“Slip! Slop! Slap!” Wise words from our Australian guests on Bonum Vitae on how to handle a sun filled day. Slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen, and slap on a hat; now you’re ready to go to sunny Petersburg with Mother Goose. Prior to getting under way, the fleet enjoyed a leisurely morning; most folks enjoyed coffee on deck, while Larry and Craig, enjoyed cooking their catch of crab on the dock. By mid-morning the fleet took off, heading north through Sumner Strait beneath a stupendously sunny sky. Before we could reach our final destination, however, the fleet had to make it through the notorious Wrangell Narrows. 22 miles, over 60 aids to navigation and seemingly endless crab pots navigating the Wrangell Narrows takes a keen pilot and a steely crew. Of course, Mother Goose made the passage with out fault, passing fishing vessels, pleasure boats and a few unlucky capsized vessels in our route.

Frank, a particularly grand Stellar sea lion who frequents the green can outside Petersburg harbor, greeted our boats as we cruised into port. Once settled, crews busied themselves exploring Petersburg in the sunshine. Past the boys catching herring off the dock, past the fishing boats unloading nets at the packing plant and into the lively town of Petersburg we went. Dubbed “Little Norway” with good reason, the towns history and heritage was evident in the Norwegian flags hung from lamp posts and the shop fronts intricately painted with traditional floral designs called rosmaldings.  Denise and Elaine perused the artisan shops in town while Bill, Carrol, Annie and Frank delved into the history of Petersburg by visiting the Clausen Memorial Museum. All in all a fantastic day in Southeast Alaska.