Geographic Harbor

Position N 58 d 06.908
        W 154 d 36.400
   18 August

Well we did not stop in Port Wrangell.  We hit some bad weather and adverse currents that would have put us there quite late so we opted to spend one more night at sea and go straight to Geographic Harbor and it looked like the right call.  Later in the day the sun came out the current switched and all looked good.  That was until about 23:00 last night.  Out of no where the breeze picked up and for nearly 5 hours it blew over 30 knots one time hitting 38.6 knots.  Then the barometer bottomed out and started to rise and the wind eased to the the mid teens and we thought all would be good.  Then at about 6 the wind came back with a vengence.  Pauline clocked over 47 knots and the seas were miserable.  We thought we would be protected in the straight by Kodiak but we were wrong.  We ended up pulling off all sail and using the engine at idle to maintain steerage and we were clocking over 7.5 knots.  Good news was that we would get into Geographic sooner. Bad news is we would have to turn beam on and run over shallow water before gaining protection from the cape at the entrance.  But it did prove to be a wide entrances and we were able to configure our course to head in at a broad angle surfing the waves in.  But once we got behind that cape a whole new world opened for us.  We both think this is the most beautiful harbor we have ever been in.  We have tried to take pictures but there is something here that just makes us feel small but inspired.  Also with the wind sort of blocked by the various mountains the sun could do its job and for the first time since reaching Alaska we were both hot and all the outer garments came off.  The bears are out in force and the only drawback of this place is there are six boats here shawing the four separate bays with us.  But the good news is the main bay is very large (deep, but large) and three boats pale into insignificance in it.  We have an open view of the bears walking the shore while we sit on deck and drink our wine.  So though miserable getting here it was all worth it.