Petersburg Lay Day

Sunshine in Petersburg! A welcome change from our gray May visit and a perfect excuse to enjoy town.

We kicked off the day with breakfast at the always-reliable Salty Pantry. Great as ever—and we grabbed two sticky buns to sweeten tomorrow’s early departure.

Top priority today: provisions. We restocked the pantry as best we could, though the produce section was a little weary. We grabbed the essentials and left the limp lettuce behind.

Karen’s power bank had given up the ghost a few days ago, so we stopped at Homeport Electronics for a replacement—highly recommended spot if you need tech support in Southeast.

Back aboard OceanFlyer, we tackled laundry, topped off the water tanks, and knocked out a few boat chores in prep for the journey south.

Dinner was a return to El Zarape, where we stuck with the favorites—Birria Tacos for Bob, Rockfish Tacos for Karen. Just as delicious the second time around.

We wrapped up the evening with another visit aboard Spirit. Patrick and Miriam welcomed us back to meet their guests and sample a refreshing lychee and gin cocktail. Great drinks, good conversation, and a cozy cap to a productive lay day.

Tomorrow, we point the bow toward Wrangell as we continue the slow, sweet slide toward home.

Foot Island to Petersburg

Today’s cruise was all about timing—specifically, slack water at the top of Wrangell Narrows. Hit it right and docking in Petersburg is a breeze. Miss it, and things get... sporty. Slack was around 1:30 p.m., so we enjoyed a relaxed morning and a mid-day departure from Foot Island.

The cruise south was smooth and scenic. We passed pod after pod of humpbacks—plenty of blows and tail flukes, though no bubble-netting or breaches today. Still, it’s always a thrill to have whales alongside.

A seadoo group passed us as we approached petersberg

Fun?

Petersburg doesn’t take slip reservations, but Karen gave the harbormaster a courtesy call this morning. To our surprise (and delight), they gave us the exact slip we had back in May. Familiar territory—and an easy landing.

The fish plant was working overtime, and with it came the unmistakable aroma of "money," as the locals like to say. Depending on the breeze, it ranged from barely noticeable to sinus-clearing strong.

Across the dock was Spirit, a 55' Selene. We’d met her owner, Patrick, earlier this year in Sitka. He and his wife, Miriam, invited us aboard for evening cocktails. We swapped Alaska cruising stories and heard about their far-flung adventures on expedition cruises—to Antarctica, the Arctic, and other dream-destination extremes.

They've been cruising Alaska for 14 seasons, balancing their own boat time with voyages to the ends of the Earth. A perfect end to a great day—old friends, new stories, and Petersburg’s unmistakable charm.

Ford’s Terror to Foot Island

It was tough to say goodbye to Ford’s Terror, but it was time to start heading south. We woke to overcast skies—Alaska’s way of giving us a gentle nudge to move on.

High tide in Juneau was around 6:15 a.m. at +13.4 feet. When we entered Ford’s Terror, the tidal exchange was bigger, and slack hit about 45 minutes after high. With today’s smaller exchange, we figured slack might come a bit earlier—but it’s never an exact science in this twisting slot.

We lifted anchor around 6:00 a.m. and cruised past the waterfall to stage just inside the narrows. Unlike our entry, this time a handful of icebergs had drifted into the inner basin, so we had to thread between them as we held position, watching the current.

From inside the dogleg, you can’t see the rapids—you have to trust your gut. At 6:50 a.m., we both agreed: now or never. We slipped through with about a knot of current on the nose and glassy water—no turbulence, no drama. Depth under the keel bottomed out at 13.1 feet. A Nordhavn was anchored in the outer bay, and a sailboat waited behind us. Once clear, we radioed back that conditions were favorable, and they followed us through.

Next stop: Foot Island, about six hours away. We passed Sumdum Glacier again, still stunning, and enjoyed a peaceful ride with mild seas and a few humpbacks feeding along the way. We even spotted a group of eight Sea Doos racing through the chop—soaked and bouncing. Definitely not our preferred way to cruise Alaska.

Foot Island is well protected in calm conditions, despite its exposure to the northwest. We dropped anchor in a basin nearly enclosed by a wide rocky shoal, with only a narrow channel for access. At low tide, the spit between Foot Island and Steamboat Bay looks like a manmade breakwater—steep and rugged. The bottom here is just as rocky, so it took a couple of tries to get a good set.

Food island anchorage

low tide at foot island

a completely different look at high tide

Once secure, we scouted the sprawling low-tide beaches and enjoyed the peaceful solitude. A quiet end to a big day—leaving the wild beauty of Ford’s Terror behind and settling into a new, rugged corner of Southeast Alaska.

sunset over foot island anchorage

Ford’s Terror Lay Day 2

Time to stretch our legs—today’s exploration was on solid ground. Instead of bouncing around in the dinghy, we set out to walk the grassy spit guarding the entrance to East Arm.

Landing on the spit guarding the East Arm in Ford’s Terror

This low-lying spit leaves only a narrow, rocky, shallow pass navigable by dinghy at slack—or by gutsy sailors with a well-timed plan. Endless Song, anchored just inside, had managed it like a pro.

S/V Endless Song tucked into the anchorge inside the entrance to the East Arm

We easily beached the dinghy and strolled the spit, watching the ebb tide tear through the pass at 4–5 knots. Submerged rocks disturbed the surface just enough to mark their presence, giving us a good look at the line we’d use—someday—if we ever decided to poke into East Arm ourselves.

Next up: the waterfall. We cruised to the base of the dramatic cascade we spotted on our way in. It’s all mist, roar, and granite—a classic Alaska scene. We even mused about whether the flow would hold a boat bow-to if you dropped anchor nearby. Tempting.

Curiosity then led us to the narrows—the infamous Ford’s Terror entry. Still ebbing hard, the rapids boiled and frothed just beyond the dogleg. We edged as close as we dared before spinning the dinghy and giving the outboard a burst to break free. It was useful recon—we’ll be heading back through there tomorrow.

Final stop: the shrimp pot. Jackpot! After a 20-hour soak, we pulled up 33 sweet, soft-bodied Coon Shrimp. Easier to peel and, in our opinion, even tastier than spot prawns. Being ultra-fresh didn’t hurt either.

All told, it was a 10.7-mile adventure by dinghy and foot, packed into three hours of classic Alaska exploration.

Back on board OceanFlyer, we noticed Endless Song flick her AIS back on and start creeping toward the narrows. Her track showed her hugging the south shore as she slipped through the tight spot, then she motored over and dropped anchor nearby. A few attempts were needed to find holding, but she finally settled in close to the west wall.

Looks like we’ll have company in the morning for the run out of Ford’s Terror. Not a bad way to wrap up a near-perfect day in one of Alaska’s most spectacular anchorages.

Ford’s Terror Lay Day

Karen was up early and, out of curiosity, scanned for AIS targets. Sure enough, Endless Song, a Canadian-flagged sailboat, was creeping into inner Ford’s Terror and headed straight for the East Arm. It’s a beautiful, one-boat anchorage—but known for uncharted rocks and tricky depths. To their credit, they took it slow and made it in without issue.

The skies were partly sunny—an invitation to enjoy a lazy morning. Karen had a bit of remote work to do, so we soaked in the view while she tackled a project surrounded by jaw-dropping scenery.

low morning clouds hugthe water

ford’s terror surrounds you with magnificant scenery

the river valley that feeds into ford’s terror

Over on Lituya, our neighbors launched kayaks and paddleboards for a shoreside dog walk and paddled by to say hello. They're based out of Juneau—friendly folks enjoying Alaska’s best, just like us.

In the afternoon, we dropped the dinghy and headed over to scout the East Arm. We could spot Endless Song’s mast, but strong tidal flow at the entrance ruled out any safe approach. We did find a temporary tide gauge set up near the mouth and took a closer look—always interesting to see science in action in such a wild place.

Lituya had mentioned prawning was decent here, so we set a pot before the wind kicked up and the water got sloppy. We took the long way back, hugging the shoreline to admire the cliffs and cascades.

Back aboard OceanFlyer, we noticed our stern was swinging a bit too close to the shoals for comfort. With Lituya departing, we made the move to their now-open spot, where the outflow from the creek keeps boats pointed safely away from shore.

low tide in ford’s terror

the river joins the flow from the waterfall on the right to create a steady flow that can hold your boat aways from the flats

With the prawn pot soaking overnight and no other boats in sight, we settled in for a tranquil evening. The entire West Arm was ours—a rare and magical kind of solitude you only find in places like Ford’s Terror.