The Dragon wouldn’t be anybody’s first choice on a boat to take to Alaska. It had no accommodations, no head, nothing but a decked over hull. I was told a Dragon is just like a 6 meter sailboat, only with submarine tendencies. It’s true, she wanted to go through waves rather than over them.
And that overhang. She was lovely under sail, but had long overhangs and our outboard motor, mounted on the stern, would be partially submerged then mostly in the air as the boat hobby horsed through the waves. That sound of gurgling motor then nearly free spinning prop was a constant when we were motoring.
We had no electronics other than a receiver radio. No depth sounder. No radar, no loran, no GPS, no VHF. We had a lead line to measure depth, a compass, and charts. We did have a radio to receive weather reports, but no transmitter.
The trip took 6 weeks. 2 weeks up to Ketchikan and 4 weeks back. The boat leaked the whole way. Did I mention we didn’t have a head?
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| Dinner at the then still going concern at NAMU with an ex RAF pilot and his wife |
We met some wonderful people and only had a few close calls. One of them was in Johnstone strait.
Johnestone Strait can be absolutely miserable. Strong currents and strong opposing winds create huge, steep, waves. I remember battling through the Strait trying to make Kelsey Bay and we were passed by a 58 foot seiner taking green water over her fly bridge. And here we had 8 inches of freeboard. We spent so much time going up and down we could barely make any headway. When we finally got to Kelsey Bay, an old first nations fellow, who had been watching us said ‘you don’t want to be out there. They call that the Graveyard’. After we docked a couple in another small sailboat said ‘dry your stuff out and come over for dinner’. I recall they had home made wine and we had a great spaghetti dinner.
Crossing Queen Charlotte’s sound was a bit daunting. Very long day in the Pacific with large, long waves. Up on top you’d see quite a bit, but then sink into a trough and see nothing, then up again, then down. The most amazing sight was a dead head log that was oscillating with the waves. It may have been standing absolutely still, but with these huge pacific waves the appearance was this huge vertical log shooting out of the water as the waves went over it.
We made it to Pruth Bay which poked into Calvert Island. A short trip overland passed a cool mask carved into a tree.
The ocean beach on the other side was as beautiful as it was desolate. Nobody was there.
Most of the trip was uneventful. We fished, caught crab, ate oysters, and generally ate pretty well. Lowe inlet really stands out. Beautiful water fall, nice anchorage, and an inlet full of crab. Crab for dinner, crab for lunch and crab omelets for breakfast.
Crossing the border provided a photo opportunity. We strapped the camera to the mast.
Carrying 6 weeks of food was interesting – given the budgetary constraints at the time as well as the boat. For vegetables we used canned vege’s. Knowing we were going to stow them in the bilge, we stripped all the paper off and marked the cans with a magic marker. It worked. For a while. It’s amazing how fast those things rust. Towards the end of the trip we’d pull this rusty can from the bilge with no idea what it contained. We’d dry it, carefully shake it to see if the can had been compromised, then carefully open it to try to not let too much rust in.
Rain was a constant. We’d take 2 hour shifts at the helm then when off watch drape ourselves over the kerosene heater below the blue tarp.
I’d like to do that trip again, only with something far more comfortable – like ‘Cambria’. Out of this trip came my 3 minimum requirements for a cruising boat. Hot water, a dry bunk, and a stove. If you can sleep well, eat well, and take a hot shower in the morning, you can comfortably cruise. Without those 3, you can still have an adventure, but it’s certainly less comfortable.
Wow!
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