May 22–30 – Wrangell to Petersburg Plus 8 Lay Days: Narrows, Rain, and a Toilet Saga

With Wrangell in the rearview, we were ready to run the Wrangell Narrows and head to Petersburg—the last proper town before we disappear into the wilds again.

This 40nm route, lined with over 60 navigation aids, can be tricky. Some time it to catch the current through the narrows and ride the push all the way. But that drops you into Petersburg with a current ripping through the harbor—ask the locals how that ends. We opted for a more civilized arrival, timing our transit for slack tide in Petersburg, which gave us a leisurely 11:12am departure and a smooth 4pm docking.

The Narrows were kind—light traffic and no big vessels pushing us to the margins. We tied up at North Harbor, requesting a slip tucked close to shore (read: less current). The slip was a bit short for OceanFlyer, but with 50-amp power and no drama, we were happy.

Dinner? Papa Bear’s Pizza. Simple and satisfying.

Petersburg Lay Days: Rain, Roads, and Repairs

Friday brought rain (of course) but also a rental car. We explored Mitkof Island, starting at City Creek Trail where a new boardwalk and distant snowy views made up for the drizzle. A local school group was climbing through a net strung in the trees—Alaskan recess, apparently.

City Creek Trail is a must visit if you have a car

We continued our loop down the east side of the island on gravel roads. Narrow, bumpy, and scenic—perfect cruiser adventure terrain. We hit Green’s Camp, Crescent Beach, and Blaquiere Point before reaching the “end of the road” at Mile 32. On the way back, we even stopped to admire the Petersburg Gun Range... in the rain.

well gromed “gravel” roads

the trap field at the Petersburg gun club

Midway through our three-day stay, the harbormaster called—our slip’s full-timer was coming back. So we moved at slack, fueled up, and slipped into a new spot on the opposite side of the dock. No big deal.

the harbor staff could not ave been more gracious as they accomidated our extened stay in petersberg

Then came the toilet revolt. The master head decided to stage a protest: water in, but no flush out. After some online diagnosis and colorful language, we reached out to Pacific Marine in Bellingham for parts and a plan. For now, we relied on the forward head and settled in for a longer stay.

one of many small “parks” around the area

Sunday brought lunch at Inga’s Galley—now with a heated tent! Much appreciated on a rainy Southeast day. Monday, Bob dove into the toilet disassembly. A kinked hose gave us hope—it flushed! Briefly.

we lost count of all the beautiful stainless steel benches in and around peterberg. Each one is unique.

Tuesday: full teardown. Pump? Good. Impeller? Fine. Control panel? Working. After a clean-up and reassembly, it miraculously worked. We toasted with dinner at Inga’s again—where we met a local with a blind white duck he takes with him everywhere, even to dinner. Only in Alaska.

sums up our stay and the month of April in peterberg. the wettest on record.

By Wednesday, the toilet was still functional but we wanted those spare parts. We drove out to the airport, parks, and scenic overlooks in sideways rain. Great news: the package was on the Alaska Air Cargo flight. Bad news: flight cancelled. Thursday brought worse news—the package couldn’t leave Seattle because Pacific Marine isn’t a “known shipper.” Cinnamon buns from Salty Pantry helped dull the pain.

the historical sons of norway hall… and bingo parlor upstairs.

impressive memorial to souls lost at sea

vikings having fun

Bob used the downtime to replace a rogue bilge pump that wouldn’t shut off. After striking out at every local store for a simple plumbing fitting, the spare was installed with a new hose upgrade from our spares inventory. Dinner at El Zarape—birria tacos and rockfish tacos—was the silver lining.

yet another amazing stainless steel bench

Friday was a quiet wait. Rain (of course), some provisioning, and boat chores. But at 11:07pm, standing soaked outside the Alaska Cargo office at the airport, Bob was handed the long-awaited Goldstreak package—48 hours late, but gloriously real.