Memorial Day 2006

The first cruise of the year was a 3-day Memorial Day weekend and we were blessed with sunshine and unseasonably warm temperatures.  After helping fellow sailor Dave with his haul out in the morning, the crew of Radiance set sail about lunchtime.  The warm north winds were blowing about 18 knots and made for a nice downwind leg out to Fox Island where we decided on Porcupine Cove, 2-bights south of Bulldog for our destination.  This south facing cove has a beautiful beach with a large lake behind it and is a natural rookery for harbor seals and their newborn pups.  It is often inaccessible due to the large swell from the Gulf of Alaska, but was sunny and calm this time and provided a great anchorage for the night.  We met up with the Baker’s from Tlingit for a nice bonfire complete with wine and s’mores and watched the many harbor seals with pups and sea lions put on a show along the beach.  Piper entertained us with a cute puppet show for us with her two hand puppets.  We played rock-Janga and Marcy created Zen-magic with her perfectly smooth and round rock pile symmetry.

The next morning Piper and I took a spin in the Avon and watched the many seals and their pups along the rocks in the morning sun.  Paddling in his kayak, John pointed out a mountain goat and calf high on the steep rocky ledge above.   

We enjoyed the quiet of the morning before heading back for a pancake feed aboard the boat then pulled the hook and headed over to catch the high tide for a dinghy exploration trip into Bear GlacierAfter piling all 5 of us into the Avon, plus the 80 lb dog, we could barely make headway upstream and after crunching a few rocks with the prop, we lightened the load and Jessica and I got the boat up on step so we could traverse the rapids while the others walked the flat open beach. 

Once in the calm waters above, we loaded all back aboard and headed into the ice field.  As we made our way through the bergs and got closer to the glacier, the temperature continued to drop.  We felt like Antarctic explorers as we searched for leads through the ice and closer to the glacier.

The chill was beginning to get everyone and so we headed back to the main stream and to Radiance.  Dana and Danny enjoyed laying on the hot black sand for a spell before we transported everyone back to Radiance.  With Bulldog cove in sight, we motored over to join Tlingit, Forever, Inua and new friends Mike and Alissa who’d sailed over from Kodiak aboard Pelagic, a beautiful Pacific Seacraft 37.  After cocktails and dog beach duty, we all congregated for a massive beach party and bonfire to celebrate several of the teenage crew’s birthdays with toasting of beers and marshmallows.   

Monday morning came quickly and with it a definitive change in temperature.  Though still sunny, the breeze was filling in from the south and was much cooler.   We enjoyed a peaceful breakfast and I puttered with a few deck projects before we hoisted anchor and sailed for Seward.  The breeze built and made for a perfect sail home to top off a perfect weekend.  

Yea, summer is here!