Pacific NW

Expeditions

Departure Cordova 0830 hours July 10, 2005. Our plan was to make a run to the Hinchinbrook Entrance, 55 miles away, and anchor there for the night. I spent the entire day lashing down and stowing for the Gulf crossing . Anything that we didn’t need specifically for the crossing went down below in lockers and bilges. I strapped Modulus down, lashed a knife to the mast, and prepared a black pearl necklace for Justin. By the time we reached Hinchinbrook entrance we were entirely ready for open water. The forecast looked OK, and we decided to just go for it. The atmosphere aboard “Silent Partner” was electric, as her bows rose to the swell of the Gulf of Alaska. My head became so filled with calculations and numbers that I could have written a math book. I like to spoil myself when sailing on the open ocean. I changed into a fresh pair of sweatpants and cracked open a box of doughnuts as we headed out. After awhile the Hinchinbrook entrance faded into the clouds, and it was the last land that we would see for several days. Justin and I established a watch rotation of 4 hours on, 4 hours off. In the evening the winds picked up, kicking up a large chop that was sometimes very steep. Justin was doing a great job at the helm, and I caught a bit of sleep now and then. We had failed to find storage for one egg that wouldn’t fit into the egg cases. We left it on a precarious shelf and wondered at when it would fall and where it would fall to. I was woken up when the boat slammed into a larger wave, and noticed that the egg was no longer on the shelf. I donned a Mustang suit and clipped into the harness at that point and we prepared for some exciting sailing. We charted a route that held us way south of the Cape of St. Elias and well offshore to avoid the majority of the coastal current, which flows counter-clockwise in the Gulf. We never did find any opposing current, amazingly. Perhaps the dominating westerly wind pattern this year is holding it in check? At any rate, we screamed across the Gulf, surfing down waves at speeds approaching 10 knots for much of it. In all, we averaged 6 knots all the way to Yakatat, a run of 300 miles. It was Silent Partner’s biggest day. As Justin and I headed out into the ocean the water became a deeper and deeper shade of blue, and we began to see many albatross. On one morning two enormous columns of water rose from the sea, the spouts of some huge whales. At that moment an albatross flew up to the boat, matching her speed. The bird hovered about the mast and appeared motionless. It cocked its head about and surveyed the decks and crew of “Silent Partner”. Later a pod of dolphins charged out of nowhere and kept me company for 20 minutes. Justin and I fell into a pattern of exhausted sleep followed by 4 hours of intense helm work. “Silent Partner” became the center of the universe and everything we did was for her safety and continued running at sea. I made regular inspections of the entire boat, always pleased that everything was operating and holding up just fine. Justin marvelled at the quality of light that fell upon the ocean and discovered for the first time all of the unique thoughts and experiences that one goes through in an ocean passage. Our spirits remained high throughout the crossing and the passage of time became so warped that we entered into a state of timelessness. Justin later remarked that since all concentration is spent on the boat constantly that there is no time to think about minutes, hours or days. The Gulf of Alaska treated us very kindly on our passage to Yakatat. We crossed the bar into Yakatat at 0630 hours on July 12 and drank a tot of rum, after pouring one ration into the Gulf–the Gulf always drinks first. We had a lot to be thankful for, and wished for other mariners to have the same luck that we just did. Finally we were safe in harbor by 0930 hours, July 12. I am so proud of “Silent Partner” for getting us this far! Justin and I were still in a dream-world state as we walked through town on solid land. He observed the feeling that he had no idea why he was here in such a strange place, and that the whole crossing existed seperately from the normal memories in his mind. I too shared his feelings, and they can only be experienced by doing a trip of this sort.