Ketchikan Lay Day 2

Today is the big day. We are going to the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. We’ve “heard” the crowd roar when we’ve been here before but have never seen the show. We know it’s going to be kitschy, but fun.

today we play tourist

To get ourselves in the right frame of mind, we hit some of the other tourist highlights. We walked the infamous Creek Street. The buildings built on pilings along the salmon creek are now full of small souvenir shops with only an echo of the brothels of its heyday.

creek street is touristy, historic and charming. Visit after the cruise boats depart to enjoy the latter two.

We took in some of the other shops in town in the vain hope of discovering something we could not live without.

We would be remiss if we did not mention the Three Bears grocery store. You need a car because it is south of town near the native village of Saxman. It is large, has a great selection of items, the produce is the best in town and it sits on a most magnificent plot of land overlooking Tongass Narrows. If you’re coming up from the south, look for it on your starboard side before you get to the Coast Guard station. Co-located is an Ace Hardware and a liquor store.

the three bears, our new avorite grocery in Ketchikan

The Lumberjack show was a hoot. We were happy it wasn’t raining, as I can’t imagine how hard that would be for the 4 jacks and the female emcee. These guys were really talented and two we ranked 1st and 2nd in the world rankings. They performed impressive stunts in a U.S. vs. Canada “competition”, and the cruise-ship crowd had a great time, as did we.

it was a fierce competition between the U.S. and canada Teams

the pole climb is an impressive display of these lumberjack’s talents

how these two can stay on the log as long as they did was impressive

Dinner was at a place Karen found called the 108 Taphouse and Burger Bar. Part of the Cape Fox Native Corporation since 2022, this burger and beer pub is small and has a loyal following with the locals. Reservations are a must for dinner. We saw lots of people – mostly locals – being turned away as both the tables and bar seats were filled. It’s an open kitchen, so it was fun to watch the chefs as they made burgers and other bar goodies.

Ketchikan Lay Day #1: Slowing Down in Cruise Ship Central

We’ve made it to Ketchikan—and yes, we’re actually happy to be here. While it's true this place is cruise ship central and packed with trinket shops, after pushing hard to reach Alaska, a lay day feels well-earned.

We tied up at Bar Harbor South, which couldn’t be more convenient—Alaska Car Rentals is literally across the street. Since most shops open late, we kicked off the morning with a drive out to Ward Cove, the newest (and farthest) cruise terminal. It's not exactly scenic—more scrapyard than postcard—but watching a massive cruise ship maneuver in was oddly fascinating. After a coffee stop at Green Bean, we figured out the maze to get dockside for a closer look.

Ward Cove, a humble place for additional cruise ships to visit ketchikan

Back in town, we hit the Tongass Trading Company. T-shirts and tourist gear dominate the first floor, but head upstairs and you’ll find a solid selection of outdoor apparel, including premium brands like Filson.

We wandered the Arctic Spirit Gallery for a bit of native art, then grabbed lunch at Timber and Tide. Karen gave the blackened prawn tacos with mango salsa a glowing review.

A provisioning run at “Alaskan & Proud” (locals just call it the A&P) rounded out the day. With a southeast storm inbound—and a good excuse to let Karen catch up on some work—we extended our stay through Thursday.

Dinner? A hit. The New York Café served up a standout salad with gorgonzola, pears, and walnuts. Highly recommend. Bob said the tasty clam couder featured potateos above all else.

Bob had the clam chouder along with the salad

Ketchikan may not be quiet, but it’s a welcome pit stop before we head deeper into the wild.

Bullhead Cove to Ketchikan: Fuel, Fajitas & a Fiery Berth

After a flat calm night at Bullhead Cove, our 3.5-hour run to Ketchikan started off easy—fair currents and a smooth ride. That changed the moment we entered Tongass Narrows. The wind kicked up out of the northwest at 20–30 knots, pushing a short, steep chop right on our nose. Sloppy, whitecapped, and uncomfortable.

A rare blue sky day

First stop: the Petro Marine South fuel dock, just past the Coast Guard station. Luck was on our side—no one on the dock, despite the breeze. The dockhand was spot-on with the lines, and we took on 562 gallons while OceanFlyer bucked and rolled in the wind.

when all you can see is cruiseships, you know you’re in ketchikan

Getting into our assigned slip at Bar Harbor South was a whole new sport. Strong crosswinds and current tried to peel us off the dock, and a nearby fish boat had tied their skiff sideways across the head of our slip, leaving us precious little room to maneuver. Now we know why the harbormaster insisted on “bow in.” A heads-up about the skiff would’ve been appreciated.

a throuple in your slip makes for a challanging docking in the wind

The silver lining? Shore power and fresh water right at the slip—hard to come by when hot-berthing in busy Ketchikan.

With our rental car starting tomorrow, we hoofed it to the Oceanview Restaurant—one of the few places open on a Monday. It’s a quirky Mexican/Italian combo, and while past visits were forgettable, tonight’s meal was anything but. The chicken and beef fajitas were sizzling perfection, and Karen’s Shrimp Molcajete won serious points. We’d go back—but stick to the fajitas and Molcajete side of the menu.

Back at the dock, the commercial fleet was bustling—gearing up for the shrimp opener on May 15.

Brundige Inlet to Bullhead Cove: A Border Crossing and a Boat Rescue

This morning, our neighbors pulled anchor in sync, likely heading all the way to Ketchikan. We had more modest plans—just a short hop across the border to Bullhead Cove.

Karen nixed another stop at Foggy Bay (been there, done that), and though Kah Shakes Cove came highly recommended, its narrow, shallow entrance isn't ideal on a minus tide. So, Bullhead it was. Less protected, but a better fit for our schedule—and with a calm forecast, we were confident it would be a peaceful stop.

bullhead cove feels open but perfect in settled weather

The crossing was smooth, and our Customs clearance through the CBP ROAM app was fast and easy. Once anchored, we launched the dinghy to explore Bullhead and neighboring Kah Shakes. The entrance is straightforward, with most of the guarding rocks dry even at mid-tide, though we did spot a few shallow patches—definitely one to time right with the tides.

Bullhead has a couple of tempting beaches, but the tide schedule didn’t cooperate for a full-on shore excursion.

Back aboard, we were stowing the dinghy when a small sport fisher slowly approached. We’d seen him earlier near Snail Rock. Turns out he’d wrapped his anchor line in the main engine prop and was limping along with his kicker. We offered to help.

We tied him off to our swim platform and relaunched the dinghy as a work float. Since his outboard didn’t tilt fully clear, it took some careful maneuvering and a bit of tugging, but we finally freed the line. As it happens, he’s the Chairman of the Board of the Native corporation that owns Ketchikan’s largest hotel and several other operations. He was beyond grateful—not surprising, given the difference between a 55-minute ride and a 6-hour crawl home.

mother nature brings out the colorful paintbrush in late evening

With our good deed done, we settled into a stunning sunset, anchored in solitude. Not a bad way to wrap up a day in Southeast Alaska.

Sunset at Bullhead cove

Yes it did really look like this

Hunt Inlet to Brundige Inlet: One Step Closer to the U.S.

We left Hunt Inlet this morning after confirming we had 8.8 feet under the keel—based on tide station data and a healthy respect for the kelp fields noted in the Douglass guide. At zero tide, that puts the channel depth around 13 feet—tight but manageable. Just watch your sonar closely at lower tides.

some of the residents of Hunt Inlet

Not ceertain what all this is, but it looks nice and well maintained

Our destination: Brundige Inlet on Dundas Island, a well-known staging point for crossing Dixon Entrance and entering Alaska, especially if you're bypassing Prince Rupert.

green island light, a vital weather reporting station for dixon entrance

Despite Canadian forecasts warning of gales, we had yet another calm and favorable run. Winds dropped to under 10 knots near Green Island, seas were down to a foot, and the ride was smooth. A pod of Pacific White-Sided dolphins made a brief appearance, but they had fish to chase and no time for bow riding today. Maybe next time!

Though conditions were good enough to continue to Ketchikan, we stuck to our plan—just a four-hour run—and dropped anchor in Brundige alongside two other boats. Last time we were here, we were swarmed by bugs, but this time a steady breeze kept them at bay—much to Karen’s relief.

Another solid day of cruising in the books. Next stop: U.S. waters.