August 4-5 -- Ketchikan in the Sunshine

Beautiful weather again as we motorsail down from Meyers Chuck to Ketchikan. We make great time with the wind and tide boost, and can’t resist the urge to stop for an hour or so of fishing when we see lots of boats just outside the entrance to Tongass Narrows. We’ll find some room somewhere in the fridge for more fish! Sure enough, in a short time we have one smallish Pink, and then one BIG (15 lb.) Coho!

We motor the rest of the way to Ketchikan through a building northwest breeze, opposing tide, and large standing waves, making an exciting entrance when combined with dodging harbour traffic and seaplanes landing or taking off every two minutes. We tuck around the stern of a cruise ship and blow into Thomas Basin Marina, thankful to see our Washington friends waiting to grab our lines as we land in the berth past the one assigned to us!

Tangleberry has arrived here a day ahead of us, so we reconnect with Grahame and Shirley and have salmon barbecue and belated birthday cake together.

We want another day in Ketchikan, which is much more attractive in the sunshine than it was when we were here on the way north. We have a good time shopping and walking around the busy cruise ship area, and then take a tram ride up the mountainside for a lovely view and a walk through the city park. We return on a path down Married Men’s Trail, the route that bypasses Creek Street, which was lined with brothels until they were outlawed in 1954.

While on our walk, we meet a delightful couple from Seattle, and strike up a conversation which continues at full tilt through the walk, back to the boat, and for another hour or so. We hope they will keep in touch, as we gave them our card but forgot to get one from them.