About Me
- SY Sari Timur
- Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
- I am owned by Pauline and Mark Blasky. My hull was built at the Duncan Marine Yard in Taiwan and launched in Dec of 1980. It is a William Garden design based on the Pixie Design and called by Duncan Marine a Freedom 45. They are the fourth owners and have owned me the longest. They have done extensive refitting to me including replacing my entire deck structure and rig. My masts are roughly 10% taller than original and now are made of aluminium as opposed to the original wood ones, which, though pretty, were always problematic. You can read more about me under "MORE ABOUT SARI TIMUR"
July 31, 2019
Leaving Valdez
We have been here one week and it is time to cast off the lines and remove the power cord again. We head out in about an hour. Looks like good weather for the next few days. Light and contrary winds but still good weather, so we are out of here. Valdez is a pretty neat stop. It has three museums as well as a beautiful backdrop and enough commerce to replenish and resupply.
July 27, 2019
Some Pictures
We have been struggling with internet but now have at least a few photos for most of the older blogs. May ad a couple more later
July 24, 2019
Cheeseburgers! Bars! and Shore Power Arrival Valdez
Position N 61 d 07.42 Slip T16 in Valdez's new small boat harbor
W 146 d 20.16
We stayed a couple of days watching the bears and water falling in Cascade Bay and we headed out towards Columbia glacier. But after motorsailing for over 6 hours, yes we got some sails up, we reached the opening to Columbia Bay. However, the bergs were out and big, and with ten miles to get up the fiord we decided the ice was going to do us in so we snucked in under Heather Island to Emerald Cove. Emerald was nice and the weather was not so we stayed there watching the icebergs float back and forth outside the bay. Finally this morning we left and we battled the fishing boats and fog but no rain until we finally got into Valdez. Already had our first burger and beers and though the internet is slow we promise to put photos on to the previous blogs over the next few days so keep watching the older blogs.
W 146 d 20.16
We stayed a couple of days watching the bears and water falling in Cascade Bay and we headed out towards Columbia glacier. But after motorsailing for over 6 hours, yes we got some sails up, we reached the opening to Columbia Bay. However, the bergs were out and big, and with ten miles to get up the fiord we decided the ice was going to do us in so we snucked in under Heather Island to Emerald Cove. Emerald was nice and the weather was not so we stayed there watching the icebergs float back and forth outside the bay. Finally this morning we left and we battled the fishing boats and fog but no rain until we finally got into Valdez. Already had our first burger and beers and though the internet is slow we promise to put photos on to the previous blogs over the next few days so keep watching the older blogs.
July 19, 2019
Cascade Bay
Position N 60 d 54.80
W 147 d 48.64
Talk about a great welcome to a beautiful anchorage. As we were dropping anchor we spotted a black bear with a salmon in his mouth on the beach in front of us. There is a little waterfall right next to us and a larger beautiful waterfall just a little bit away. Cascade Falls is one of the most outstanding waterfalls in the Sound. It is not quite up to the way it was hyped but it is still one of the prettiest falls we have seen. We hopped in the dinghy after arriving to head off over to the falls for some better photos. On the way back we slipped back over by the shore near our boat and again found a mother and her cub feeding on salmon. There is supposed to be two trails from the beach here up to the lake but with all the bears that we see around here we are not so sure we are going to dig around looking for it.
But we do plan to spend two nights here. So maybe tomorrow we might gain some nerve.
W 147 d 48.64
Talk about a great welcome to a beautiful anchorage. As we were dropping anchor we spotted a black bear with a salmon in his mouth on the beach in front of us. There is a little waterfall right next to us and a larger beautiful waterfall just a little bit away. Cascade Falls is one of the most outstanding waterfalls in the Sound. It is not quite up to the way it was hyped but it is still one of the prettiest falls we have seen. We hopped in the dinghy after arriving to head off over to the falls for some better photos. On the way back we slipped back over by the shore near our boat and again found a mother and her cub feeding on salmon. There is supposed to be two trails from the beach here up to the lake but with all the bears that we see around here we are not so sure we are going to dig around looking for it.
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| There is a bear on the left of the stream and another on the right |
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| Cascade Falls |
July 18, 2019
College Fiord
Position N 60 d 53.64 North Granite Bay
W 148 d 03.67
We woke up yesterday to sunshine and blue skies. Wait, didn't the forecast say rain? We talked about going the rest of the way up the fiord to see the glaciers but it was going to be a late start so we decided to just explore where we were. We waited for high tide and tried to take the dinghy up the river that lead to the lake. The river, because it runs over a tidal plain, meanders in different directions during different years and water levels. So it took a bit to find the main flow. We never made it all the way to the lake, we were about two thirds of the way up but the current flow was so strong that our poor dinghy was barely making headway. We were worried that the level was going to drop too much before we made it all the way back so we gave up and turned around. After getting back to the main bay we took the dinghy around to check on other points we had noticed that looked interesting. After dinner it started to rain, but we made up our minds to get an early start and look at the weather for the day. At six am there was a lot of fog down low but blue skies and the sun was shining so we decided to get underway, hoping the fog would burn off. It did and we ended up having a perfect day to visit the glaciers.
The glaciers in college fiord are all named after famous universities and the two largest glaciers are Harvard and Yale. Harvard is a huge glacier and is advancing. It is actually made up of or fed by several glaciers by the names of Radcliffe, Eliot, Lowell, and Baltimore of course this comingling of glaciers adds several lateral moraines to it giving it a dirty look. There are also three or more glaciers on the side before you get to Harvard. They are Wellesley, Vassar, Bryn Mawr and Smith. Yale is on another arm off to the right. We had been negotiating ice for a while before we got to Yale arm but what we could see of it made us think it was a prettier glacier than the others so we headed in. We made it almost to the glacier face and are extremely glad we did as it is maybe the prettiest glacier we have seen so far and just to add some sugar to the frosting there was a reasonable calving just before we turned around. Note when we say we got close to the glacier we mean a quarter to a half mile away. This is prudent for any tidal glacier, because a large calving causes rather large waves.
Anyways by the time we made it back to the Harvard arm and started negotiating the ice there, the tides had changed and the wind was up packing the ice a lot closer together so we gave up at about the mile and a half to go line. On the way back down the fiord the weather just kept improving and by the time we anchored in Granite Bay the temperature was nearly seventy with super intense sunshine.
Tomorrow we hope to make it to Cascade Falls. The sound is loaded with waterfalls, most of them flowing from glacier melt. Cascade is flowing down from a large lake so it has a very wide apron and is supposed to be pretty spectacular. We hope to go and find out.
W 148 d 03.67
We woke up yesterday to sunshine and blue skies. Wait, didn't the forecast say rain? We talked about going the rest of the way up the fiord to see the glaciers but it was going to be a late start so we decided to just explore where we were. We waited for high tide and tried to take the dinghy up the river that lead to the lake. The river, because it runs over a tidal plain, meanders in different directions during different years and water levels. So it took a bit to find the main flow. We never made it all the way to the lake, we were about two thirds of the way up but the current flow was so strong that our poor dinghy was barely making headway. We were worried that the level was going to drop too much before we made it all the way back so we gave up and turned around. After getting back to the main bay we took the dinghy around to check on other points we had noticed that looked interesting. After dinner it started to rain, but we made up our minds to get an early start and look at the weather for the day. At six am there was a lot of fog down low but blue skies and the sun was shining so we decided to get underway, hoping the fog would burn off. It did and we ended up having a perfect day to visit the glaciers.
The glaciers in college fiord are all named after famous universities and the two largest glaciers are Harvard and Yale. Harvard is a huge glacier and is advancing. It is actually made up of or fed by several glaciers by the names of Radcliffe, Eliot, Lowell, and Baltimore of course this comingling of glaciers adds several lateral moraines to it giving it a dirty look. There are also three or more glaciers on the side before you get to Harvard. They are Wellesley, Vassar, Bryn Mawr and Smith. Yale is on another arm off to the right. We had been negotiating ice for a while before we got to Yale arm but what we could see of it made us think it was a prettier glacier than the others so we headed in. We made it almost to the glacier face and are extremely glad we did as it is maybe the prettiest glacier we have seen so far and just to add some sugar to the frosting there was a reasonable calving just before we turned around. Note when we say we got close to the glacier we mean a quarter to a half mile away. This is prudent for any tidal glacier, because a large calving causes rather large waves.
Anyways by the time we made it back to the Harvard arm and started negotiating the ice there, the tides had changed and the wind was up packing the ice a lot closer together so we gave up at about the mile and a half to go line. On the way back down the fiord the weather just kept improving and by the time we anchored in Granite Bay the temperature was nearly seventy with super intense sunshine.
Tomorrow we hope to make it to Cascade Falls. The sound is loaded with waterfalls, most of them flowing from glacier melt. Cascade is flowing down from a large lake so it has a very wide apron and is supposed to be pretty spectacular. We hope to go and find out.
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| all the glaciers that lead to Harvard at the head of the fiord |
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| Harvard Glacier, a little closer |
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| Yale Glacier |
July 16, 2019
Barry Arm and Harriman Fiord
Position N 61 d 04.21 At the entrance to College Fiord
W 147 d 56.49
The sunny weather is no more. Or at least it seems that way. We had rain and fog/smog for the past week and the forecast is declaring rain for the next few days. Yesterday however it looked like we might have a bit of a respite so we set off early to try our luck making it to Harriman Fiord. The warm temperatures have left us and with the dampness in the air it felt cold. But the visibility was holding. Just after we crossed into Harriman we snapped one of those really nice pictures that still doesn't do it justice, of the three glaciers behind us, Cascade, Barry and Coxe. Harriman Fiord is truly gorgeous and hard for most to see. Far from the beaten path and only available to tourist by two tour boats or via kayak tours, we shared the fiord for nearly five hours with only mother nature and a campsite of people using six kayaks. We didn't see the people but did count the kayaks. They were probably hiking inland.
Harriman Fiord is beautiful with numerous large glacier fed waterfalls, abundant greenery and of course glaciers and ice. Luckily the ice was not thick and we made it all the way to the base of Harriman Glacier. This is the widest glacier we have seen but was not that active. As we turned around the rain got heavier and it seemed like the fog was chasing us out so we uped the engine revs and we wanted to sneak in closer to Surprise Glacier which was responsible for almost all of the the ice we were dodging. Just as we got in we witnessed the biggest calving either of us had ever seen. It threw up a series of huge splashes and some large waves, not to mention the resounding thunder-like noise. But soon the fog was around us and off we head to try and get over the moraine that separates Harriman from Barry Arm. This moraine was where the glacier face stood in 1898 but now Barry Glacier has receded 10 miles back making the fiord what it is. Crossing the moraine is not that bad but the water flowing over the the extreme shallows did threw us some whirl pools that swung us around a bit as we crossed over.
Though the weather was bad we had good views of whales spouting, a number of seals and probably the largest density of a sea otter colony we have yet seen. But by the time we hit the anchorage it was time for some spaghetti bolognese Mark had whipped up and to turn on the heater.
The weather is supposed to be bad for the next couple of days so even though we are at the entrance to College Fiord, we are going to sit for a bit for a weather window before we proceed further to view Yale and Harvard Glaciers. After those we will start heading to Valdez to reprovision a bit and get a good beer and a burger! before we do much more exploring.
W 147 d 56.49
The sunny weather is no more. Or at least it seems that way. We had rain and fog/smog for the past week and the forecast is declaring rain for the next few days. Yesterday however it looked like we might have a bit of a respite so we set off early to try our luck making it to Harriman Fiord. The warm temperatures have left us and with the dampness in the air it felt cold. But the visibility was holding. Just after we crossed into Harriman we snapped one of those really nice pictures that still doesn't do it justice, of the three glaciers behind us, Cascade, Barry and Coxe. Harriman Fiord is truly gorgeous and hard for most to see. Far from the beaten path and only available to tourist by two tour boats or via kayak tours, we shared the fiord for nearly five hours with only mother nature and a campsite of people using six kayaks. We didn't see the people but did count the kayaks. They were probably hiking inland.
Harriman Fiord is beautiful with numerous large glacier fed waterfalls, abundant greenery and of course glaciers and ice. Luckily the ice was not thick and we made it all the way to the base of Harriman Glacier. This is the widest glacier we have seen but was not that active. As we turned around the rain got heavier and it seemed like the fog was chasing us out so we uped the engine revs and we wanted to sneak in closer to Surprise Glacier which was responsible for almost all of the the ice we were dodging. Just as we got in we witnessed the biggest calving either of us had ever seen. It threw up a series of huge splashes and some large waves, not to mention the resounding thunder-like noise. But soon the fog was around us and off we head to try and get over the moraine that separates Harriman from Barry Arm. This moraine was where the glacier face stood in 1898 but now Barry Glacier has receded 10 miles back making the fiord what it is. Crossing the moraine is not that bad but the water flowing over the the extreme shallows did threw us some whirl pools that swung us around a bit as we crossed over.
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| Surprise Glacier |
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| Some glacier fed waterfalls in Harriman Fiord |
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| Harriman Glacier |
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| Surprise Glacier, a little closer |
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| Cascade, Barry and Coxe Glaciers (from left to right) |
Though the weather was bad we had good views of whales spouting, a number of seals and probably the largest density of a sea otter colony we have yet seen. But by the time we hit the anchorage it was time for some spaghetti bolognese Mark had whipped up and to turn on the heater.
 |
| a lot of sea otters floating in Barry Arm |
The weather is supposed to be bad for the next couple of days so even though we are at the entrance to College Fiord, we are going to sit for a bit for a weather window before we proceed further to view Yale and Harvard Glaciers. After those we will start heading to Valdez to reprovision a bit and get a good beer and a burger! before we do much more exploring.
July 14, 2019
In Pirate Cove
Position N 60 d 51.93
W 148 d 18.27
Well, we didn't leave Blue Fiord Bight like we thought we would. That evening we fired up the generator before we went to bed and it started shutting down. After a couple of hours of trouble shooting we deduced we had a faulty hi temp cutout sensor. We had a spare and decided that in the morning we would get after it and delay a few hours. As all good plans go however what should have been a two hour job took most of the day. The sensor disintegrated upon removal and left a big chunk in the water pump, so we ended up having to take the water pump off. We damaged the gasket so we had to use a bunch a permatex for where it cracked etc, etc. Anyway by the time we finished we decided we ought to delay for a day.
As we were coming out we caught sight of another sailboat. We checked the AIS and sort of remembered the name. Soon after we were hailed by Giebateau, a Dutch boat we had first met in Nagasaki and then met properly in Hokkaido. They made the crossing over to Alaska just in front of us and we had been missing each other by a few days. Anyway, they decided to change their plans and anchor with us for the night so we could get caught up.
The weather was one of those almost rain kind of days where everything gets soaked but nothing really gets washed down. So a perfect day to sit below and chat with Paul and Caroline. Hopefully this rain will get a little heavier and remove some of the smoke and help douse the fires as we are now getting close to College Fiord and we want to have good viz heading up there.
W 148 d 18.27
Well, we didn't leave Blue Fiord Bight like we thought we would. That evening we fired up the generator before we went to bed and it started shutting down. After a couple of hours of trouble shooting we deduced we had a faulty hi temp cutout sensor. We had a spare and decided that in the morning we would get after it and delay a few hours. As all good plans go however what should have been a two hour job took most of the day. The sensor disintegrated upon removal and left a big chunk in the water pump, so we ended up having to take the water pump off. We damaged the gasket so we had to use a bunch a permatex for where it cracked etc, etc. Anyway by the time we finished we decided we ought to delay for a day.
As we were coming out we caught sight of another sailboat. We checked the AIS and sort of remembered the name. Soon after we were hailed by Giebateau, a Dutch boat we had first met in Nagasaki and then met properly in Hokkaido. They made the crossing over to Alaska just in front of us and we had been missing each other by a few days. Anyway, they decided to change their plans and anchor with us for the night so we could get caught up.
The weather was one of those almost rain kind of days where everything gets soaked but nothing really gets washed down. So a perfect day to sit below and chat with Paul and Caroline. Hopefully this rain will get a little heavier and remove some of the smoke and help douse the fires as we are now getting close to College Fiord and we want to have good viz heading up there.
July 10, 2019
Blue Fiord
This morning we saw the smoke was still pretty strong, so we decided not to head off for anchorages further up the trail. We were discussing what to do today, the fiord supposedly is famous for a breeze that either blows in or out. So we decided to take the big boat rather than the dinghy. We have been having some issues with the oil pressure gauge so Mark had been probing around the pressure gauge wires before we turned it off last night. This morning when we fired up the engine the tachometer was intermittent so we figured he had damaged the field wire connection. A quick check confirmed this and he made a quick temporary repair and we were off. We had a great trip to the head of the fiord and had a pretty view of Ultramarine Glacier. After we were back and anchored, Mark set out to replace the tach wire. Pauline was on deck and noticed an eagle's nest with eaglets in it. So once the wire was done there was time for watching the babies getting fed.
July 8, 2019
We Are Not Lost
Position N 60 d 29.55 Blue Fiord Bite
W 148 d 14.54
For those of you that wondered if we fell off the end of the world. We haven't! We kind of got stuck in our anchorage in Eshamy Bay. We were going to leave Tuesday morning but Monday night was a bit foggy and we decided to do a movie binge with a bottle of wine or two. So Tuesday was canceled while we slept in. But at about 09:00 Mark jumped up and said there was a sailboat just next to us. So out of bed we hopped to see it was Matt and Dana whom we knew from the W.H. Seward Yacht Club. As we missed them before leaving, they decided to swing over and say hello/goodbye in person. As we had not seen another soul for almost three weeks we began talking their ears off. So they rafted up to us and cooked us breakfast while we caught up. They only had a week in the sound so were under a bit of a time constraint. They were also traveling in tandem with a power boat who was having problems with a leaking hot water hose for his Northern Lights generator. Mark explained that he had a pretty sizeable supply of spare hoses and that he was welcome to whichever one might fit his need closest. So he came over to pick up the hose and offered to pick up Matt and Dana's Shrimp pots so they could visit longer. Finally at about 14:00 hours we were getting ready to depart when we spied a black bear on the beach. So we waited a little longer getting some pics. They mentioned as we got closer to Whittier during 4th of July week we might find anchorages taken up by fishermen. That night we had more bears to watch, and again the next morning. So we ended up staying longer and exploring the bay better by dinghy as well as get after some chores. Note : every day we had bears on the beach and one day we had three at once.
So after eight days with nearly 80 degree temperatures everyday in Eshamy, we finally left. Our plan was to anchor in Blue Fiord Bite but after we had swung through the not often visited Kings Bay. We had signal again when we got out of Eshamy so it was clear emails and call mom and let her know we were having fun.
The smog was rather bad again today. All these high temps and no rain has been sprouting forest fires which cause the smog. We got about two thirds of the way down Kings Bay when the scenery dropped off so we turned around back to our anchorage for tonight.
We plan to leave tomorrow but if the smog is so bad we might delay. It is supposed to rain Tuesday Night and Wednesday, which hopefully will drop the smog factor a bit. We would like good clean viz or rain for when we enter College Fiord so we can get some good views of the glaciers up there.
The phone signal was only for a short while and we were motoring through multiple salmon fishermen and their nets so we could not upload any pics yet. We think that won't probably happen until we hit Valdez, but you never know we might get some signal in one of the anchorages before that.
W 148 d 14.54
For those of you that wondered if we fell off the end of the world. We haven't! We kind of got stuck in our anchorage in Eshamy Bay. We were going to leave Tuesday morning but Monday night was a bit foggy and we decided to do a movie binge with a bottle of wine or two. So Tuesday was canceled while we slept in. But at about 09:00 Mark jumped up and said there was a sailboat just next to us. So out of bed we hopped to see it was Matt and Dana whom we knew from the W.H. Seward Yacht Club. As we missed them before leaving, they decided to swing over and say hello/goodbye in person. As we had not seen another soul for almost three weeks we began talking their ears off. So they rafted up to us and cooked us breakfast while we caught up. They only had a week in the sound so were under a bit of a time constraint. They were also traveling in tandem with a power boat who was having problems with a leaking hot water hose for his Northern Lights generator. Mark explained that he had a pretty sizeable supply of spare hoses and that he was welcome to whichever one might fit his need closest. So he came over to pick up the hose and offered to pick up Matt and Dana's Shrimp pots so they could visit longer. Finally at about 14:00 hours we were getting ready to depart when we spied a black bear on the beach. So we waited a little longer getting some pics. They mentioned as we got closer to Whittier during 4th of July week we might find anchorages taken up by fishermen. That night we had more bears to watch, and again the next morning. So we ended up staying longer and exploring the bay better by dinghy as well as get after some chores. Note : every day we had bears on the beach and one day we had three at once.
 |
| zoom is not good enough to catch the bear .... |
 |
| .... but you can make out that it is a bear |
So after eight days with nearly 80 degree temperatures everyday in Eshamy, we finally left. Our plan was to anchor in Blue Fiord Bite but after we had swung through the not often visited Kings Bay. We had signal again when we got out of Eshamy so it was clear emails and call mom and let her know we were having fun.
The smog was rather bad again today. All these high temps and no rain has been sprouting forest fires which cause the smog. We got about two thirds of the way down Kings Bay when the scenery dropped off so we turned around back to our anchorage for tonight.
We plan to leave tomorrow but if the smog is so bad we might delay. It is supposed to rain Tuesday Night and Wednesday, which hopefully will drop the smog factor a bit. We would like good clean viz or rain for when we enter College Fiord so we can get some good views of the glaciers up there.
The phone signal was only for a short while and we were motoring through multiple salmon fishermen and their nets so we could not upload any pics yet. We think that won't probably happen until we hit Valdez, but you never know we might get some signal in one of the anchorages before that.
July 2, 2019
Eshamy Bay
Position N 60d 27.09
W 147d 58.46
So we stayed in 7 Fathom Hole for a day longer. And why not? It is one of the most protected anchorages we have been in. Not too mention it was a good place to base ourselves while exploring beautiful Jackpot Bay. We got lots of miles underway using the dinghy exploring this bay and its nooks and crannies.
We decided to leave yesterday and as we got closer to Eshamy we were able to pick up weather. Monday night is supposed to be gusting to 30 knots so we chose the south eastern anchorage as it offered better holding, swing room, and protection than the others. We did get an unexpected surprise as we were negotiating the outer rocks. Our phones started beeping, we had cell service. Hundreds of messages and emails hit our phones. Unfortunately the signal disappeared inside the anchorage.
Eshamy Bay is busy! Lots of fishing boats and pleasure crafts here. Of course it is Fourth of July week and we are getting pretty close to Whittier.
Eshamy River is one of the major freshwater systems in the Sound and it supports trout, red, pink and silver salmon.
This morning the weather report dropped the winds a little but we will still stay put today and err on the side of caution before we head out. The smog is very heavy today and we understand it has made travel dangerous on the Seward Highway. We are enjoying the great hot dry weather, but unfortunately these are the key ingredients for forest fires.
W 147d 58.46
So we stayed in 7 Fathom Hole for a day longer. And why not? It is one of the most protected anchorages we have been in. Not too mention it was a good place to base ourselves while exploring beautiful Jackpot Bay. We got lots of miles underway using the dinghy exploring this bay and its nooks and crannies.
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| view of the head of Jackpot Bay |
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| a neat waterfall in Jackpot Bay |
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| view of our anchorage from Jackpot Bay |
We decided to leave yesterday and as we got closer to Eshamy we were able to pick up weather. Monday night is supposed to be gusting to 30 knots so we chose the south eastern anchorage as it offered better holding, swing room, and protection than the others. We did get an unexpected surprise as we were negotiating the outer rocks. Our phones started beeping, we had cell service. Hundreds of messages and emails hit our phones. Unfortunately the signal disappeared inside the anchorage.
Eshamy Bay is busy! Lots of fishing boats and pleasure crafts here. Of course it is Fourth of July week and we are getting pretty close to Whittier.
Eshamy River is one of the major freshwater systems in the Sound and it supports trout, red, pink and silver salmon.
This morning the weather report dropped the winds a little but we will still stay put today and err on the side of caution before we head out. The smog is very heavy today and we understand it has made travel dangerous on the Seward Highway. We are enjoying the great hot dry weather, but unfortunately these are the key ingredients for forest fires.
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