Day 37 ~ Douglas Bay, Hoonah Sound to De Groff Bay Krestof Island

According to the float plan prepared by Michael and Dad we needed to recover our crab pots by 8:30 a.m., which would allow us to be at the shrimp pots by 9:45. Wendy and Michael jumped in the dinghy and raced off and Dad and I hoisted the anchors. When Wendy and Michael were in route they spotted a rock that they thought was covered in tires. Upon closer inspection they determined that the tires were actually seals. Step one of our log was accomplished and we were off to step two, when Dad spotted a grizzly on the beach. He drove the boat toward the bear and we were able to get about 50 feet off the beach. He was cinnamon colored and moved through the grass with a commanding stride. We watched him for a few minutes and then went on our way to the shrimp pots intending to use Dad’s fancy trick of pulling them. Our morning haul from the sea was 4 crabs and 3 dozen tiger prawns.

Our ride towards Serguis Narrows was smooth. The sun was trying to break through the clouds but the rain was winning the battle. As we rounded Rose Island the current was getting stronger pulling the boat towards Salisbury Sound. It was about then that I asked when slack tide was at the Narrows, oops – our planning team forgot to check!  We checked the book and found we had a couple of hours to kill, quickly we found a cove to tuck into.

We dropped anchor in Deep Bay, and Dad and Michael fired up the crab pot on the swim step and proceeded to cook the crab and shrimp while Wendy and I redid the float plan focusing on the appropriate slack time at Serguis Narrows. After our chores were finished, Dad took a nap and the girls went to the bridge to enjoy the little bit of sunshine. Wendy found another bear way back on the tree line.

The Narrows were still running as we approached them but they were easily navigated by Dad and we were off to the fishing grounds that we have been waiting for since we left Seattle. The water was so sloppy that we got tossed right out of Salisbury Sound and back into our book in search of a home for the night. The book described a lovely secluded bay that was near us so we decided it was calling our name.

Once again, we found ourselves slithering through passages to get to our destination. DeGroff Bay was just as beautiful as it was described in the book and definitely a top contender for best anchorage.  We cruised around and picked our spot deep in the back.

As night began to fall the rain finally stopped. Knowing that we had to depart the bay early in the morning during high tide, we decided to go exploring. The water was so clear that we could see the empty clam shells about 5 feet under the water. Some of them were about the size of a bread and butter plate. The reflection on the water was amazing. We called it a night and headed to bed. We were headed off to Sitka the next day and hopefully fishing along on the way in Sitka Sound.