Day 36 Last day at sea

Dear Diary

After a somewhat mixed night of sleep, awakened by the sudden rolling of the ship as it enters Milbanke Sound from the confines of Tolmie Channel. So we start our last 24 hours on the ship. The weather is cool and overcast.  We pass through the sound quickly and enter quieter water; we pass a small coastal town called Bella Bella. As we pass through this part of the channel there is only about 25 yards of clearance on each side of the ship.  Pat spots a small pod of Orcas.  We have been seeing lots of logs and stumps floating in the water since Ketchikan.  Thinking this has a lot to do with logging in the area and that trees grow thick up to the rocky shore borders and they fall in.  And the big rushing rivers add to it.  The rolling hills and small mountains that border the inside passage are heavily forested, we are in rainforest with high rainfall and warmer weather.  We have been traveling the western edge of the coastal mountains on the water.  We drove up their eastern edge.  By the time we reach Bellingham we will have made a near circle.  We will have traveled 1,629 miles on the water.  Added to our 5000 RV mileage = 6,629 miles + 358 Hudson to Chicago + 408 Chicago to Minneapolis + 133 Mn to Forest city, Iowa + 200 miles to Seward, day trip + 148 bus miles Bellingham to Seattle = 7,876 miles.  This is not counting our mileage for 10 days in the Anchorage area.  We are starting to see high snow covered peaks again.  It is warmer here, the sky is bright overcast.  We noticed the water smelled different after Juneau.  One of the coast guard men told us there is a difference with tide changes.  So, not sure what it is that we sense.  It is hard to tell where the tide is in its cycle in these narrow waters.  We enjoy lunch on board, no stops at ports of call today.  After nice long showers with lots of hot water we take our perch on the back deck.  We spend the day with people we’ve met along the way and lots of conversation and storytelling.  We pass near open water which rocks the ship a bit and then back to protected waters.  We enter the Queen Charlotte Sound which is open water.  We see more rare white lighthouse buildings with pretty red roofs.    We enter Charlotte Strait which narrows to Johnstone Strait.  Very pretty tree covered mountains, some with snow.  We are surrounded by tall, steep peaks and beautiful high mountains in the east.  We enter Discovery Passage that follows Vancouver Island.  Pat sees a large pod of Dall porpoises, small, sleek, fast, black back, and white belly.  We are surrounded on all sides by high peaks, some with snow.  Mountains fold into mountains, closing the waterway behind us as we go.  Logging on the sheer mountain sides is obvious.  Canada reseeds their cut forest.  One of the Holland Cruise ships out of Ketchikan has been following us at a distance for some time.  We have a further narrowing at Herioto Bay where the ferry stops and pulls over to the side and begins to make a 360 degree turn.  This allows the cruise ship to pass us.  3 Canadian navy ships pass by, 4 people on water ski-dos, 2 logging barges, fishing boats are all in the area.  It’s quite a site to see these big ships maneuver.  We are seeing some strange tide changes with opposite tide movement and whirlpools. We pass on to Campbell River area.  It’s a large city with a hydro-electric dam near the site.  There are beautiful houses sitting across the Bay, many sitting on over hanging rocks and stilts.  The main city sits on the other side and appears quite large.  The coastal mountains are prominent behind the city and in the area.  The scenery in the last part of the day is especially beautiful.  Just as nice as anything we have seen.  We have a grilled salmon dinner in the bar with a beer.  We step outside one more time for the last of the day’s light.  We enter the Strait of Georgia and have open wide water.  The lights on the Holland America crusie ship are lit, looking like a floating city.  We overtake it.  There is talk we will get in early tomorrow but it won’t make any difference.  We have received information on final departure.  We will get a wake up call at 7AM and they want a speedy departure off the boat.  Pat is finishing the blog for the day.  We have been in Word for several days now.  As soon as we settle in Olympia we will enter them into the blog to catch up.  We are packing tonight so we can be ready in the morning.  It’s been a great trip, no rain, and no sunset tonight.  Everyday has been filled with adventure and we have met very interesting people along the way.  The ferry offers a very special type of travel.  Not without some hitches, but the rewards are worth it.  We will pass by Vancouver during the night and Bellingham first thing in the morning.  On to the last leg of the trip before home.  Night.

Info on Alaska Ferry of the Alaska Marine Highway System:  Our ship, MV Kennicott.  A ocean class roll on - roll off vessel.  Length:  382' Draft 17.5', Vehicle capacity:  cars only max. 120.  Can take large containers, RV's and trucks.  passengers: 748 for SE, 500 Gulf service.  Staterooms: Class A 51/198 berths; Class C 34/68 berths; Roomettes 24/48 berths.  max speed 19 knots, cruise speed, 16.8 knots; one passenger elevator, one vehicle elevator (80,000 pounds); helicopter platform. It has Active fins stabilization, not found on all ferries. Builder Halter Marine Incorporated, Moss Point Mississippi.  Delivery 1998.  Tony Knowles, Governor.  Cost $80 Million. Home port:  Valdez, Alaska. The staff we met were mostly Alaskans, which we were glad to find out.  Many from Southeast.