channel. The calm waters and serene surroundings were hard to leave behind, but the promise of new adventures beckoned us onward.

We took a delightful side trip up Lowe Inlet to see Verney Falls. This stunning waterfall, located at the mouth of the Kumowdah River, is a sight to behold. We have heard that during the salmon run you can see salmon jumping in the falls with seals and black bears trying to catch them.

As we made our way back to Grenville Channel, we were treated to a spectacular show by a group of humpback whales. Although they were some distance away, watching them through our binoculars was a splendid experience. Their grace and beauty were mesmerizing, especially the mother and her young one, who seemed to be enjoying their time in the water as much as we enjoyed watching them.

At the end of Grenville Channel, we entered Wright Sound and visited Hartley Bay. This First Nations boardwalk community is located at the mouth of Douglas Channel and is accessible primarily by boat or seaplane. The village has a medical clinic, Tsimshian Cultural Center, and a fish hatchery, but no stores. Residents rely on the Tsimshian Storm ferry, which is owned by three First Nation communities—Kitkatla, Hartley Bay, and Metlakatla—to travel to Prince Rupert, (90 miles north) for shopping. The ferry service operates twice a week, providing a vital link for the community.

We spent the evening in Coghlan Anchorage with seven other boats, including a Canadian Coast Guard vessel, a schooner, two fishing boats, a beautiful French sailing boat, and a trawler. The anchorage was a peaceful end to a day filled with the wonders of nature and the joy of exploration.

Verney Falls Video

Newark to Fairport, NY

July 24-25, 2017

Rain kept us in Newark most of the morning and we used that time to do laundry and boat chores, by 11:30 it had cleared and we were on our way. Today our passage took us up Lock E29 and Lock E30 – both 16 feet, as we made our way to Fairport. It is said that the next 100 miles of the Erie Canal most closely resembles the original Canal, as a ditch dug through the landscape with a towpath on both sides.

Since we are expecting mail to arrive in Buffalo next week, we are in no hurry to complete the canal. We plan to just meander through the small villages along the way, visit with locals, and take the time to enjoy the Erie Canalway Trail. Fairport, a very popular stop along the canal, is considered to be the Crown Jewel of the Erie Canal. We loved the local library with its emphasis on serving teens and children, the specialty shops, and walking along the Canalway Trail.

We had seen several tourist canal boats and had assumed that they were piloted by qualified captains. Last night, when one docked behind us, we realized that was not the case. The captain seemed to be having trouble docking so Rick went out to provide assistance. It seems that anyone can rent and captain a canal boat after going through a two-hour hands-on lesson.

The lift bridge crossing the canal on Main Street is one of the most unusual bridges in New York State. Completed in 1914, the bridge has an irregular 10-sided design and crosses the Erie Canal at an angle of 32 degrees from southwest to northeast. Every angle of the bridge is unique, and there are no square corners on the bridge floor.

Tonight Rick received an advisory that, due to high water levels and swift current from recent heavy rainfall & runoff, the Erie Canal will be closed from Locks E-24 Baldwinsville to E-29 Palmyra, as will the Cayuga-Seneca Canal from the junction of the Erie Canal to Lock CS-1 Cayuga. That is the area we have just left and although we are not in a hurry, we are happy not to be “locked in.”

Dock Master’s Office: Old Trolly Waiting Shelter

Barbara’s Granite Kitchen Countertop (She lost the coin toss!)

Canajoharie and Little Falls, New York

July 15, 2017 Saturday

From the canal, we see abandoned factories, abandoned/restored houses, beautiful brick/stone churches, and many other interesting structures. Today we took a closer look at Canajoharie and Little Falls. Canajoharie, a population of approximately 4000, is a Mohawk term for ‘boiling pot.’

We parked in the decaying Beech-Nut factory parking lot, after more than 100 years in Little Falls Beech-Nut moved the factory, and we took about a twenty-minute walk to see the “boiling pot.” On our walk, we strolled by the Canajoharie Methodist Church, Canajoharie Town Offices, and the Van Alstyne Homestead. This 18th century stone homestead was typical of the Dutch architecture used in this area and was one of the several local homes fortified against British attacks during the Revolutionary War.

On the way back we walked by the historical West Hill School, a 3 ½ story stone masonry building featuring a stone tower with a belfry that contains the original school bell. The school was constructed on the site of the Canajoharie Academy, the school where, in 1846, Susan B. Anthony taught. The building is currently on sale for $175,000.

We saw many fire hydrants with a 4-foot-long orange-striped stake, apparently, these are needed by firemen so that they can find the hydrants in the snow.

Disappointed that the Arkell Museum was closed we continued up the road to Little Falls. Picturesque Little Falls, population 5000, is located on the slope of a narrow and rocky pass where the river falls 45 feet in less than a mile.

We had a delicious lunch at Ann Street Restaurant & Deli and visited with a number of locals, who loved sharing the town history with us. Unfortunately, we just missed the annual Cheese Festival, where artisan cheese makers and gourmet food producers come to celebrate the historical roots of Little Falls. According to the locals, Little Falls is the historic capital of cheese of the United States.

At one time the Little Falls Aqueduct, built in 1822, flowed through the town but all that is left are the snakes and a pile of rocks.

Little Falls City Hall: Including Fire & Police Departments

Reclaim Factory: Now Apartments on the Mohawk River

Ortega Landing to Silver Glen Springs

May 7-8, 2017 – Sunday & Monday

After provisioning, and purchasing a new dinghy, we were ready to continue our trip on Friday. However, high winds kept us at the marina until Sunday. On Sunday we cruised forty-seven miles to Palatka and tied up at the Palatka City Dock, where we were immediately inundated with midges (blind, nonbiting mosquitos.) Fortunately, the screens kept them out of the boat and cockpit, but only pictures can describe what the outside of our boat looked like.

Palatka, in the 1800’s, was the winter playground for such notables as President Grover Cleveland and industrial giants such as James Mellon. As the citrus and lumber industries thrived and trains and paddleboats brought tourists to the river, Palatka became known as “Gem City on the St. Johns.” Much has changed since those days, the “Great Freezes” of 1895 killed the citrus trade, over cutting killed the lumber business, and today’s tourists prefer destinations further south. Before leaving Palatka we did a morning walk to view the city and many of the murals they have commemorating the golden era of Palatka.

The Georgia Southern and Florida Railroad

From Palatka, the river narrowed and became an array of lakes, creeks, small towns, oxbows, fishermen, fish, and bird life. On almost every navigation marker, we saw ospreys with babies. In some cases, this made reading the marker difficult, the locals just refer to it as “Osprey Architecture.”

We had planned on spending Monday night in Georgetown, but they were also having a midge hatching and recommended that, if we wanted to be rid of midges, we continue to Silver Glen Springs, apparently the midges do not like the springs.

The entrance to Silver Glen Springs is a half-mile long, narrow creek that is currently, due to the lack of rain, very shallow. If our boat didn’t have a less than a two and a half foot draft, we would not have been able to enter. Our depth gauge, due to the amount of grass under our keel, gave a false reading of -0.9 all the way in, my stomach was in knots and I was so thankful that we did not hit bottom.

After anchoring, we spent the next three hours cleaning up our midge problem. We had thousands of them on the boat and the green gunk they left was amazingly difficult to remove. Once we had the boat taken care of we were able to enjoy the amazing “Glen,” as the locals call it, crystal clear water, steaming with mullet, tilapia, black bass, striped bass and a variety of panfish. We went for a swim in the crystal clear water, watched an eagle land in a tree next to us, had a glass of wine, and watched the moonrise.