Deception Point Cove to Petersburg

  • ROUTE: Wrangell Narrows to North Harbor Marina, Petersburg
  • MOORAGE: North Harbor Marina – Slip 114

In order to catch the flood tide on our way north we needed to leave our cozy little cove by 7:15 this morning. If we would have left from Wrangell we would have needed to leave before daybreak.

Following are just a few of the charts we will be using to navigate the Wrangell Narrows. The narrows are sometimes call Christmas Tree Lane. If you imagine over 60 red and green navigational lights shining for 21 nautical miles in the dark then you’ll understand why.

Daybreak at Deception Point Cove
Small Cruise Ship

A small cruise ship glides across the entrance to Deception Pass Cove. Undoubtedly, it will reach Petersburg before we do. While small cruise ships can dock there, larger ones typically avoid it due to the harbor’s shallow depth.

Deer crossing in front of us in Deception Pass Cove
Seagulls Riding a Log

Seagulls often enjoy hitching rides on floating logs. However, this particular log must be a letdown—it’s anchored to the cove’s bottom and serves as a mooring point for tugs and their barges. They will not be going far.

Eagles love the navigational markers.

The clouds are low today leaving us little opportunity to see how tall the mountains are.

We were surprised by the extent of development along the Wrangell Narrows. While most of it consists of private homes, at one bend in the narrows, we spotted two fishing lodges on the west side and another on the east side. Clearly, this area is a fishing mecca.

The clouds are lifting.

We had experienced a tranquil day on the narrows, with only small fishing boats in motion. As we continued toward Petersburg, we noticed a barge and tow about two miles behind us.. When it approached within a quarter of a mile, we slowed down further. We wanted it to pass before we entered a much narrower body of water. This turned out not to be necessary. As the barge passed, it turned sharply in front of us to enter a loading/unloading dock that we did not realize was there. We continued at our lower speed, observing the activity at the loading docks. We found it to be absolutely fascinating.

Barge and Tow

Wrangell Narrows was subdued today. Small fishing vessels and the barge and tugboat were the only vessels that passed us today.

Crab Fishing
Range Markers

Range markers consist of pairs of navigation marks, often with non-blinking lights. When you’re in the middle of a channel, these two markers (or lights) align vertically. They guide vessels on a recommended safe course. These are especially important for larger vessels.

By 2:00 pm we were safely tied to slip 114 in the North Harbor Marina.