Today was a day for mariners! Our intrepid fleet departed the docks of Wrangell and turned north to brave Wrangell Narrows. The 21 nautical miles of close quarter ledges, rocks and flats is made navigable by the over 60 red and green buoys that guide the way. It is these colorful buoys and day markers that give Wrangell Narrows its infamous nickname, Christmas Tree Alley. The real challenge, however, lies at the end of the narrows. The current in Petersburg’s South Harbor can, at its extremes, rip through the harbor at 6 knots. All that current can make docking a real team sport. Our skippers and crews really brought their A-game and by mid-afternoon all our vessels were docked neatly in their slips.

Once settled, the crews decided to explore the quaint, fishing town of Petersburg. Often referred to as Little Norway, the residents of Petersburg proudly display their Norwegian roots. The town’s cheery storefronts and sidewalks are bedecked with painted flowers, a traditional Norwegian design called rosemaling. The boardwalk into town goes past the Sons of Norway Hall, which boasts a miniaturized dragon ship and monument to lost fishermen in its plaza. The crews from Patos and Inception made sure to visit the local seafood vendor, Coastal Cold Storage, to purchase some fresh king cab legs, black cod and Alaskan oyster. Inception’s crew was happy as a clam, or in this case, an oyster!