Nomad Willy
Guru
*** We needed to take our car over to have body work done so Chris took it over on the ferry and I took the boat over the day before.
**** I left when it was still dark ( probably shouldn't have ) and I bumped into a number of ice chunks and a big slush patch.*Caught the tide and some light at the turn in the*bay, left the ice behiend and had smooth going to the entrance. To be out in the Straight, about 6mi wide, in the middle of the winter*is almost a religeous experience .. beautiful. Soon there was a wonderful*and well developed pink sunrise to the SE. After rounding Point Tolstoi I could see over 100 miles of Clarence Strait. I wasn't insensitive to the beauty before me as I didn't get religious knowing the weather rpt was for 10-15mph in the AM and 25-30 w*snow/rain showers in the afternoon. I went down the center of the Strait so as to maximize my options. Frequently in this area the wind turns SW in the afternoon and on the east side of the channel there is a point of land ( Caamano Pt ) that has nasty rips. In only 10 mi the wind and seas started to build. It was a slow process but I could see in the distance that the*horizon was dark and not smooth. The wind stayed SE so I started to*favor the east shore. I was never threatened or emotionally uncomfortable but I was more comfortable standing,*spread eagle with my knees slightly bent ( no the Willy dos'nt pound ) working the salon floor with the rolling boat. A fish boat passed*me going the other way with her*poles out and her paravanes down* .. looked like he could have been reading a book. The seas were at 4' w 25 knot wind and soon I was off*Caamano Pt in 5' & 30k. Went through the rips rolling to almost 45 degrees but it didn't take long and soon I was in 3-4' and 20-25k all the way to Gaurd Is at the entrance to Tongass Narrows. I relaxed for a brief peroid and then the snow started. Light at first*but soon the wind went back up and the snow went wet and heavy. The Willy has Lexan windows and no wipers.*Almost instantly I could see nothing fwd, a bit to port and fairly good to stbd. There were no " under way " blips on my radar and I snaked along*by the airport and the narrowest part of the channel. By this time I was reaching out the stbd*side window wiping the snow w a sqeegie like the ones in gas stations as it*plugged the window every*minute or so. Couldn't see Ketchikan as I headed tward a bouy NW of Pennock Is. Went to the Is from the bouy mostly on GPS. Had lots of trouble with the port of Ketchikan on the radio and cell phone. Had to tie up three*times in the driving snow ( still blowing 25 ) and keep from sliping on the snow while dealing with the icy*mooring lines. Went to bed with the Wabasto humming and slept about 12hrs. It warmed up a bit the next day and Chris came w the car .. great. That night in Thomas Basin it blew 51knots ( almost 60 mph ) and boats were banging around on thier mooring lines like they were going to rip*the lines off and go with the wind. None did that I saw but over at Metlakatla the Alaska Ferry Lituya was riped from her moorings, went adrift and aground on a small*island. Has been refloated and is in Ketchikan for drydock. We had a great time the rest of our stay. We hung out in the best coffee houses and resturants, shopped a lot and sat around on the boat reading ect. The trip home ahead of the next gale was benign except hitting that log* .. about 1'dia and 12' long. We think there is a bit more vibration so need to go on the grid. Well* .. that wasn't so bad, and fun too.
Eric Henning
Willard 30 Nomad
Thorne Bay Alaska
*
***
**** I left when it was still dark ( probably shouldn't have ) and I bumped into a number of ice chunks and a big slush patch.*Caught the tide and some light at the turn in the*bay, left the ice behiend and had smooth going to the entrance. To be out in the Straight, about 6mi wide, in the middle of the winter*is almost a religeous experience .. beautiful. Soon there was a wonderful*and well developed pink sunrise to the SE. After rounding Point Tolstoi I could see over 100 miles of Clarence Strait. I wasn't insensitive to the beauty before me as I didn't get religious knowing the weather rpt was for 10-15mph in the AM and 25-30 w*snow/rain showers in the afternoon. I went down the center of the Strait so as to maximize my options. Frequently in this area the wind turns SW in the afternoon and on the east side of the channel there is a point of land ( Caamano Pt ) that has nasty rips. In only 10 mi the wind and seas started to build. It was a slow process but I could see in the distance that the*horizon was dark and not smooth. The wind stayed SE so I started to*favor the east shore. I was never threatened or emotionally uncomfortable but I was more comfortable standing,*spread eagle with my knees slightly bent ( no the Willy dos'nt pound ) working the salon floor with the rolling boat. A fish boat passed*me going the other way with her*poles out and her paravanes down* .. looked like he could have been reading a book. The seas were at 4' w 25 knot wind and soon I was off*Caamano Pt in 5' & 30k. Went through the rips rolling to almost 45 degrees but it didn't take long and soon I was in 3-4' and 20-25k all the way to Gaurd Is at the entrance to Tongass Narrows. I relaxed for a brief peroid and then the snow started. Light at first*but soon the wind went back up and the snow went wet and heavy. The Willy has Lexan windows and no wipers.*Almost instantly I could see nothing fwd, a bit to port and fairly good to stbd. There were no " under way " blips on my radar and I snaked along*by the airport and the narrowest part of the channel. By this time I was reaching out the stbd*side window wiping the snow w a sqeegie like the ones in gas stations as it*plugged the window every*minute or so. Couldn't see Ketchikan as I headed tward a bouy NW of Pennock Is. Went to the Is from the bouy mostly on GPS. Had lots of trouble with the port of Ketchikan on the radio and cell phone. Had to tie up three*times in the driving snow ( still blowing 25 ) and keep from sliping on the snow while dealing with the icy*mooring lines. Went to bed with the Wabasto humming and slept about 12hrs. It warmed up a bit the next day and Chris came w the car .. great. That night in Thomas Basin it blew 51knots ( almost 60 mph ) and boats were banging around on thier mooring lines like they were going to rip*the lines off and go with the wind. None did that I saw but over at Metlakatla the Alaska Ferry Lituya was riped from her moorings, went adrift and aground on a small*island. Has been refloated and is in Ketchikan for drydock. We had a great time the rest of our stay. We hung out in the best coffee houses and resturants, shopped a lot and sat around on the boat reading ect. The trip home ahead of the next gale was benign except hitting that log* .. about 1'dia and 12' long. We think there is a bit more vibration so need to go on the grid. Well* .. that wasn't so bad, and fun too.
Eric Henning
Willard 30 Nomad
Thorne Bay Alaska
*
***