Tidings of Joy: Alaska's First City

We headed towards Ketchikan with excited trepidation. This would be our final port in Alaska before making our way south and back home to the Puget Sound. Because of the previous nights anchorage we were anxious to get securely tied up and not worry about the boat for awhile. As we got closes to town our cellphones started picking up wifi and phone service and our phones began to beep and buzz and the overwhelming feeling of being connected again began. This time on top of the normal anxiety receiving 35 new texts and 90 new emails brings Jeff received a voicemail that made us both extra nervous. It was from our storage facility back in Seattle asking him to call them back right away. Not knowing what it could be about I took over the helm as he made the call. After a couple minutes the person at the storage facility informed him that our camper van we had stored there, "had been broken into and ransacked." What?! How is that even possible when the place is enclosed, locked up and the van was completely secure when we left it?! Our anxiety went through the roof. The next thing Jeff said is, "I have to leave. I have to go to Seattle and see what's going on and check on the van." I called the harbormaster and asked if we could go into our friends Chuck and Margaret's slip since we knew they were out of town for awhile. I continue to drive until I needed to set up the fenders while Jeff looked into flights. Welcome to Ketchikan. We got off the boat and checked in with the harbormaster and decided to walk to Oceanview for some margaritas and Mexican food. Jeff booked his flight and we settled in for the week.

Coming into Ketchikan

Ketchikan

Downtown Ketchikan

Stern View Bar Harbor Ketchikan

In the morning I woke up kinda sad knowing that Jeff had to catch a flight and head back to Seattle. We had breakfast together and he packed up some food for his lunch and just like that he was off. A cab took him to the ferry terminal and he took the ferry over to the airport which coincidently is directly across from the marina. I spent the day in p.j's doing chores like laundry and cleaning and blogging. Later in the day our friend Gary stopped by to say hello and see how we were doing. I took a walk and waited on news from Seattle.

Jeff Ketchikan Airport

Jeff Seattle Hotel

Jeff let me know that the van seemed okay mechanically and just a few things were stolen. He would take that next day to ensure the van was secure, get pictures and then return to Ketchikan that evening. I continued my chores and daily walk and decided to make him a special happy hour to reward him from his efforts. Jeff returned via plane, ferry and taxi and was noticeably tired from his quick trip to Seattle. We enjoyed our happy hour and he quickly melted back into the Alaska scene. Deadliest Catch was on so we watched that and went to bed early.

Ransacked Van

Van in Storage Unit

Jeff Landing in Ketchikan

Ferry Ride Back to Boat

Happy Hour

Evening Stern View

The next day we both slept in and were happy to be back together in our boating story.We woke up to the Seiner fleet back on the dock and it was full of fisherman busy working on their boats. It was quiet the scene. I drank coffee and just stared out the window. Later I started working on staging the boat for our departure and Jeff did a few odds and ends around the boat. That afternoon our friend Liz (Gary's wife) picked us up and took us to see their boat and also their woodshop and facilities where they outfit all of their commercial fishing fleet. The bay they keep their boat in was quiet and peaceful and serene. We helped Liz carry her provisions for their upcoming boat trip and a little later Gary joined us and gave us a full tour of their facilities. It was all so interesting and really cool to see inner working of the woodshed and all the equipment and tools they have in order to support their operation. After our tour and drinks we ordered some take out and had dinner aboard their boat. It was a really nice afternoon and evening.

The Seiners Return to Port

Sovereign Grace - Gary & Liz's Son's Boat

Gary & Liz's Boat

Woodshop

Bayview at Gary & Liz's Boat

Stern View - Gary & Liz's Boat

Gary & Liz's Pier and Woodshed

Inside the Woodshed

Us & Gary

Evening with the Seiners

The next day we decided to take a walk into town for our last glimpse before heading out in a couple of days. We carved out about and hour to get some exercise and see how town looked compared to April when we were here last. Mid walk we noticed a huge cruise ship that was docked at the pier and swarms of people everywhere. This was a shock but a welcome scene for the people of Ketchikan who rely on the tourism industry to support their businesses. For us we were glad we were docked away from town and didn't really have to deal with the cruise ship or it's thousands of passengers. After a nice walk and some chores Gary stopped by to say hi and gave us a tour of his son's Seiner fishing boat- The Sovereign Grace. It was so interesting to us and we got to see all the ins and the outs of the boat and Gary explained what everything was for and what it did. It was incredible. Afterwards he offered to drive us to our covid tests. Now that the Canadian boarder is open in order to go ashore you have to be vaccinated and also so a negative covid test 72 hours prior to arrival. The rain poured and we were happy to be inside Gary's truck and dry. Gary was so kind to not only drive us to the test but waited in the hour long line and then 15 minutes after to get our results. We felt so lucky to have such a great friend. After our negative test results Gary dropped us back off at the boat and said he would be back to get us in an hour to take us to their house for dinner. We freshened up a bit and before we knew it Gary was back. When we arrived Liz was busy in the kitchen preparing dinner and we were in awe of their gorgeous view of the Tongass Narrows. I couldn't stop staring out the window and felt so happy to be hanging out with them in their gorgeous home. Liz made a delicious vegan dinner for us all and finished the night with a guitar concert. She is quite the accomplished guitar player and singer. We chatted with Gary as she played and sang in the background and the evening felt magical. What a great way to end our time not only in Ketchikan but also in Alaska. As the days turn into hours we feel ourselves getting sad to leave and trying to convey it to Jeff I've teared up several times. Not only is Alaska drop dead gorgeous and stunning to cruise but we have met the most incredible people like Gary & Liz, Bill and Lucy and our boat neighbors Chuck and Margaret. We knew coming here that the trip would be incredible but we never excepted that we would meet such amazingly kind people who we hope will be lifelong friends.