What a place!
We have made it to Alaska, and we are very much impressed!!! Early in the morning we started feeling the push and pull of the tides around the Aleutian Islands. It was clear we should not plan this wrong! And with some luck and some planning we were able to get to the Samalga Pass as the tides turned and the current hauled right through with 9 knots, while trying to sail.. We tried sailing for about 2 hours around lunch time, but the currents were stronger then the wind and we drifted more then we sailed.
Around us everything seemed to come alive! We saw tufted puffins, the darker morph of the Fulmar was all around us, there were three sorts of Albatrosses (Laysan, Black Footed AND Short Tailed!!), there were short tailed Shearwaters, there were what looked like Phalaropes, but they were gone very quickly! And as we got through the pass we were surprised by a big pod of Orca’s! So amazing. We drifted around for another hour enjoying their company and then took the last bit of the current going North up to coast to our anchorage called Hot Sping Cove. A place and a name that hold a promise..? We shall start investigation as soon as it is light!
Heading into the bay, which is about 3 miles wide at the start, we could not see anything. The fog had lifted a few times, giving us a perfect view of the Four Mountains Islands (very spectacular, high rise vulcanic islands with snow on the tops!), but it then closed in again and so the bay was completely covered in a layer of white. On the radar we could clearly see there was land close by, even as close as 0,8 miles.. but we could not see it in the thick fog. Then as we came to the end of the bay, we started seeing land, first just the beach, then some cliffs and then some green! WHOWH! what a sight, a valley of green and high rising cliffs with just enough fog around the give it a real mystic feeling! We dropped the anchor and have found our home for the next few days. Lets see if we can find this Hotspring!
(There is no cellphone reach yet, so we will send pictures later..!)
I have never responded to your blogs, but what a pleasure to read them every evening and getting a sense of your journey so far. Thank you so much Jet for your dedication every single day.