Petersburg

56-53N 132-57W.  Petersburg Harbor.

We had been seeing humpback whales around us all morning as Thankful powered south.  At 11AM we had to back Thankful down hard to avoid hitting one in the middle of the Stephens Passage.  Fortunately, the water was glassy which allowed us to see the slight disturbance on the surface directly ahead that alerted us to the whale's presence.  He surfaced a few seconds later next to us, unconcerned about the near miss.  There were so many whales around that it was almost disconcerting. 

Thankful had its longest passage yesterday since Lori and I have been aboard.  We considered stopping for the night in Portage Bay, but instead just stopped outside for an hour to fish and then continued on to Petersburg.  Thankful arrived in the Petersburg harbor at 7PM after a fourteen hour day.

Lori and I continue to be amazed at how comfortable a boat Thankful is.  A seventeen year old fiberglass "Eagle 40",  the single screwed trawler has proven to be the perfect platform for the Dyer's Alaska cruise.  She only has a single stateroom forward, but the settee in the salon is easily converted into a queen sized berth at night for Lori and me.

The pilot house, where the four of us hang while underway, has a small table and bench seating that fits three of us while the helmsman has their own seat behind the wheel.  As a former "rag hanger" used to being exposed to the weather, I continue to be relieved that we can stay warm and dry in the pilot house no matter what the conditions are outside.

The 220 HP Cummins engine is smooth, reliable, and powerful enough to push us along economically at a steady seven and a half knots.  The boat was named "Thankful" when the Dyers bought her a couple of years ago, and they saw no reason to change it.  It fits for me, as thankful is how I feel whenever it is cold or raining or salt spray is pelting the pilot house windows while the crew nestles comfortably inside.

A storm system is passing over us now with wind and rain so we will likely remain in Petersburg for another day until it passes.  There are things to do here with a museum for Lori and some decent restaurants near the harbor.  This morning while ashore for breakfast in a cafe, we bumped into two other cruising couples aboard sailboats that are also hiding out from the weather in the harbor.  Matt had met one of them earlier in the summer, and we compared experiences. They use a lot less fuel than we do, but we get where we are going faster and are more comfortable.  Cruising boats are always a compromise, but I think we have the right tool for the job in Thankful.

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