Explorer Basin Lay Day

We awoke to the sound of a whale blow nearby and looked out onto another beautiful sunny day with light winds in this protected Explorer Basin. The forecast for weather on the west side of Baranof has been deteriorating for the last few days so Captain Chris made the decision to change course and avoid the 8-10 foot seas and 25-30 knot winds that were forecasted. Instead, we will head to the north end of Kuiu Island to visit Halleck Harbor off Saginaw Bay.

It was a perfect day for a lay day. Everyone awoke on their own time schedule and partook in whatever activity pleased them most, fishing, dingy excursions, kayaking and beach explorations. The wildlife in this bay includes small plump marbled murrelets feeding on small forage fish like sand lance which are plentiful in this basin. Murrelets are entertaining to watch take off as they flap their wings a few times followed by a belly bounce off the water to launch them a bit higher for the final take off.

Nancy, Diana and Jane strolled along a beach marveling at the beautifully striated rocks, native plants and tidewater critters. We found a few otter and heron bones scattered along the rocky shoreline. Floyd and Cheryl kayaked for a few hours traversing a large part of this expansive basin! Finn found a sandy beach to take his kayak and rest on the sand in solitude while the eagles flew overhead to their nearby nest. The Thea crew went out fishing and came back with loads more rockfish which the generously shared with the fleet. After spending one night, La Vida decided to check out Red Bluff which they had missed as they traveled up Ford’s Terror; they will be in for a treat in that awesome bay!

After a full day of individualized adventures, Bonum Vitae invited the entire fleet over for happy hour. Although 21 people boarded Bonum Vitae, it was surprisingly uncrowded with room to mingle between the enclosed and outdoor seating on the bridge, spacious aft deck and very spacious saloon. The evening was filled with grateful thanks for generosity of fish, crab, kayaks etc., shared stories, fishing tips and LOTS of laughter! Afterwards we all thanked our “Brother’s-3” hosts Joe, Mark and David and returned to our respective boats for dinner and a quiet evening.