Today finds me in Port Protection which I stopped by last year. There is no cell phone coverage but there is a place here, the only place here, which happens to have internet. Today I plan on taking my dinghy down to Hole In The Wall and then tomorrow I plan on fueling up and moving down through El Capitain which is on the outside of Prince of Wales. Looking back thus far, it seems the first 60 days were so productive while the last 17 days feels like not much has been accomplished and I am starting to get frustrated. The weather is part of this, with the winds and rain. Nothing like last year as of yet but even last year had a pretty wet June, especially the latter half. Then last year the sun broke out for all of July and August and well – I just don’t know what to expect this year.
But at least I am finally outside POW again and can start working my way around Sea Otter Sound and then down farther towards my goal, circumnavigating POW. And in truth, time is on my side. If I only have to go along this side and pick up as many of the outside islands as possible and the weather at least tries to co-operate, then it will still be a very successful season. I think thus far I have traveled some 850 nautical miles. I wanted to reach 1500 nm and at one point at the rate I was going should have reached almost 2100 nm. But that isn’t in the future now. So with the delays due to the malfunction of my camera, my dinghy engine, and just the weather and winds in general, life has slowed down and my pace seems like a crawl.
I think knowing the bears are coming out and the salmon is finally showing and summer temps still are cool or down and I am not moving very far is just getting me down a bit. I want to see bears, and whales, and ocras and I have seen more docks and piers and people. But anyway, time to pick up the pace and get back to what I come here for, another season in Alaska – in between communities out in the wild and amongst the natural beauty. Just checking in and moving along.