Our trip began at Lopez in April. We arrived in Foggy Bay, Alaska on May 18th. Along the way north we came up the inside of the outside - Laredo Channel, Principe, and Ogden. The highlights on the way up were hanging out in Alert Bay with Three Cheers and Morning Star, Onna River, and seeing our friends in Hunts Inlet., Porcher Island. The scary bits were a squall just outside of Booker Lagoon we were able to duck and hide from. After a smooth beautiful ride around Cape Caution we got caught by some ebbing slop on the east side of Calvert Island. Hakai passage treated us in the usual rough fashion with whipping waves and high winds. Laredo Channel out of the comfort of Meyers Passage started smooth with orca and slapped us hard just before we could race into Racy Inlet. There was the rock surprise, NOT on the chart, in Emily Carr Inlet. We stick mostly to the inside passages but were reminded of the powerful swell of the ocean in Milbanke Sound, Seaforth Channel, The Dixon Entrance, and the Gulf of Alaska. To stand on the deck and watch the boat rise high and slow up, up, up and then down so that all you see is water all around you is ominous. The full ocean experience truly makes one feel very insignificant.

The goal this year was to explore and take slow the west coast of POW [Prince of Wales Island]. The El Capitan Caves and totem poles of the native villages are the highlight. Along the way we made many new friends in Thorne Bay, New Tokeen, Edna Bay, Sarkar, Naukati, Craig, Klawock, and Hydaburg. We got to see HAM radio friends on Albatross and Counting Coup.

Added bonus was lots of whales, bears, deer and other animals. Everyone seemed to be swimming from here to there. We love the song of the thrush, the screech of eagles, the soft coo of an owl, and gravel grind of king fishers. The west coast of Dall Island is as remote as you can get. SO many blessings of nature, seafood, and the artistry of man came to us in abundance.