Great April Boating In Prince William Sound

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Trip with Sundog. April 12 2004.

All is crazy with this trip I am about to decline from. I no sooner get home from another totally-exasting snowmachine trip, and it’s time to get RedFox ready for another journey into the great Chugatsk Bay, already---- whew! Can I do it…. I pick up the phone and prepare myself to give Joe the news that I can’t make it so soon, and maybe I will make my way out and meet-up latter in the week!

Well, all the crazy sunny spring-weather, along with Joe’s enthusiasm and encouragement, got me to give-in and go. (hee hee) I knew I could do it, but the weekend snowmachine ride, not only tired me out, but as usual---I “over-did-it” again, and stretched-out something in my wrist, while up on the sides of a steep incline of the mountain I was carving up with another one of my friends “mean and lean mountain-machine…..ahh…. doin what I do best! -lol-

It’s about 5: pm, and I make the “tunnel-opening” just in time! It took me at least 20 minutes or more to refuel and get the propane jugs filled from the last 5-day trip out in the Sound. The “Bird Creek fuel station” was very busy. Maybe it was the sunny weather that brought all the “motorheads” out that afternoon. The propane jug for the RedFox is giving the attendant fits to! I came over and explained to her that all it needs is a good “thunk” to get the sticking valve in it to give-way so it will take in the new fill. She thought it was dangerous, I explained to her the extra safety of an aluminum-propane-tank, and got “the show on the road” with the good “thunk”

The roads were bone-dry on the way, and the scenery was very inspiring to. By the time I made it to the dock, the only cleaning the boat needed was from the mud-puddles that cratered the poor over-used road to the dock. I see the sundog in view, and it is a new and welcome sight to behold! For the first time in the RedFox’s 8-year history with me, she will have a C-Dory to cruise with. I owe it all the “good-lord” and from people that are not afraid to “speak-up” on the “web” and get acquainted with others that way! Yes “puters” and the internet can enrich ones life and broaden there borders---a great deal!

Well the babies are in the water and old RF is ready first. I’m just itchin’ to get out of the harbor and away from all that reminds me of civilization again. I give Sundog the word---I’ll see you out of the harbor, and I’ll just be puttin-along in the Bay and standing by on “channel16” (VHF) I always get the kicker going and warmed-up before I leave the harbor. It was sitting over a week and I like to make sure I have it ready just incase I may prefer to use it while maneuvering out of the harbor. Many times I will choose to go in the cockpit on a scorching sunny day and grab the tiller and just put along close enough to the shore to see all the cool sea-bottom-stuff, go past at a mellow and tranquil speed…. there’s so many shapes and textures and critters, along the ocean-floor, and I like to hear the sound of the kicker to! Never in my life have I owned such nice stuff, and to use it all is what I am all about on this incredibly warm and wonderful sunny day at sea today

I get to the spot I like the best – where the birds hang! It’s time to organize some of the stuff I threw into the boat while getting ready to go. About 10 minutes latter or so, I hear the sound of a couple outboards heading across the Bay…. I know who it is! As the Sundog approaches, I get out the camera and record it. I think to myself how can it be… just from a website and talking about what I love to do best “C-Dorying” –lol- We both make our way in our little-ships that seem like “magic-carpets” through a ‘zillion’ gulls on the smooth surface that all give us the eyeball as we slowly make our way out of them. I think how I really enjoy the company of gulls. Many trips they are right along side the boat flying along with me as if they liked “C-Dorying” as much as their owners do. One of the simple pleasures to me is the feeling of the RedFox on a sunny day with mirror-smooth-water simply drifting along at very slow speeds, or just maneuvering on the kicker…(quiet and peaceful)...that’s how I came up with the term: “magic carpet”.

OK, back on step now. We know where to meet, and make our ways toward that point---but not directly! I raise Sundog on the VHF and we establish a channel to quack on. I get the feeling to go in and check out this waterfall on the way, in Poe Bay, just a few miles after leaving the wonderful company of all them beautiful gulls and there awesome sounds of MANY! I see the waterfall is low on water! Not to worry—most of it is still hanging-heavy on the steep mountains above, in the form of snow. It’s so nice to see snow so many feet deep, dressing the hillside like it does….makes one feel that-much-more out of the influences of life in the city, and out where your so-much-more in touch with the word of god! The “spoken word”---creation. Even though in a fallen state, she is none the less…. Healing!

S0, I do my big loop in the bay, while on step still and enjoying the changing-pitch-sound of water rushing on the hull as I make the cut and head back out of the bay---thinking how we better get on the way and make fire and get the baby’s anchored-off at the destination---Applegate Is. Along the way, (the speedball I am at times) cranking her up and seeing what “she-will-do” is always something that I check on. I know I’m heavy, (drafting at least 12 inches in the stern again) and I just kind of use it as a “gauge” to make sure my engine has not changed in her mere 800 hours of use. During all this “testing” and “feeling” I have discovered that my boat lost some efficiency and speed from the bottom-painting I did to her…. (Bummer!) Latter after the Port Wells crossing, Joe and I exchange some shots of each other while on-step. The area and occasion for this – photographing, is to be celebrated. For once I have someone that is thoughtful enough to offer to take some shots in return of the favor. Wow! We are now at an area that has a view to die for, plus it’s time for a break anyway! It’s always fun getting back on step anyway. C-Dorys plain so effortlessly! And being “overpowered” makes it all that much more fun

Next stop, ice breaker special! (lol) Into Long Bay we go! I knew it would be iced-in still, from the long-ass winter we are finally getting out of. The ice is wimpy-stuff! I can go through it at a very fast pace compared to a lot of ice I broke through in years past---where I could get out of the RedFox and take pictures of her pinned in the stuff with her main engine still running, holding her from drifting back and leaving me stranded on the icepack. Anyway, it’s a lot of fun, and looking out at ice, when your at the helm is a neat feeling with a rather scary sound inside her warm and secure cabin.

We arrive! And it’s another event to get out of the RedFox and film the Sundog---“run her up on the shore” Then in no time at all, it’s time for some stills (pics) We made some great shots there on that shore….. a very blessed and memorable event! In no time at all, we had so little direct-sunlight remaining we did not take too long unloading crew and stuff for the nights fire---big-ol-fire! Chainsaw time! It’s a lot of fun to me to run my new chainsaw! I like nothing more than heaping a ton of driftwood on the fire when being “fire-starved” all winter! I thought of calling this trip ----“the smell of cedar”---- ‘mmmmmmm’…. it does smell nice when you saw into one that’s been lying and looking so---“driftwoody” on the beach for the longest time! My new baby---(the saw I now carry) is way-overkill for taking-along on the boat. I lost my last one in the ‘drink’ while sawing off a log from the gunwale of the RedFox, that was hanging off the steep rocky shore. Back that day, we were having a hard time finding any firewood in the area, so that left me trying for things a little out of reach---but I almost pulled it off! I don’t do that with my new “Husky” chainsaw! And I went “overkill” cuz I had a lot of trouble keeping the chain on the skinny bars of the cheap ones. ARG! A chainsaw is a wonderful thing to bring along, especially if you like them fires---big enough---baby!!

With two C-Dorys, a great forecast ahead, and the time of the year, I decide to try the nights anchor on the (other side) the east-side this time. We motor around the little peninsula and “plop-anchor” about 75 yards apart. The Sundog crew had some nice goodies in store to warm on the fire for the evening ahead. Watching the C-Dorys at anchor, the wonderfully familiar smell of a driftwood fire, good company, a large shore on both sides of our little peninsula area, and a stunning view of mountains and glaciers far-off on the pure-white horizon dotted with rugged little islands in the distance---all made for one tired-out band of pirates the first evening. I slept really well to. It got down to 25 that first night, and it was really nice to get up to a dry and windless night, when “nature called” lol

4-13
A colorful sunrise at 6-ish in the morning! Good thing Joe was up and took a pic. I turned up the heat and went back to bed to make sure I was all rested-up for the day ahead We heaped a ton of wood on the fire so we could wake to enough coals to start it up easily. In rainforest and especially this time of year, there is no way in hell you could get a forest-fire going if you tried! What a nice luxury. From my table at anchor, I see Joe is up warming to the morning fire and then scouting around on the dinghy. I sit and enjoy the peaceful morning in silence, waiting for the tea to steep and drinking a huge glass of warm water to recoup from the night. I hear our bodies loose a quart of water through the morning. I love waking this way and the reviving feeling the Yerba-Mate tea, brings. It’s once again time to straiten-out the boats interior and run the “dirt-devil vacuum” to get rid of all the little things that catch my eye, as I was sitting there at the table looking at everything. This trip I did not do any writing. I recon the change of getting acquainted with new peep’ was quite disturbing to my usual loner habits I have attained through the years. Maybe with another cruise things will get back to normal, and I can once again “pick up the pen” in the evenings and mornings—while on RedFox.

Almost ready now, this day shall take Joe and I off to a very well known bay---Hidden Bay. It’s a very narrow and turbulent entrance. There are three ways you can get into the bay. It’s got a waterfall and great little anchorages. Also, loaded with bears and ’salmon-to-the-MAX’ in the summer-months. Also a great place to swim with the “humpies” before they rot! (lol) it was a pleasant surprise to see the bay was mostly free of ice. I would like to say, this is one of the “most interesting” places in the Sound. I can not. There are so damn many places and all are really captivating. The only gripe I have is…. No firewood!

On the way back; I let Joe take the helm! He was just waiting for me to ask…. –lol- It seems peep that are into C-Dorys want to try out the ‘big Yamaha’ on RedFox…(lust lust) –lol- and of course the trim-tabs are always fascinating to use for the first time. Everyone that has tried the RedFox realized them right-off. It is not an immediate-liking though! We took the long way out, on the way back, and now we’re bookin-along on the still-water outside the bay and heading back to our anchorage. He is quickly getting familiar with the effects of the huge trim-tabs I made for my particular C-Dory, and liking them more and more it seems. Hey whats more interesting for the afternoon than trying out the legendary old RedFox---YEAH BABY! -lol-

OK. I’m now tired of trying to type for the time. I’ll finish this latter - if I get the chance. Over and out –

PS: keep in mind it’s written for us C-Dory peeps…..

Greg