Prince William Sound

During the first part first of our Kodiak visit we concentrated our efforts cruising the southeastern coast of the island group. By the middle of July we headed for the northern island group. Our first stop was the native village of Ouzinkie ( population 192) on Spruce Island, home to St. Herman, the first canonized Russian Orthodox saint in North America.



From Spruce Island, we crossed Marmot Bay to Afognak Island, the second largest island in the Kodiak Archipelago, and anchored in Afognak Bay. A couple we had met on Kodiak told us that there was a good hike along the Afognak River up to Afognak Lake and indicated that there would be lots of Kodiak Bears. We never did see any bears but we saw LOTS of scat on the old logging road that parallels the river. The Afognak Native Cooperation privately owns the island and logs a large section of the island, the effects of which became more noticeable as we entered Izhut Bay. The bay offers great whale watching and has several good anchorages, but most of the area has been logged down to the shore, making hiking impossible, as the thick underbrush that first grows back is impenetrable.



While anchored in Sopasa Bay, we twice sucked the omnipresent jellyfish into our cooling water intake system, shutting down our small diesel generator. In our ten years on the boat we have only had this happen once before. The one sure way to clear the system - use an air horn to blast out the blockage! But all the bays were full of jellyfish and we were running out of the small air canisters for the horn. Luckily, we did not have another such encounter --until Prince William Sound!



Seal Bay, on the north coast of Afognak, was very picturesque with only one of it’s many small bays having been logged. There was good hiking along the shores and in the woods and well protected anchorages. Our plan had been to continue onto Shuyak Island, the northern most island, but it had been raining almost daily the last couple weeks and Prince William Sound was beckoning. With a good weather forecast we crossed the north Gulf of Alaska on August 2nd and re-entered Prince William Sound.



We spent the next two weeks in Western Prince William Sound, stopping in some previously visited anchorages and exploring some new ones. From mid-July to mid-August we had only two days of little or no rain. As soon as we’d see a break in the rain we’d jump in the dinghy and get to shore to walk. And with all the moisture you’d think the mosquitoes would be thick as thieves, but we encountered very few. Perhaps they couldn’t fly with their wings so wet!





Towards mid-August the weather started showing signs of improvement and sunny days began to out number rainy days. Fortunately some time remained to continue the cruise before returning to Cordova on September 1st. After all our miles in TAMARA, not a very ambitious season, about 1300 miles in all, but in a still relatively unraveled part of the world. And of course the history, scenery, and adventure of the region make for a wonderful season away from the ordinary.


Nellie Juan Anchorage, June



Nellie Juan Anchorage, August

Our return to Cordova was festive again this season. Though not returning after so long and so far as we did a year ago, this season saw one of the finest salmon seasons on record for both the Cordova seine and gillnet fisheries. Coupled with the finally arriving spectacular late summer, the mood all about town was up-beat.





The weather this summer had been some of the worst on record. Anchorage reported thirty-two consecutive days of rain, which is very unusual, as that area is generally comparatively dry. Yet the winds were light with no big storms. But summer did finally arrive by mid-August and Prince William Sound enjoyed a month of almost perfect weather and little wind. Everyone was out hiking, berry picking, boating, just enjoying the sunshine after such a bleak summer. And for those crossing the Gulf of Alaska, a notoriously tempestuous area by September, it was smooth sailing. Everyday you’d hear someone say, “How much longer can this last?”, or “This is very unusual for this time of year.” But all good things must come to an end and today, the 24th of September, there’s a storm warning in the Gulf Alaska and a gale in Prince William Sound.