We woke to clear skies, an auspicious beginning to our transit of Wrangell Narrows. Petersburg lies at the north end of this 22 mile long narrow channel which is a major passage for the Alaska State Ferries and fishing boats, as well as barges. The tide was low, so we could see how narrow the actual passage was, with drying tidal flats to the right and left. We carefully watched the channel markers and kept approaching vessels apprised of our presence. Even so, it was a bit intimidating passing first a tug with barge in tow, stacked high with containers, and then an Alaska State Ferry. We all kept well to the side to allow the ferry to pass; it was moving fast and it was big!
We came out of the south end of the narrows into Sumner Strait and were surrounded by glorious wide-open views of islands and glacier-capped mountains. We cruised smoothly into Wrangell and were berthed at the town’s new Heritage Harbor marina, an excellent facility. After settling in, we walked into town and checked out the sights of historic Wrangell, a friendly community of about 2,000 people located at the north end of Wrangell Island, near the delta of the Stikine River. Gradually, we made our way back to our boats and enjoyed a relaxing time soaking up the late evening sun.
No comments:
Post a Comment