As this is our first time cruising in Alaska, and compounded by the border with Canada still being closed for non-essential travel due to covid, we weren’t sure what to expect. Would there be more recreational boaters up here this year that typically spend the summer in Canada, and went stir crazy spending last summer in the packed San Juan Islands?
Where we typically boat in BC Canada, there is limited to no cell service and limited wifi at best. Would we also find this to be the case in SE AK?
Some say the Central and North Coast of BC is every bit as spectacular as SE AK. Would we also find this to be true?
SE Alaska is known for their wet summers. How much liquid sunshine would we be able to handle before we needed natural Vitamin D and not run, but race back to warmth and sunshine further South?
Would the US – Canadian border be open to non-essential travel for our transit South? Some speculate end of July, others end of September.
But right now it was time to enjoy the exceptionally warm weather and enjoy SE Alaska. We were surprised to have cell service all tucked up and in at Browns Bay, it had to do with the proximity to Kasaan – one of two Haida First Nation Villages in Alaska with a small population and day trips of tourists from Ketchikan. The docks looked brand new, as well as some of the buildings. They’ve kept the village in great shape.
North of Browns Bay there is a shallow lake that you can enter at high tide. This is right up our alley, and we did enjoy gunkholing in here. The Navionics charts are not very accurate. Use your eyes and depthsounder, you’ll find you can go much closer to shore and the island in the middle is not quite accurate. But that’s the fun of gunkholing!
We did an afternoon soak and kept two dungy for dinner and lunch. Our first Dungeness crab in Alaska! We put the pots back down, and the next morning when Tessa pulled out chicken from the freezer, Tom asked, what’s that for?? Tessa said for refreshing the bait in the crab pots. He laughed and responded, you are welcome to bring that along, but it won’t be needed. And he was correct: we pulled up 24+ Dungy, all keepers, in two pots. We threw all but two back. Thank you SE AK, for the warm welcoming!!
