Optics
Happy Birthday to me! I’m old and can’t see! . . . In my younger years, I had eagle eyes. I could spot things miles before my peers. Then I hit forty and things started slowly going downhill. Books got a bit blurry and copy on the laptop got fuzzy towards the end of the…
What Are The Odds?
Seventeen years ago I bought my first power catamaran. Little did I know it was to be the trading stock that propelled me towards hundreds of future multihull deals. I was living on Bainbridge Island and working in Seattle’s SoDo district down near the Duwamish River. The cattle-call of the ferry commute was breaking my…
Petersburg: Alaska’s Little Norway
At a low slack tide on a Sunday, we carefully meandered through the maze of rocks and day marks that peppered the winding length of Wrangell Pass on our way to Petersburg. Once we arrived, Matthew swung the boat into position for docking on the end tie and I stood on our transom steps, stern line…
West of North
Ken & Kim Hoover retired, bought a power cat from me in Tacoma, Washington, and promptly pointed their bows West of North to Wrangell, Alaska. Then Ken wrote a novel – West of North (https://www.amazon.com/West-N). I ran into Ken on the docks and he gave me a copy. Right now, I am sitting in the…
Wrangell: Time to Mow
The vibrancy of the late spring growth erupts from everywhere in this part of the world and any inch of terra firma, including sturdy docks awaiting a make-over, are quickly taken over by the bountiful wild greenery. The wet earthy aroma infuses with the salt air during sun breaks for a deliciously primordial olfactory stew.…
Wrangell and the Mysterious Petroglyphs
We arrived in Wrangell on a delightfully sunny afternoon. As we entered the channel behind the breakwater to tie up in Heritage Harbor, a bit south of downtown Wrangell, a new blend of avian sentinels was immediately noticeable compared with the usual marine birds hanging around harbors closer to home: bald eagles and ravens perched…
Ketchikan: Where Cruise Ships and Fishing Fleets Collide
Late May in Ketchikan is soggy and green yet umbrellas are sorely out of place. Locals get about their business in practical rubber boots and thick fleece jackets while somehow immune to the persistent rainfall. The town has exploded in growth to support the booming cruise ship industry and a sea of tourists ebbs and…